Moving a 12,000 lbs. Lathe (2024)

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This is how we removed the apron, the pictures are arranged chronologically.

We didn't lift it by the clutch knob BTW.

Using an engine hoist one dirt is NOT fun.

The bad news

The gear that moves the carriage is completely messed up, I think that the only option is a new one (picture 1).

And a corner of the half nut has been broken (picture 2).

I haven't been able to inspect the condition of the key in double ended bevel gear, but at a glace it looks bad.

Yep - half nut broke at milled notch for interlock - that tells you some gorillas were in action

As time allows, let us see the rack gear on the bed - hopefully it does not look as bad as that pinion that fits in it.

Don't know about thais oldie, but by 1916/1917 they were using 20 degree pressure angle STUB TOOTH for the rack gear and its pinion

The rack looks to be in okay shape.

But the pinon gear has me dead in the water.
I don't have a mill so unless I get creative with the other lathe I have, I may have to find someone who can do it for me.

alskdjfhg said:

I just removed the double ended bevel gear.
I think that my key is shot completely, what am I looking for to determine wear?

Click to expand...

Key needs to slip along in keyway in lead screw without much slop. My keyway is about .255 and my key was worn down to about half that so I replaced it. After awhile they get thin enough to just fail if a sizeable cut is wanted. Quite a disappointment.

Here is the fix it thread:

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...ry/rework-l-s-apron-double-bevel-gear-162182/

My key is about gone completely

How do the clutches work? I've taken the cross feed clutch out completely and it baffles me.

And do you know of a machine shop that would be willing to make the pinon gear for me? I can make the blank.

The attached picture is how the apron looks right now.

Oh, and my shifting fork has a corner broken, but its not too worn.

And the rod that the shifting fork is one is really bent, should I remake the shaft?

Member Finegrain makes gears - lots of them. He has my strong recommendation. But you will really need to pin down toothform for him, like I said earlier, my 1916/17 24 uses 20 degree pressure angle STUB TOOTH form on rack and pinion. Maybe your older machine is more "normal".

The clutches (both of them) are male and female cast iron cones. Tightening the star knob squishes them together and the feed takes off. About 100 years ago, if you bought a car, it was likely to have a cone clutch

The rod on mine is just a straight piece of cold finished rod with a few taper pin holes. I would sure replace, but keep in mind the shifting fork has to do what you want - like fully engage both ends of the double ended bevel gear.

alskdjfhg said:

See Also

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My key is about gone completely

How do the clutches work? I've taken the cross feed clutch out completely and it baffles me.

And do you know of a machine shop that would be willing to make the pinon gear for me? I can make the blank.

The attached picture is how the apron looks right now.

Oh, and my shifting fork has a corner broken, but its not too worn.

And the rod that the shifting fork is one is really bent, should I remake the shaft?

Click to expand...

The first picture is the gear that is driven by the double ended bevel gear, that shaft has .130 of runout.

The second picture is also of the gear that is driven by the double ended bevel gear, it shows a little pin that prevents the shaft from turning. Why is that there, shouldn't this shaft turn?

The third picture is where the little pin fits in to blind the shaft.

I think that bent shafts and broken teeth, are from when that idiot broke the half-nut interlock and crashed the lathe.

I just got the feed clutches figured out and freed.

How do I identify the gear toothform for the pinon gear?

This is your single wall apron and that shaft with the big bevel has a huge cantilever load - probably bent when the machine had Joe Gorilla fix it good.

Its just an axle or pin for the big bevel and its little pinion to rotate on - that is why it is keyed (with a pin) to the apron.

In the double wall that came out a little later, all shafts are supported on both ends. They were learning from folks like JG above that it was pretty easy to destroy the single wall.

All feed forces are transmitted thru that cantilevered little axle. (On second look, maybe you have a piece off and the inner end is supported - but it bent anyway)

How do I identify the gear toothform for the pinon gear?

Click to expand...

Get some card stock (poster board?) and make an exact fitting tempate of three teeth on the right end of the rack where it is likely in good shape. That is a place to start, and some dims can be pulled off that by Finegrain or whoever. Use a pointy exacto knife and just trim on it until it fits perfect. Clean non fuzzy cuts are the aim.

ON EDIT:

You could try some plain old measuring of rack teeth (on the right end again) first.

A 6DP rack will be .5236" from one point on one tooth to the same point on an adjacent tooth. If full depth, it will be .375 to .391" deep top of tooth to bottom of root. If it is .5236 pitch but less than .375 deep, likely its stub tooth. If you own a protractor, you can measure the pressure angle easily on the rack, since the teeth are straight sided. It will be likely either 14.5 or 20 degrees.

There is another casting to support the other end of gear.

What I have left to do
1 New key in double ended bevel gear.
2 New rod for interlock
3 New pinon gear
4 New oil tubes and clear oilers
5 New shaft for gear in post 91
6 A bronze bushing for a worn bearing.
7 Make a thread dial
8 Possibly shoe the shifting fork
9 Fix broken teeth in end gearing
10 Fix broken tooth in back gear
11 Free the compound
12 And put this all back together again

I was just on MSC, pricing tooling.

This big stuff is expensive!

alskdjfhg said:

I was just on MSC, pricing tooling.

This big stuff is expensive!

Click to expand...

Your in Houston, ever try Bass Tool over on Hempstead Hwy @ Antoine? They are my one stop place right now

I've seen them from the road, but several bad experiences with the industrial community has me soured.

How are Bass Tools to deal with?

Yeah, what do you want for them?

I just bought a batch of tooling for this lathe of craigslist, and a big Armstrong holder was in the lot.
Who ever said that lantern style tools were light, never held one for a 30in lathe.

Although the big DA Aloris that the machine came with puts it to shame.