# Roller Box



## Blogwitch (Aug 2, 2016)

Starting to get all my tooling together for making studs and custom threaded bits in largish quantities. 
Because single point and hand die threading is so slow, I have just purchased a small Coventry die head and chasers for BA, just got to get the metric chasers now, so I now need to make a roller box for getting the materials down to the correct size.
Has anyone got any plans or working drawings for a roller box? I used to have a few off a small machine, but must have given them away at some time, typical.
Not worried about scale as I expect to have to make it to fit on my lathe and and the sizes of materials I will be using.
I don't mind paying for them if they are what I need.

Thanks in advance

John


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## Nick Hulme (Aug 2, 2016)

I found a very reasonably priced one at the Harrogate show a year ago, but I showed it to Graham and let him buy it as I already had a nice Tangi-Flow from my local tool shop. 
I can take some photos if that will help, the required geometry is fairly self explanatory, 
Regards, 
Nick


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## Blogwitch (Aug 2, 2016)

That would be great and much appreciated Nick. I just can't remember what mine looked like before giving them away, but I think they would have been perfect as they came off a small machine.

I do know that there are a few different designs, and I need to see how they are put together and what different angles apply. I won't be doing anything over 6mm, so I envisage it to be fairly small when made.

Thanks again

John


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## Blogwitch (Aug 2, 2016)

I have just been onto google and found these two.

I don't recognise any of these as being like the ones I had.







I suppose this one is very similar to yours Nick. Does it have an auto opening feature when it reaches correct length?







John


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## Wizard69 (Aug 2, 2016)

Sorry can't help!   When I saw the posts title I thought you had just got yourself a new tool box.


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## jayville (Aug 3, 2016)

wizard69..I thought that as well..blogwitch can you please explain what they are used for...clem


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## goldstar31 (Aug 3, 2016)

In my Pandora's Box aka my hard drive, I have the various articles which 'Ned' aka Edgar Westbury wrote on capstan lathes. The date, laughingly. is 1942.

Briefly, I have no idea whether they are pertinent- or that I am being impertinent but I vaguely think that it is possible to copy them.

Who sent me them is beyond my somewhat transient memory.

Will they help?

Cheers

Norman


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## Blogwitch (Aug 3, 2016)

Clem,
A very easy to understand description is that they are used for very quickly turning down the end of a bar to an exact diameter, it is like having a small traveling steady with a cutting tool attached.They are usually used on a capstan head fitted to the cross slide (a simple capstan will be made if I can get an easy design to make the roller box).

So your first cut on the bar would be to cut the part down to size using the roller box, then a die head would be swung into position and the thread cut, about 20 to 30 seconds all in, much quicker than doing it normally with a cutting tool then a die, say when you have 10 or more to make.

Hope this helps

John


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## jayville (Aug 3, 2016)

thank you for that John ..clem


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## Nick Hulme (Aug 3, 2016)

This is the Tangi-Flow - 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UivMHhu8gSA

This is a bog standard version - 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/SlETx0uTp4A
I used video as it gives a better idea of the movement and relationship between parts, 

 - Nick


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## Blogwitch (Aug 3, 2016)

They are great Nick, many thanks.

Does the Tangi-Flow one lift the cutter off the job when forwards cutting pressure is released or when the machine is stopped?

As you can most probably gather, I have forgotten most things about them and I need to get up to speed again.

John


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## abby (Aug 3, 2016)

John , what machine are you equipping ?
I have 2 Pultra lathes , one fitted with a capstan turret. 
I use them for making small threaded parts , also using a Alfred Herbert die head (5/16").
The roller boxes for the Pultra are very simple but will easily remove 1/16" of brass in a single pass , for larger amounts or steel I use multiple progressively set boxes.
I am planning to make some more to fit my machines (1/2" shank) and can send you a drawing if it will be of use.


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## Blogwitch (Aug 3, 2016)

Abby,

I have a Chester Crusader Deluxe, 12" swing, plus an extra 6" if I take out the gap bed, which I hope I will never need to do.

It was Pultra roller boxes that I gave away without knowing that I would need them, but on the other hand, they may be lying in a box that hasn't seen light of day for a few years. I won't know until everything is shifted and sorted within the next couple of months. I sold my Pultra with either 3 or 4 fully operational capstans, plus almost everything else that was made for the Pultra, but can't remember exactly.
All I have left are PDF's of the 5 catalogues showing everything that was available for them, if those are of any use to you.

I am using a 1/4" die head, 2 off actually, I want to use one for BA and the other for small metric.
I have just been sent a good quantity of  5/16 head die chasers, in fact an almost full set (plus extras) in BA, but can't remember if the die head that is hiding in my shop is 5/16 or 3/8. So won't know just yet if they are spare.

It would really help, and greatly appreciated if you could send me a drawing, then I could scale up or down as required.

Many thanks in anticipation.

John


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## abby (Aug 4, 2016)

John , I can certainly send you a drawing of the type that I have , I use my die head from the tail stock as it does not clear the back of the turret , I made a back plate with pultra collet form .
I have 1/8"x40 tpi and BA from 10 up less the odd numbers (except for 7) , I would like small metric but prices are far to high at present.
I also have a large quantity of chasers for 1/2" die head if I can find them amongst all the junk.
Dan.


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## Blogwitch (Aug 4, 2016)

Abby,

I only have 2mm and 2.5mm dies at this time for the second 1/4" head, hope to pick some more up at a later date.
I already have a T-slotted top table to fit onto my cross slide, so will most probably work from there as I haven't modded my tailstock yet to lever action.

Just checked the ones to fit a 5/16 die head that were sent to me FOC, nearly all BA, but they all have a small amount of surface rust on them (stored in original Herbert cardboard boxes, a deadly combination if damp) and they won't fit my other head as I have just found it and it is 3/8. Maybe I can clean them up on a very fine diamond lap and do some swaps for the the others I need.

Please read PM's

John


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## Nick Hulme (Aug 4, 2016)

Blogwitch said:


> Does the Tangi-Flow one lift the cutter off the job when forwards cutting pressure is released or when the machine is stopped?



John, 
The tool retracts as soon as the tool stops feeding


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## Blogwitch (Aug 4, 2016)

Thanks for the info Nick,

 Looks like a multi stop is required for the saddle if I want to run from the cross slide, but that would be much easier to do than putting a lever on my tailstock. I made a 5 position multi stop when I had my Atlas, with the turret I am considering making, it would only need 3.

John


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## goldstar31 (Aug 8, 2016)

Blogwitch said:


> Thanks for the info Nick,
> 
> Looks like a multi stop is required for the saddle if I want to run from the cross slide, but that would be much easier to do than putting a lever on my tailstock. I made a 5 position multi stop when I had my Atlas, with the turret I am considering making, it would only need 3.
> 
> John


 
Apparently, I have just bought a 6 station turret for the saddle- possibly for the Myford but who knows.

So thank you for the mention of making a multi stop to utilise it.

Regards

Norman


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## Blogwitch (Aug 15, 2016)

Norman,
Sometimes with so many stops you can have trouble finding somewhere for it to stop against, not many people have flat areas on the front of their saddle and still be able to clear the other stops unless you mount a bar sticking out in front of the saddle. 
I only have one stop at this time, but by looking at the picture supplied by Hemingway, this version designed to fit a Myford (spit on floor) looks a lot more promising, it fits behind the saddle, so no limitations on space.






John


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## goldstar31 (Aug 16, 2016)

John
         Initially, I would hope that you are 'on the mend' again. It's relative, but my wishes are sincere. We have bits  that are past their sell by date. I have new ears ( very expensive ones) and distances to walk are interminable.  

However, I would thank you for the information on the 'Myford' stuff from Hemingway. I had completely forgotten that it existed.

I'm busy with other things -sorting out a Myford ML10. The turret arrives in a week or so. Heigh ho, I paid a tenth of what some guy had wanted for a similar  turret and who knows what for the ML10.  Like Myfords or not, the Price was right.

I'm looking forward to 'having a lark'

Best wishes

Norman


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## Blogwitch (Aug 16, 2016)

Norman,
I had new ears a few months ago, fully digital with bluetooth, FOC from our great national health service, plus free repairs and batteries for life. The only thing is, they hang at the back of my ears rather than hidden inside, but at my age, cosmetics don't come into the equation, if it works, which it does, it will do for me, and besides, my partner says she can't see them anyway.... so who cares.

I don't think I will have any trouble making my own version of that stop system, the only difficult part is making the heavy detent so that the stop stays locked in it's place when in use.

Hemingway do lots of tooling for Myford lathes, I just have a look to see if I need something like it and would make something similar for my machine. Why waste brainpower coming up with something new when all the thinking work has been done?

John


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