24 tpi cross-slide / top slide - arrgh

[MRA]

Hi Folks
Someone gave me a (very) small lathe and as is the way with me at the moment, because it is utterly off the critical path, I have become interested in it. There are no dials at all at the moment, and it seems the cross and top slide are 24tpi. This does not make for a nice division. I could put '100' division dials on and pretend that one turn is a sort-of mm, I might even replace the 3/16x24tpi screws with M6x1mm.

This might be a very particular feature of Flexispeed / Simat type miniature lathes. The leadscrew is an even more unfriendly 14tpi. I wonder if anyone has met this before on older small machines.

 

[ShopShoe]

MRA,

What make is your lathe: can it be found on Lathes UK?

Is there a way to get past the dials issue by adding DRO or dial indicators. I have seen others who have done that.

--ShopShoe

 

[MRA]

hi ShopShoe

I think it is a Simat / Flexispeed, from looking at the lathes.uk site - where it says that dials were fitted to later ones, but not much detail. Fitting DTIs sounds like a nice idea - I have a few kicking around. It would be easy to mount the whole thing on a bit of 1/4" plate and use clocks on magnetic stands, though they might get in the way a bit. I suppose one would do, as I don't often attempt to turn tapers by winding two handles at once...

 

[ShopShoe]

I like the steel plate idea: that way you would not be modifying what may be a rare beast.

If it was mine, I would sure want to try using it, but would really want to keep it close to original and put it on display.

--ShopShoe

 

[MRA]

I might even use it I bought an Emco chuck and adapted it to fit, and I have fixed a 4-jaw that might go on it too (hence my current Kasenit thread). I even managed to turn an acceptable MT0 taper on the back of a cheap live centre for it. What I am going to make that is so small, I don't yet know. Unlikely for me (who always posts here on tool threads) it might even be a model