Dividing head for Taig lathe/mill

[joe d]

Hi guys

CC: Since that last post, I've gotten another of those t-shirts... having painted the front room, the hallway needs doing as the colours don't match...

On to the real stuff: finished drilling a bunch of holes, so there are 3 plates with hole circles, 1 as a protractor, and one blank for the few circles I didn't do but will probably need the first time I get this out. The ali bar is for attaching the dividing heat to the milling slide on the taig with a little more head-room

Then switched to wood-working mode:started on a box for it

Here it is finished:

Here's all the parts:

All tucked in where they belong:

And that's it! Now all I have to do is start using it!

This has been a fun bit of work, thanks to everybody who chimed in along the way.

Cheers, Joe

 

[mklotz]

Better make an engraved brass tag with your name and the date for that heirloom you've just created.

Very nice work indeed. Long after you're gone people will look at that and say, "My he did beautiful work.".

 

[b.lindsey]

Joe, the dividing head and plates are beautiful in their own right but that fitted case is truly a crowning touch. As Marv said already...an heirloom indeed!!!

Bill

 

[dsquire]

Joe

There is nothing more to be said that hasn't already been said. You did a fine job and both the metal and wood work and should be proud of it. That is a treasure that should stay in the family even if they are not into machining. :bow: :bow:

Cheers

Don

 

[RobWilson]

WOW Joe :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: Top quality workmanship

Regards Rob

 

[cfellows]

Very nice!

Chuck

 

[joe d]

Marv, Bill, Don, Rob, & Chuck:

Thanks for the kind comments! Much appreciated.

Joe

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Yeah...that was my first thought before I read what everyone said.
Heirloom.
Put a nameplate on it. Take care of it.
Very nice.

 

[ozzie46]

All I can say is.... :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

Ron

 

[joe d]

Ron, Zee

Thanks guys.

Zee: I didn't have an M&M, but I did put in a coin for you...

Joe

 

[Deanofid]

Nicely done, indeed!

Dean

 

[ariz]

very nice work, and what a tap of elegance that box :bow: :bow: :bow:

 

[gmac]

Joe

Where did you source the worm & gear; and what specifications? Did you stick with Jeffree's 30:1 ratio?

I'm trying to locate gear suppliers in Canada, but have you had any experience with the US suppliers (Small Part, SDP/SI etc).

I may have enough scrap laying around to start one of these, particularly after looking at the price of gears....!

Thanks
Garry

 

[Deanofid]

Garry, until Joe pops up with his answer;
I've bought worms and gears from SDP in the U.S. I'm in the States, though, and don't know what you'll run into in the way of shipping. All metal gears seem to be kind of spendy, to me, so I make most of what I need, but am not into making worms.

Once in a while I find gears in handy sizes on ebay going pretty cheap. That's how I got the worm and gear for my own dividing head.

Dean

 

[joe d]

Garry

I did indeed stay with Jeffree's 30:1, didn't (and still don't) know enough about it to start getting inventive! Got them from Motion Industries here in Montreal, you do not want to know what they cost, just don't go there. (Taxes in, $75.00) Sorry to say that I tossed the packaging with the relevant part numbers. I suspect that you would find a better deal south of the border, but perhaps shipping , duties and taxes may eat up any savings. That's proof right there that having your own gear cutting capability is really worthwhile. Once it's time to actually cut some, I will be shamelessly stealing Dean's cutter style, already laid in a chunk of tool steel in anticipation.

Cheers Joe

PS My apologies to Dean and Ariz, I see that I neglected to acknowledge your posts... a rather belated Thanks, Guys!

PPS Dean, you type faster than me.

 

[gmac]

Thanks Dean and Joe! Fast service on this site!!!

I kind of figured they wouldn't be cheap - makes me wonder if I ordered them from the UK...I've had lots of material arrive from there faster than the US....

If I find the holy grail of gear supply I'll post.

Cheers
Garry

 

[Deanofid]

Oh! Don't give me credit for those things, Joe.
If it's this type you're referring to;

Credit for that type goes to David Creed and J. Malcolm Wild, as far as I know.

If you mean the single point cutters I often use for regular gears;

Almost everyone knows about those, and it's anyone's guess who came up with it. Put your own mark on it and cut away!

Dean

 

[gmac]

You two know how to connect the dots.....I just spent 20 minutes searching "Dean's Cutter Style" and similar, with no result. Come back here to post the question and there's the answer.... :big:

The cost of cutters is scary too. I think I'll price out some plastic worms and start grinding a single point cutter. I can't seem to get to building projects with all these tooling projects....

Thanks again
Garry

 

[BAH101]

Joe

Where did you source the worm & gear; and what specifications? Did you stick with Jeffree's 30:1 ratio?

I'm trying to locate gear suppliers in Canada, but have you had any experience with the US suppliers (Small Part, SDP/SI etc).

I may have enough scrap laying around to start one of these, particularly after looking at the price of gears....!

Thanks
Garry

I bought gears and a 30:1 worm gear from BC Bearing Supply. It was a few years ago, but the prices were not that bad
Bryan

 

[gmac]

Bryan
Thanks for the heads up about BC Bearings - didn't realize they also handled gears. In searching for their site I ran across an article that they'd been bought - by Motion Industries, the same guys Joe bought his worm and gear from! Strange world.
I've been thru Terrace Bay a lot of times, usually late at night on the motorcycle rushing to get to the gas station before it closes....

Cheers
Garry