One thing leads to another

[DaveL]

While I was limited with the toes healing I watched quite a lot of YouTube, Ben Crow of Crimson Guitars was using a bobbin sander that took strips of abrasive instead of sleeves.
Well I have a SIP machine

And changing the sleeves is not easy so I thought one of those drums would be a good thing to have. It was made by Carroll Tools, but the comments on YouTube said they were not still trading, but not have much I could do I searched for them online. I found a phone number and it rang, the chap who answered took my details and said his sister would ring me back, he was doing some DIY for her.
I got a call back, she explained the company had shut down as the chap who ran it had died but she had a few bits left and what was I after. I asked about a drum for a bobbin sander, and after check I was told to post her a cheque with my name and address and she would post one of to me, result.
The drum arrived, I then need a spindle to mount it on, after a lot more searching I found a site that listed SIP spares. However the part I wanted was shown as out of stock and to contact them. I did find a phone number, it took several tries to get through, the very helpful lady took the details of what I wanted, turns out they were now selling the spindle complete with the rubber drum and abrasive sleeve at a reduced price, but I had to go back to the website to order it.

Much to my delight the rubber drum came off without to much of a problem.
How ever the spindle was 5/8" while the drum has a bore of 1/2", bummer.

 

[DaveL]

Well I have a wood turning lathe that I bought new just over a year ago, but lurking in the back of the workshop is an old metal work lathe. I bought it over 20 years ago. I have not had it in working order for the 16 years, the flat drive belt was the problem, it needed a new one when I got it. I bought a new high tech belt, it was bonded in to a loop using a machine lent to me by the shop I got the belt from. The belt did not last well, the belt shifting mechanism caught the joint and it broke.
While looking at stuff on eBay I found some old school flat belting and the metal joining.

So I moved all the stuff stacked on and in front of the machine. I made a new belt and after a bit of a struggle managed to join it on the machine.

The lathe is now back running but it runs very fast, the motor is a 4 pole single phase.
Having got it going I search for details of it a found its quite good machine, http://www.wade8a.com/ is a site just for this lathe.
I have chucks and face plates along with a part set of collets, I hope that with a bit more time I will be able to turn the spindle down to 1/2".
I think a different motor and possibly a reworked lay shaft to slow it down would be the next thing to do.

 

[Rod]

Looks like a solid piece of kit!

Rod

 

[AndyP]

I am sure you are up for a challenge but is there not someone around here who could turn that spindle down for you?

 

[DaveL]

Andy,

Yes I am quite there are a number of other members who could turn the spindle down, but I should make the effort to get my lathe back into service, I have had it a long time and really should have done it by now.

Just found the serial number

And from the website the lathe was made in 1941, makes it the oldest thing in the shop.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Isn't it funny how projects balloon into unrecognizability? Pretty soon you'll be rewiring your whole shop.

Kirk

 

[9fingers]

Andy,

Yes I am quite there are a number of other members who could turn the spindle down, but I should make the effort to get my lathe back into service, I have had it a long time and really should have done it by now.

That's why I did not volunteer Dave :lol: :lol:

Don't forget if you are thinking about a different motor, go 3 phase and use an inverter. Once you have used a lathe with speed control you will wonder how you managed without.

Bob

 

[DaveL]

Andy,

Yes I am quite there are a number of other members who could turn the spindle down, but I should make the effort to get my lathe back into service, I have had it a long time and really should have done it by now.

That's why I did not volunteer Dave [emoji38] [emoji38]

Don't forget if you are thinking about a different motor, go 3 phase and use an inverter. Once you have used a lathe with speed control you will wonder how you managed without.

Bob

Oh yes, my Jet wood lathe has an inverter drive and its magic.[emoji41]

 

[DaveL]

I have made some progress, I bought some bent drive dogs so I could spin the spindle between centres. The position of the dog meant it did not meet the bolt I had in the small face plate, so I fitted an oak block the connect the 2. I had only a very old small tool for the lathe so ordered some better ones, but started to turn the spindle down to nearly the required size while they were being delivered. The new tools arrived today and I thought I would get the job finished, but we all know about the best laid plains of mice and men!
I started to turn to the finished size. I offered the drum up to the spindle and realised I had not turned down the required length, I was short by about 3/8", no problem I thought. It was then that the drive system on the lathe started to make an increasing loud clanging.
It was the clutch operating mechanism that had been distorted and was in a bad way.

That shows the operating fork and the ring the needs to be moved to operate the clutch.

That is what's left of the 2 bits that should move the ring. Not much left of ether and one is badly bent. Well I have no bronze or even brass to make new ones from, but I do have a small amount of lignum vitae so I am going to try making something that might left me finish the spindle.

 

[DaveL]

I had another look at the clutch operating mechanism and decided that it would be easier to fix the clutch in the engaged position, I got a the bolt out of the end of the motor shaft and cut a ring of plywood to go behind it.

Sorry no picture of the ring but thats where it came from.

There it is behind the retaining disc, holding the clutch engaged.
That allowed me to finish turning the spindle down and here is the Carroll sanding drum on the machine.