MC1100 headstock spindle thread?

[BernieP]

G'day all

Have been contemplating making an indexing wheel for my lathe, I notice there is a thread in the hollow of the spindle and was thinking of fitting one in it. TTIT I have read your thread about the one you made for your MC900 and it looks like it would do nicely. Now seeing I am not very engineery can some one tell me what that thread size is, or do I have to tuck the whole lathe head under my arm and go and get someone to measure it? I feel it is the fault of this forum as I would never have even thought of attempting anything this ambitious, until I've seen all the odds and ends you people have made! Appreciate any help.

Cheers
Bernie

[rodent]

measure it ,it will probably be 1/2 but make sure. and see if its a left or right hand thread .

[joe greiner]

Take a piece of dowel (softwood better), prob. 1/2 as rodent says. Shave a long taper to about 3/4 of original diameter. Thread into the spindle whichever way it likes. Remove dowel and measure threads impressed by the spindle.

Don't be surprised if it's non-standard thread, and also left-hand. My HF34706 (and also some Jets I hear) has 1/2-12 LH. Machinery's Handbook lists 1/2-13 UNC and 1/2-20 UNF, but also lists 1/2-12 UNS; UNS is sort of a special standard. Doesn't seem to correspond to any metric equivalent. You may need to have a machinist make threaded rod and nuts for attachments. 12 tpi matches 9/16-12 UNC, so machinist should have appropriate change gears for threading.

Joe

[TTIT]

TTIT I have read your thread about the one you made for your MC900 and it looks like it would do nicely.

Mine didn't have a thread in it. I measured the inside diameter of the hole in the spindle then looked up a thread chart to find what I could tap it to without resizing the hole. Turned out to be perfect for a 7/16" UNC. It was frighteningly soft material to cut a thread in as I remember too :o

[BernieP]

G'Day fellas

Thanks for input used Joe's idea and used some dowel turned out 1/2 inch 12 Unc LHT so have ordered some threaded rod and nuts, hopefully available, if not will go to machine shop.

Cheers
Bernie

[rodent]

how did it go bernie ,did it work out?

[BernieP]

G'Day Rodent

UNfortunately have up to now been unable to source threaded bolt, so have postponed it until next time in Sydney. Thanks for asking

Cheers
Bernie

[Gil Jones]

Bernie, if you plug up that spindle hole with a stud, bolt, whatever, how do you reckon you will be able to knock out a Morse Taper drive center? Would you be willing to remove the index wheel/bolt every time you need to knock out the drive center? Or would the index wheel only be installed when needed? Just curious.

[BernieP]

G'Day Gil

I think I would only need index occasionaly, so would only fit when needed.

Cheers
Bernie