Thread: A Combination Saddle Stop for the 260

OK, thanks. I don't have a mill, so I might go for the ebay stop.

Have you considered a hacksaw and file.

I'm not that patient pipeclay. Ebay is so much easier!

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Have you considered a hacksaw and file.

That is exactly what they suggested at TAFE ...

Always reaching for an allen key was not a good idea....

This is now the final version, no tools needed to set position or swap between micrometer and indicator. The mandwheel is bronze silver soldered onto the allen head screw. It had to be shallow to fit uder the headstock casting when at fully left position..

nice job. well done.

Guys, I may have one or two sets of Mic. Saddle Stop castings. Let me know if anyone is interested. To form the V groove you can do this in one of several ways. The simplest way is to machine the ends perpendicular (sides of casting) mark out the groove and set the casting in a machine vice with one of the marked lines vertical (or horizontal) then use an endmill to mill the groove. You can also slot the apex of the groove 1/16" wide and deep, this adds a nice touch but not absolutely necessary.

After turning some small hubs out of acetyl for a kids school project on the weekend, I've decided I can't live without one of these things. There were fine ribbons of plastic flying everywhere making it impossible to see where the tool was in relation to the step in the hub. A saddle stop would have saved me having to stop the lathe to clear the swarf on each pass.

I bought the ebay version a while back and couldn't like without it. I really like the version shown by the OP on this thread, but if you can't or don't want to make one yourself, the ebay version is very good quality and works well, no complaints at all. I too found the allen key a bit fiddly so replaced it with a knurled knob, however it's difficult to obtain enough torque that way, so it may again be replaced with a bolt the same size as those in the rest of the machine so I can simply use the same spanner.

Pete

Originally Posted by Pete F

I too found the allen key a bit fiddly so replaced it with a knurled knob, however it's difficult to obtain enough torque that way, so it may again be replaced with a bolt the same size as those in the rest of the machine so I can simply use the same spanner. Pete

That is why I made the knurled knob as large as possible, with big milled half moons instead of knurls for best grip. When used with the dial indicator it does not need be vert tight. But as saddle stop it will slide along the ways if not real tight. I found that for best grip, the Vee needs to be made very accurately 90 degrees. A tiny bit over 90 degrees, and the saddle will rock and slide easily. I made the Vee a very tiny bit smaller than 90 degrees to avoid any rocking.

If I was to do it agin, I would leave the hex from the allen screw at the center of the know accessible instead of filling with silver solder, that way one could always use an allen key if a real tight stop is needed.

Another thing to think about is this: in case of an accidental collision under power feed, a not too tight saddle stop will slide. A very tight saddle stop may instead break out a chunk of the bed casting. Especially so if the micrometer stop is like in my case some distance away from the bed Vee, creating a lever that tries to twist the whole saddle stop. The original South Bend saddle stop is much closer to the bed Vee, thus has less leverage / twist to break out the Vee - in this regard it is a better design. Chris

Hopefully if you ever get to the stage of not disegaugeing your star wheel before hitting the top the feed clutch will work.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Hopefully if you ever get to the stage of not disegaugeing your star wheel before hitting the top the feed clutch will work.

That brings up a question: how do you guys exactly use this star knob clutch?

I could find no clue in the "textbook of turning" or on the net, other than that this clutch is used to engage automatic feed. And this is the first time for me, that I am using a lathe fitted with such a clutch.

I could imagine, that one could tighten this clutch just enough to overcome cutting forces, and it will then slip when hitting the saddle stop. I am just worried to try, because I am not sure if this is safe. Is this really the way it is intended to be regularly used? Or is the clutch only a last resort safety mechanism to prevent stripping of the worm wheel or breaking a tooth out of the rack?

Larger lathes sometime have some sort of dog coupling that completely disengages the automatic feed upon hitting a stop, and are intended and safe to be used that way. It would be great if the Hercus could be used in the same way with its star wheel clutch. Chris

Originally Posted by Pete F

I bought the ebay version a while back...

Pete,
do you mean the one in the first link in post #3?

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

I'm not anti indicators. I spent the afternoon making part of an attachment that will allow the fitting of a dial indicator to measure Y axis travel on my mill. The rest of you blokes would simply install a DRO.

Not me, Bob - I have no intention of putting electronics on my machine tools. I think they look ugly and fragile.
But why even fit a dial indicator, when you have a graduated hand wheel?

Jordan