Projects

Project to design a centre height  setting tool for the BH600G lathe.

The design is basically along the established method but I have added a LED to help me know when tool height is exactly set to the lathe centre height.  Whilst not essential it does actually make setting much faster. The design incorporates an adjustment feature to initially establish the correct centre height making use of a round locking nut and a 40tpi fine thread.  A small pin is used to lock the nut as required. The actual height setting part comprises to plates made of non magnetic stainless steel such that one side will set conventionally mounted cutting tools whilst the other sets inverted tools such as in the case of a rear mounted parting off cutter.  The combined part is fixed as one using a small brass rivet and the attachment brass bolt and a spring washer enables the part to be rotated by hand easily without losing accuracy. The base comprises two parts screwed together which is appropriate for my lathe.  The top left hand saddle was originally painted yellow but I found that hot chips managed to mark the paint surface making it difficult to keep clean, so I removed the paint back to the milled surface and cleaned up the surface to be as if ground.  This provides easy and quick cleaning plus an ideal surface for the height setting toll to be located.  The part that is placed on the saddle is 11mm thick and has a disc magnet set into the base.  This not only holds the base in position but enables any movement as required.  To clear an oil fill button on the saddle a further clearance cut was made so that the base always locates correctly.  To provide reach a 3mm steel plate extends from the base and this has the main column fitted at the end such that the setting plate is close to the cutting tool.  There is a fair degree of movement in positioning the base and this means that the saddle and compound slide do not have to be altered during setting. To enable a quick and accurate method in using the setting plate an LED is incorporated such that it illuminates only when the cutting tool is exactly at the correct centre height.  There is no need to use fingers or nails to feel for the cutting edge to match the setting plate edge. A free set of drawings in A4 PDF format are available on request

GWH Engineering

creative engineering in a home workshop