[mattinker]

Hi,

the next step is to be able to attach the lead-screw stepper and the encoder. I could use Al plates to do this, which would be more "sexy", but I happen to have some 8 mm plate, a little rusty on the surface, which I like to work with. I enjoy steel fabrication, I learnt a long time ago in a quarry in Wales using an oxy-acetylene cutting torch and an ark welder. One of the things that I'd like to show in this build up is that there are other alternatives, not that I have anything against machined alloy plates, just that other things can work as well. One of the things that is important to me is to keep the lathe working, to build it's self. I have taken of the lead-screw drive mechanism and replaced it with a stepped steel plate.

Photo.1 Bare bones, where the drive gears used to be.
Photo.2 & 3 Stepped steel plates welded together and bolted on using two existing bolts and a locating dowel, not yet visible, I also added two M10 studs, nuts and spring washer to strengthen the mounting.
Photo. 4 Turning a shoulder on the lead-screw spacer to take the drive belt wheel. It was really nice to turn, not like the hot rolled I use a lot!
Photo. 5 Spacer in place on the lead-screw(I haven't fixed it yet)
Photo.6 Drilling out the toothed wheel, 30mm bit!
Photo. 7 Boring out to 36mm, to fit the spacer on the lead-screw.
Photo.8 The other side of the wheel, recessing to allow both nuts to resume their original position on the lead- screw.
Photo.9 & 10 Cutting out the motor mount.
Photo. 11 Drilling the motor mount.
Photo. 12 Today's mistake, I had planned to mount the plate horizontally, but, as I'm improvising to a large extent, I hadn't realised that the belt would not clear the mounting posts. So, cut off two corners and drilled two new holes to make it work! This might not be very clear, but in the next episode, all will become clear.


Matthew