SLOTTING MACHINES
THIS IS AN ASTRA BENCH TOP SLOTTING MACHINE ORIGINALLY MADE IN ITALY. I DON`T HAVE A BEFORE PHOTO AS I ONLY DECIDED TO START THIS WEBSITE RECENTLY AND SO DIDN`T TAKE ONE NOT KNOWING THAT IT WOULD BE REQUIRED. PERHAPS THIS IS A BIT OVER THE TOP AS FAR AS MODELING IS CONCERNED AS SLOTTING CAN BE DONE IN THE LATHE OR SHAPING MACHINE!
SORRY, I JUST COULDN`T HELP MYSELF, IT`S A "ONCE A YEAR" MACHINE
SORRY, I JUST COULDN`T HELP MYSELF, IT`S A "ONCE A YEAR" MACHINE
ALL THE PARTS ARE JUST STACKED ON THE SWARF TRAY AWAITING ATTENTION AND A BRIEF EXAMINATION OF THEM SHOW THAT IT IS A REASONABLE QUALITY MACHINE. IT HAD BEEN USED IN INDUSTRY, AS SHOWN BY AN ELABORATE "HOME MADE" ROTARY DIVIDING TABLE WITH A T.O.S CHUCK THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE MACHINE WHEN I BOUGHT IT.
ITS A PITY ABOUT THE PAINT JOB! YOU CAN SEE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT PAINTWORK UNDER THE "TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT" HEADING
ITS A PITY ABOUT THE PAINT JOB! YOU CAN SEE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT PAINTWORK UNDER THE "TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT" HEADING
ABOVE IS THE RESULT OF STRIPPING OFF THE LAST TWO REPAINT JOBS TO REVEAL THE ORIGINAL PAINTWORK.
THIS MACHINE IS METRIC, INCLUDING ALL THE FASTENERS, WHICH MAKES IT EASIER TO BUY NEW SCREWS IN NORWAY WITHOUT HAVING TO GET THEM FROM A SPECIALIST IN THE UK.
THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IS ITALIAN SO THAT THIS MACHINE IS POSSIBLY ORIGINALLY FROM ITALY. AT THE MOMENT I`M REDESIGNING THE CRANK MECHANISM WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST AND HAS BEEN BADLY REPAIRED SO THAT I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO MACHINE UP A NEW CONNECTING ROD AND BEARINGS. IT SHOULD BE FUNCTIONAL NEXT WEEK.
THIS MACHINE IS METRIC, INCLUDING ALL THE FASTENERS, WHICH MAKES IT EASIER TO BUY NEW SCREWS IN NORWAY WITHOUT HAVING TO GET THEM FROM A SPECIALIST IN THE UK.
THE ELECTRIC MOTOR IS ITALIAN SO THAT THIS MACHINE IS POSSIBLY ORIGINALLY FROM ITALY. AT THE MOMENT I`M REDESIGNING THE CRANK MECHANISM WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST AND HAS BEEN BADLY REPAIRED SO THAT I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO MACHINE UP A NEW CONNECTING ROD AND BEARINGS. IT SHOULD BE FUNCTIONAL NEXT WEEK.
STARTING THE RE- ASSEMBLY OF THE ASTRA SLOTTING MACHINE 12.09.16
DESPITE MY LAST WORDS ON THE ASTRA THAT YOU CAN SEE ABOVE, THE MACHINE HAS BEEN STANDING ALL FORLORN AND STILL IN A DISMANTLED STATE IN MY NEW WORKSHOP FOR OVER A YEAR. THEN DUE TO HAVING TO MACHINE SOME KEYWAYS IN THE BENTLEY COMPENSATOR PROJECT, I HAD TO QUICKLY BRING THE MACHINE BACK INTO USE.
ABOVE IS THE SLOTTER IN IT`S PRESENT POSITION IN THE WORKSHOP. I HAD GIVEN MYSELF 2, FIVE HOUR SESSIONS TO GET THE MACHINE BACK INTO ACTION AND YOU CAN SEE THAT I`VE ALREADY RE-ASSEMBLED THE X AND Y AXIS TABLES AFTER CLEANING UP THE LEADSCREWS, WIRE BRUSHING THE TABLE SURFACES AND ADJUSTING THE GIB STRIPS.
ABOVE, IN THIS CLOSER VIEW OF THE HEAD YOU CAN SEE THE CRANK ASSEMBLY ONTO WHICH I`VE MOUNTED THE CONNECTING ROD THAT OPERATES THE RAM. THIS IS NOT THE NEW DESIGN THAT I HAD PROMISED MYSELF BUT A TEMPORARY LASH UP OF THE EXISTING PARTS THAT HAD BEEN BADLY REPAIRED IN THE PAST. THE CON ROD IS A RATHER CRUDELY MADE ITEM AND NOT THE ORIGINAL. A BETTER REPAIR WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I HAVE MORE TIME.
SOMETHING IS NOT QUITE RIGHT! THERE WAS ALMOST NO CLEARANCE UNDER THE RAM TO THE TABLE AT THE END OF THE DOWN STROKE WITH THE RAM LOCKED IN THE UPPER POSITION IN IT`S RANGE OF ADJUSTMENT!
SOMETHING IS NOT QUITE RIGHT! THERE WAS ALMOST NO CLEARANCE UNDER THE RAM TO THE TABLE AT THE END OF THE DOWN STROKE WITH THE RAM LOCKED IN THE UPPER POSITION IN IT`S RANGE OF ADJUSTMENT!
WHAT i DID WAS TO DRILL THE CONROD IN THE CENTRE BETWEEN THE TWO EXISTING HOLES AND MAKE A BRONZE BUSH FOR THE 22MM DIAMETER PIN THAT IS LOCATED ON THE RAM. THIS GAVE ME A CLEARANCE OF 2.5 INCHES WITH A STROKE OF 2.5 INCHES WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MOUNT THE COMPENSATOR LEVERS ON THE TOP SLIDE AND BE ABLE TO MACHINE THE SLOTS. THE NEXT JOB WAS TO MAKE UP A TOOL TO ENABLE THE 8 MM SLOTS TO BE MADE.
AFTER A YEAR OF BEING DISMANTLED, I HAD FORGOTTEN THE WAY THAT THE HEAD SHOULD BE ORIENTATED AND WHILE I WAS WRITING THE TEXT LAST NIGHT, I REALISED THAT THE HEAD WAS ASSEMBLED WITH THE WRONG ORIENTATION AS SHOWN ABOVE. YOU CAN SEE THAT THE HEAD SHOULD BE ROTATED THROUGH 180 DEGREES TO BE IN IT`S CORRECT POSITION, ALTHOUGH IT WORKED FINE AS SHOWN.
SO WHEN I GOT TO THE WORKSHOP THIS MORNING I ROTATED THE HEAD TO IT`S CORRECT POSITION AND THEN PLACED THE MARLCO INDEXING HEAD ON THE TABLE AS NOW THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM UNDER THE RAM.
ABOVE, A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SET UP. I SPENT THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON MAKING A TOOL TO USE FOR CUTTING THE SLOT FOR THE 8MM KEY. IT WAS A PAIN FILING THE ROUND HOLE THAT I`D DRILLED IN THE TOOL HOLDER SQUARE BUT DIDN`T HAVE TIME TO FINISH THIS BEFORE I HAD TO LEAVE FOR HOME
YOU CAN SEE THE BENTLEY COMPENSATOR UNDER CONSTRUCTION HERE
ABOVE, THE SLOTTER DOING IT`S DUTY. THE 5/16" SQUARE TOOL WAS CUT TO SIZE WITH A DISC ON THE EAGLE SURFACE GRINDER AND THE EAGLE WAS ALSO USED TO PROFILE THE CUTTER WITH THE CORRECT GEOMETRY AS I`VE FOUND THAT IT`S MUCH BETTER THAN GRINDING IT BY HAND. THE FOUR KEYWAYS WERE CUT QUITE SATISFACTORILY.BUT THERE WERE PROBLEMS THAT I WILL OUTLINE BELOW.
PROBLEMS TO BE SORTED OUT
THE SLOTTER HAD BEEN QUICKLY PUT TOGETHER AND DURING THE TASK IN HAND OF CUTTING THE SLOTS IN THE BENTLEY COMPENSATOR LEVERS THE PROBLEMS THAT OCCURRED WERE NOTED AND REMEDIAL WORK WILL BE CARRIED OUT ON IT WHEN TIME IS AVAILABLE TO DO SO.
1/ THE ADJUSTABLE TRUNNION FOR ADJUSTING THE STROKE HAD A TENDENCY TO LOOSEN. I REPAIRED THIS BY. MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT NON ADJUSTABLE BUT THE SYSTEM WILL REQUIRE A RE DESIGN.
2/ THERE WAS CHATTER OCCURRING BETWEEN THE TOOL AND THE WORK WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE WEAR IN THE RAM KEEP PLATES. THIS CAN EASILY BE FIXED BY GRINDING STEPS IN THE PLATES.
3/ THERE WAS A TIPPING MOVEMENT OF THE TABLE DURING THE RAM DOWN STROKES DURING CUTTING WHICH COULD HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CHATTER. THE HEIGHT OF THE MARLCO INDEXING HEAD AND ITS POSITION CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE Y AXIS WORK TABLE DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE TEE SLOTS WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROBLEM, ALSO THE SMALL DIAMETER OF THE STUDS HOLDING DOWN THE INDEXING HEAD TO THE TABLE. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN LIFTING OF THE REAR OF THE WORK TABLE DUE TO ILL FITTING DOVE TAILS.
THERES A LOT TO BE DONE!.
1/ THE ADJUSTABLE TRUNNION FOR ADJUSTING THE STROKE HAD A TENDENCY TO LOOSEN. I REPAIRED THIS BY. MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT NON ADJUSTABLE BUT THE SYSTEM WILL REQUIRE A RE DESIGN.
2/ THERE WAS CHATTER OCCURRING BETWEEN THE TOOL AND THE WORK WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE WEAR IN THE RAM KEEP PLATES. THIS CAN EASILY BE FIXED BY GRINDING STEPS IN THE PLATES.
3/ THERE WAS A TIPPING MOVEMENT OF THE TABLE DURING THE RAM DOWN STROKES DURING CUTTING WHICH COULD HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CHATTER. THE HEIGHT OF THE MARLCO INDEXING HEAD AND ITS POSITION CLOSE TO THE FRONT OF THE Y AXIS WORK TABLE DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE TEE SLOTS WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROBLEM, ALSO THE SMALL DIAMETER OF THE STUDS HOLDING DOWN THE INDEXING HEAD TO THE TABLE. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN LIFTING OF THE REAR OF THE WORK TABLE DUE TO ILL FITTING DOVE TAILS.
THERES A LOT TO BE DONE!.
IN PROGRESS