At work our department has been approved to buy a new engine lathe. While it easy to find new ones, we were looking for details on one that has both inch and metric lead screws with 2 half nuts. We want to be able to thread either inch or metric and not have to leave the half nut engaged, while reversing the spindle. I saw an add for one years ago, but I don't remember who made or sold it. Does anyone know who sells a lathe with two lead screws?
Richard W.
We have one of these:
Could it be this machine?
It looks the closest to something that could do painless inch/metric work.
Hey Richard,
Interesting concept, although I'd not heard of it. But I would think by the time you find something used and that "special", you could find, buy, and be using a good used CNC lathe. CNC lathes are able to do either/any/all English/Metric threading required, and use no "lead screw" per se. If you do go looking, make sure that you will have the exact capability you want though. On my older CNC lathe, any thread series or type can be cut (single, double, tapered, etcetera, but the spindle CAN NOT be stopped from start-to-finish, as the sensory part on this older machine is relatively simple and takes it position from the first instruction. In other words, it wants to cut the thread "all-in-one-go", although you can program the number of tool passes and depth of cut for each pass to allow completion, but the spindle must not be stopped to be checked.
Take care.
Brian Laws> At work our department has been approved to buy a new engine lathe. While
We already have a CNC sitting 15 feet away from where we are going to put the new manual lathe. (Okuma LC30) I asked for information about a manual lathe with both an inch and metric lead screws. I seen one advertised several years ago. But I don't remember the brand. The lathe will be in a new addition for the tooling dept. Not only do we make fixtures, we also make some replacement parts for CNC mills and lathes. While all of the tooling is in inches, the replacement parts are just about all metric. If I can't find a lathe with 2 lead screws for consideration by the group involved, then we will probably get a new 15 X50 Clausing. Which is a fine lathe and I am alright with it. Is just that some people wanted the ability to switch from inch to metric threading and not have to leave the half nut engaged.
The only other thing I know that might work the same is a thread dial that was for inch and metric on the same dial. I saw one of those years ago and I don't remember who made it either. Does anyone know who sold those?
Richard
The lathe is a little small for our use. Sometimes we have to make a draw tube for hydraulic chucks. 3" bore about 40" long which have metric threads.
One of the ME's want us to get one of these manual CNC combination lathes.
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.