Indexing for lathe

[OldWood]

My Wadkins Bursgreen BZL lathe, excellent as it is, doesn't have any indexing. My chuck does but that forces me to work round using the chuck if I want to do some dividing.

Anyone found an easy method of fitting some sort of indexing to an older lathe ?

Rob

 

[penman]

Try this http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/acatal ... g_Kit.html for size I have been using mine for several years.

Malcolm

 

[OldWood]

Thanks Malcolm - good try !

Two problems with it - it's expensive, though by the time you take the key into account it may be justified, plus my nose thread is 1 3/8" and isn't covered. Its only advantage is that is qualifies on the grounds of being easy !!

At the worst I may have to look for a large Myford 7 threading gear and turn it out to fit.

Rob

 

[dennisk]

I bought an indexing wheel @www.IRONFIRELLL.com The largest bore they come with is 1 1/4 but I drilled it out with a 1 1/2 forstener to fit on the outboard side of my BL150. I works well with several sets of holes to give you pretty any divisions of 360 you should need.

 

[John. B]

I made this from a scrap piece of steel drilled for the spindle, spray painted (aerosol) marked for the holes and drilled. letraset for the numbers.
The chuck holds it on to the spindle.
Took a while but it works and the cost was minimal.
The arm made from hollow bar and two pins at right angles fitted to the end so it could be used to index the chuck as well as the plate.
.
.

(The holes in the middle were already there)

John. B

 

[OldWood]

Many thanks John and Dennis.

The website is http://www.ironfirellc.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=13 - typo in Dennis' answer but Google helped ! Might well go down that way if the postage isn't too serious.

John - that's an impressive bit of drilling. A couple of questions - what thickness of steel and what diameter is the disc - I could work the dimensions out but it's easier to ask !!

Also you have the capability of a 1.66 degree step - do you find that necessary ? For instance the wheel from IronFire goes down to 6 degree steps.

Cheers
Rob

 

[John. B]

Hello Rob,
It's 1.7mm thick and 226mm diameter.
Got to give it away with my old lathe that's up for sale as it doesn't fit the spindle of my new lathe.
Not to worry though, as the new backplate for my chuck is indexed. :lol:

John. B