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Moving Overhead Flat Belt Cone Pulleys

DennyReagan

Aluminum
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Location
Chicago
Hi, Guys.
Does anybody have plans for conversions for moving the overhead flat belt.cone pulleys to just over the headstock?
I have an old flat belt lathe, manufactured in 1888. I've used it in the past by setting up a wooden framework from the floor to just over the headstock and bolting the overhead pulley to to a shaft on bearings bolted to that wooden framework. I would like to convert it to something less obtrusive, but I'd rather not drill into the lathe if I can help it.
I've seen pictures of conversions that are done in metal, using bolts and angle iron. One conversion I saw pictures of used two pieces of black iron pipe that were placed behind the lathe but did not bolt to the lathe. I know it is possible, I just can't figure how to do it neatly. I've got two bolts at the back of the headstock into the bed of the frame, they might be useful for this.
Any help would be appreciated.
TIA.
 

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Cone pulley move

Hi Denny, try putting the top pulley just behind the lathe, in other words both pulleys are the same height above ground ,,not only is the belt not in your face, but you can build an easy right angle frame [bolted to the bottom of the bed , out of sight] these frames run horizontaly out behind the bed , then turn 90 deg' and go down to the floor,suporting the weight [and can be bolted down] do it very close with short belts, I've got a vintage lathe using this system and its easy to reach and maintain everything , cheers Stirling: cheers:
 
Danny:

I went the angle iron and bolt route. Also did not want to attach directly to the lathe so I lagged into the wall behind the lathe.







Arrangement also eliminated any drive vibrations from the lathe.

Jerry
 
Flat Belts

Denny,

I have a number of flat belt precision bench lathes. I mount all the drive pulleys on the ceiling with long drive belts and the motors on the wall. The flat belts work much better and are under less tension when mounted in this way. They will also induce far less vibration into the machine than if mounted close to the machine.

Joe
 
Here is how I drive my Hardinge Cataract bench lathe. The countershaft, jackshaft and motor are mounted to a pair of rectangular steel tubes. The tubes rest on the floor and attach to the bench frame. In the first installation the tops of the tubes were bolted to a concrete wall. But for the last twenty years (wood wall behind lathe) the top bolts have not been used and everything runs smoothly.

Larry

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HardingeBB59benchlathe.jpg
 
If you don't want to attach to the ceiling or the wall, and don't want to attach right to the lathe by drilling holes in it, another approach is to build a base for the lathe and attach the driveline to it. For example, build a wood or metal base that the lathe mounts on top of, and then add a structure coming up behind it that mounts the driveline. The whole thing is one unit that stays with the lathe. I made a frame like that for my Logan, in which the back structure also has shelves for accessories and mounts a flourescent lamp. It's mostly made of 4 x 4's and plywood. The whole thing can be picked up and moved around with a pallet jack, which can be really handy. I'm planning on making up similar frames for some of my other flat belt machine projects.
 
Another approach to life:

PW_lathe5.JPG


The wood thing behind the countershaft, that's my coat
rack. I took the coats of it for the photo - it is
not related to supporting the countershaft, in any way.

Other than, keeping the operator warm in the wintertime!

Jim
 
One thing i really miss nowadays, is old bed iron, These for our overseas readers, were a light angle iron made of really awful material Usually old railway line re-rolled, I believe one of the firms who rolled this stuff,was The English McKenna Co, round about Liverpool area, This iron was the longitudinal bearers which held the iron bed springs However one could in my younger day, obtain any amounts of this material from the refuse collectors, This material was the metal- stock, for the "cutting-oil mac structural dept" This i used for the bearers and countershaft brackets for my lathe and drilling machine drive, Working this material occasionally had its fun moments, one would come across a hard portion to blunt ones drill or hacksaw blade, in fact for drilling i was more inclined to use dads joiners brace, with a holder into which a 1/4" drill was held by grubscrew, Slow speed worked alright
It is only about 10 years ago i threw out the last of my old home made structures Never mind the price was right at the time.
 
Primitive approach

Saw oak logs, and make brackets...

I keep picking up oak logs on the side of the road for this purpose, most are not good enough for brackets like these.

Can you see them in the back? JimB
 

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When I picked up my 22 X 96 Hamilton Lathe I made a base for the three supporting pedestals to sit on so that I could move it using pipe rollers. This base became a part of my lathe. I welded some pipe sockets to the base to hold pipe uprights which are attached to two pre-existing tapped holes in the back side of the headstock to support my old lineshaft cones and drive motor assembly. I mean to make it better sometime, but cannot find a roundtuit. It has been working good for 15 years that way so far..
 
Denny:
This took me a while but worked great. 850 RPM 8 pole 3 phase with a 3 1/2in. pulley to the 7 in. cone pulley with a serpentine belt - 425 Rpm spindle speed. Machined two 1/4 by 1in. slots threw the spindle head base for the belt. With the VFD all the power you would I would ever need. I still have the original 4 speed transmission overhead system if you think that would work better? Bob

Before and After for my Whitcomb Blaisdell


850RPMmotor.jpg

lathebeltdrive.jpg

Driveend.jpg
 
What's with the wall telephone? Is is,......... on line?
When I was little, my dad found two wall phones that had the 2, round, dry cells up in the wooden box on top, along with the hand crank ringing generator. He installed them between the house and the garage. They were painted an olive drab. Came from the state hospital here in town. They may have be removed from service there............ I still have one of them.

Another approach to life:

PW_lathe5.JPG


Jim
 
Oliron's suggestion about placing the countershaft pulley behind the headstock was how my original 18" Southbend was arranged. The countershaft assembly was mounted on a frame which in turn had a hinged base bolted to the floor. A large compression spring was mounted between the lathe bed and countershaft frame. The idea was that the frame was freestanding and only touching the lathe via the spring, which provided belt tension and still could be pulled forward to change speeds. It actually worked very well!
 








 
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