King Way Alignment Tool

[shapeaholic]

Zeo,
How about posting a couple of pictures of you efforts??

Pete

 

[skadisak]

Zeo's King Way style level

Zeo,

I would also like to see your creation. Please post some pics and/or a description. Thanks.

Steve Kadisak

Zeo,
How about posting a couple of pictures of you efforts??

Pete

 

[rimcanyon]

Peter Haas and I measured our King Way levels several months ago. The only parts we measured were the way rests, since everything else is pretty obvious. Here are the measurements I recorded:

HK100 way rest (Peter's)
---------------
length 3.5"
o.d. .875"
i.d. .475"
length of ground portion at each end: .5"
(leaving the relieved portion in the center 2.5" long)
Angle of cut (measured from center of tube): 60 degrees
No. of mounting holes and spacing: (3) 1/4-20, spot faced
if the center of the cut is 0 degrees, the holes were spaced at 150 deg., 180 deg. and 270 degrees. I didn't record the offset of the holes from each end of the way rest.

HK200 way rest (both HK200 and HK300 rests were in the same set and use the same
---------------
length 8"
o.d. 1.5"
i.d. 1"
length of ground portion at each end: 1.125"
(leaving the relieved portion in the center 5.75" long)
Angle of cut (measured from center of tube): 60 degrees
No. of mounting holes and spacing: (2) 5/8-18, spot faced
if the center of the cut is 0 degrees, the holes were spaced at 150 deg. and 180 deg. the 150 deg. hole was centered between the ends of the way rest and the 180 deg. hole was 3/4" closer to one end.

HK300 way rest
---------------
length 8"
o.d. 1.832"
i.d. 1.2"
length of ground portion at each end: 1.125"
(leaving the relieved portion in the center 5.75" long)
Angle of cut (measured from center of tube): 60 degrees
No. of mounting holes and spacing: (2) 5/8-18, spot faced
if the center of the cut is 0 degrees, the holes were spaced at 150 deg. and 180 deg. Both holes were centered between the ends of the way rest.

Details common to al three way rests:
the surfaces that contact the ways were rounded
Only the end portions of the way rests contact the ways, the interior is relieved.
The rests are satin-chrome plated

both HK200 and HK300 rests were in the same set and use the same brackets, clamps, etc.

 

[skadisak]

King Way dimensions

Rimcanyon,

This is great info - thank you for sharing!!!

Okay, maybe I'm a bit dense, but I still do have questions. Is the ball foot the same for all sizes? What is (are) the o.d. of the ball(s)? I still think some general length and diameters of the vertical and horizontal frame members would help prevent those of us interested in constructing a tool from the inevitable trial and error problems. I suppose it would be close enough to take the patent drawings and scale the parts from the foot dimensions, but would anyone be willing/able to provide at least rough dimensions? TIA, and thanks again to Rimcanyon for providing the info on the tubular foot!

Steve Kadisak

Peter Haas and I measured our King Way levels several months ago. The only parts we measured were the way rests, since everything else is pretty obvious.

 

[DirkF]

Hi,
A few days ago I posted a message with a picture here, but it is now gone. The confirmation links I received are:
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/king-way-alignment-tool-153538/
presision of a big lathe - Page 2 - Practical Machinist - Largest Manufacturing Technology Forum on the Web
A comment by .RC. also dissapeared:
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...alignment-tool-153538/index2.html#post1531578
Any clues why, what I did wrong?
Best regards, Dirk

 

[RC99]

The server had a glitch and everything that was recently posted got lost...

I remember what was posted...

You posted a picture of the Kingway Tool you made.

I asked if the level vials used were Starrett 98's @ 0.005" per 12" graduations

Greg then posted about his Gier and Buhm level vials he has just bought with 0.0003" graduation (which reminds me I must ask him about how he got them)

And you posted again mentioning you did use Starrett 98 level vials you got off ebay...

That was all I saw.. Can you post the pic of your shop made kingway tool again?

 

[R1zbear]

I have 2 of these levels that cary the brand name "Tumico".


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[RC99]

Can you post a pictue of them?

 

[RC99]

Are 0.0003"/ft necessary or could Starrett 199 vials be good enough?

What is the general concensus?

 

[DirkF]

Ok, RC, thanks. Uploaded the picture again. My choise for the Starrett's 98 vial was the fact that the 0,02mm/m level was too difficult to use with the machine standing on the split slab concrete floor. Now the lathe is on one slab, it still is not easy to get it just right as sensitive as it is. When I get the feet level and the bed mounted, I should be able to tell tell if the Starrett's are workable, sensitive enough. On the kitchen table it works like a charme. I used rubber disks and ball pivots on one side. Spring loaded 5mm fine threads on the adjustment posts.
Best regards, Dirk

 

[JST]

Well, add me to the dreary list of King-way copyists ...... I suppose that is the purpose of patents, but....... you'd think we might be a bit original.....

I have not determined that I really "need" the level vials yet, what I mostly want is an easily configurable way to perform the various measurements in scraping, such as illustrated in Connoley, without fabbing special purpose indicator frames.

I think this is probably about the size of a "100" but I am not sure. The V-slider is approx 4" long.

 

[RC99]

Put these pictures in here I "borrowed" from an auction site... This one sold for $600 according to the auction... It said it was held in February... But what year I do not know

 

[scrapertony]

King way allignment tool - YouTube

upload of my version of the tool

 

[RC99]

Very nice....

 

[Richard King]

If any of you guys are still interested in the King-Way, if if don't know My Dad invented it....shoot me a PM or email me at [email protected]
Richard King

 

[tallgrass]

is it for sale? i am interested

 

[dgfoster]

I will add to the dreary list, as SMT put it, of copyists of the King Way tool. I figure a person considering making one of these useful tools cannot have too many versions to look at prior to having at it.

Right now I just have pics of the tube and will post them with a couple of notes. I made an "A"-sized tool. The radius used for the vee-way contact parts of the tube is obviously not critical. But it was a point of some uncertainty for me. After some experimentation, I found that a 3/32" radius was about right. I felt 1/8" radius was too flat for the intended purpose. The wall of the tube was greater than 3/16" sot I did cut flat relief facets tangent to the inside of the 3/16 radius.

I did make the three mounting holes at 150, 180 and 270 degrees. Since they are 1/4-20 holes, they would fall too closely together if not offset from center and so you will see I did this. I made the tube itself from A2 tool steel hardened and tempered to Rc 54.

Denis

 

[awander]

The ring is absolutely in the patent-it is identified as part #44

 

[dian]

I am steadily building pieces for a simplified version of this concept. Not as universal as the King Way, but provides depth mic checking to all upper surfaces anywhere along bed in reference to unworn factory surfaces.

It is mostly intended to fit a particular bed and provide very rapid progress checks in roughing down very worn beds with the Biax.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v337/johnoder/Way%20Gage/

john, could you repost the picture, please? or another one, of course.

 

[Mcgyver]

I will add to the dreary list, as SMT put it, of copyists of the King Way tool. I figure a person considering making one of these useful tools cannot have too many versions to look at prior to having at it.

My dreary entry. lots of changes, I hope improvements.

• split cotters used through out, no better way to clamp something like this imo...highest clamping strength for torque input,
• did away the the semi circular shoe and made a right angle shaped piece - really adaptable
• 5/8 bar through out..very solid
• It has adjustable feet so it can be adapted to a wide range of sizes of V way.
• Each foot has a brass pad so you don't score the way sliding it along
• it holds a Starrett 199 level via three supports with adjustment at one end. Saves buying vials, easy to adjust in situ . Level graduation is one thing, but the spacing of the graduations really matters as well - the Starrett 199 is the best in this regard to ones I compared it to so wanted to use it in the alignment tool
• I made a small spindle using AC bearings as a swing tool. Lets you swing an indicator through an arc, move the tool along and repeat This is really handy for say checking the tail stock quill, or I also use it for setting up the top table on cylindrical grinder.

The whole thing appeared a build article in HSM last year, with lots of credit to Mr King. more pics on my web site www.metallum.shop