King Way Alignment Tool

[TGTool]

Sigh, the trouble with popular topics is that you get several threads with sometimes overlapping information and not everything in one place.

Michael, that's an interesting idea on the small rotating indicator mount. Could you say just a little more about that since I don't have the HSM article? And you can see this has the patina of authenticity. That is, it's used by someone actually doing scraping and not just a cabinet queen tool to look at - it has the blue smudges of actual use.

Interestingly enough I was just looking at some saved material and saw this commentary by Forrest Addy a few years ago on making clamps:

"Here's a handy hint: Boring a split clamp to reliably grip a rod never seems to work satisfactorily. You have to bore for some clearance. When you tighten it on the shaft, the clamp bears first at two points. Thus its a little wobbly unless you tighten the snot out of it.

Here's the trick slit the clamp drill and tap for the screw. Then make a shim about 0.010" thinner than the slit. Insert the shim, run a screw in and bring it snug to the shim but not real tight. Bore the clamp to the shaft size. Relieve the center third of the bore.

This brings several advantages. The clamp assembles on its rod and slides freely. When the screw is snugged up the clamp can be moved through a range of stiffer adjustability until it becomes immovable. Once snug it will not move because the rod is gripped over its entire circumference. The relieved bore avoids an uncertan center grip encountered when a single clamp screw is used."

 

[Mcgyver]

Michael, that's an interesting idea on the small rotating indicator mount. Could you say just a little more about that since I don't have the HSM article? And you can see this has the patina of authenticity. That is, it's used by someone actually doing scraping and not just a cabinet queen tool to look at - it has the blue smudges of actual use.

thanks....here's a cross section of the sweep tool. I used a a couple P4 AC's that were taken out of service but seemed fine to me. With a tenth's indicator it repeats

Split clamps are imo quicker to make but don't perform as well/aren't as nice to use. I've made a ton of split cotters and have not encountered a problem. I always do the ID work in the cotter first, then drill and ream the cotter hole, clamp the brass cotter in place so it can't move (I leave the cotter a wee bit too long and face it down afterward), drill the shaft hole, split the cotter. Works perfectly. Wanting the Cadillac, on these I slotted the cotters first and have a 1/16 pin that engages them so stay properly aligned, saves any futzing about putting pieces together

 

[Mcgyver]

I have been using the alignment tool recently on a Schaublin 70 I've been reconditioning and wanted to show the versatility of the 'foot'. With 5/8" dia bars it handles large lathes but also fits the tiny Schaublin 70 box ways. The feet have brass pads so the ways don't get all scored and are adjustable so it can fit large or small. I know I sound like a commercial, but I was please to see that its intended versatility actually paid off. The one leg is angled just to put support closer to centre of gravity, the sweep tool is being used to indicate a pin in the headstock

 

[Richard King]

Around the 1st of January I will be selling blueprints of the new version of the KING-WAY my Dad invented. I have a Engineer friend of mine drawing it on Cad Cam and actual blue prints. Also a list of parts, dimensions where I've purchased parts, etc. I find it a compliment that people copy my Dad's invention. Write me for info after the first. I will probably put the info on the recondition forum too. I will have 2 vintage - original KING-WAYS for sale too. Not a gift price either. OH I will be hosting a scraping class in December in Minnesota.
Pictures are student checking the column ways of a Bridgeport surface grinder. NOTE: The column is sitting on 3 points so the column doesn't have a twist. My Dad used the 3 point / kinematic principal when he designed it.

 

[Mcgyver]

Good for you Richard. btw, mine appeared as a build article in HSM bringing some improvements to it and also giving ample credit given to your father.