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Reverse Tumbler gear adjustments - 11" Myers Lathe

Jmdowdy

Plastic
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
Is there an adjustment to make reverse tumbler gears mesh tighter/looser with the spindle gear? When the handle is engaged in the down position everything sounds and feels fine, but when the handle is locked in the up position, the noise is quite loud and clunky as if it's ready to bind at any second. I've played with with handle by applying pressure up and down slightly to see if it makes a difference in the sound, but to no avail. The shafts that the reversing gears ride on have have a hex head socket. I've tried turning the shafts hoping they may be eccentric, but I can't see any change in the lash between the gear.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Some models of Logan lathe had an adjustable stop for the tumbler reverse gears to regulate the depth of engagement of the gear teeth .
You can see the stop screws that are held in a tapped cross hole of a 3/8" pin and have another set screw in the end to lock the stop screws on page 7 of the pdf in this link .
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/2093/13932.pdf
The upper stop is next to the right hand tumbler gear and the lower one is above the black arrow line pointing to the 72 tooth idler gear.
Maybe something like that could be fitted to your Meyers.
If your Meyers lathe has been used for a long time without being used in reverse very often then the teeth in the may have become worn biased in the forward direction and may always be noisy in reverse to some degree no matter what you do short of installing new gears on the spindle and all 3 of the tumbler reverse gears .
 
The tumbler gears are 16 Pitch gears.
Pretty sure the large one is 30 teeth.
The other two are 17, 18, or 19 but I have to check my data sheet to verify that.
Adjustment....No
Replacement....Yes and these are common pitch gears available on Ebay for a reasonable price.
Look for 14 & 1/2 pressure angle for the set, not 20.
Take it apart and check the bores and the journals for wear.
The 11" lathes were manufactured from ~1913 to 1920.
John
 
Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately the Myers lathes don't have this adjustment.
 
Feom your description of moving the handle it all sounds like wear and tear to me - which after nigh 100 years shouldn't be that much of a surprise. ;) .......and small tumbler gears have hard life.

The only option is replacement, ....and do us much of the gear train as you can or until you reach gear with adjustable centres
 
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Myers 11" lathes 1920 and earlier:

3 Step Cone
12 Pitch 141/2 Pressure Angle
22T spindle gear
Reverse mechanism;
12T front gear
14T rear gear
22T bottom gear, output for gear train

4 Step Cone
16 Pitch 141/2 Pressure Angle
30T spindle gear
Reverse mechanism;
17T front gear
18T rear gear
30T bottom gear, output for gear train

Jmdowdy, could you post some photos of your lathe?
There was another version of the lathe made after 1917 and it had a different apron.
John
 
Thank you for your reply. Yes, the larger gear is 30 teeth and the smaller gears are 17 teeth each. After pulling the headstock and removing the tumbler gear assembly, the tooth wear on one the smaller gears is quite noticeable, but the bores appear to be in great shape. I flipped one of the smaller gears around and it seems to have marginally tighter engagement and is a bit quieter. I'll try running it like this for a while. I've included some photos as requested. Here's a link

Unfortunately I'm not having any luck finding replacements on ebay or other sites. I found a few sites with 16 or 18 tooth gears, but not 17 tooth gears. If you happen to have a link or could better direct me to a replacement set of gears, that would be appreciated.

One last question, in trying to setup for cutting a 7 tpi thread, I need to install the 64T gear on the spindle, however the diameter is too large and will only fit on the "outer lane" of the shaft (Not sure what the proper term is, but the spindle and idler shafts can both accommodate two gears). If I do that, it won't line up with the lower gear on the lead screw. See two attached photos IMG_1637.jpg - Google Drive;IMG_1639.jpg - Google Drive Any ideas on how to properly arrange this? Do I need a double-wide idler gear?

jhruska, thank you once again. You've been a great resource trying to get this old piece of iron in better working order.

Jason
 
Myers 11" lathes 1920 and earlier:

3 Step Cone
12 Pitch 141/2 Pressure Angle
22T spindle gear
Reverse mechanism;
12T front gear
14T rear gear
22T bottom gear, output for gear train

4 Step Cone
16 Pitch 141/2 Pressure Angle
30T spindle gear
Reverse mechanism;
17T front gear
18T rear gear
30T bottom gear, output for gear train

Jmdowdy, could you post some photos of your lathe?
There was another version of the lathe made after 1917 and it had a different apron.
John

Yes, the large gears are 30 teeth and the smaller gears are 17 teeth each. I removed the headstock and tumbler assembly and upon closer inspection I can see significant wear on the 17T smaller gears teeth. The bores and shafts appear to be in good shape with minimal wear. Unfortunately I've been unable to find direct replacements on ebay or any other site. I found several with 16T and 18T gears, but not 17T. If you have any links to replacements, that would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I've flipped around the noisy gear and it seems to have marginally better engagement and is somewhat quieter than before. Here's a link to a Google Drive folder with some photos.

I have another question regarding change gear setup. I'm trying to setup to cut a 7TPI thread. The chart calls for a 64T gear on the spindle, however the diameter of that gear will only fit on the spindle shaft on the outer portion of the shaft (the spindle and idler shafts will accommodate 2 gears each), but if I do that, I can't figure out how to connect it to the lead screw gear (which only accommodates one gear). If I had a double-wide idler gear, I could make it work. What am I doing wrong here? Here are a couple of photos hopefully showing my problem. Photo 1; Photo 2

jhruska, thank you again for your help. You've been a wonderful resource in trying to get this piece of old iron working properly.

Jason
 
Hey Jason,
Look at "compound gearing" and see if that will help.
Attached are some gear train set-ups.
The gears originally were 14 pitch.
Find the pitch, count the number of gear teeth......add 2, divide by the diameter = gear pitch.
Gear Train  & Shelf.jpg11 inch Myers.jpgend view.jpgSteady & Follow Rests 11 inch.jpg11 inch Lathe.jpg
John
 
Cross feed selector-engagement is missing from your photos.
Selector is in the fourth and fifth photos
Spindle nose is 11/2" - 7.
Are you making a backplate for a chuck:D
Back gears for slower headstock rpm. The tooth counts should be the same as
the headstock spindle gears.

.Specs 1920s.jpgApron front view.jpgAprons.jpgMEYERS3.jpgCrossfeed Selector.jpg
 
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Yes, the large gears are 30 teeth and the smaller gears are 17 teeth each.
Jason

I find that the small reverse gears are 17 and 18 teeth. That may indeed be correct for your lathe. Or, someone installed a 17 tooth gear when it should have been 18. Check the engagement of the rear gear to the pair of 30 teeth gears. It may be shallow.

16 Pitch 18 Teeth:
Martin S1618 Spur Gear 18T 1/2" Bore No Screw 697950057347 | eBay

Want the back gears? ..........or consider a VFD.
This is a good price:
Martin S1024 Spur Gear 697950056166 | eBay

A little high, make an offer:
Browning NCS1060 Spur Gear 7/8" Rough Bore 6" Pitch Dia. 2-5/8" Hub Dia. NOP | eBay

John
 
I find that the small reverse gears are 17 and 18 teeth. That may indeed be correct for your lathe. Or, someone installed a 17 tooth gear when it should have been 18. Check the engagement of the rear gear to the pair of 30 teeth gears. It may be shallow.

16 Pitch 18 Teeth:
Martin S1618 Spur Gear 18T 1/2" Bore No Screw 697950057347 | eBay

Want the back gears? ..........or consider a VFD.
This is a good price:
Martin S1024 Spur Gear 697950056166 | eBay

A little high, make an offer:
Browning NCS1060 Spur Gear 7/8" Rough Bore 6" Pitch Dia. 2-5/8" Hub Dia. NOP | eBay

John
John, thank you for the ebay links. I actually have the back gears, they were just removed for easier access. It appears that both of my small gears are 17T. Is it your opinion that one should be 17 teeth and the other 18 teeth? The back tumble gear actually engages very well. It's the front tumble gear that's questionable. So when my reversing lever is the in down position, the gear engagement seems fine, but when I raise the lever and engage the front gear, that's when it's loud and clunky. I was able to find a Martin S1617 replacement gear from IndustrialZone.com. Here's a link I'll just need to grind off the extra portion of the hub without gears to fit.


In response to your previous reply, yes I am missing the cross feed selector as well as the gear that engages with the selector knob. I can only assume a previous owner crashed it. The shaft is there (albeit bent), but the gear(s)is missing. Here's a link to a couple of photos of the back of the apron. Photo 1; Photo 2

You had mentioned a few months ago on a previous thread that you may be making some cross feed selectors. If that comes to fruition, please let me know. I may be interested in purchasing parts to get the cross feed working again.

Yes, I would like to create a new backplate and mount a 4 jaw chuck, hence the need for a 7TPI thread. I'll research compound gearing and see if I can better understand my options for setting up the change gears. It's baffling to me that the change gear chart on the lathe calls for a 64 tooth gear on the spindle stud, yet it can't fit due to the diameter.

Once again, thank you for your help and insight. This is all new to me so thank you for your patience and understanding.

Jason
 








 
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