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Need Follow Rest

Rick Kruger

Aluminum
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Location
Halfway, OR
Greetings,

I have a 1946 MG 10EE and need a follow rest. As far as I can tell, the carriage has two mounting points, one on the cross slide web and one on the far carriage arm.

Monarch 10EE Follow Rest Mounts (2) 09-13-19 640.jpg

Rick
 
That one on eBay sold, but it would not fit my lathe anyway.

I forgot to mention my lathe appears to have only two mounting locations. Most follow rests I've seen have three, so I am not sure if one mount hole is covered by the DRO scale on the back side of the cross slide, although it doesn't look like it.

I'm open to making one. Can anyone point me to designs/drawings?

Rick
 
I would suggest making one, I did that because of problems I had using the factory follow rest.
What I dont like about the factory ones is, they are designed to be used with the single "tool block", not a modern quick change tool holder.
I built one by first making a base to attach to the carriage as normal, but, having the upper part being able to adjust back and forth a couple of inches, making it much easier to use.
I simplified the upper end for jaws, by just using a brass V block that can be adjusted. Very simple to make and use.
 
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Harry wrote a nice article in the Nov-Dec, 2011 issue of Home Shop Machinist about the two-point follower rest that he made for his 10EE. It has a dovetail on the carriage bracket that allows the rest itself to be moved left and right to line up with the tool.

Cal
 
I am proceeding down the path of making one. I contacted HSM about getting a copy of Harry's article. They don't offer digital versions, so I cannot even see what he did.

Below is a JPG of what I've come up with so far for a design. I would prefer to make a pattern for getting cast, but that probably doesn't fit my timeline. I had a follow rest when I had in my shop my 1941 Rivett 1020, but I never used it. I'm helping a friend with a South Bend 9" replace a broken cross slide feedscrew.

Monarch 10EE Follow Rest Design 09-16-19.JPG

I would like to make the vertical part from 1/2" aluminum plate, which I have. I have a Monarch steady rest for this lathe, from which I've stolen two of the fingers. I can see where the 1/2" plate may flex as it moves along, although, with threading, I'm not sure how badly. As part of the feedscrew, there needs to be a gear for his power cross feed. It could be integral with the shaft, which means a lot of material removal to turn down the majority of the shaft. Or, we are considering grafting one on after making the rest of the screw.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts, both about the follow rest, but also about the making of the feedscrew.

Thanks,

Rick
 
Relative to the stiffness of 1/2 inch aluminum, I would think the issue would be the bolted attachment to the saddle. Having the bolt that low on a tall part may not prevent the plate from moving left/right. Is there any way you could put on an angle strut attached farther away on the saddle?

I have both a South Bend 9 and 10L as well as my newly completed 10EE, both of which I rebuilt. To make the gear integral with the crossfeed screw will require removing a lot of material as you say. Might be easier to make the gear separately and loctite/pin it on the new screw. Whichever method you decide on if you need I can make you the gear if you can't reuse the gear portion of your existing screw.
 
Relative to the stiffness of 1/2 inch aluminum, I would think the issue would be the bolted attachment to the saddle. Having the bolt that low on a tall part may not prevent the plate from moving left/right. Is there any way you could put on an angle strut attached farther away on the saddle?

I have both a South Bend 9 and 10L as well as my newly completed 10EE, both of which I rebuilt. To make the gear integral with the crossfeed screw will require removing a lot of material as you say. Might be easier to make the gear separately and loctite/pin it on the new screw. Whichever method you decide on if you need I can make you the gear if you can't reuse the gear portion of your existing screw.

I have been considering putting in a brace, between the horizontal and vertical pieces. I think it will not be difficult at all. Hole placement in the horizontal piece being the biggest challenge. Getting a hole further away on the saddle could be done, but I am not thrilled about climbing up on the lathe to drill and tap that hole. It is about 3.5" away from the cross slide. I'll try it first, with adding a brace.

For some reason, I had not considered boring out the existing gear and using it instead of trying to have one made or sourcing a new one to buy. Actually, I think I did, briefly, but it passed from my thinking. I agree, turning a 3/4" shaft down to 7/16" would be a lot of material. Grafting one in place, with loctite and pin is what I have been thinking. If it comes to it, I would be delighted to take you up on your offer to make one for it. Thanks,

Rick
 
Maybe this could give you some ideas.
HomeShopTech
Have a good one, Mike

I very much appreciate the help you've given. I like the notion of having a bona fida Monarch follow rest, either by buying or making one. But, time and money are a bit tight, precluding both at the moment. I am pursuing making a version of the "mini ball bearing follow rest" as posted by Mike, on Sept. 9th, as something that I can make in the time I have and it seems it will serve my immediate need.
Mini Ball Bearing Folow Rest09-24-19.JPG

I'm in the process of drawing it in CAD as part of my design/fabrication process. In doing so, using a nominal 1/2" thickness for the two arms, the ball bearings end up in front of (headstock direction) the cutting tool (threading is my most immediate need). I am trying to figure a way to have them shifted rearward, but before I do that I would like some comments/feedback on the value of/need for having the contact points of the "finger" behind or in front of the cutter.

Forward of the cutter, the fingers ride on the diameter before it is turned down by the current pass. Behind the cutter, the finger would ride on the diameter that was just turned down. I can see where having the cutter behind provides support for the smaller diameter. Having it in front puts them on a diameter that does not change during the current pass. This latter condition seems desirable to me for threading as the fingers should not need to be adjusted as the cutting proceeds.

But, having never done any turning using a follow rest, I have no basis for judging which way may be better for different types of operations for which a follow rest is needed.

I look forward to hearing your comments.

Rick
 
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Frank's mini follower rest is very cool!

Thinking out loud, it might be possible to hold the arm that fastens to the tool holder in place using four long SHCS in the holes that clamp the tool. Use screws that have threads that extend above the top of the arm, with nuts and lock washers to clamp the arm down on top of the tool holder (if you can visualize what I'm suggesting). The arm can then be any shape that it needs to be to put the bearings anywhere you want them.

I don't have any experience with using a follower rest that's ahead of the tool, but when the rest is opposite the tool, chips getting carried around and jammed between the finger(s) and the tool can really mess things up by forcing the stock into the tool. Having the support ahead of the tool would minimize that problem.

Cal
 
Frank's mini follower rest is very cool!

Thinking out loud, it might be possible to hold the arm that fastens to the tool holder in place using four long SHCS in the holes that clamp the tool. Use screws that have threads that extend above the top of the arm, with nuts and lock washers to clamp the arm down on top of the tool holder (if you can visualize what I'm suggesting). The arm can then be any shape that it needs to be to put the bearings anywhere you want them.

I don't have any experience with using a follower rest that's ahead of the tool, but when the rest is opposite the tool, chips getting carried around and jammed between the finger(s) and the tool can really mess things up by forcing the stock into the tool. Having the support ahead of the tool would minimize that problem.

Cal

I am having trouble visualizing what you suggest for the top of the holder. At least how it differs from what is already planned as far as mounting bolts to secure the base arm to the holder. I have ordered an Aloris double tool holder (only one I could find) with two rows of screw holes for securing the cutting tool. The set of holes closest to the dovetail would be used to bolt down the base arm. The additional real estate on top of the holder increases options for securing the base arm.

Before ordering the double holder and I am still considering adding screw holes to the bottom of the holder so the cutter tool holder could be secured from below, freeing all of the screw holes on top for mounting the base arm. What I don't know is if there would be a problem of those two screws from below adequately hold the cutter tool, given the moderate downward pressure created by cutting threads.

I have also considered using short set screws on the top to hold the cutter tool that leave enough thread above the set screw to mount bolts from the top. I have not pursued this as I think there is not enough space in that upper portion off the holder for both screws to have enough threads engaged. The holders I have use M8 screws and I do not have any M8 set screws to try it, but have not yet looked at the hardware store to see if any are available locally.

Everything is in play at this point. Thanks for the suggestion.

Rick
 








 
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