Subject: Divider heads advice

From: [email-masked] (Bob Bickers)
Date: Thu, 02 May 96 07:32:14 GMT

Just gor the sales flyer from MSC and they have a divider head  on pp3 for 
$246 reg for $328 and appears similar to Encos for $360. Anyone have an 
opinion on this unit, are they good, bad, or indiiferent? Been following the 
series in HSM on building a divider head and also have Dave Gingerys book on 
building one, is it better to build or buy? Bob.

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From: [email-masked] (Jonathan M. Elson)
Date: 3 May 1996 19:14:56 GMT

Bob Bickers ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Just gor the sales flyer from MSC and they have a divider head  on pp3 for 
: $246 reg for $328 and appears similar to Encos for $360. Anyone have an 
: opinion on this unit, are they good, bad, or indiiferent? Been following the 
: series in HSM on building a divider head and also have Dave Gingerys book on 
: building one, is it better to build or buy? Bob.

Since I just replaced the babbit bearing headstock on my lathe with a
roller bearing one, I have a spare headstock.  I decided it would make a
great dividing head!  I already have all the tooling - centers, faceplate,
chucks, etc.  All I have to do is replace the bull gear with a worm gear,
and mount a worm to engage it, and voila - a dividing head!  Others might
want to think about going this route.  Old headstocks are fairly common,
and the bearings will last a long time at the rate they are rotated in
this use.

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From: [email-masked] (William A. Rutiser)
Date: 3 May 1996 18:45:54 -0400

>roller bearing one, I have a spare headstock.  I decided it would make a

Please describe the headstock transplant. Where did you get the new one?
How expensive was it? Any special fitting problems?

I think my 10" Atlas was made about 1941. The book described its bearings
something like "thin shell". I believe they are similar to the bearings
then used for enginge crankshafts. Did your original heasdtock have poured
babbit bearings?

Thanks
Bill Rutiser

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From: Charles Gallo <[email-masked]>
Date: 11 May 1996 01:38:36 GMT

[email-masked] (Russ Kepler) wrote:
>
>You can isolate the gears that make the noise by simply disengaging
>gearing starting at the quick change back to the spindle gear.  This
>will tell you which mesh or tooth profile is the worst and where your
>efforts will be most appreciated.  I found that 3/4 of the noise in my
>Atlas was removed on setting the mesh correctly.
>

Russ,
    Sort of like Programing, devide and conquer (Can't resist a Pun)

BTW You see I finally made into this News group - they have Rec.* blocked 
at work <g>

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 02:51:37 GMT

David Eiman ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I had my eye on one of those cheap dividing heads all last year when 
: they went on sale for $225.  Never bought one.  Finally in November I 
: decided I had to have one.  I called MSC and was told it wouldn't be on 
: sale again until after the first of the year.  The flyer came out and I 
: bought one in December for $246.  I had a project ready to make when it 
: came (two days later) but I had to spend a day taking it apart and 
: cleaning off the cosmoline coating and then reassembling it.  It is a 
: nice piece of tooling and perfectly adequate considering the price.  I 
: did call MSC and suggest that they mention the need for cleaning and 
: oiling the entire mechanism.  We agreed that it was better than having a 
: rusty piece and it is nice to know how a new item works (from the inside 
: out).  

: I am glad I finally broke down and bought it.  It fit right on my 
: mill/drill table and worked very well for the gear I had to make.

   Just got mine today.  Covered in cosmoline but the overal fit,finish 
and condition seems superior to what I have gotten from Enco and Harbor 
Frieght in  the past.  The angle scale on mine was buggered up though.  
the bits of fine cast iron between the degree marks were broken out on 
every other mark.  Has anyone else had this.  Hate to ship it back after 
just receiving it.