The Upshot

 TB said it all looked very kewl, but what the deuce is this used for anywho?  I'm glad you asked.

The lathe is the foundation of the industrial revolution.  If you haven't seen this video, it's well worth your time to get edumacated.  I'll wait.

That title is a trip and it's true.  Historically, I've read one major  reason we were able to outproduce our enemies in WW2 is because we were able to make more of these specialty lathes than anyone of them.

Normally, I don't wear white ties when I work in my shop, M, although I do like the Walther PPK as a copilot.  The turret lathe and a bar feeder will pump out parts mo ricky tick.  (right fast, youbetcha!)

So, with this quick bit of instruction, you can see the versatility of the lathe.  Being able to thread tubes, inside or outside, would be quite useful in my area.  Either for oilfield work, farm parts, or the odd hoplo-smithing opportunity.

One other thing that I don't talk about much is my long fascination with a physics Siren (yes, she calls to me at times and can be quite irresistible).   Here is a gentleman that gets my head spinning right round:

I cannot explain how exciting this stuff is to me.  I'm not a microwave guy, but uhf and vhf are really interesting.  I'm not up to his meticulous standards yet either.  I'm not really into talking to people all over the world, but the science is so captivating, that I can float away for hours thinking about mapping the ionosphere at differing frequencies or chasing tropospheric ducting, contrail reflections, meteor tail reflections, and the effect of the wobble of the moon on reflected signals.  There are all kinds of things to pursue in that discipline.  And making stuff to support my forays into physics are wonderful opportunities to learn new things...  I'm getting stoked.  I have a need to be busy, both mind and hands. 

At some point, I hope to be able to pursue these subjects with the full fervor of my passion.  Right now, I need to get a handle on things.  And, if by some chance I can't get to the dreamy bits soon, I'll at least be off the streets.  And who knows, if a warlord shows up I can get my Wilford Brimley on.

Did this help answer your question TB?

The Sheldon

Inside the LeBlond headstock you see this:

 

 A full gear train with selector levers and gearing and shafts and an oil bath and and and.....  It doesn't have syncros so you have to stop it to shift it into gear.  If you don't you can clash the gears and break off teeth.  If you crash the compound or tooling into the work or the chuck you can break off teeth and damage it.  My old one had a few teeth worn down from shifting while running and crashing.  To be expected from a military asset and then working in commercial production.  It was a bit ragged out when I got it, but still useful.

The Sheldon is a different breed of goat. 

Glen asked a good question about speeds, so here is the visual for the answer.

 

So, it's an eight speed belt drive.  The belts directly drive the spindle, no gearing in the head.... Well, it does have gears for the quick change gear box.

 

This isn't the exact model I have, but the theory is the same.
 

My under drive looks like this:

Note that there aren't any cone pulleys in this drive.  It's a single speed.  Using the VFD to vary the speed of the motor is the way forward.  I do have the cone pulleys, but that is the option if the VFD doesn't work like I want.

The two belts on the left run the spindle.  They come up into the rear of the headstock where the QC gear train lives.

Of interest is the way Sheldon addressed a crash in the QC gear train.  That small gear to the left of the tan one is a composite.  Not steel.  It's sacrificial.  If there is an overload, its teeth will shear and save the rest of the gear train. 

Here is the QC box and feed plate.

This is driven by the small gear on the lower right of the photo above this one.

Here is a cool gif of motor control wiring.

 

March Update

I need a fore and aft anchor. Anyone got a couple spares? It needs to hold against a gale, not a little lunch hook. It has been nutty this month...

 Project Updates

Der Ferd F-150 

Finally got the headliner in the Ferd installed.  First time I've ever done one.  Worked very well.  Next time, I'll know to let the fabric rest for quite a while unfolded.  I have a couple wrinkles, but I don't give a rip about that.  It looks really nice in spite of it.  And if I'm driving in it, I don't even notice!

Seat hole is stuffed full of foam, and I'm sewing a patch over the top.  After that is finished, new seat cover goes on.  I probably need some hog rings and pliers to do it right.

Shop

I gave the old LeBlond away.  I'd given my word to do that and I fulfilled it.  Not sure if it's appreciated or not, but that is beside the point.  Cleaned up a little bit in the shop to fit in the Sheldon 15 inch lathe.  I hired my nephew a while back to help me out, but he wasn't available when I needed this done.  Rain was coming and I wanted it covered before Noah and the Ark floated by!!!!  What should have been a single day when I was "in my prime!!!"  became almost a week of tiny moves, followed by long rest breaks.