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Hello, my name is Tim and I am a very amateur lathe user. Just to show how amateur I went and bought a Kerry lathe from ebay and and now discovered the cross-slide has been shortened and keeps locking up tight when I turn it.
I was wondering if anyone here had a Kerry AG model C lathe or details of a complete cross slide assembly that I could get copied.
I know its an oldie, but its fine except for that and I don't know what else to do?
Thanks
Tim
Hi Bossco101,
Some info on the lathes at link below.
http://www.lathes.co.uk/kerry/
Have you checked the gib adjustment on the slide they are situated on the rear face of the slide, they should be adjusted to allow free movement with minimum slop.
peter
As Peter say above plus,
It might be worth removing and checking the cross-slide lead-screw and nut for damage and swarf, check the slide ways with the lead-screw removed, it should slide freely
That Kerry looks a purposeful device :)
Post some pictures of the slide, if you can, it'll help to determine what's actually been changed.
P.S. I know a guy with a Kerry (His is one of the lathes pictured on Tony's site) I'm sure he'd be willing to help you with anything specific.
Tim, welcomeQuote:
Originally Posted by Bossco101
That wasn't the one on eBay about 2 or 3 months back? they dont come up very often...
Thank you for the warm welcome !
I've taken the cross slide to bits to have a look to see if there was anything jamming it. It's clean and in good order. I also had a play around with the gib adjustment thinking this might be the cause of the binding, but again no.
I've been in touch with Tony from lathes.co.uk who has been very helpful. I originally contacted him when I was looking for a lathe as I needed one with a +20mm spindle bore. My father has a hobby of restoring old satatioary engines and uses 20mm round steel bar for trolley axles. When I bought it, I quickly discovered that it hadn't been used for screw cutting for a while. I worked out what bits went where, and discovered one of the tumbler reverse gears had been smashed. Tony produced a new one and also provided me with a copy of the original Kerry lathe manual.
The cross slide has been a bit slower to reveal itself as a problem. I don't use the lathe very often so it wasn't till after having had it a few months that it showed up. Having had the manual from Tony I can now see from the pictures that the cross slide handle is wrong. Also now I've taken it to bits I can see where its been cut off with a hacksaw at some point.
Its been mucked about with and I need a pattern or an engineers drawing so Tony will be able to make a proper replacement. Its a real shame because its a great machine, well I think so anyway.
Yes I did buy it off ebay but about 6 months ago now. I saw the other one that was for sale too. I think a farmer had it for sale.
If I can't get this sorted I'm not really sure what to do with it. I bought it as a working machine, which currently it isn't. And who would want a non working lathe?
I hope the pictures below are of some use.
Thanks
Tim
Attachment 1362Attachment 1363Attachment 1364Attachment 1365Attachment 1366Attachment 1367
If you connect all the bits together but not fitted to the lathe is it still stiff to turn.
The shaft end doesnt appear to have galled anywhere that I can see from the picture.
If I was doing it I would slowly assemble the parts to try and identify just when it was getting tight.
You may be able to salvage it by fitting some thrust bearings.
Peter
Is that bent slightly or is it just my eye-sight ?
Does the cross-slide move freely with out the lead screw?
Once its assembled again if you hold it by the grey casting in one hand and turn the handle with the other, it does lock up. As far as I can see the bush that sits inside the casting, ( looks a bit like a top hat ), and that the micrometer wheel butts against goes tight and causes the binding. I thought it was the handle working its way along its thread and pushing on the knurled locking disc, which pushed on the micrometer, which pushed on the bush causing it to lock up. So I wound it back a few threads to provide clearance, drilled a hole through both handle and shaft and locked them together with a split pin. No difference, it still locks up! I did think of some sort of thrust bearing somewhere along the handle end of the leadscrew. The trouble is the thread for the handle is too short to allow anything over 4mm to be fitted. Like I said, its been cut off for some reason and is really making things awkward.
It is straight, just the photo makes it look otherwise. The cross slide moves freely and smoothly without the leadscrew.
My guess is the original shaft was snapped off just behind the dial lock (see pic) the new handle bodged in place where the shaft lock nut used to be.
If it were mine, I'd make a new top-hat thingy that threaded (and locked) on to the existing shaft and was long enough to carry the handle (see sketch)
Where are you?
Bill
Hi Bill, Thanks for that. I see what you're getting at and it looks like it might be the answer. If only I had a working lathe lol.
I'm south of you, just outside Stansted Airport.
Thanks
Tim
Tim, If you drop the bits (as per above photo) over to me, I'll have ago at making something when I get the chance. (Stansted's about 40mins away from here )
I'll send an email with my address etc.
Bill
OK Tim, I've the bits arrived yesterday.
I've made a new nut that will thread onto the shaft and lock to the existing 'top-hat' (which is how the original design worked) The new nut has a stub to hold the handle. It all seems to work OK.
ATM I'm casting around to see if I can find anyone a 1/4" LH tap so I can screw into the shaft to lock it all (shaft, top-hat, lock-nut and handle) together (I don't much like the idea of grub screws biting into threads)
Bill
Thanks Bill,
Really lloking forward to getting it back and actually being able to do something on the lathe.
Let me know when its ready and I'll send the postage costs to you.
Regards
Tim
I could not find anyone locally with a LH tap, so I've just added a couple of grub screws. It has since occurred to me that the LH lock screw would have only stopped the nut unscrewing whereas it really does need to be locked both ways.
Anyway Tim, it's packed up ready to send (3kg). I need you postal address.
Bill
Hi Bill,
I've re-assembled the crosslide this afternoon and it works brilliantly! Thank you so much for sorting that out for me and making the lathe usable. I was really considering having to sell it for scrap till I came here, but now I have the machine to do some nice work on, just got to work on the ability!
Best Regards
Tim
Glad to hear it's all up and running :)
Hi Tim, I'm a brand new member and this is my first post! I have a Kerry lathe and wondered if you resolved the problem with yours - if I can help, please let me know.
Also, I'm looking for a manual for mine - I'd happily pay you for a photocopy & P&P of yours if its available.
I've had my machine for over 10 years and simply got by, but it would be nice to see what I should have been doing! I too had a number of Stationary engines, but sold all bar one when we moved house 5 years ago - they take up a lot of space and are blooming heavy!
Regards
Joe
Thanks Joe, PM sent.