Hello - Kerry lathe from ebay

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.

Originally Posted by Bossco101

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

Tim, welcome

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

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