Smithy stuff

[JasonB]

Hello all, I just found this sight. I see some of you have smithys, I have one as well. I thought I'd share a couple of mods I've made that make it a much more useable machine.

The first is a handwheel and dial on the Z feed of the machine.

Jason

[JasonB]

And here is a handwheel and dial on the X feed, I really can't believe these machines don't come with it. Also, you can see I have replaced all the set screws with spline engagement handles.

Jason

[davestea]

Thanks for the pix -

I like the mill handle - nice idea - I was thinking of something like that but never came up a a way to do it -

take a look below in the listings and look at my mods.

[joahmon]

Jason,

Nice job(s)!
Would you care to share some specifics?
Where did you get the parts?
Special techniques?
Any problems?
Are you going to publish?

Bob

[JasonB]

Thanks Dave and Bob! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif"%20alt="[/img] I don't have any drawings as these were such simple projects. The X feed is just a small shaft cut and keyed to fit the handwheel and dial hub on one end and threaded on the other end. The X axis lead screw on the machine already had a threaded hole on the end (5/16-18 I think). There was a press fit plug in the end of the casting that holds the leadscrew, I just poped it out.

The Z feed is a little more complicated, two 1/4" aluminum plates sandwitched around the pulleys and belt. The origonal handwheel on my machine was exactly .200" per revolution (that made it easy!) so for the 2:1 ratio I used one 15 tooth pully and one 30 tooth pulley. The belt is a 90 tooth xl pitch (1/5" pitch) 3/8" wide. One small shaft has one end cut and keyed for the handwheel and dial hub, the other end is cut and keyed to fit the bore of the 15 tooth pulley. The other shaft is cut to fit the bore of the 30 tooth pulley on one end, and bored to fit where the original handwheel mounted. The two aluminum plates have bronze bushings pressed in for the shafts to ride on. There are two 1/2" dia. aluminum spacers to set the distance between the plates.

I got the handwheels and dial assemblys from Smithy, Just looked up the part numbers in my machine manual. Smithy is very reasonable on their replacement parts. The pulleys and belt I got from MSC, but you could get them from any bearing house or industrial supplier. I made everything else.

The best thing to do would be to buy the parts, then start making the rest to fit. I serioulsy doubt the Z feed could be taken off my machine and mounted on another (even an identical Smithy machine). The reason for this is the worm drive housing on the front of my millhead is slightly tilted downward. Because of this, I had to figure out where the end of that shaft would end up, then build everything else around it. This is another reason there are no drawings.

I hope this helps, if you have any specific questions just ask.

Jason

[davestea]

my 1220 XL has a wheel and dial on the right end of the x feed screw.

I added a threading screw dial to mine - see the photos lower in the listing.

how did you attach the Z feed handle to the milling head?

[JasonB]

Dave, I just saw your post on the threading dial, very nice work! Its a handy tool for threading.

Yea, I know yours had the X axis lead screw handle originally. I can't figure out why Smithy doesn't put one on the 1220 LTD or the 1329, its such an easy addition and so very usefull! The only way to move the table in X was the rapid traverse handle on the front of the machine which is horribly innacurite.

The Z feed assembly is attached to the millhead via four flat head screws. Two through the inner plate and two through the outer plate. The millhead already had four drilled & tapped holes so I used them. I think the holes are probably where the CNC option would attach. Oh, just a tip while Its on my mind, metric flatheads requre a 90 degree countersink as opposed to the standard 82 degree for inch flatheads.

Jason

[davestea]

thanks - I used an existing hole also -

I don't have any holes to use - take a look at the photos on their site.

Nice job anyway.

I am thinking that it could be done by using the holes that mount the existing cap on the worm wheel. Come ouff that and mount a dial and handle on the shaft directly.

Mount a plate using the existing holes - then a bar on the inside of that that the existing or extended shaft goes through. You don't get the gearing you got but you could make a dial or calibrate it as needed.

[JasonB]

You sure could do it that way. Does yours come out to .200" per revolution? If so, just keep that in mind when you choose/make a dial. A dial would be an easy part to make if one had a dividing head or the like. I don't yet have one, that's why I purchased the dials.

Here's another thought. The millhead on the 1324 looks pretty similar to yours, you may be able to just buy some replacement parts and bolt them right on.

Jason