Hi Evan, this video helped me immensely you solved at least two mysteries for me. The bronze key in my lathe is missing completely, another thing that is missing on my lathe is the oil button inside the lathe. I thought it was poor engineering having an oil port open to the atmosphere, allowing oil to spray out of the spinning part when the lathe is running soaking the V Belt. with oil. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
The bronze key is something that many people, even with years of experience with Boxford lathes are unaware of. And yet it is very common for it to be worn out. It is the only part in the head that you would expect to wear over time, but not well documented. I have come across several people with the same problem.
This is a really interesting and useful video. Thanks for posting it. My Model A is a bit older than yours. (The main difference is that the main belt position is changed by sliding the whole motor table forwards via a knob/lever on the front of the bed). I also notice that it has fewer oil points on the gearbox. It only has the oil nipple on top, and no ball oilers by the leadscrew. However, there must be oil passages inside, because when pumping oil into the nipple it drips out at both ends of the gearbox casing.
I'm glad you found it helpful. I only recently found the serial number of my lathe at the end of the bed, hiding under the tailstock. It is B5763. Boxford Users Group has the original document from Boxford listing the serial numbers so it appears that mine was not made in 1953 as I assumed, but in December 1955. I keep adding more videos to my playlist. The latest one is about online software I wrote to solve gear train problems for screw cutting.
Hi Evan, this video was extremely helpful to me as I have just bought a 1967 version of the Boxford model A bench lathe. I would like to know how you lubricate the pulley when using the back gears. The manual mentions a 'reservoir' but the photo is not clear. This pulley seems very inaccessible to me.
I don't have access to my Boxford right now, but there should be a little button oiler point on the shaft but it is extremely difficult to see, especially with my lathe bolted to a bench top against a wall. If you are not already a member of the Boxford Users Group I would suggest joining. There are some very knowledgeable members with many decades of experience with these lathes. groups.io/g/BoxfordLathe-UserGroup
I should have made a new pin that the bronze selector mounts on. I fully expected it would be necessary, but when I mounted the selector on the old pin it seemed to work well. I thought the selector might fall out but it never has. I don't know how the pin is held in place but suspect it is a press fit as you suggested. Since I do not have another lathe to make a pin, or a press, it seemed like too much trouble. Now I have a friend who would let me use one of his four lathes.
@@Evan-e-cent I opened up the boxford yesterday, and exactly the same thing as you. My pin was intact though. Made a new segment for it and bingo, night and day. Mines a CSB so much easier to strip. A 15mm stubby fits those under headstock bolts. A fiddle yes but not too bad.
@@MrJohnandMargie That's good news and time to celebrate with a different kind of Stubby. If you have a CSB (no lead screw gearbox), have you tried out my program RideTheGearTrain.com?
Yes, the grease nipples on the top of the head casing are to lubricate the two tapered roller bearings at each end of the spindle (main shaft). The video also shows a hidden oil point inside the head on the back-gear shaft. There are also two grease nipples on the V-belt pulley idler shaft seen in this video, and grease nipples on the gear box and lead screw. I am glad this was some help. My lathe now runs much more smoothly and I am very pleased with the results. Certainly it fixed the problems with both the back gear and front selector leaver which had both been jumping out of gear,
Would be better if I could hear what you are saying.Your voice level is either very soft or booms ,would be great if you used a microphone and set some levels.I do want to hear what you have to say.
I am sorry you had difficulty with the sound. There is a problem apparently. I use a MacBook Pro computer, a microphone and Bose headphones. I record using iMovie and adjust the sound level to be uniform. A friend who is a recording sound technician in London commented without prompting that he thought the sound quality was good. I listened again online with my headphones and it sounds great. Then I unplugged the headphones and used the internal speaker and had to turn it up to full volume!!! I hadn't thought to do that before! So in future I will have to record at a higher volume. So thanks for pointing that out. If you have a Boxford I would suggest joining the Boxford Users Group. Also look for my free online computer program for finding what gears to use to cut any threads. I just uploaded a new version. You can Google RideTheGearTrain with no spaces.
@@MrJohnandMargie Thanks John! For more recent videos I have set the sound level so it is hitting the red line all the time, and a different microphone. But this one hasn't been changed.
Hi Evan, this video helped me immensely you solved at least two mysteries for me. The bronze key in my lathe is missing completely, another thing that is missing on my lathe is the oil button inside the lathe. I thought it was poor engineering having an oil port open to the atmosphere, allowing oil to spray out of the spinning part when the lathe is running soaking the V Belt. with oil. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
The bronze key is something that many people, even with years of experience with Boxford lathes are unaware of. And yet it is very common for it to be worn out. It is the only part in the head that you would expect to wear over time, but not well documented. I have come across several people with the same problem.
This is a really interesting and useful video. Thanks for posting it.
My Model A is a bit older than yours. (The main difference is that the main belt position is changed by sliding the whole motor table forwards via a knob/lever on the front of the bed). I also notice that it has fewer oil points on the gearbox. It only has the oil nipple on top, and no ball oilers by the leadscrew. However, there must be oil passages inside, because when pumping oil into the nipple it drips out at both ends of the gearbox casing.
I'm glad you found it helpful. I only recently found the serial number of my lathe at the end of the bed, hiding under the tailstock. It is B5763. Boxford Users Group has the original document from Boxford listing the serial numbers so it appears that mine was not made in 1953 as I assumed, but in December 1955. I keep adding more videos to my playlist. The latest one is about online software I wrote to solve gear train problems for screw cutting.
Hi Evan, this video was extremely helpful to me as I have just bought a 1967 version of the Boxford model A bench lathe. I would like to know how you lubricate the pulley when using the back gears. The manual mentions a 'reservoir' but the photo is not clear. This pulley seems very inaccessible to me.
I don't have access to my Boxford right now, but there should be a little button oiler point on the shaft but it is extremely difficult to see, especially with my lathe bolted to a bench top against a wall. If you are not already a member of the Boxford Users Group I would suggest joining. There are some very knowledgeable members with many decades of experience with these lathes. groups.io/g/BoxfordLathe-UserGroup
@@Evan-e-cent many thanks Evan. I have also joined the group now 👍
Nice video. Thanks.
I get that you made the new bronze selector, but did you renew the pin? Is it removable, screwed it, press fit? Thanks
I should have made a new pin that the bronze selector mounts on. I fully expected it would be necessary, but when I mounted the selector on the old pin it seemed to work well. I thought the selector might fall out but it never has. I don't know how the pin is held in place but suspect it is a press fit as you suggested. Since I do not have another lathe to make a pin, or a press, it seemed like too much trouble. Now I have a friend who would let me use one of his four lathes.
@@Evan-e-cent I opened up the boxford yesterday, and exactly the same thing as you. My pin was intact though. Made a new segment for it and bingo, night and day. Mines a CSB so much easier to strip. A 15mm stubby fits those under headstock bolts. A fiddle yes but not too bad.
@@MrJohnandMargie That's good news and time to celebrate with a different kind of Stubby. If you have a CSB (no lead screw gearbox), have you tried out my program RideTheGearTrain.com?
Hi I have a boxford me10 this as helped me a lot mine has no grease nipals on the mane causing are they for the mane shaft thanks again keep it up
Yes, the grease nipples on the top of the head casing are to lubricate the two tapered roller bearings at each end of the spindle (main shaft). The video also shows a hidden oil point inside the head on the back-gear shaft. There are also two grease nipples on the V-belt pulley idler shaft seen in this video, and grease nipples on the gear box and lead screw. I am glad this was some help.
My lathe now runs much more smoothly and I am very pleased with the results. Certainly it fixed the problems with both the back gear and front selector leaver which had both been jumping out of gear,
@@Evan-e-cent mine not got them and yes bean down the shed and oiled the back shaft my lathe is a ME10A 37355
Would be better if I could hear what you are saying.Your voice level is either very soft or booms ,would be great if you used a microphone and set some levels.I do want to hear what you have to say.
I am sorry you had difficulty with the sound. There is a problem apparently. I use a MacBook Pro computer, a microphone and Bose headphones. I record using iMovie and adjust the sound level to be uniform. A friend who is a recording sound technician in London commented without prompting that he thought the sound quality was good. I listened again online with my headphones and it sounds great. Then I unplugged the headphones and used the internal speaker and had to turn it up to full volume!!! I hadn't thought to do that before! So in future I will have to record at a higher volume. So thanks for pointing that out. If you have a Boxford I would suggest joining the Boxford Users Group. Also look for my free online computer program for finding what gears to use to cut any threads. I just uploaded a new version. You can Google RideTheGearTrain with no spaces.
@@Evan-e-cent I could hear you clear as a bell bud.
@@MrJohnandMargie Thanks John! For more recent videos I have set the sound level so it is hitting the red line all the time, and a different microphone. But this one hasn't been changed.
I have bought a more professional microphone and it seems to be much better than my first recordings.