I am so excited I am like a 5-year-old kid at Christmas

Hi All
I have to share this with some like mined people, who I hope will understand. (Yes you):headscratch:. I am so excited I am like a 5-year-old kid at Christmas.
(yes that excited:rocker::bananadance::bananadance:). Tomorrow I am getting my new toy for my lathe. An Ainjest rapid threading unit, for my Colchester student 1800. These are the bee’s knees. It is my 50th birthday in February and my lovely partner has put a very large sum towards it for me. I do love the old girl (and of course my partner too x). Well thank you for taking the time to read and hope you can understand my excitement. (I know what some of you are thinking he’s a lucky boy;) or what a sad case:p LOL)
The Home Engineer

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...orning_kid.gif

Hi Jon
Love the video but I am sorry to say the young lad is tame compared to my reaction today, when we picked up the Ainjest lol. It looks new so pleased with it. Unfortunately I have come down with bit of a bump. The problem I now have the lovely lady in my life said "I can't have it until my birthday" which is another 8 days away. Plus there is photo embargo until then!!! :headshake: So it’s not the ten days of Christmas it the 8 Days too my birthday.

She has also said that until my birthday it is hers and apparently until then she will be using it. When I asked her what she is using it for she said "secret stuff"
and some lathing. I said "what is lathing" apparantly "that is top secret stuff!", Next thing we will have "The Mrs Home Engineer" posting top secret posts no one will understand. Will keep you posted on the eventual arrival and instalation of the Ainjest.

The Home Engineer

Back when I used to have a little 16 by 40 Victor tool room lathe I didn't worry when the wife ran it occasionally. The controls had a good fit for her. an adjustable carriage kick out and a foot brake. But my much larger LeBlonds don't have such a nice control fit even in a smaller way for me as well Ask Toolmaker 51 about controls fit

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Originally Posted by Frank S

Ask Toolmaker 51 about controls fit

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OK got my interest lol

I'll give you a brief but TM51 can explain it much more eloquently to me controls fit of a machine is the ease and comfort as well as placement of the controls are relative to the user's size, reach, strength, and experience. Some machines have duel or even multiple functions in the form of handles, buttons, and hand wheels located on a single axis or 1 will have to be turned this way or that allowing it to become an un-related function this makes for a bad fit for users. Some controls are located in obscure locations relative to their intended use Small hand wheels located too close to larger ones levers hidden behind a large handwheel these make for a bad fit even for seasoned users.
This is why I mentioned the Victor had a better fit for my wife than any of my Le Blond lathes have. Plus the old Le Blonds do not have carriage kick outs or foot brakes for these reasons I would not feel comfortable allowing her to even monitor the lathes while I did something else

My Victor didn't have the Ainjest but the half nut would open at a preset stop located on the 3rd shaft below the carriage the 4th shaft was the power lever & reversing switch. 2 levers were mounted on the shaft 1 at the power head the other traveled on the carriage

Do you still have the lathe, if so I would be interested in seeing some photos please? Not sure if I have ever seen that sort of set up before. (I don't mean your wife working the lathe either lol).
Thank you for taking the time to post your replys
The Home Engineer

On the seventh day, before my 50th my true love said to me “ That Ainjest still belongs to me”:rofl:

Deleted duplicate post

Sorry I was wrong about the shaft placements it has been a long time since I had my victor the bottom shaft is the one with the adjustable kick outs
here is a picture of one that looks exactly like the one I had except I had a trav-a-dial mounted on the thread index wheel. on the right you can see the several stops on the bottom shaft being stored
Attachment 21927
As you can see all the controls are a good fit for just about anyone.

Yesterday I found out Colchester did a similar attachment for tripping the power feed handle but I was told it was not very successful and not a very popular attachment. I will see if I can find some more information on the mechanism.

Hi Frank
Found this attachment, it is not the one I was shown in a brochure yesterday, This is a 6 position automatic longitudinal feed stop

http://www.sterlingmachinery.com/med...Colchester.pdf

The Home Engineer

Quote Originally Posted by Frank S View Post Ask Toolmaker 51 about controls fit

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Originally Posted by thehomeengineer

OK got my interest lol

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Where I work is a good example of that irksome condition; poor ergonomics found on machine tools. I'll add some pix. The text will have an elitist tone; many HMTer's are completely happy with like machine tools. The IM[Not So]HO's are based on experience; in-on-and around a tremendous variety of machine tool brands, especially lathes. I feel capable running machines in general, with 45 years in shops. Until imports arrived, was little or no need 'tuning' machines, or re-learning comfortable 'posture' to run them. Lathes are peculiar, a lot of interaction with controls occurs generating parts, compared to other machines.
When little ol' 5'7'' @ 160 lb me's at ease in front of a 48'' Monarch horizontal lathe, 12 foot vertical Niles, #6 Cincinnati's, and 40 foot planers; yet busts knuckles on a 12 inch Jet, something's amiss. I will say, time spent on a Victor 16'' wasn't too bad, just didn't like it's odd RPM ranges. It had the kick-out cams, foot brake, etc Frank S mentions. It was sort of a mixed format of Toolroom and Production style engine lathe.

That description will post here, later. C'mon its almost 1AM, or 0100 Central Time.

On the sixth day, before my 50th my true love said to me “ what is this junk for anyway”

On the fifth day, before my 50th my true love said to me “ you will still have to screw cut the old fashion way”

Now, if kid-at-Christmas GIF will not suffice, you may have graduated to trampoline-slam-dunk-booty-scoot-guy levels of excitement:

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You are getting closer to my reaction lol. Great video link thank you

On the fourth day, before my 50th my true love said to me “can we not spend all that money on a holiday, rather than a gearbox for your lathe?”

Of course you could, but what do you have after the holiday? Maybe a few pictures some souvenirs a brief experience and usually so tired and workout from the activities you need to rest up before resuming your normal routine. At least with a new tool of whatever size or function you can enjoy it for years to come.

I don't want to rain on your party, but I hope that your Cholchester Student is Metric, and has a 6mm pitch leadscrew. Apparently these Ainjest attachments will only fit 6mm pitch leadscrews.

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Originally Posted by Moby Duck

I don't want to rain on your party, but I hope that your Cholchester Student is Metric, and has a 6mm pitch leadscrew. Apparently these Ainjest attachments will only fit 6mm pitch leadscrews.

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Hi Moby Duck
Thank you, don’t worry the sun is still shining
Ainjest made both metric and imperial units and different size units depending on the machine you have. My Colchester 1800 is a metric lathe and the Ainjest I have purchased is for that specific machine/lead screw.
Many thanks again and only 3 days to go.:thumbsup:
The Home Engineer

On the third day, before my 50th my true love said to me “I think you love your workshop more than me”:rolleyes:

On the second day, before my 50th my true love said to me “not long know until you can have your prezi, then you will be able to have a play”

On the last day, before my 50th my true love said to me “you better make something nice for me”

Thank you for your patience if you have been following this thread. Very childish I know. However, with tomorrow being the big day, you will not have to put up with anymore-silly posts from me on this topic.:smash:
The Home Engineer

Humorous postings are not necessarily childish.An attempt at building up to an event is often lots of fun. It can be like a lot of guys watching an expectant father plan on the birth of his first son, conversing about all of the things he is planning to do when the child is old enough to participate. Only to learn that his wife bore him a daughter. Then the tables get turned once again when the girl grows up to be more interested in her father's business than a son ever would have.

Sorry! I did say I wouldn’t post anymore to this thread but I was down the workshop at 4.00AM UK time fitting the Ainjest. Works a treat. I just couldn't wait.
Thank you to my lovely partner, Sarah xxx
The Home Engineer