5

Apron
Need to say that some solutions I had encountered
dont work the same way neither with a Sieg apron
or with different Real Bull mini-lathe aprons. Its up
to you to adapt any of these ideas to your apron, if
it is different from this one. The Real Bull apron has
two ball bearings on handwheel shaft, so that part of
the work was already done when I bought the lathe.
This one is a simple machined piece of cast iron with
straight geometric shapes.
Only a good ftted apron with correct mesh on
gears, rack and good halfnuts engagement can
make the carriage run smooth and precise. Many
times forgotten, a bad gear-to-rack mesh produce
irregular fnishes on turning parts. Backlash on
halfnuts dovetails or poor engagement on leadscrew
produce the same when using auto-feed.
Several points had guided this project: 1- improve
gear-to-gear mesh; 2- improve gear-to-rack mesh;
3- improve halfnuts-to-leadscrew engagement; 4-
improve apron-to-saddle connection; 5- eliminate
interference between apron handwheel and cross-
slide handwheel; 6- eliminate interference between
apron handwheel and motor controller box; 7-
modifying apron to be swarf-proof without the classic
gears cover, has I have other plans for a second
round on apron and need space inside; 8- that on
the end it still looks like a lathe apron.
Apron to saddle connection
Before any measurement, the project starts here.
As the counterbored holes on saddle for the M8 cap
screws to hold apron are about 2.5mm larger than
the cap screws heads, the M8 threads on apron
6
were re-tapped to M10 thread. The M10 cap screws
head has the same 14mm diameter as the holes
on saddle. Repeatable apron mounts on saddle are
now possible for measurements and for defnitive
adjustments.
Gear-to-rack horizontal mesh
The rack was tight to bed ensuring the same rack-
to bedways distance along the rack. When tighten
the cap screws this distance was adjusted with a c-
clamp and measuring with a micrometer from rack
teeth under each cap screw to the top of bed vee.
Having done it the follow step can be done.
Gear-to-gear and gear-to-rack mesh
Many have solved these issues by a off-set bushing
to correct gear-to-gear mesh and then lowering the
rack to improve gear-to-rack mesh. If the frst can
be done precisely, there is no way to do it when
lowering the rack. A precisely bed drilling to relocate
rack assuring optimal mesh isnt easily possible.
You can improve it, but you cant take it to optimal
mesh. For it to be precise with off-set bushings will
Gear shaft (steel)
43.0 mm
17.0 mm
4.5 mm
10.5mm
7.98 mm
35.0 mm
5.2 mm 25.0 mm
120
M3 THREAD 8MM DEEP
be necessary to align frst the rack (as described
above) and then use two off-set bushings. First one
to optimize gear-to-rack mesh and the second on
handwheel shaft to optimize gear-to-gear mesh.
As the apron handwheel shaft already has two ball
bearings, it stay as it is. I decided to do both gear-
to-gear and gear-to-rack mesh adjustments on the
gear shaft. The shaft was removed and the 8mm
hole bored to 16mm. A new shaft was made to
be mounted from outside trough the bored hole.
Mounts on the front of apron with three M4 cap
screws and the holes on shaft for screws are 5.2mm
to be possible a small amount of fnal adjustment.
On the end, the shaft has moved about 1.5mm up
and 2mm left. The handwheel has before about 15
degrees backlash and now less than 1 degree (almost
nothing). As the gear was running off-center, bored
the gear on both ends and bronze sleeves inserted.
A small washer and a M3 fat head screw on shaft
end assure optimal gear position.
To improve horizontal mesh, a 2.5mm thick brass
bar was mounted under the rack.
7
10.0 mm
5.0 mm
8.0 mm
Sleeves to insert on gear ends (bronze)
10.0 mm
4.0 mm
8.0 mm
Halfnuts-to-leadscrew engagement
The problem found here was with detents on halfnuts
shaft, as they were stopping the lever on a non-
optimal position. Decided to make a new lever with
a larger handle hub and a disc under the hub with
detents to stop the lever, while the ball and spring
is mounted on hub. Only with everything assembled
the detents positions were marked and drilled.
As the hub was made in steel, and the lever lock
setscrew is M6 there is no need for a ding on shaft
for the setscrew. It locks well without it and the
adjustment is possible this way. Just need to move
down the lever until the halfnuts engage properly on
leadscrew and then release the setscrew on handle
hub, rotate freely the handle until the ball meet the
detent and tight the setscrew again. Original tapped
hole for ball and spring adjustment setscrew was
closed. The shaft hole was bored on back and front
and two small bronze sleeves inserted.
Once more used silicone carbide glued to parts with
double sided paper to grind apron and halfnuts
dovetails. First, with silicon carbide paper on the
base of one halfnut, had grinded the apron surface
between dovetails. Then, with silicon carbide paper
on gib, had grinded halfnuts dovetails. On the end,
with silicon carbide paper on one halfnut dovetail,
had grinded the apron dovetail opposite to gib
side. Started with 180 grit, again with 600 grit and
once more with 1000 grit. This is more important
that many can think, as the gib must hold halfnuts
without backlash. Any backlash will cause halfnuts
wobble and irregular carriage movement, therefore
irregular fnish when using autofeed. For precision
threading the same is needed. The gib was shimmed
for full contact with halfnuts dovetails.
For the regular needed lubrication, and as halfnuts
arent accessible, one oil cup was added in the front
of apron above halfnuts. The oil go inside through
a drilled hole. I was thinking of making some lines
with a scriber to guide oil to near the dovetails, but
there is no need of it. The oil goes down to the top
of upper halfnut and then to dovetails.
The lever works now smooth and frm, the
engagement is good and the detents stop the lever
with more precision, as they are now on a 22mm
diameter circumference.
10.0 mm
52.0 mm 8.0 mm
M6 THREAD
Handle (steel)
Assembly design: jose@toolsandmods.com
STEEL SHAFT
16mm M4 CAP SCREWS
WASHER 9MM OD
8mm M3 FLAT HEAD SCREW
8
35.0 mm
8.5 mm
15
M6 THREAD
10.0
mm
15 mm deep
5.2
mm
13.0
mm
2
.0
m
m

1
0
.0
m
m
M6 THREAD
M5 THREAD
6.5 mm
20.5
mm
Handle hub (steel)
Disc with position detents (steel)
6.0 mm
25.0 mm
120
22.0 mm
3.2 mm
35.0 mm
2.5 mm
10.5 mm
3.2mm DETENTS
(see text)
13.0 mm
5.0 mm
10.0 mm
Two sleeves to halfnuts shafts (bronze)
Assembly (bottom view) design: jose@toolsandmods.com
4.7x8.5mm SPRING
5.0mm BALL
12mm M6 SETSCREW
10mm M5 SETSCREW
8mm M3 FLAT HEAD SCREWS
9
Here I had made a personal choice. As I use to make
both metric and imperial threading, and the lathe
motor is reversible, I dont use the threading dial.
So I decided to remove the threading dial as it was
limiting carriage travel for about 20mm with the
spring type leadscrew cover. Moreover, as it mounts
on apron above halfnuts gibs setscrews, it makes
impossible to use nuts on these setscrews. Without
the threading dial and with the leadscrew covers
nuts can be used on two setscrews. The middle one
was adjusted using loctite to keep it in position. One
6mm setscrew is now on threading dial mounting
hole to avoid swarf to get in.
Swarf-proof apron
On the entire work one guiding rule was that on the
end it also look good. So lots of careful on decisions
and fnally decided for welding. This apron is a simple
piece of machined cast iron with geometric shapes,
making this mode particularly simple. Angles and
cuts were calculated and 6mm cast iron bar cut
to extend the lateral sides close to bed. After the
welding job some polyester and paint. Two coats
of hammerite (50% white and 50% black), both
smoothed with 600 grit paper. For a cleaner fnish
a fnal coat of marine gray spray. Dark colors hide
oils and the lathe remains looking cleaner easily.
With this mod some space was gained inside apron
to do additional mods on future. With it and the
spring type leadscrew covers both gears, halfnuts
and leadscrew are now swarf-free.
Reducing handwheels interference with a
disengageable handwheel for apron
Everyone had experienced, when turning on a
minilathe, the apron handwheel to cross-slide
handwheel interference. The more common prob-
lem happens when the carriage is stopped in a posi-
tion which the apron handle stays at 1 or 2 oclock.
Another common problem is when cutting close to
Extension (steel)
4.2 mm
10.0 mm
16.0 mm
40.0 mm
31.5 mm
120
45.5 mm
6.0 mm
23.0 mm
34.0 mm
4.5 mm
17.0 mm
M3 THREAD
9.0 mm
11.5 mm
33.5.0 mm
4.0 mm
14.0 mm
5.0 mm
8.0 mm
Coupling collar with female dog (steel)
M3 THREAD
10

Swarf protetion collar (brass)
9.0 mm
16.6 mm
14.0 mm
Shaft (steel)
Sliding male dog (steel)
M12 THREAD
10.5 mm
4.0 mm
5.0 mm
10.5 mm
14.0 mm
8.05 mm
2.0 mm
63.0 mm 19.0 mm 8.0 mm
1.0 mm
10.0 mm 11.0 mm 8.0 mm 9.0 mm
3 mm keyway
9.0 mm 11.5 mm
11
16.0 mm
80.0
mm
34 .0 mm
4.5 mm
M12 THREAD
M6 THREAD
10.0 mm
18.0
mm
Handwheel (aluminum)
14.0 mm
39.0 mm
8.6 mm 8.5 mm
37.5 mm
6.0
mm
0.8 mm
9.3
mm
Handle sleeve (brass) Handle (steel)
spindle, especially when using faceplate, the apron
handwheel hit easily the motor controller box. This
project, to solve both issues, was limited by the
two ball bearings on apron and designed for work
with another mod already designed to do on future:
the cross-slide extension. The two 9x24x7mm ball
bearings forced me to made the extension base with
40mm diameter, necessary to drill and tap the holes
for the mounting tap screws aside the ball bearings.
Dimensions were decided for a comfortable work
with the designed cross-slide extension and to elim-
inate handwheel interference with motor controller
box. Its a mechanically simple project with a new
longer shaft (gear was bored and key cuts done on
gear and shaft). A coupling collar with female dog
is mounted on shaft. A female dog on handwheel
slides through the shaft to engage and disengage.
A retaining ring on the end of the shaft prevents the
handwheel to fall from shaft. A brass collar prevents
the dogs engagement from swarf.
Every time the carriage is stopped, I can pull the
handwheel back and the weight of the steel handle
on the aluminum wheel is enough to turn the wheel
until the handle stop in lower position. Cross slide
handwheel is now much easier to use without in-
terference with apron handwheel. Also handwheel
pass now in front of the motor controller box and
dont hit it anymore.
With the disengageable feature, handwheel back-
lash increased to 4 degrees. Still much better than
the initial 15 degrees.
The aluminum wheel was painted with the same
color from apron. Self etching primer (two parts)
for aluminum was frst applied and then marine
gray spray.
Note: photo on page 7 was taken during work and
before designing the new handwheel gear shaft.
12
Assembly
Completely exploded
design: jose@toolsandmods.com
14mm M4 CAP SCREWS
55MM M6 FLAT HEAD SCREW
RETAINING RING
3X10MM KEY
4MM M3 SETSCREW
4MM M3 SETSCREW
TO BALL BEARINGS
TO GEAR
13
Assembly
Partially exploded
RETAINING RING
SWARF PROTETION COLLAR
14
Complete assembly
Engaged position
Complete assembly
Disengaged position
www.toolsandmods.com
Thanks to Mike Cox and to many members of 7x12minilathe group who helped me,
with their answers, to make decisions (even color)