Dominion lathe name and motor?

[Chris152]

A friend has this lathe in his yard. Does anyone know if it has a longer name than just 'Dominion', and what motor it will need (it has none at the moment) - and where we can get one? It's 3 phase.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

Chris
edit - i found this:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/dominion/
but not sure which one he has, and certainly no idea which motor it needs or where to get one!

 

[JWD]

any motor would technically work - the electronics on the body make me think its got an inverter on it, so youd need a 'dual-voltage' motor
if the huge box on the front is an inverter then there may be variable speed control present (the other box on the lathe bed) in which case this is a great find.

 

[Chris152]

This hasn't progressed an inch, but I got to looking at it again today and wondering if it's possible to adapt the lathe to become a bowl lathe
- ie remove the bed and have a very short connector made, to attach the main body to the legs, currently far right (and to have the legs bolted down in case it tries to move). Could this work?
The spindle thread is 2" x 4 1/2 tpi - is it possible to buy a chuck to fit that? I searched and found nothing.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you just want the body of the lathe you wouldn't need the legs at all I'd have thought. It's probably worth ebaying the bed if you take it off as it looks to have the moving carriage and maybe a cross slide. Seems a shame to break it, though. If it's too big, sell it on and buy something more suitable?

 

[Chris152]

I don't own the lathe, it's a friend's and he's happy for me to adapt it. The idea would be to keep the bed so at some point it could all be put back together. I thought to attach the leg somehow to the body (using the bolt holes already there) as the footprint of the body is quite small really and with my dodgy turning could easily be knocked off balance. :shock:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If it's the one it looks to be, it's 812lb without the bed - it would take some knocking over.

 

[Chris152]

I think it's the A.L.Y.3 according to this page
http://www.lathes.co.uk/dominion/page2.html
though it has only one set of legs, maybe a different design. where did you read 812 lbs, Phil? I don't doubt it given the figures for the whole lathe on that page. But does the weight of the drive section mean it'd be stable (on a flat surface, of course) by itself? I really don't know how these things work. And could I get a chuck for it? (I haven't really looked around, but haven't seen one in the yard.) Oh, and while I'm asking endless questions - is the plate on the back for sanding only, or do people turn there?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ah, I was looking at the FJA - which does look to have a bigger base and to be heavier. As long as there's a thread on the outboard end it'll take a faceplate, although - "The left hand spindle thread (11/8" x 7 t.p.i.) was unusual in being backed by a short, steep taper ..." I'm not sure what this is, but the register may be odd. You'll certainly have fun finding anything to fit either end. Wallace or someone with more knowledge than me of big machines will be along at some stage.

 

[Chris152]

You'll certainly have fun finding anything to fit either end.

That could well be the flaw in my cunning plan.

 

[Trevanion]

I remember seeing one of these that had been converted to single phase and had the spindle shaft remade to fit M33x3.5 threads because as Phil says, the thread and register are very awkward because of the odd thread size and the taper register on the back-end like you get on a metalwork lathe. If anything the machine was seriously overbuilt and was made to be very accurate, Dominion always had a reputation for it. I think some people hold Dominion in higher regard than Wadkin but don't tell Wallace!

 

[Chris152]

I remember seeing one of these [...] had the spindle shaft remade to fit M33x3.5 threads

Do you think that'd be an expensive job?

 

[Trevanion]

Do you think that'd be an expensive job?

More than likely. I would say you would struggle to find someone to do it for less than £400 just for the shaft. IF you could get the shaft out you might be able to get it recut for a smaller, more common thread size.

If only you had a Metal lathe eh? :wink:

 

[Chris152]

Do you think that'd be an expensive job?

More than likely. I would say you would struggle to find someone to do it for less than £400 just for the shaft. IF you could get the shaft out you might be able to get it recut for a smaller, more common thread size.

If only you had a Metal lathe eh? :wink:

Oooh, don't!
What about a collar to convert it down to 1 x 8? (Clasping at straws...)

edit - I see someone's selling a Vicmarc on the forum. :twisted:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That's an exert ............ and you won't find one.

 

[Chris152]

Oh dear. Chuck attachment definitely looking like the fly in the ointment. My grand plan falls very flat if I can't attach a piece of wood to the lathe...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Qui ... posts.html
Scroll down to SOFT BLANK END ARBOR 2 MT TAPPED END SORRY OUT OF STOCK (Ref: BEA2S)

out of stock, but you'll find them elsewhere. Get one of these (correct MT, obviously) and have it threaded 3/4" x 16tpi. It's a small thread, but chucks and faceplates to fit it are easily available. It's safe in the headstock as you can fit a drawbar. You might need to have a washer welded/brazed to it to form a register. :idea:

 

[Chris152]

Thanks so much for looking for this, Phil.
Is this the idea? (Remember, I know nothing...)

And the taper would hold sufficiently?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No. That's basically the design, but you must have one threaded at the rear for a drawbar, so you can bolt it through the headstock. It will come lose otherwise, no matter what. Look on the Chronos site for "tapped end" and "tanged end"

 

[Chris152]

Aha! Like this?
[youtube]QRJt6E0Tokg[/youtube]

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, like that - but the MT must be threaded to accept it. It only needs to be a bit of threaded rod with a nut and washer on the outboard end.