wttool 11x26 lathe

[ged]

Any wttool 11x26 lathe owners out there experiencing threading problems?I was doing some threading last night and I engaged on number 1 on the threading dial for the first few passes (.005 per pass)then on the third pass when I engaged on number 1 again it ripped the thread off like it was cutting the new thread in the middle of the old thread! Is this a HALF NUT PROBLEM? Or what could it be?

[RTP_Burnsville]

You did not say what pitch thread you are attempting to cut. Are you trying to thread metric on an imperial machine? If so, you will likely need to keep the half nut locked for the entire process to keep the machine in-sync.

[ged]

I was cutting 18 tpi imperial which means I have to disengage the feed after every pass .The machine I purchased is the imperial one not the metric.I tried to cut the thread leaving the feed engaged and the thread looked excellent but when I checked it with inch and metric thread gauges there was no match.I checked the gears and their positioning and they are correct.I measured the lead screw and its imperial also.Could the half nuts be out of adjustment?(I mean to loose or to tight) Thanks for your input

[RTP_Burnsville]

Hi,

If the thread looks good then my guess would be that there is a gear ratio problem in the drive train somewhere. Is there a chance the manual or label on the machine is wrong? I had a problem with my 7x10 lathe where the gear selection chart in the manual was not correct.

You don't have to disengage the half nut for imperial threads. You could try leaving it locked, just as if you were doing metric threading and note the results. If there is no difference when using either method then I would double check the gear ratios.