Lathe Cross Feed Screw: Cutting Left Hand Modified Square Threads

We are finally getting finished with the project to make a new feed screw for a Reed metal lathe. In this video, we will show the process of cutting left hand modified square threads on a metal lathe using a follow rest as well as cutting a Woodruff key.
Part 1 of this series: • Machining a New Bronze...
Part 2: • Machining a Lathe Cros...
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[@pauayelo3024]

I'm learning farore with the videos this man puts his free time and effort in making than with the professors that are payed to teach me in college . Thanks a million Keith .

[@richardsurber8226]

Well there you Go. Nice job Mike and Keith. I was thinking I would not see anything unusual but , once again, you guys find something interesting. Thanks for the good work Keith

[@craigroedema6361]

Hi Keith, Craig from Iowa. I am a retired Journeyman Machinist like your self and have 40+ years of machining in and I myself never heard of that thread either. Job well done and like the show. Take care.

[@thomasgrimes922]

Excellent presentation of the machining required to finish this project. You are an awesome toolmaker and millwright. Many thanks for sharing your talents with us. How you figure out how the manufacturer built machines without any plans is truly amazing. I don't know how you do so many jobs alone in your shop.

[@RyanWeishalla]

It is nice that you have lots of machinist friends. And we got to see Mike running a machine. A nice looking new replacement part for lathe.

[@capitanschetttino8745]

I watched the entire series of videos and I have to say it was a job a hell of a job. It was only possible thanks to the love you have for work. Congratulations!

[@jaswmclark]

I have worked on and off as a machinist for 60 years. Nice to see you young fellows passing on the knowledge of the trade. Early in my career I was told there are a thousand ways to do a job but only three that matter. The right way, the wrong way, and the way you end up doing it.

[@raincoast2396]

A project that gives the old expression "can of worms" new meaning, what an adventure! Seen through to the end. Almost at the 100K mark in subs Keith and your silver play button award. The journey continues. Cheers.

[@campbellmorrison8540]

Woo Hoo absolutely love the surgical lamp, Im getting older and I need light, heaps of it and that is a brilliant way to do it. I want one :)

[@vicmiller7191]

Nicely done, that follower is something I have not seen before. I like the extra support it gives. Thanks for sharing...Vic

[@charlescompton4495]

Hey Keith, that was great and good to see you and Mike working together on this project. Puts me in mind of a crew of bricklayers working on a project. Together we can is a real statement for sure, Greg.

[@markreardon3472]

Operated a 20" swing Kingston at the last shop I worked at for 16 years. They are good machines and they still have parts for them. Also had a DSG 13x40, Kuraki 32x120x 12" hollow spindle and a Summit 32x120x 10" hollow spindle cnc and many other machines. Thanks for the post.

[@keithpattison6763]

Hello Keith, I remember cutting an Acme thread, 3/4", for a vice screw, whilst at trade school, about 1965. We didn't use a travelling steady and most of us ended up with the tool digging in on the final cuts, destroying the screw. I have since made a 7/16" L/H Acme thread x 10 tpi, on my Hercus lathe, at home, out of tool steel and made a tap from it. This was used to tap out a new cross slide nut, that I cast out of bronze. Worked well and in the lathe. This is from Australia.

[@johnspencer6270]

Made the screw for a toolmakers vice as an apprentice. 3/4" OD 8 tpi square thread. First had to make the internal and external threading tools. External tool ground up on the surface grinder using a universal vice to set the side clearance angles. The nut was made from bronze, the internal threading tool from O1 tool steel oil hardened and tempered in the shop. Still have vice, which is in pretty much daily use 45 years later, and the threading tools though I have never used them since!

[@reedfelton762]

Excellent work! Loved the collaboration with you and Mike. I just acquired a Rockwell 12-14 table saw that has interchangeable saw arbors for different diameter blades and as well as dado sets and moulding cutters. I need to make a new arbor for a dado set and believe it uses the 10 degree modified square thread. Learned alot from watching. Thanks and cheers!

[@halnywiatr]

Broach off-camera? NOooo! We've watched this project from the beginning. It's like reading over a thousand pages of Gone with the Wind and instead of the ending having a note from Margaret Mitchell saying "and then Rhett leaves... yada, yada, ... The End."

[@marcosherculano5944]

Great job, I'm a engineer and learning a lot with your videos. may our great God bless you.

[@melgross]

So this is for a subscriber, to help him out. Now I wonder if this was something Keith is charging for, or is a favor, because he could make videos out of it. I used to make machinery and parts for various companies. I could charge well over $100 for some really odd screw, because of the time involved. But that was for companies that needed to get an old machine running, where my charge didn’t really mean anything. When I make things for friends, I never charge anything, unless material costs are enough to charge for that. But what would this job cost, considering it’s for someone who likely isn’t making any money on his machine? In theory, the cost should be the same as for a commercial customer-but in reality… By the way, almost all old machines used that drilled pin method to secure the handle. The reason is simple. They could screw the handle on to where the tightness and therefor the play, was exactly where they wanted it, then drill the hole for the pin to keep it there, then screw the nut on. When putting a keyway in, they are usually all put in the same place on the shaft and handle, so there’s no way to fit it for best tolerance. So you need a much better machining accuracy, which was much more difficult to do back then. This method was used by many manufacturers well into the 20th century.

[@tdkrei]

Hello Keith. I am a recent subscriber to your channel mainly because everything you are doing and with =all he machines it brings back fond memorizes to me. I started as a machinist in 1962 and became a journeyman in 1964. The company I worked for built hoist, dereks and whirley's up to 750 ton. I manual machined for over 3 years and the last 20 was a CNC turning and milling center machinist and a CAD technician. You've got nothing in your machining arsenal I haven't excelled at or just set up and ran. Keep up the good work and if you would want any input from me, just ask however you'll probably know everything I would tell you. Keep on smiling and thanks for sharing.

[@CornishMiner]

Well done. Enjoyed that project. Lots to learn about threads, grinding cutters etc. Best wishes.

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

Fine team work Keith ! Mike is a great guy . Enjoyed Thanks , Thumbs up !!

[@jankjensen222]

Again a great video from you. I love to see you and Mike together, two of my favorite youtube creators. All the best from Denmark!

[@NuclearHedgehog]

Nice to see some follow rest work.

[@gipsymoth2]

Keith, you are the best. Thank you for all the great videos.

[@dananelson3534]

Thanks for sharing Keith. Sure Jorge will be glad to get it back.

[@paulteirney3587]

Good to see you got it done ,nice job .

[@jimzivny1554]

Great project, quite a learning experience.

[@terminalpsychosis8022]

Nice collaboration there. Interesting change of pace.

[@gilbertodiaz-castro626]

That partially drilled channel for the pin is made by putting a plug in the hole that is press-fit, you center punch the precise line where the parts meet and drill like any other piece of material. The fact that it is press-fit removes any possibility of the drill bit catching and breaking. An easy fix for those of us without a machine that can cut the key slot.

[@johnwarkentinnikiskialaska8364]

Always enjoy watching your videos 👍

[@espedito2003]

Always a good job well done!

[@FastEddie007007]

Sometimes the best tool you can have is a good friend. I was wondering how well that nylon was going to hold up to the chips and threads. Looks like it did just fine. That was a hard job that looked easy. Another job well done.

[@CVD-di1xn]

Job well done. I really enjoyed it. Keith, keep up the good work. Dave, Hamburg, NY.

[@jeffmoss26]

awesome stuff as always!

[@chadgdry3938]

As always, worth watching

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Nice job. Like all work something has to pop up to make things interesting. Keep up the good work.

[@m.stallcup3173]

Awesome job

[@Videowatcher2.0]

I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the video

[@shaunrish9516]

Good job both of you

[@juanrivero8]

Ahem, I seem to remember a video of yours where you used the A&S lathe with a follow rest for threading. Sure enough, YT called such a video to my attention. Could be you could have gone out to the museum! Never mind, fun video to watch. You don't need a follow rest every day, but when you need it nothing else will do.

[@bcbloc02]

Great now you guys have made my single lathe feel lonely! lol

[@dizzolve]

love the teflon trick.

[@donaldnaymon3270]

Great work.

[@bigtrev8xl]

Great work

[@richardgalli7262]

I have cut acme, square and 60 degree but it would have been nice to see the shaping of the cutting tool and compound angle setup.

[@danmetzger5583]

Another great vid Keith! Just to let you know, with the banner across the bottom I can no longer tell if I already watched that video or not. It was kind of handy....I will miss it.

[@juniorsachinelli363]

Excelente trabalho Sr keith rucker.

[@ricdenali4213]

Awesome job! Wear whatever you wanta wear.

[@JeffHeathTheVintageWorkshop]

Note to self- must have another lathe.😀 Nice job Keith and Mike. See you boys in September at Armrest.

[@fnordhorn]

Love the dentist Lamp in the background bet you that puts a lot of light in something when you need it

[@martineastburn3679]

On the key - I believe they drilled the slot in the handle first. Then the through hole that overlapped. Creative time saver.

[@bentinman9350]

A wise man once told me "Some jobs only take five minutes, but, there is no such thing as a five minute job". Every five minute job I've started has always taken much, much, longer. Good luck. Regards MM

[@BMRStudio]

Very nice old masterpiece.

[@outsidescrewball]

Enjoyed,.....great info/tips

[@EricTams]

Hi Keith, I like the new thumbnails but you may want to rethink the red color along the bottom. That is the area which KZbin uses to mark how much of a video you have viewed. People may think they have watched one of your videos already if they are used to using this as a way to track what they have already seen.

[@GruntW0rk]

Wow you are so right. I did not recognize the channel name but i had watched all the videos. Turns out it was the thumbnail just like you said.

[@bobvines00]

Keith, I definitely agree with Eric. Your www.vintagemachinery.org banner is the same color red as what KZbin uses to show whether or not viewers have watched a video or how far they've watched at that point. Please consider changing the color or shade of red of your banner.

[@christophersimpson7052]

I agree I have done this in the past too 👍🏻

[@kevCarrico]

great work!!

[@tobyw9573]

Looks like those pin- keys in the shaft and I believe, the handle are made to tighten against the handle nut preventing the nut from tightening the end play on the shaft. Kinda hard to tell without the parts in hand, though. :) The woodruff key setup should allow you to tighten the nut 'till the shaft will not turn. You may need a jam nut setup on the handle to set the end play.

[@jonka1]

Don't think so. The handle will tighten up to the shoulder on the shaft as seen @ 21:58

[@tobyw9573]

jonka1 , I cannot tell where the handle hits, and the spacer with the set screw extends past the shoulder with a recess for the curved center ball of the crank. If I designed it, I would make the endplay on the crank adjustable. Could be that the designer of the machine did not. I do not think the setscrew is sufficient to set endplay on the crank.

[@skoue4165]

Really interesting way to key a handle. My guess is they drilled the key "hole" in the handle and then drilled out the center. Pretty quick and easy and requires no special tools. And it's a hand wheel so a not high stress or critical key.

[@Bruno2204]

Great work... 👍😃

[@jfbronco1]

Looks like you need to get the K16 and the 10ee completed and build yourself some follower rests. While your at it , I will take one of each also. lol thanks for your great videos.

[@kennethdahl4791]

Keith, It seems that this is the way things work for me also on projects. I get almost done and find that I lack some tool before I can complete it.

[@jacka.4774]

thanks for the video. I notice something many would not. I like that adec light in the back. I have some of those on my machines and tables setup. If you could take that glare stop off of and leave the shield on, it would work much better for your kind of work. it will light up more area. I don't think that can be done with adec though.

[@k1mgy]

Keith, always interested in thread-cutting and fascinated by the precision (skill!) involved in starting the X-axis drive at the proper time to meet the thread. I've never seen this done in person. Someday! Two bits. First, interested to how you held that threaded shaft in the vise as you cut the woodruff keyway. The vise used was something I don't recall seeing in your videos prior. Thought it would be harmful to clamp the vise down on the threads. (?) Next, the broach cutter appeared to wobble a bit.. as if the cutter was slightly offset to the longitudinal axis of its shaft. Maybe an optical illusion, but imagined the precision you applied to the depth of cut might have been foiled by that offset.

[@ronalddavis]

I have seen a lot of videos of guys using woodruff key cutters and they all seem to wobble.Why I don't know but they seem to cut straight.

[@gospelman7222]

Aha! mystery solved!. I was wondering what a follow rest was - here in the UK they're known as a travelling steady. Similarly, a steady rest is known as a fixed steady. No matter - good job, Keith!

[@petergregory5286]

Yes, divided by a common language! Now who said that? Bit of a relief to get that project over with, getting to be very expensive. Regards.

[@PeteBrubaker]

To be honest, those are way more descriptive terms for those attachments.

[@paulmanson253]

Peter Gregory Apparently it was Winston, but he may have been quoting. I watched a speech Lindberg made shortly after returning to the USA,he made a similar remark,phrased with grace and humour. No idea of who originated it.

[@EJP286CRSKW]

paul manson I believe it was George Bernard Shaw in Pygmalion, later to become My Fair Lady.

[@minbannister3625]

I like to see a maths cheat sheet it helps me to understand (hobbyist) Problem solving and set up is what like to see best. Thanks.

[@jolllyroger1]

Usually by the time I find and order pay for and go get a tool I could have made one and been done ..... it's what I have learned to do... make my own open end wrenches sometimes even spanners made lathes and lathe tools have an old hand drill turned into just another extra lathe with hand graver set up for knocking out quick low tolerance parts and have even done thread cutting on that with home made hand ground hand graver thread cutter...... there are so many ways to skin a cat it's crazy

[@dalebennett5227]

wish i had a nice lathe like that, 10EE. i know the mori seki lathe are really good

[@williamdavis4268]

Good job, I might need to cut some left hand threads sometime but not in that thread, like I said good job

[@johnswimcat]

Hi Keith, nice job as usual. I was wondering about wear on the Teflon tips in the follow rest as the job went on - ? Particularly the tip opposite the tool

[@SteveSummers]

Thanks Keith, nice video. I run a big 24" Cincinnati metal shaper alot on my channel and love the shapers, I wish you would have put that handle on the shaper and cut that key. But I understand how much easier it is to broach it. Just would have liked to see you do it that's all. Keep up the good work and stop by my channel if you get the time, Keep in mind that I am new to the video world :)

[@leonadeau2849]

Keith I watched a video on gear cutting and I have probably 100 involute cutters some are for bevel gears some are for chain some are for any about any kind of gear you can think of. After 50 some years I am going to have to quit and if you would want some you can have them.Some of them are carbon steel some are high speed steel some need sharpened some have been sharpened. Let me know Leo Nadeau

[@mdlanor5414]

Mr. Rucker. As always another excellent video. The Vice you used to hold the screw and cut the Woodruff Key slot. This Vice is a great great addition for any Milling Machines that it will fit on. I watch many different KZbin Channel Creators that are Machinists. I don’t recall seeing a Vice like that. Is that a Production, Modified or Shop Made Vice?

[@jimzivny1554]

I don't know if I've missed it in a previous video but the vise you used when cutting the key slot looks like a great tool. Any chance of showing it in a video?

[@philbressi7223]

Thanks for a great video always enjoy your way of explaining what you are doing. In the previous video you used a tape follower that looked great, can you tell me where that came from, thanks again and keep up the great work.

[@jacobbotden5641]

OOOOOOh Follow Rest, I was so confused why you would need a "Fall Arrest" with a small lathe mounted to the ground.

[@jamesconner8275]

I just love how machinists use any and every excuse to have more machinery.

[@dinosspiliopoulos760]

Nice

[@ScrewDriverxxx]

Keith, don't know if you've had any feedback on your new red strap line at the bottom of your vids. I don't like it and I can't tell if I have watched a video - KZbin uses a red line along the bottom to show users whether or not they have watched a particular video... Otherwise, big fan. Thanks for all the vids!

[@jeffnagel918]

I agree, cant tell if its watched at a glance.

[@BedsitBob]

I'm guessing they drilled the round key-way, before they bored the handle. BTW. Isn't a modified square thread, a bit of a misnomer?

[@DavoShed]

We used to call those travelling steady as a posed to a fixed steady.

[@tobyw9573]

With the original setup you could file the pin-keys to set the end play.

[@skjoldhjvrkstedsforening4930]

hoho .. the man in the background made me day... even now and then , even a blind squrril finds an acorn :D lol ...

[@kenedwards7013]

I have a 16"×54"Pratt & Whitney lathe. How can I get a half nut for making threads? Love your show.

[@clham612]

First thing I thought when you mentioned that you didn't have the right bushing to broach the slot was "USE YOUR SHAPER!" But then perhaps you don't have a small enough cutter to get in that 7/16" hole. But the shaper is a really good alternative when you don't have the right broaching tools.

[@SteveSummers]

I thought the same thing, I have a big 24" Cincinnati metal shaper that I run on my channel, I'm new to KZbin but have a video up on cutting keyways in a forge blower shaft. Check it out if you get a chance, I don't claim to be a pro, more just sharing what I am doing.

[@crustyolcoot6646]

Thank god for the metric system. Vive Le France I reckon.

[@experiencingtechnicaldiffi5184]

You didn't mention the "H" factor when cutting a keyway. I know that depth of keyway is from full width but when you are making parts to someones specs it has to be able to pass inspection not just work. Years ago I got tired of having to calculate it every time I needed to cut a keyway so I made a chart with every size of shaft and key and pasted it into my tool box lid. Odd sizes like .2905 shaft with a .048 key can be guesstimated from the chart. Much faster and less frustrating, great taste and less filling. That keyway in the handle was made by putting a plug in the bore and drilling between the two much like when making a Johnson key. I don't know why they did it that way, it doesn't seem like it would be very stable with so little contact. I would have just broached it in the lathe rather than wait for a tool to finish an already late rush job. In an hour it would be done including grinding a tool and making a backing plate. But considering I don't have broaches that's the way I always do it. Mike (o\!/o)

[@tridium-go6hw]

Nice job! Are you going to broach the new keyway opposite the old to start with virgin material? And you BETTER video the last operation - we know where you live.... :-)

[@LuxorVan]

Wow Mike must be related to me, I have the same first and last name!

[@MrNacho1946]

Hello Mike, Looking around your shop, I can see that you also do dental work.

[@multiHappyHacker]

I read on the Pratt & Whitney brochure the follow rest for (I think) the Model C 16"x54" slipped over the dovetail and had a gib of some sort to lock it down. But a different piece of P&W literature shows a style that bolts onto each side of the saddle. Sadly I don't know which to try to find/make for it, and I'm pretty sure the big beefy steady rest that came with it was made for the 12" model. What do you guys do with all the bits and pieces that don't fit? Oh I also have a follow rest for who knows what lathe.

[@chicagolathe-shopmaster-sh1680]

Now that you have mentioned your lack of follow rest, the "stuff" universe will supply you with more than you can ever use.

[@fengelman]

did the camera actually pick-up deflection as you started to cut the keyway?

[@Mekratrig]

When cutting threads, how can the operator start each pass in the same groove?

[@2024bear]

what degree cutter are you using?

[@Blackmage50]

I only have 1 lathe. Could use about 5 more in various sizes.... few mills, couple grinders, maybe a crank grinder and head surfacing, nice hone. Not much really! Lol

[@duobob]

No provision for taking out the backlash in the lead screw nut?

[@BruceBusby]

Perhaps they drilled the keyed blind hole before the bigger through hole?

[@jeffanderson1653]

Gosh, at .002” per pass, how long did it take to cut the threads? Nice work

[@GruntW0rk]

I said a few times that you could have done the job without the follower. Well I think it says a lot about you to know what is right and to do it even if it is an extra step. Subbed.

[@vajake1]

Hey Mike, where did you get that nice A-dec Dental Patient light? I work on those for a living! Bob Troxell in Virginia, USA

[@TheBackyardMachineShop]

A friend works on the dental chairs, he was scrapping some out and give me the lights, I have 3 or 4 of them around.

[@vajake1]

They were a pretty darn nice gift!

[@lito11111940]

With your skills, you could easily make a follow rest.