Tapping & Sensitive Drilling Stand With Dividing

[colin563]

i was helping a mate sort his workshop out

when i found this not sure if its the george thomas version or not

also not sure what all the attachments are ive given it a good clean and taken a few photos

it looks very usefull but i cant make my mind up to keep it or not as im running short on space













thanks colin

[millwright]

Hi Colin,
What a great looking bit of kit you have there. Is anything stamped with a name?  plenty of bits to go with it, are they tap collets there with what looks like tufnol surrounds. cant think what the long ronnd bars could be. someone will probably tell us shortly. not sure about the wiring though.
John

[raynerd]

Colin, looks a smasher - I`d be interested if you decide to sell. I don`t know the RPM but it looks good to me for small holes for clocks and watches and such 

[PekkaNF]

If my memory server right the writer planned this one with plain bearings and 1200/1500 rpm or so. That means slow feed - and requires that sensitive feed. I believe it does what it is supposed to do.

http://modelenginenews.org/meng/upt/index.html
http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Universal_Pillar_Tool.html

Apparently UPT is pretty handy to horologist.

Pekka

[PeterE]

All I can say is that it really is a versatile tool and a good addition to the workshop!

I made one from the drawings in GHT's book Workshop techniques and the tool you present does follow the drawings nicely!.

The dividing plate addition is the individual builders own addition as far as I understand, it is not mentioned in the book.

BR

/Peter

[GerryB]

G.Day Mate,you lucky so and so.
You just hang on the that piece of kit.
GerryB

[Miner]

That's a really clever combination of the George H. Thomas Universal Pillar Tool and his Versatile Dividing Head. Both tools were written up in the book Workshop Techniques. ISBN 1 85761 106 3, Castings for both and the book are avalible from Hemingway Kits in the U.K. Somebody spent a huge ammount of time building that and all the added accesories. Due to the added extra dividing plates I'm guessing that someone into clock making built it for personal use as the dividing head designed by Mr. Thomas only had 3 dividing plates. Even if you rarely used this equipment it would be well worth keeping. Anyone skilled enough to combine both tools and actuly build all the equipment probably did a very good job.

For those that haven't read them I personally think the book mentioned above and Mr. Thomas's other book The Model Engineers Workshop Manual ISBN 1 85761 000 8 should be at the top of anyones book list. IMHO one of the finest writers,designers and skilled machinists of that time period. Both books are well worth buying no matter what your interests are or skill level.

Pete

[PeterE]

...

For those that haven't read them I personally think the book mentioned above and Mr. Thomas's other book The Model Engineers Workshop Manual ISBN 1 85761 000 8 should be at the top of anyones book list. IMHO one of the finest writers,designers and skilled machinists of that time period. Both books are well worth buying no matter what your interests are or skill level.

Pete

I very much second that opinion! I have both books in my small ME library after being recommended them by people at Reeves 2000 as good books to read when starting out in ME. The nice things about the books are that not only does GHT decribe very useful workshop items, but also setups, speeds etc. I also learned quite a few thiongs I was not aware of before that.

So these two books are highly recommended!

BR

/Peter

[Miner]

LOL, It's great to have somebody else agree with me.

But one more point about George Thomas's writing and this is mostly about the Model Engineers Workshop Manual, He not only explains how the job should be done but exactly why it should be done this way in a logical and well thought out format. I think he was a rare individual that not only knew his subject hands down but was able to clearly write about it too.

Pete

[dickda1]

George Thomas would be proud of you!
-Dick

[HS93]

this may interest some people on hear then

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Building-Universal-Pillartool-Geo-H-Thomas-1982-/300591296186?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item45fca32eba

Peter

[Miner]

Dick,
LOL, I don't know about the proud part but I think he must have been a very interesting person. I would have enjoyed meeting him.

Pete