LeBlond Regal follow rest?

[T.Hoffman]

My LeBlond Regal from the mid-60's did not come with a follow rest.

I need to thread a length of smaller dia rod, tough to do with no follow rest....

When looking at my lathe, there are no mounting holes on the left side where a normal follow bolts on. There are mounting holes on the right side of the saddle.
I'm guessing that the original follow was quite a piece, mounted on the right side and reached over to be near where your cutting tool was.

I've never seen one, but I called LeBlond to see just by chance if they were still available. If they had one, I knew the price would be high from my buying a couple small parts from them before.

They do still have this follow rest available.

....for the low, low price of $2469.

Anyone ever see, or have this follow rest for a LeBlond Regal (or willing to part with one)?
If you have one, can you take a pic of it?

Here's my lathe before I cleaned her all up to give you an idea of the vintage of this Regal.
You can see the two mounting holes on the right side:

[becksmachine]

It is tough to do even with a follow rest.

I am sure you have already considered using a die?

Dave

[T.Hoffman]

Actually this little project for work isn't really a true "threading", but rather a .100" rounded groove at 7tpi with a .230 minor diameter in some 3/8 rod...... and it has to be a left-handed thread of course.

They use it to make coils of some sort of .095" OD plastic tubing for fluidics work. They spiral on the tubing and heat it with a heat gun, when it cools they have their nice spiral.

I have a GrizG4003 lathe as well which does have a follow rest, but the Griz can't do left hand threads as it is now.

[flylo]

Why don't you have Leblond send a drawing to you. I think I have one for a 17" but my lathe is the one before yours.

[becksmachine]

Oh, that!

Is this something that has been made before? What length?

Have you investigated adding an idler in the change gears on the Grizzly? Just a thought.

Dave

[rmw]

I have wondered why LeBlond didn't make the follower to reach further to the left, making it easier to support near the left end of the carriage. If I were you, I'd make one.
HTH,
Greg

[T.Hoffman]

[IMG]
I have wondered why LeBlond didn't make the follower to reach further to the left, making it easier to support near the left end of the carriage. If I were you, I'd make one.
Greg

Greg,
thanks for the pics!! I was thinking that it would reach further to the left....
That offset only looks to be a couple of inches?
hmmm, this may be a new project in the making for me.

Is this something that has been made before? What length?

Have you investigated adding an idler in the change gears on the Grizzly? Just a thought.

About 7-8" worth of threading. I made one earlier in the week on the Grizzly with the follow rest with a RH thread, turned out nice.
That's when they came back and said that this was great, but needed to be a LH thread (which they did not tell me in the first place)......
....information that would have been nice to know before I started.



I haven't investigated an idler on the Griz yet. I know some have done it, but think I'd rather put that time/effort into the LeBlond.

[beckley23]

The Nov/Dec 2011 issue of HSM has an article "User Friendly Follow Rest" that has a few more details than the following pictures of the last one I built after the article was submitted.





Harry

[Robbie's Machine Service]

Hey Harry
That follow rest is good looking.... and most practical design I've seen.
Thanks for the PIXS.
Robbie

[Robbie's Machine Service]

My LeBlond Regal from the mid-60's did not come with a follow rest.

I need to thread a length of smaller dia rod, tough to do with no follow rest....

I've never seen one, but I called LeBlond to see just by chance if they were still available. If they had one, I knew the price would be high from my buying a couple small parts from them before.

They do still have this follow rest available.

....for the low, low price of $2469.

Anyone ever see, or have this follow rest for a LeBlond Regal (or willing to part with one)?
If you have one, can you take a pic of it?

Here's my lathe before I cleaned her all up to give you an idea of the vintage of this Regal.
You can see the two mounting holes on the right side:

===============================
At 5 times the price that it should be...the same with Cincinnatti,just too much for parts.
I have 7 lathes in my shop.. Mauser, Lodge & Shipley,Hardinge and Standard Modern lathe
Best when you need stuff is Standard Modern Lathe ..you won't get taken advantage of.
Robbie