How to make a LoveJoy coupling

[John_Dennis]

I have a Jet 16 mill that has a missing handle. I have a matching handle without a coupler. What is the easiest way to male another one? I have aluminum round stock, a lathe and the mill. For work holding, I have a super-spacer with 3 jaw chuck and a rotary table. I do not have a DRO yet.

Thanks

John

 

[chips&more]

It sounds like you have the equipment to make the coupler? But I apologize, can’t understand the pictures? If you need a handle what am I seeing in the right picture? The ½ coupler you have to match to would be a great afternoon super-spacer project. If you are unsure about measuring the tooth spacing or anything else. Maybe try making a sample first made from some easily machined material like plastic or machinable wax to check your geometry and all…Good Luck

 

[John Hasler]

Do you mean that you are missing the spider and want to make one rather than buy one?

 

[Marco Bernardini]

I'd put the round stock in the rotating table to mill away the "slices" corresponding to the protruding parts on the handle and on the mill, making the holes a bit undersize, so it is possible to freeze the coupler to have a better fit. I'd also make the "teeth" of a side rotated 90° in respect to the other side.
But wait for the suggestions of better machinists… :biggrin:

 

[John_Dennis]

The handle in the photo is the 1 good handle. I want to duplicate the coupling shown so that it matches the one on the lead screw shaft. I have 2 handles without couplers

 

[John Hasler]

So I guess that this is a dog clutch that looks like a Lovejoy coupling minus the spider?

 

[chuckorlando]

If you have a roto tab you could set it up for 8 spaces. Each space would be on side of the tang. Then clean up whats left between them. Or take and bore a hole in some scrap, trig out or use a cartesian calculator to find the dial movements to drill 8 holes in it. Drill one hole in the part. Use a pin and use the fixture holes to index you 8 moves. Center drill both pieces and tap the fixture to bolt the part in. Clamp the fixture in the vice.

 

[markknx]

I would start by chucking the stock up in the lathe turn the diam. then center drill and drill the center hole just under size and ream it to final size. from there I would put it on the rotary table and center it. Now take the good part and find center of Two pie shaped slots accross the dia. scribe center and mesure the angle needed. Now you can mill the part. using an end mill the same size as the tightest part of the slot mill accross the dia. of the part. back out and rotate the table to the angle needed, This time only mill to the center of the part. Back out and rotate the part the other way and mill to the center again. rotate180* and repeat the angle cutting steps. Turn 90* and start all the steps again. I hope this is making sense I have a bit of a headache and it has been a long day. I would also check the fit before I removed the part from the roto Table. Mark

- - - Updated - - -

If you have a roto tab you could set it up for 8 spaces. Each space would be on side of the tang. Then clean up whats left between them. Or take and bore a hole in some scrap, trig out or use a cartesian calculator to find the dial movements to drill 8 holes in it. Drill one hole in the part. Use a pin and use the fixture holes to index you 8 moves. Center drill both pieces and tap the fixture to bolt the part in. Clamp the fixture in the vice.

Chuck wouldn'tyou lose1/2 the dia. of the end mill from the raised section of the part? Thus making the raised section smaller than the slot. I don't know as I stated in my first post. my mind is not working good right now. Mark

 

[toolman49]

G'Day,
A couple of years ago I replaced the nasty plastic handles on my RF 31 with generic Chinese chrome plated cast iron handles, after turning, boring, drilling & tapping, I held the handles on hex mandrel for milling, obviously you will need a square mandrel as you need four lobes, photos show handles marked out, milled and fitted.
Regards from Oz,
Martin

 

[kd4gij]

I would start by chucking the stock up in the lathe turn the diam. then center drill and drill the center hole just under size and ream it to final size. from there I would put it on the rotary table and center it. Now take the good part and find center of Two pie shaped slots accross the dia. scribe center and mesure the angle needed. Now you can mill the part. using an end mill the same size as the tightest part of the slot mill accross the dia. of the part. back out and rotate the table to the angle needed, This time only mill to the center of the part. Back out and rotate the part the other way and mill to the center again. rotate180* and repeat the angle cutting steps. Turn 90* and start all the steps again. I hope this is making sense I have a bit of a headache and it has been a long day. I would also check the fit before I removed the part from the roto Table. Mark

- - - Updated - - -

Chuck wouldn'tyou lose1/2 the dia. of the end mill from the raised section of the part? Thus making the raised section smaller than the slot. I don't know as I stated in my first post. my mind is not working good right now. Mark

You offset with the mill table for the cutter you are using.