# Garrett Wide Range Attachment (AKA, Garrett Millerette) for Lathes.



## Eddyde (Nov 7, 2017)

This rare dividing attachment came along with the South Bend Lathe I just bought,I searched the internet and came up with not much information on it other than it is a milling/dividing attachment and was listed in the South Bend catalogs in the 1930's (I haven't checked other decades yet). It looks to be unused or barely used. The lathe is circa 1935 so I assume it's the same age... I was wondering if anyone else has ever seen or used one of these before and knows anything about it? I know an instruction book exists, though not readily available. However, the use seems pretty straightforward so it ultimately it may not be necessary... Any info would be appreciated.


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## 4GSR (Nov 7, 2017)

I've seen pictures of it as you have posted above.  Never seen one for sale or seen talked about that I know of.  
You are very fortunate to have one of the very few out there.  Don't let it go!  Be nice to get basic dimensions for it so someone could reproduce it in some from or fashion for their own use.  How about documentiong the loose gears in your last picture and post.
What a great find!  Thanks for sharing!


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## brino (Nov 7, 2017)

Wow, neat unit.
I've never heard of it....but thanks for posting.
-brino

EDIT: strange that the only hits on "Millerette" at lathes.co.uk site are on the LeBlond Regal pages:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/index.html
http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/page2.html


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## benmychree (Nov 7, 2017)

I had two of those, one with the dividing head and one with a vise; I got them from a local school that was selling off its machine shop; I had no use for them, so sold them on E Bay a good many years ago.  The fact that they have change gears much lessens dividing mistakes.


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## JonHolmes (Feb 28, 2018)

Eddyde said:


> This rare dividing attachment came along with the South Bend Lathe I just bought,I searched the internet and came up with not much information on it other than it is a milling/dividing attachment and was listed in the South Bend catalogs in the 1930's (I haven't checked other decades yet). It looks to be unused or barely used. The lathe is circa 1935 so I assume it's the same age... I was wondering if anyone else has ever seen or used one of these before and knows anything about it? I know an instruction book exists, though not readily available. However, the use seems pretty straightforward so it ultimately it may not be necessary... Any info would be appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Have you tracked down an instruction book? It seems hard to find where to download/purchase a copy. I am wanting to find out how to do the calculations to index some prime numbers beyond 50 (ie 53). The literature - Southbend and LeBlonde say "The index plate shows the proper gears to use for division from 2 to 360 and the number of turns required of the index lever". My index plate is the same as yours - all divisions up to 50, then (only) 360 division.


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## woodchucker (Feb 28, 2018)

did you notice the price on that, back in the 30s. Wow, that's a lot of money.
$195 in 1930 equals $2,794.89 in 2018.
$195 in 1933 equals $3,669.63 in 2018.
https://www.saving.org/inflation/inflation.php?amount=1&year=1930


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## Eddyde (Feb 28, 2018)

JonHolmes said:


> Have you tracked down an instruction book? It seems hard to find where to download/purchase a copy. I am wanting to find out how to do the calculations to index some prime numbers beyond 50 (ie 53). The literature - Southbend and LeBlonde say "The index plate shows the proper gears to use for division from 2 to 360 and the number of turns required of the index lever". My index plate is the same as yours - all divisions up to 50, then (only) 360 division.


Do you have the same device? if so, please post pictures.
Apparently there is a copy of the instruction book at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan. Unfortunately it isn't digitized, one must go there to view it. I suppose if you figure out the gear ratios, you could calculate all the possibilities? I haven't had much time to play with it, I figure I'll get to it when I need to use it...


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## JonHolmes (Feb 28, 2018)

Yes, I have the same device (minus a few pieces) - barely used. I will post photos in a few days. Some time ago I had extended the list of divisions, using the standard 24 gears - trying to get to 360. I got most of them up to 100 ( a few primes missing) and then gradually less and less on the way to 360. Most indexing and division tools work differently, so looking at how they divide to 53 equal divisions has been no help so far (I can get close - 52.94 divisions using 10 and 17 worm/handle gears, 1 turn)


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## Eddyde (Feb 28, 2018)

There is recent thread here about 3D printing gears, perhaps a gear(s) could be made with the needed ratios. I think they might work well, given they wouldn't be subject to much torque.


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## benmychree (Feb 28, 2018)

JonHolmes said:


> Yes, I have the same device (minus a few pieces) - barely used. I will post photos in a few days. Some time ago I had extended the list of divisions, using the standard 24 gears - trying to get to 360. I got most of them up to 100 ( a few primes missing) and then gradually less and less on the way to 360. Most indexing and division tools work differently, so looking at how they divide to 53 equal divisions has been no help so far (I can get close - 52.94 divisions using 10 and 17 worm/handle gears, 1 turn)


Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.


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## JonHolmes (Mar 1, 2018)

benmychree said:


> Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.


Depends on what you are doing. The accumulated error (53 times) is just over 1/2 a degree - but it accumulates into 1 position! I am looking for an exact method (without using a 53 tooth gear!). On a side note - a 53 tooth front chainwheel on a bicycle is common, so it would be a good starting point to make a 53 tooth gear


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## brino (Mar 1, 2018)

Eddyde said:


> Do you have the same device? if so, please post pictures.



Hi Eddy,
I saw one a while ago (end of Nov. 2017) at my local used tool place.
I only recognized it because of this thread, but I took a couple photos:





I kinda lost track of this thread and never got around to getting them off my phone, until the thread was updated.
Sorry, they had no manual.

-brino


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## benmychree (Mar 1, 2018)

JonHolmes said:


> Depends on what you are doing. The accumulated error (53 times) is just over 1/2 a degree - but it accumulates into 1 position! I am looking for an exact method (without using a 53 tooth gear!). On a side note - a 53 tooth front chainwheel on a bicycle is common, so it would be a good starting point to make a 53 tooth gear


On my B&S mill, this would be done by differential indexing; on the Cincinnati dividing head, a plate with a 53 hole circle is provided so that it could be divided by plain indexing.  Likely that is the answer to the current discussion; a 53 tooth change gear would likely be needed.


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## benmychree (Mar 1, 2018)

I note that the Millerette dividing head seems to be a 90:1 ratio, somewhat unusual , as the "normal" ratio is 40 :1; there was one with a 5:1 ratio for long spiral cutting, and some rotary tables are 90:1.  It would seem that this design was an effort to eliminate errors in indexing.


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## JonHolmes (Mar 1, 2018)

Eddy,
I have a few photos. I have the original dividing head - with an additional user made base (green) - the tailstock attachment, a holding device and all 24 gears (15T to 31T, and 35,37,41, 43, 47, 49 and 60 - 24DP) and a few user made taper adapters (the taper is like an "extended" 2mt - extend the large end, and remove off the small end). Also a small 3 jaw chuck has been adapted to fit - not in photos


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## JonHolmes (Mar 1, 2018)

benmychree said:


> I note that the Millerette dividing head seems to be a 90:1 ratio, somewhat unusual , as the "normal" ratio is 40 :1; there was one with a 5:1 ratio for long spiral cutting, and some rotary tables are 90:1.  It would seem that this design was an effort to eliminate errors in indexing.



Yes, 90:1. As well, the handle is intended to be turned in whole turns - no fractional turns are really possible. Again probably to reduce the risk of errors.


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## brino (Mar 1, 2018)

There are some 90:1 charts available in this thread:
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/looking-for-90-1-dividing-head-chart.35820/#post-304287

....and if anyone is in need of some odd-ball charts, let me know. I made a program to calculate out the number of turns and holes given the worm ratio. I could resurrect it if required. Just PM me.
-brino


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## Eddyde (Mar 1, 2018)

More Good News,
I wrote the Henry Ford Museum and they are going to scan and send me a copy of the instruction book! I'll post it when I receive it.


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## JonHolmes (Mar 2, 2018)

Eddyde said:


> More Good News,
> I wrote the Henry Ford Museum and they are going to scan and send me a copy of the instruction book! I'll post it when I receive it.


Well done!!


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## middle.road (Mar 2, 2018)

What a magnificent piece!
I however did get lost in the math about halfway through the discussion.
Back to the books for me. (sez the guy who can mess up on a RoTab...)


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## benmychree (Mar 2, 2018)

In a way, I can appreciate that the Cincinnati dividing head has high number plates with some prime numbers, such as 53 having been previously discussed; this lessens the necessity for differential indexing that is necessary with the B&S type of dividing head; it requires concentration and care to do normal indexing, but with differential indexing, having the dividing plate revolve at the same time that the worm crank is being turned makes it all the worse and increases the chance of mistakes being made; having said that, The B&S is the one that I own and use, and have needed to differential index many times, like for making prime number change gears, such as the 127 tooth for metric transposing.
The Cincinnati dividing head will divide 33 with the standard dividing plate, which is double sided (only one plate is supplied), and a high number plate, (optional at extra cost) will divide 127, both not requiring differential indexing.
I have a Cincinnati end gear train and change gears that are surplus to my needs if anyone has an interest in spiral cutting capability; it came off a #2 universal made in the late 1930s.


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## Eddyde (Mar 2, 2018)

Well the Henry Ford Museum sent me the scans of the booklet with an unbelievably fast turnaround! While it does give some more information on the Millerette's uses, it is more of a catalog than an instruction manual. Unfortunately no extended ratio charts...


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## Eddyde (Mar 2, 2018)

JonHolmes said:


> Eddy,
> I have a few photos. I have the original dividing head - with an additional user made base (green) - the tailstock attachment, a holding device and all 24 gears (15T to 31T, and 35,37,41, 43, 47, 49 and 60 - 24DP) and a few user made taper adapters (the taper is like an "extended" 2mt - extend the large end, and remove off the small end). Also a small 3 jaw chuck has been adapted to fit - not in photos


Thanks for posting, How long have you owned it, have you used it yet?


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## Eddyde (Mar 2, 2018)

brino said:


> Hi Eddy,
> I saw one a while ago (end of Nov. 2017) at my local used tool place.
> I only recognized it because of this thread, but I took a couple photos:
> 
> ...


Cool, that one looks like it has the vise attachment, which is even rarer!


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## benmychree (Mar 2, 2018)

I have a Mastermill lathe milling attachment, which consists of a motorized milling spindle that mounts on the lathe compound; it has external and internal grinding attachment spindles, a angle adaptor that could be used for thread milling, and a shaper attachment that would be used for keyseating, it also had a keyseating attachment kind of like a broach that would stroke back and forth while pressure was applied forcing it into the cut.  I got the whole kit at a local estate sale, including most all of its parts and adaptors and literature; these were later sold by DoAll under their name, mine is probably either WW-2 or the 1950s.   When I get time, I will do a posting of it.  It is all in as new condition, I have never used it, only bought it because it was there, along with so much stuff a person would have to see it to believe it; the guy was a college industrial arts teacher who regularly surveyed surplus in government storage; my friend and I who helped price items bought more than the rest of the sale combined!


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## benmychree (Mar 2, 2018)

The Millerette that I had was equipped with a good deal larger vise than the one shown.  In my earlier post, I forgot another feature of the MasterMill milling attachment; It came with a dividing head that was fastened into the rear end of the lathe spindle with an expanding bushing and anchored to the headstock casting with a torque arm so that the spindle could be indexed for such as gear cutting and keyway cutting.   The whole MasterMill design is about the direct opposite of the Millerette.


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