Category Archives: Aciera F1

Aciera F1, Techniques, Tools

Aligning the centring microscope

I had been having problems when trying to cut pinions, ending up with misshapen leaves as if the cutter was off centre. The centring scope had been used to centre the cutter each time so this was suspect number one. 

A quick search on the web for the maker of my scope, Aubert, revealed they were still in business. They even provide instructions for their current scopes on their website (http://www.marcel-aubert-sa.ch/produkte/anleitung/anl_pdf/anl_mik/m02_mik_111_118.pdf). 

Initial inspection of my scope failed to find the four adjustment screws, Continue reading Aligning the centring microscope →

Aciera F1

Spindle problems with the Aciera F1

The faff to get everything set up for wheel cutting seemed endless: even after fitting up the electronic indexing head to the spindle I made a W12 wax chuck, then machined a blank arbour to take the cutter and made a nut to clamp the cutter in place. I used a dial indicator to set the indexing spindle perpendicular to the cutter axis:

(null)

Then put the centring microscope in the indexing spindle in order to get the cutter dead centre:

(null)

It was at Continue reading Spindle problems with the Aciera F1 →

Aciera F1, Tools

Worm drive for wheel cutting on the Aciera F1

At last, more progress on the tool making. After breaking the cutting tool while making the hob for the worm wheel, I started looking around for off-the-shelf worm drives. A low backlash one came up on eBay for $100 including a stepper motor, so I jumped.

My original plan with the bought drive was to bore out the centre of the worm wheel so that it would fit on the spindle of the direct dividing head (or indexing head) of the Continue reading Worm drive for wheel cutting on the Aciera F1 →

Aciera F1, Machines

An Aciera F1

Leave a comment

The Aciera F1 is considered by some to be the perfect partner for the Schaublin 70 lathe in the watchmaker’s workshop. Rightly so in my opinion: it takes the same W12 collets as the Schaublin 70, has the same thread on the nose of the indexing spindle and can easily be set up for either precision vertical milling or wheel cutting.
IMG_4996.JPG

I have just got hold of a nice example of one, albeit in need of a clean. It came with Continue reading An Aciera F1 →