Thread: Lathe spindle fwd-rev lever - is up usually forward or reverse ?

Is there a standard (for Australia) which says which way the spindle control lever should operate?

Is it up for forward, so the chuck direction is opposite to the direction of the lever? That sounds a little "American", like their light switches, but seems to have the advantage that it's a just quick swipe down to knock the lathe back to neutral.

Or is it down for forward, so the chuck rotation follows follows the direction of movement of the control lever. So down for "on" like ANZ, UK, Euro light switches, if you think of forward as "on".

After poking around the various manuals online it seems there's no "right" way, but I'd expect that somewhere buried in the standards, there is a "right" way, so that any machine you walked up to would operate the same way.

My Chin Hung, down is forward, up is reverse..

Depends on how many gears are in the train between stud gear and screw gear, which can vary.

Jordan

Hi John,

I personally agree with your second comment, " down for forward, so the chuck rotation follows follows the direction of movement of the control lever".
Also if the control lever is vertical, then moving it to the right would run the chuck in the normal direction.

Though I can see the advantage of the American way, particularly for switches and the electrocution risks that they seem to have on that side of the pond.

Originally Posted by nadroj

Depends on how many gears are in the train between stud gear and screw gear, which can vary.

Jordan

WHAT?

Am not aware of a "standard" for shop machines but several lathes and mills I use seem to have the controls set so that rotation and feed direction follow the movement of the control lever. Earthmoving gear seems to follow the same rule, and it certainly makes operator training a whole lot easier. Don't see the need to make any machine more complex than it has to be.
Combustor.

On the 3 lathes at work with lever controls at work up is forward down is reverse. But on my VDF lathe at home down is forward and up is reverse.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

WHAT?

I think Jordon is referring to the tumble reverse. We are talking about the motor switch lever on the side of the saddle.

When i got he Antrac up was forwards, and i am used to it. The Holbrook was the other way around but i changed it so they are both the same.

Standards are usually only set up to regulate the quality of items or safeguard the public. Where would you stop with machine tools and their controls?

My lathe is set up with up=forward. The machine is a little lower than ideal and it's easier to pull the lever up rather than push it away. At work it is set up the other way. It should not matter provided it does not cause confusion for operators (that is, they don't select reverse when they want forward). Turning on a lathe should be a conscious effort too, so thinking which way to move a lever is not necessarily bad.

Michael

This came up on US forum several years ago and it was about 50/50 which way was foward from memory, with no standard.
Mine is up for foward.

It is sideways on the 10EE...

Originally Posted by .RC.

It is sideways on the 10EE...

Yes, I remember in Switzerland, many lathes had a knee yoke. Sliding the yoke left was reverse, middle off, right forward. Very handy. Or was it the other way around? Too long ago to remember. But it was always clearly labelled with arrows and large writings.

No, there definitely never was a standard. There are too many different switch layouts, too many locations where the switch may be placed. On a vertical shaft switch, the lever/handle may point forwards or backwards.... On a horizontal shaft switch, the lever may point up or down. Then some lathes have pushbuttons. Impossible to design a standard.

Also consider a 3-pase lathe. When the electrician hooks up the power, there is a 50/50 chance that he crosses two phases and the lathe runs in reverse with the switch on forward. And if the writing on the switch for what is supposed to be fwd or rev came off or became illegible, who would ever bother. Nowdays a larger/better lathe may well be fitted with a phase relay, that prevents it from being used if the electrician did hook up two phases crossed (but with modern lathes fitted with VFD, this would only matter for pumps and the like and not affect spindle rotation direction).

Anyone remember which way the Colchesters in the TAFE's were wired ?

If so I'll make that my standard

I think it's sensible to have all machines in a workshop the same

I occasionally run my drill press backwards, the Clipsal rotary switch is FWD-O-REV, so anticlockwise for forward, seems illogical to me, but that's the way Clipsal made it, although maybe there's also a REV-O-FWD switch in their catalogue.

My little Schaublin lathe has a rotary switch with clockwise = Forward, seems perfectly logical, runs the right way without any thought required...... but then who says that's the way the factory intended it

Originally Posted by johntopp

Anyone remember which way the Colchesters in the TAFE's were wired

My Colchester Triumph 2000 has Down (and a little right) for forward and Up as reverse. Lever in direction of rotation.

This is the only lathe I have with spindle control on the saddle so nothing to compare it with but no confusion either.

Mine is up for forward, I prefer clockwise for forward in general, somehow it feels more natural?

On a related matter, does anyone know if there has ever been a lathe with the spindle on the right, and tailstock on the left... as seen by the operator that is... ( not standing behind the lathe! ) if not why not.

Ray