Derek,I appreciate your enjoyment of the work,and hope such that I am able to offer to the forum may inspire others to make tools also. The ones you make should be your favorites once you are able to make good ones.
I made the frame from one piece of bronze. Every thing is one piece,gears and all. At the time I had a 10" Jet bench lathe to do the turnings. Ornamental mouldings like around the large gear were done with freehand held turning tools.
The steel parts are all 01 drill rod. The small bevel gear,though it can't be seen too well,has the chuck's shaft running up through it,with a 60 degree female center drilled cavity on it's upper end. This meets a 60 degree pointed 1/2" shaft that mates into it. The shafts are both very hardened. This serves as the primary thrust bearing for the chuck. Such pressure as is applied in drilling is nowhere near enough to wear this thrust bearing.
The crank handle swivels upon its tool steel shaft. Where this shaft goes through the serpentine handle,thereis a round,hardened steel jam nut with 2 flat spots upon it to tighten the handle's shaft against.
I need to get around to recessing the 2 filister head screws that bear against the main shaft just before it enters the handle. At the time,I liked their looks the way they are,but have thought since that this feature is poor practice.
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