RE: Re: Engraving and engine turning

Ian,

The way Turner used a "Tensator" spring was to fix the outer end of the
spring to the quill and the spindle fixed to the centre of the coil to the
underside of the quill housing with a suitable bracket which allowed the
spindle to be rotated and locked to set the preload. As the quill is lowered
the spring is wound up. If you used this with a feedscrew it would give you
the necessary preload of the nut against the thread to eliminate the
backlash. I'm considering using this idea to eliminate the backlash in a
Stent cutter grinder I'm finishing off at the moment.

Pete Jarman
North of Bedford, England