> Ahh!  A post!
>
> Folks, I'm drooling for posts and haven't seen much activity here lately.
> Is everyone on vacation?
>
> Hi Larry!  Man, I've sure had days like yours.  In fact, my Sunday wasn't
> that great.  I bought a couple of pen blanks and wanted to try my hand at
> turning a pen on the mini lathe (is there anybody else out there doing
> woodworking on it too?).  I literally spent an entire DAY making one pen,
> and it's not perfect.  Everytime I'd get down to the last few passes, I'd
> split the wood, no matter how hard I tried not to!  I was turning purple
> heart for what that's worth.
>
> I'm going to get a pen mandrel.  I was using a home made I made out of
plain
> old threaded rod.  It didn't work as well as I had hoped, but I had to do
> something to get the pen away from those monster chuck teeth!  I did pull
it
> off, though.  What's nicest about using the mini lathe for turning things
> like these pens is the carriage!  I think it's a better pen lathe than
> regular wood lathes because of it.  It's very easy to make a perfectly
> straight cut.  I love this thing!  I'm very eager to try my hand at some
> metal working but need to purchase some tool bits first, and I want do do
> the milling modification (drill press vice, etc.).
>
> Now, a question:  while turning that wood into chips yesterday, I blew my
> SECOND fuse.  Accidentally hit the switch too fast and flipped it into
> reverse, which instantly blew the fuse.  The fuse is very small.  Does
> anybody know where I can get another one?  Is there a "Fuses R Us"
> somewhere?  I went to an auto parts store thinking I'd find one there, but
> this one is smaller than most auto fuses.  Walmart didn't help either.
> Right now I have the old fuse rigged, but don't want to use it because I'm
> afraid it won't short quick enough and will hurt the motor.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Mike
> Dallas
I just bought a pack of 4 fuses from Radio Shack Cat. #270-1065 3.15-amp
slow-blow fuses.

Ray


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Hi Mike,
I haven't looked around there lately, but Radio Shack used to carry a wide
line of small fuses.
Ron Carroll
Nokesville, Virginia USA
maytagtwin@...

In a message dated 3/22/99 8:01:58 PM Eastern Standard Time,
mike@... writes:

<<   Is there a "Fuses R Us"
  somewhere?  I went to an auto parts store thinking I'd find one there, but
  this one is smaller than most auto fuses.  Walmart didn't help either.
  Right now I have the old fuse rigged, but don't want to use it because I'm
  afraid it won't short quick enough and will hurt the motor.

  Thanks!

  Mike
  Dallas
   >>

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Ahh!  A post!

Folks, I'm drooling for posts and haven't seen much activity here lately.
Is everyone on vacation?

Hi Larry!  Man, I've sure had days like yours.  In fact, my Sunday wasn't
that great.  I bought a couple of pen blanks and wanted to try my hand at
turning a pen on the mini lathe (is there anybody else out there doing
woodworking on it too?).  I literally spent an entire DAY making one pen,
and it's not perfect.  Everytime I'd get down to the last few passes, I'd
split the wood, no matter how hard I tried not to!  I was turning purple
heart for what that's worth.

I'm going to get a pen mandrel.  I was using a home made I made out of plain
old threaded rod.  It didn't work as well as I had hoped, but I had to do
something to get the pen away from those monster chuck teeth!  I did pull it
off, though.  What's nicest about using the mini lathe for turning things
like these pens is the carriage!  I think it's a better pen lathe than
regular wood lathes because of it.  It's very easy to make a perfectly
straight cut.  I love this thing!  I'm very eager to try my hand at some
metal working but need to purchase some tool bits first, and I want do do
the milling modification (drill press vice, etc.).

Now, a question:  while turning that wood into chips yesterday, I blew my
SECOND fuse.  Accidentally hit the switch too fast and flipped it into
reverse, which instantly blew the fuse.  The fuse is very small.  Does
anybody know where I can get another one?  Is there a "Fuses R Us"
somewhere?  I went to an auto parts store thinking I'd find one there, but
this one is smaller than most auto fuses.  Walmart didn't help either.
Right now I have the old fuse rigged, but don't want to use it because I'm
afraid it won't short quick enough and will hurt the motor.

Thanks!

Mike
Dallas

-----Original Message-----
To: 7x10minilathe@egroups.com <7x10minilathe@egroups.com>
Date: Monday, March 22, 1999 2:02 PM
Subject: [7x10minilathe] King MIdas Day


>Hello All,
>
>     Saturday was a real King Midas day, only everthing I touched
>turned to somthing much less valuable than gold.  Broke a bit, broke
>the handle off the tool post nut, droped the DTI, etc. etc.  I finally
>wised up and left the shop after making a new handle for the nut from
>an old knurled round ratchet handle that I have been using for a drift
>pin for yearss.  It cleaned up nicely and looks much better than the old
>one.
>      Sunday was a much better day in the shop.  I actually worked on a
>project rather than letting the lathe be the project.  I managed to use
>the band saw, the drill press, the lathe, and the mig welder without
>breaking anything or generating scrap bin filler.  The project involved
>a spindle which was stepd down to fit a bushing, groved for e-clips, end
>drilled and taped, cross drilled and faced, so the litlle lathe did play
>a large part and perfored very well.  I left the shop quite satisfied
>with the results this time.
>
>       Sometimes it pays to take a break from tool improvement, and
>actually turn out some work.
>
>Larry Moore
>Texas
>
>
>
>
>
>Larry
>Texas
>
>
>
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Hello All,

      Saturday was a real King Midas day, only everthing I touched
turned to somthing much less valuable than gold.  Broke a bit, broke
the handle off the tool post nut, droped the DTI, etc. etc.  I finally
wised up and left the shop after making a new handle for the nut from
an old knurled round ratchet handle that I have been using for a drift
pin for yearss.  It cleaned up nicely and looks much better than the old
one.
       Sunday was a much better day in the shop.  I actually worked on a
project rather than letting the lathe be the project.  I managed to use
the band saw, the drill press, the lathe, and the mig welder without
breaking anything or generating scrap bin filler.  The project involved
a spindle which was stepd down to fit a bushing, groved for e-clips, end
drilled and taped, cross drilled and faced, so the litlle lathe did play
a large part and perfored very well.  I left the shop quite satisfied
with the results this time.

        Sometimes it pays to take a break from tool improvement, and
actually turn out some work.

Larry Moore
Texas





Larry
Texas



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Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/7x10minilathe/?start=277
> Where can I get a copy of Jose's tape? Sounds like somrthing I need to
have.Thanks
>
Hi there,

You can go to  http://www.pioneer.net/~felice/taig.html

go to my video tape section and there you will find all the tittles
presently available. There a brand new one on the milling machine that is not
p[osted on the web pages as of yet. If you would like the Basic MInilathe video,
it is 4 hours long and you can order directly through me. The video is $38 plus
$3 for 1st class priority S/H.

YOu can send the order with check or MO to:

Jose F. Rodriguez
3715 Nimitz Road
Kensington, MD. 20895-1717

Include a note stating what video(s) you would like. I ship the next working day
upon receipt of an order.

                                  Thanks

                                  JOSE




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Where can I get a copy of Jose's tape? Sounds like somrthing I need to
have.Thanks

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I found that the protractor adjustment has several
positions even when placed at "zero". That is, it
can be at the middle, left side, right side of the
thin vertical zero mark, etc, and it makes a big difference.

And that to turn a constant diameter
you need to square up the adjustment with a machinist's
square before you start turning.

Mike
Winchester, VA

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First, a word of thanks to the list here.  So far:

1) Someone pointed out that some of the lathes need a 5/16 inch tool rather
    than the 3/8 inch tools mentioned in HF's description.  So before I mail
    ordered anything I picked up some 5/16 and 3/8 bar stock to see which
    lined up right.  Sure enough - 5/16 was spot on.

2) I ordered a chuck and appropriate arbor (along with a set of 5/16 inch
    tools) from grizzley.  The arbor is back-ordered :-(, but everything
    else showed up today - the cutters work much better than a piece of
    square bar stock!

Like some others, I'm not a metalworker, and expect most of my "work" with
the lathe to be on wood, plastic, foam, and assorted other weird materials.

So how many versions of this lathe ARE there anyway?  Seems like there are
several head chuck mounts, and at least two tool holders...

Thanks
Bill W

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Actually you should only engage it when cutting threads. No need to wear it
when it isn't needed. I keep mine disengaged at all times unless actually
cutting threads.

Garry

Garry

Send reply to:   7x10minilathe@egroups.com
From:            sbailey@...
To:              7x10minilathe@egroups.com
Date sent:       Thu, 18 Mar 1999 18:46:42 -0000
Subject:         [7x10minilathe] Re: Dumb question

> That thing labeled 16T is what is called a thread indicator I believe.  It is
used to engage the lead screw at the proper point when cutting threads,  and
should be engaging the threads on the lead screw at all times.  I had the same
problem with mine when I first received my lath.  All you
need to do is loosen the screw on the side so the thread indicator will rotate,
then rotate the indicator so the gear on the bottom engages the lead screw, then
retighten the mounting screw.  It should now work as advertised.  The 16T refers
to 16 TPI which is the TPI of the lead screw.
>
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>JT means Jacobs Taper and it applies to arbors that attach to a Jabobs
drill chuck.

Ahh.  Okay.  Thanks.  One less mystery.  Only 1309847102 more to go...

>Mike, if you want to turn wood on the minilathe, buy a #3 MT spur driver,
>remove the three jaw and insert the center into the spindle bore and mount
>your work piece as you would do on a wood lathe, supporting it with the
tail stock center.

Grizzly has some of those too.  #13.95.  Not too bad I guess...

What about their drill chuck arbors?  I guess that'll go in the spindle bore
too?  I'm under the impression that I need a M.T. #2 J.T. #6 arbor.  Could
you verify this?

Thank you, sir.


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Ahh.  Thanks.  I did loosen a nut and move it, but it didn't seem to touch
the main threaded bar that I think it's supposed to be in contact with.
This, I guess is the lead screw.  I'm still learning the terminology, so
bare with me.  :)

I'm ordering Jose's video.  Enough ignorance for me...

-----Original Message-----
From: pidjones@... <pidjones@...>
To: 7x10minilathe@egroups.com <7x10minilathe@egroups.com>
Date: Thursday, March 18, 1999 1:30 PM
Subject: [7x10minilathe] Re: Dumb question


> <002601be7161$4aee2500$24da020-@...> wrote:
>Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/7x10minilathe/?start=265
>> I'm with this other Mike.  If you're talking about the thing that on my
>> lathe is labeled 16T, it doesn't appear to be attached to anything.  I
sat
>> there for three hours just spinning it freely, but lost interest in that
>> activity (just kidding).  Seriously, I see gears on it, but they don't
>> actually touch anything whether the auto feed is engaged or not!
>>
>You are playing with the threading dial (stop that! you'll go blind!). It
is
>used to tell you when to engage the carriage feed when threading. It has to
be
>adjusted to engage the lead screw, then it will turn with it to show the
sync
>between the carriage and lead screw. It does not have to be engaged when
not
>threading, and reduces carriage travel. I like to use it to tell me when I
can
>smoothly engage without jamming the half nuts.
>
>Regards,
>
>Nathan Jones
>
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Everyone may be way ahead of me on this but I thought I would share my
experience in case someone could benefit.  I didn't like the idea of buying a #2
morse taper then cutting it into pieces so it would fit the tailstock, so I
decided to cut my own.  First, I mounted the #2 arbor between centers.  Both
ends are center drilled when manufactured, and I used these with my centers.  I
first tried setting the edge of the top slide parallel with the taper.  I think
this could work but it looks like my edge likes about .005 being parallel with
the movement of the top slide or my eye is crooked.  It still produces a morse
taper that would work but I felt there wasn't as much contact as there should
be.  I then used a .5" square steel about 5 inches long, squared off the end,
drilled and tapped a hole on this end, and mounted my indicator with the lug
positioned so that the indicator is perpendicular to the length of the steel. 
This was mounted in the  tool holder.  The screws used to adjust the angle of
the top slide were adjusted so that the top slide could be moved with a little
force.  After setting the indicator so that it was hitting the highest point on
the taper I then began running the top slide back and forth, making adjustments
each time until there was no change in measurement from one end of the taper to
the other.  Then just tighten the top slide adjustment screws.  This produced a
much better fitting taper then my first attempt.  The taper measures .7" at the
mouth of the sleeve.  Be careful as you get to the final cuts.  It doesn't take
much to go to far with the shallow taper.  I used 1" rod for mine which results
in a lot of metal shavings.  3/4" would be better.  I used my first #2 for a
1/2X20 Jacobs chuck I needed on my tailstock.  There is no detectable runout in
the arbor.  As long as the chuck jaws are true I should be in good shape.  The
only arbor I could find for this chuck was about $45.  This one cost about
$0.50.

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<002601be7161$4aee2500$24da020-@...> wrote:
Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/7x10minilathe/?start=265
> I'm with this other Mike.  If you're talking about the thing that on my
> lathe is labeled 16T, it doesn't appear to be attached to anything.  I sat
> there for three hours just spinning it freely, but lost interest in that
> activity (just kidding).  Seriously, I see gears on it, but they don't
> actually touch anything whether the auto feed is engaged or not!
>
You are playing with the threading dial (stop that! you'll go blind!). It is
used to tell you when to engage the carriage feed when threading. It has to be
adjusted to engage the lead screw, then it will turn with it to show the sync
between the carriage and lead screw. It does not have to be engaged when not
threading, and reduces carriage travel. I like to use it to tell me when I can
smoothly engage without jamming the half nuts.

Regards,

Nathan Jones

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That thing labeled 16T is what is called a thread indicator I believe.  It is
used to engage the lead screw at the proper point when cutting threads,  and
should be engaging the threads on the lead screw at all times.  I had the same
problem with mine when I first received my lath.  All you need to do is loosen
the screw on the side so the thread indicator will rotate, then rotate the
indicator so the gear on the bottom engages the lead screw, then retighten the
mounting screw.  It should now work as advertised.  The 16T refers to 16 TPI
which is the TPI of the lead screw.

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<004b01be70b3$1f3f6da0$24da020-@...> wrote:
Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/7x10minilathe/?start=261
> Hey everybody!  I just signed up for this mail feed, thought I'd...
>
>    give it a spin!
>                  ^---- (ingenious, witty pun)...
>
> I'm Mike and I live in Dallas where we wrestle cows and ride horses to work
> (NOT).
>
> I just purchased the HF mini lathe this weekend and have been tinkering
> around with it.  I'm a software developer who likes to do woodworking, and
> anybody who has any of today's woodworking tools knows you find yourself
> tinkering with the tools almost as much as you do working with wood.  I got
> this lathe so I could make gadgets for my tools, and because I know nothing
> about metal working and thought it'd be interesting to learn a little.  I
> chose the HF lathe over the Taig (apparently, the only two choices in my
> price range) because I like IRON.  While I find some of Harbor Freight's
> tools disgustingly cheap, this mini lathe is remarkably well made.  I got
> mine for the $369 sale price.
>
> Again, I know nothing about metal working.  I don't suspect I'll be working
> with much more than aluminum and brass.  I'm also going to use my lathe for
> wood turning.  I've experimented with that and had great results with square
> stock in a 3-jaw chuck, so I'm hopeful...  Anyway, one of my primary
> interests is in the ability to do light milling.  I want to mill a key for
> my Jet bandsaw out of some phenolic (HARD heavy plastic) to try to reduce
> the play and poor design of the guide post.  The key is little more than a
> cylindrical dowel with a V head that fits into the guide post's v-groove.
> However, I soon realized that I don't have a way to mill something because I
> don't have a way to adjust the height.  Duh.  I recently visited Varmint
> Al's home page (which is how I heard about this list) and see he did a great
> job making a milling table out of cheap stock.  I think I'll have some fun
> with this group because it looks like you're all a bunch of tinkerers, like
> me!  Again, I know nothing about metal working (outside what little I
> remember from 9th grade metal shop), and to prove it, the first night I got
> the lathe I put a nice dent in one of my slides when the teeth on the chuck
> hit the table (too eager to get started).  I had to file the divot down a
> little so it didn't affect the slides any, but it's like a scratch on a new
> car!
>
> I've spoken with Jose Rodriguez, the video pusher, and may buy one of his
> videos.  I'm not rich, and after looking at Varmint Al's page I'm thinking I
> need to be!  He has a whole bunch of goodies for his and I just don't have
> those kind of bucks to invest in it right away.
>
> So.  Here are a few questions for the group.  In the few emails I've gotten
> from the list so far, I caught the tail end of where you can get a 4-jaw
> chuck that'll fit this lathe right out of the box.  Fortunately, mine is the
> 6-screw type, which appears to be significant.  Where do you get it and how
> much does it cost, and is there anything you can do with a 3-jaw chuck that
> you can't do with a 4-jaw chuck?  I'm wondering if I can sell the chuck that
> came with it to recoup the cost of a 4-jaw chuck.  I need the 4-jaw variety
> though for woodworking (obviously square stock).

You need a three jaw to hold hexagonal stock but yes, there is a lot you can't
do with a four jaw chuck.
>
> About bits and mills and end mills and front mills and upside-down
> mills...and knives!  For someone like me who's just tinkering with softer
> metals, where's a good resource for those square chisels or whatever they're
> called?  To experiment this weekend, I actually took a flat head screw
> driver, buzzed off a length of about 3 inches, and sharpened the tip.  I
> turned a pretty nice carving hammer out of osage orange with that "bit",
> much to my surprise.  Of course, I cheated and finished it with sandpaper.
> Anyway, do I want carbide?  HSS?  Elcheapo metal?  And what would be a good
> VERY basic set of end mills so I can mill my key for my bandsaw?
>
> I've been looking through the grizzly woodworking catalog, and see that on
> page 33 they have some lathe accessories.  They have a 4-jaw chuck that I'm
> guessing won't fit.  They also have a key-type Jacob's-style chuck and sell
> arbors separately.  I'm thinking the chuck that'll go 1/16" to 1/2" would be
> good for my uses, and the M.T. #2 J.T. #6 chuck arbors to go with it.  I
> gather this is what I need from what I read on Varmint Al's page.  Please
> tell me if I'm right or wrong about this choice.  All said, the chuck and
> arbor combination will run me right at $25, which sounds like a good price.
> They also have spur centers for wood lathes, but only list M.T. #1 through
M.T. #3 (no mention of J.T., whatever that means).

JT means Jacobs Taper and it applies to arbors that attach to a Jabobs drill
chuck.

Mike, if you want to turn wood on the minilathe, buy a #3 MT spur driver, remove
the three jaw and insert the center into the spindle bore and mount your work
piece as you would do on a wood lathe, supporting it with the tail stock center.
  I'm
> under the assumption that it is necessary to do milling -- Varmint Al says a
> chuck is a "must have" and I'm about to place an order with Grizzly
> anyway...
>
> Are there any other woodworkers out on this list who have turned wood on
> this lathe?
>
> Sorry for the long intro message.  I've been looking at small lathes for a
> long time and finally got this one, and I'm EAGER to get started with
> tinkering with it!  Again, I'm really impressed with the overall quality of
> this lathe.  I would have rather had metal gears, and a metal motor cover,
> but beyond that, it looks as good as its bigger brothers that cost
> THOUSANDS.
>
> Oh, and I just got a Harbor Freight circular today and they've got their 16"
> floor model drill press on sale for $169.  I've seen some discussion about
> their smaller drill presses.  This is a floor model and as I'm lucky enough
> to have a HF in Dallas, I've seen them first hand.  I got a Jet anniversary
> edition 17" drill press for my birthday about 2 months ago and if I had to
> do it over again I would have gotten the HF one.  The jet is really TOO big,
> and at a price of $169, the HF is a steal.  I've talked with woodworkers
> who've purchased the HF floor drill presses and never had problems -- heck,
> my expensive Jet shipped with a bad motor (high vibration) and I'm still
> waiting on the replacement!  And, FWIW, the HF drill press is made in
> Taiwan, not China.  Taiwan is generally where the better tools are made.
> Jet, Grizzly, and some of Delta's tools come from there.
>
> Thanks everybody!
>
> Mike Welch
>
>

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Hi Jim!  Thanks for writing back.  I've been going through the archives and
it appears the activity here has dwindled a little over the last few months.
Hopefully it'll pick up again.

>Just came home from the Sportmans show in Cleveland, Ohio and
>there it was my stuff from J&L. The chuck measures the same
>as the three jaw as some have said on the group. I think it
>was Ken with out going back over the threads.  They supply
>four 6m x16m socket head cap screws that I can't use. I,ll
>have to go tomorrow and find some 6mx35m set screws and put
>them in the holes in the chuck and I guess I'm in business.

Bummer.  Finding metric screws isn't any fun.  True Value is about the only
place I can find a fairly good selection.  Home Depot and Lowes are
generally useless.  I guess you could always MAKE YOUR OWN (smile).

>Hello to Mike from Texas and Mike don,t sell the three jaw
>keep it and get a four jaw all so. You will need it as time
>goes by. The chuck is listed on page 1652B of J&L catalog

I was hoping the new chuck would be thinner than the old one, maybe a
slightly more conservative profile.

I've been watching ebay lately for gadgets for my lathe, but most things are
either too big or I'm unsure if they could be usable.  I was hoping to find
a good combo slide for milling.  I guess I'll get the same one you got if
nothing else.  I'd prefer to get a tool rest with height adjustment, or
modify something with that capability to fit.

Before getting this lathe I was really drooling over the Unimat lathes I see
on ebay -- NOT THE NEW ONES -- they look pretty cheap.  The older ones that
aren't made anymore that are green in color.  I think they were cast iron
and there were a lot of gizmos available for it.  Well, after having used my
new lathe, the Unimats don't impress me!

Mike


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I'm with this other Mike.  If you're talking about the thing that on my
lathe is labeled 16T, it doesn't appear to be attached to anything.  I sat
there for three hours just spinning it freely, but lost interest in that
activity (just kidding).  Seriously, I see gears on it, but they don't
actually touch anything whether the auto feed is engaged or not!

>> But WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MOVABLE DEGREE WHEEL PROTRACTOR THING on
the
>> 7x10????? Right under the tool holder. I can't see anything it can do
that just
>> clamping a tool at an odd angle wouldn't do, why go through all the
trouble
>> of making that thing?
>>
>> There, I asked. Confine gurgles to an area 90 degrees to the right of the
computer.
>>
>> Mike
>> K4QET
>>
>Most useful thing to do with the protractor that I have found so far is to
turn a taper.  Just set the protractor for the degree of taper you need and
then use the hand-wheel on the top slide to feed the tool into the work.



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Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/7x10minilathe/?start=253
> Well.
>
> This IS the place for dumb questions, right?
>
> I got and viewed Jose's excellent intro tape, I read "The Home Machinist"
book.
> I've made a little oilite coupling with two different diameters and a hole
drilled through it to match my telescope to my tripod. It's a little loose but
> could be worse.
>
> But WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MOVABLE DEGREE WHEEL PROTRACTOR THING on the
> 7x10????? Right under the tool holder. I can't see anything it can do that
just
> clamping a tool at an odd angle wouldn't do, why go through all the trouble
> of making that thing?
>
> There, I asked. Confine gurgles to an area 90 degrees to the right of the
computer.
>
> Mike
> K4QET
>
Most useful thing to do with the protractor that I have found so far is to turn
a taper.  Just set the protractor for the degree of taper you need and then use
the hand-wheel on the top slide to feed the tool into the work.
Keep her turning!
Toby

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This is an old post, but maybe someone can answer this for me.  Why does it
matter?  Are they balanced together or something?  If so, how does this affect
properly mounting a new chuck?

Thanks

> >Before you remove the 3-Jaw chuck,
> >be sure and put an index mark on the spindle and chuck so you can get it
> >back on just as it came off...
>
> Yup that is important!
>
> Take care,
> Ron
>

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Hey everybody!  I just signed up for this mail feed, thought I'd...

    give it a spin!
                  ^---- (ingenious, witty pun)...

I'm Mike and I live in Dallas where we wrestle cows and ride horses to work
(NOT).

I just purchased the HF mini lathe this weekend and have been tinkering
around with it.  I'm a software developer who likes to do woodworking, and
anybody who has any of today's woodworking tools knows you find yourself
tinkering with the tools almost as much as you do working with wood.  I got
this lathe so I could make gadgets for my tools, and because I know nothing
about metal working and thought it'd be interesting to learn a little.  I
chose the HF lathe over the Taig (apparently, the only two choices in my
price range) because I like IRON.  While I find some of Harbor Freight's
tools disgustingly cheap, this mini lathe is remarkably well made.  I got
mine for the $369 sale price.

Again, I know nothing about metal working.  I don't suspect I'll be working
with much more than aluminum and brass.  I'm also going to use my lathe for
wood turning.  I've experimented with that and had great results with square
stock in a 3-jaw chuck, so I'm hopeful...  Anyway, one of my primary
interests is in the ability to do light milling.  I want to mill a key for
my Jet bandsaw out of some phenolic (HARD heavy plastic) to try to reduce
the play and poor design of the guide post.  The key is little more than a
cylindrical dowel with a V head that fits into the guide post's v-groove.
However, I soon realized that I don't have a way to mill something because I
don't have a way to adjust the height.  Duh.  I recently visited Varmint
Al's home page (which is how I heard about this list) and see he did a great
job making a milling table out of cheap stock.  I think I'll have some fun
with this group because it looks like you're all a bunch of tinkerers, like
me!  Again, I know nothing about metal working (outside what little I
remember from 9th grade metal shop), and to prove it, the first night I got
the lathe I put a nice dent in one of my slides when the teeth on the chuck
hit the table (too eager to get started).  I had to file the divot down a
little so it didn't affect the slides any, but it's like a scratch on a new
car!

I've spoken with Jose Rodriguez, the video pusher, and may buy one of his
videos.  I'm not rich, and after looking at Varmint Al's page I'm thinking I
need to be!  He has a whole bunch of goodies for his and I just don't have
those kind of bucks to invest in it right away.

So.  Here are a few questions for the group.  In the few emails I've gotten
from the list so far, I caught the tail end of where you can get a 4-jaw
chuck that'll fit this lathe right out of the box.  Fortunately, mine is the
6-screw type, which appears to be significant.  Where do you get it and how
much does it cost, and is there anything you can do with a 3-jaw chuck that
you can't do with a 4-jaw chuck?  I'm wondering if I can sell the chuck that
came with it to recoup the cost of a 4-jaw chuck.  I need the 4-jaw variety
though for woodworking (obviously square stock).

About bits and mills and end mills and front mills and upside-down
mills...and knives!  For someone like me who's just tinkering with softer
metals, where's a good resource for those square chisels or whatever they're
called?  To experiment this weekend, I actually took a flat head screw
driver, buzzed off a length of about 3 inches, and sharpened the tip.  I
turned a pretty nice carving hammer out of osage orange with that "bit",
much to my surprise.  Of course, I cheated and finished it with sandpaper.
Anyway, do I want carbide?  HSS?  Elcheapo metal?  And what would be a good
VERY basic set of end mills so I can mill my key for my bandsaw?

I've been looking through the grizzly woodworking catalog, and see that on
page 33 they have some lathe accessories.  They have a 4-jaw chuck that I'm
guessing won't fit.  They also have a key-type Jacob's-style chuck and sell
arbors separately.  I'm thinking the chuck that'll go 1/16" to 1/2" would be
good for my uses, and the M.T. #2 J.T. #6 chuck arbors to go with it.  I
gather this is what I need from what I read on Varmint Al's page.  Please
tell me if I'm right or wrong about this choice.  All said, the chuck and
arbor combination will run me right at $25, which sounds like a good price.
They also have spur centers for wood lathes, but only list M.T. #1 through
M.T. #3 (no mention of J.T., whatever that means).  Will this fit?  I'm
under the assumption that it is necessary to do milling -- Varmint Al says a
chuck is a "must have" and I'm about to place an order with Grizzly
anyway...

Are there any other woodworkers out on this list who have turned wood on
this lathe?

Sorry for the long intro message.  I've been looking at small lathes for a
long time and finally got this one, and I'm EAGER to get started with
tinkering with it!  Again, I'm really impressed with the overall quality of
this lathe.  I would have rather had metal gears, and a metal motor cover,
but beyond that, it looks as good as its bigger brothers that cost
THOUSANDS.

Oh, and I just got a Harbor Freight circular today and they've got their 16"
floor model drill press on sale for $169.  I've seen some discussion about
their smaller drill presses.  This is a floor model and as I'm lucky enough
to have a HF in Dallas, I've seen them first hand.  I got a Jet anniversary
edition 17" drill press for my birthday about 2 months ago and if I had to
do it over again I would have gotten the HF one.  The jet is really TOO big,
and at a price of $169, the HF is a steal.  I've talked with woodworkers
who've purchased the HF floor drill presses and never had problems -- heck,
my expensive Jet shipped with a bad motor (high vibration) and I'm still
waiting on the replacement!  And, FWIW, the HF drill press is made in
Taiwan, not China.  Taiwan is generally where the better tools are made.
Jet, Grizzly, and some of Delta's tools come from there.

Thanks everybody!

Mike Welch


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Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/7x10minilathe/?start=255
> Does anyone have any problem with excessive backlash on the cross slide? 
Maybe a better question would be has anyone been able to do anything about it? 
I think my problem is the bronze nut under the slide.  I can tighten the screws
holding it so that it is tight against the slide and it seems to eliminate some
of the backlash, but then the crank is hard to turn.  Adjust the tension on the
nut so the crank turns freely and I have .025" of play.  I have adjusted the
gibs to eliminate side movement of the slide and the slide still move freely. 
This isn't a real big problem with turning, but I don't think it is going to
work with the milling attachment I am currently working on.
>  I too have had to adjust this,and while I did not eliminate all the play,I
helped it alot.Take the top slide off and flip it over,if you look at how the
screws fit into the brass nut,there is an allen screw on each end,and a set
screw in the middle.Play with the allen screws to get them to set the nut to the
same angle of the crossfeed screw,and tighten the center set screw.you may have 
to reset the allen screws up a little to make up for tightening the set screw,it
takes a little fiddling,but it is well worth it.the set screw in to center
should be tightened last,it tensions the allen screws to take the play out,but
the allen screws must be adjusted to the proper height fot the cross feed
screw.Good luck,
Craig

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I had a problem with the cross slide backlash also but mine would bind up if you
tightened the two small screws on top of the cross slide that hold the leadscrew
nut in place. (I don't think they were ever tightened) Countermeasure...I placed
a shim between the nut and bottom side of the cross slide. This allowed me to
tighten the two small screws and not bind up. After that I adjusted the gib
screws for a nice feel and it's been working great ever since.

Tom WD9GON
Lexington,Ky.

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Hello all,

      Almost all machines have backlash. The only acception that I know of is
machines with ball screws, which are very expensive. I run a 18" Axleson at work
that was built in 1943 it has about .050 backlash in the crosslide. Some
machines let you adjust the backlash but you can't get rid of all of it. You
just have to learn how to work around it.
      Backlash is also present in mills. Thats why you conventional mill instead
of climb milling. Conventional milling is when you let the cutter "push" the
chips away from it. Climb milling is when you let the cutter "Pull" the chips
into it. This usually results in broken cutters and damaged work piece.
      I hope this helps a little bit.

                    Keep the chips flying, Wesley Pilley

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Original Article: http://www.egroups.com/list/7x10minilathe/?start=255
> Does anyone have any problem with excessive backlash on the cross slide? 
Maybe a better question would be has anyone been able to do anything about it? 
I think my problem is the bronze nut under the slide.  I can tighten the screws
holding it so that it is tight against the slide and it seems to eliminate some
of the backlash, but then the crank is hard to turn.  Adjust the tension on the
nut so the crank turns freely and I have .025" of play.  I have adjusted the
gibs to eliminate side movement of the slide and the slide still move freely. 
This isn't a real big problem with turning, but I don't think it is going to
work with the milling attachment I am currently working on.
>

I also had excessive backlash on the top slide and the cross slide. The
problem is that there is no backlash adjustment. The leadscrews for these
slides are captured at the bulkhead near the handcrank. I modified the
scale cylinder by removing the little steel spring (inside the cylinder)
that allows it to be rotated separately from the handcrank. Then I drilled
and tapped (8-32) for a set screw to make the scale cylinder fixed to the
leadscrew. Now I can snug the cylinder up to take out the play and tighten
the setscrew. This removes most of the backlash but is a less than perfect
solution.
Scotty


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Does anyone have any problem with excessive backlash on the cross slide?  Maybe
a better question would be has anyone been able to do anything about it?  I
think my problem is the bronze nut under the slide.  I can tighten the screws
holding it so that it is tight against the slide and it seems to eliminate some
of the backlash, but then the crank is hard to turn.  Adjust the tension on the
nut so the crank turns freely and I have .025" of play.  I have adjusted the
gibs to eliminate side movement of the slide and the slide still move freely. 
This isn't a real big problem with turning, but I don't think it is going to
work with the milling attachment I am currently working on.

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The protractor thing is used to set the direction the top slide moves.  This is
helpful in cutting short tapers, such as a 45 degree bevel.  You have to turn
the top slide all the way out to reach the screws used to make the adjustment. 
Turning the tool holder only changes the angle the toolbit contacts your work.
This is useful in changing from turning outside to boring inside.

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Well.

This IS the place for dumb questions, right?

I got and viewed Jose's excellent intro tape, I read "The Home Machinist" book.
I've made a little oilite coupling with two different diameters and a hole
drilled through it to match my telescope to my tripod. It's a little loose but
could be worse.

But WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MOVABLE DEGREE WHEEL PROTRACTOR THING on the
7x10????? Right under the tool holder. I can't see anything it can do that just
clamping a tool at an odd angle wouldn't do, why go through all the trouble
of making that thing?

There, I asked. Confine gurgles to an area 90 degrees to the right of the
computer.

Mike
K4QET

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