Compound slide table

[Dale Allen]

I've been trying to think of ways I could use a cross slide table like this one on my lathe. I believe I could mount it on a plate with a hole for the banjo bolt so it can be positioned and held in place with the banjo. Also, with the addition of a stout angle plate, it can be used at 90 degrees to the headstock.
Has anyone here done such a thing or know of an example?
I really don't want to invest in a milling machine because I would just use this on wood and plastic. I know I'd have to go slow as the headstock is not intended for this application, but it would be better than a drill press.
At this time I have a project that needs to have 1/8" milled out of some cherry. The milled area would be about 1.25" wide and 5" long. I could do a start-stop setup with the router table but I do not like such setups and I always burn the wood.
Thanks for any help.
Dale

 

[Chuck Key]

Has anyone here done such a thing or know of an example?

Here is an example:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f56/dremel-attachment-lathe-46445/#post846740

 

[plantman]

Dale; I have used my cross slide table on my Shop Smith, which is realy a lathe turned on end, and also mounted to my drill press. I used it to cut flutes in the cherry legs of a slant top deck with very excellent results. The drill press, used with upcut milling bits will give you much more controll over your cuts and a solid hold on your small piece. The Dremmel attached to the cross slide also works well when used with an indexing setup. Jim S

 

[mrburls]

Nova DVR XP lathe sold a cross sliding table to do ornamental turning on their lathe a few years back. I don't know if they still sell it or not yet.
But I have a new one I never used for my Nova which I might consider selling.
Keith "mrburls"

 

[dogcatcher]

You can use the lathe as a horizontal mill with the table. The biggest problem is keeping the item you are milling at the correct level and squared along with right and left movement on the lathe bed. I made a homemade version using a large, and I mean large chuck of angle iron. I mounted the cross slide so it was side ways and the angle iron bolted to the lathe bed. It was a onetime project years ago to mill key cuts in a shaft.

To get an idea of what I tried to describe look at the Taig lathe milling attachment and how it sits on the cross slide of the Taig lathe. The lathes cross slide gave the forward and back movement along with left to right movement. The mill attachment gave the up and down movement. With the above method, my left and right movement was eye balled and slid by hand. It was crude but I wasn't building rocket parts.

 

[dogcatcher]

Nova DVR XP lathe sold a cross sliding table to do ornamental turning on their lathe a few years back. I don't know if they still sell it or not yet.
But I have a new one I never used for my Nova which I might consider selling.
Keith "mrburls"

Delta also made a lathe in the 1950's or 1960's that had the cross slide like a metal lathe, I have seen one adapted to a later lathe. Some other metal lathe cross slides can also be adapted. I am working on a Craftsman 109 metal lathe cross slide to adapt to a Rikon, waiting on my machinist to make a bottom plate for me.

 

[Dale Allen]

Thanks to all who replied.
That confirms that the purchase of the table would not be a waste of money.
John, thanks for the link, that is another possible use that I had not considered.
So, I will either need to come up with an adjustable elevation rig or adapt it to the vertical position.
One consideration of using it on it's side was that I did not want a really cheap one that may have issues with the ways in that orientation.
Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

[dogcatcher]

It's a long way from a waste of money, I have one for my drill press, not for pens, but for what I call "gadget" making. I am always needing a jig and sometimes the drilling has to be precise.

 

[Dale Allen]

dogcatcher, what table do you have?
I got to thinking about this again and the table on the one I pictured is 18.5" long.
That's a lot of lateral movement. It moves 12 inches in that direction so it would extend up to 15" past the center of the ways.
I could use it but it would be different.
Also, I dug out the short bed extension for my HF lathe that allows you to turn large things by rotating the headstock. It is set up at a 90 degree on the surfaces so I think I can adapt that for the 90 degree mount.

 

[KenV]

Thanks to all who replied.
That confirms that the purchase of the table would not be a waste of money.
John, thanks for the link, that is another possible use that I had not considered.
So, I will either need to come up with an adjustable elevation rig or adapt it to the vertical position.
One consideration of using it on it's side was that I did not want a really cheap one that may have issues with the ways in that orientation.
Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Dale - take a look at how the Baxter Threading Jig is mounted to the lathe bed. Solid fixture well mounted.

Have one of the NOVA x-y tables for my lathe and it is a solid level arrangement with a block to fit the ways. Not sold any longer though --

 

[dogcatcher]

I have the one from the Little Machine Shop. X-Y Table Assembly 2008 - LittleMachineShop.com

There are others out that are cheaper, I also have one for my other shop that came off of eBay, I think I paid about $75 for that one.

 

[mredburn]

I know Atlas made cross slide assemblies to bolt onto their wood lathes and I believe I have seen ones made by delta as well. There is one available on Ebay at the moment but its in rough shape.
Atlas Craftsman Metal Lathe Basic Cross Slide Compound Assembly | eBay

 

[Dale Allen]

Ah, dogcatcher, that is what I was looking for. Thank you.
The model 2008 looks to be a better built slightly smaller unit.
And it's on sale!
One other question...do you use the clamps they sell for these that have the stepped blocks on one end?

 

[dogcatcher]

Normally I would have jury rigged my clamping, but when I bought this one I bought the clamping kits. So much easier and more secure. I mounted the table on an aluminum plate with several oblong holes so I can bolt it any way I want on the drill press and I have used it on my old Delta lathe.

I also have the Delta compound that is mentioned, since it is designed with for a metal lathe tool post, you have to create a lot of jigs to be able to use it effectively. Major problem when milling wood is the cross slide moves so slow that it can burn the wood, You really have to get some experience on what works and what is frustrating. In some cases there are better ways to do a lot of things I use it for, but the satisfaction of doing it my way makes it worth it.

 

[dogcatcher]

I know Atlas made cross slide assemblies to bolt onto their wood lathes and I believe I have seen ones made by delta as well. There is one available on Ebay at the moment but its in rough shape.
Atlas Craftsman Metal Lathe Basic Cross Slide Compound Assembly | eBay

Rough is a compliment, it should be listed as an auxiliary anchor for a small boat, I have seen better cross slides listed and sold for less money.

The third picture shows the place that everything you want to attach has to be anchored on. The weld isn't the problem, it is having to jury rig a system to mount everything in that slide area. Find a flat bar that slides into that area then drill and tap a bunch of holes to mount your jigs one. Then every time you use a different jig, it will have to be re calibrated to fit n the right place.

A nice milling machine would be simpler for a few hundred more would probably be better, but the satisfaction of doing it my way is my reward. But then milling machines don't like wood dust as much as metal chips.

 

[Dale Allen]

Thanks dogcatcher, all good info and advise.
I too enjoy the satisfaction of figuring things out that work, even if it is not the most efficient.
Thanks again

Dale