Another reason to get a bigger lathe

[skiprat]

I've always advocated getting the biggest metal lathe you can, if you decide to get one. Here's yet another reason to get the biggest you can.
I needed to cut slots in my 2WTC pen and because my lathe is only a 10x21, I struggled to get the space.
The slot saw blades are 3 inch.
Eventually I figured out to use the tool post holder mounted on my vertical slide. It allowed me to do the horizontal and diagonal cuts without having to move the carraige.
It took 3 new blades to do all the cuts in the stainless steel:frown:

Oh well, at least I have another method of work holding to fall back on.:biggrin:

 

[lorbay]

Skip the green 90 deg angle plate, is this something you made or bought?? Also do you remove the top slide from the cross slide to mount this??

Lin

 

[skiprat]

Lin, the device is called a Vertical Slide. It's one of the most popular tools that enables milling to be done on a lathe.
The top slide is removed and the vertical slide takes it's place.
This one has swivel base which makes it very versatile.

 

[SteveG]

There you go...whining about your tiny lathe:biggrin:

 

[BigShed]

You can always get a mill:tongue:

 

[skiprat]

You can always get a mill:tongue:

Fred, I wish.....:redface:
My two youngest kids start uni in September and I'm trying to decide which part I can sell to help pay for it....arm?.....leg?......kidney?... or maybe even my soul.
This is why my wife and I are going for a quick holiday to USA next week. Probably last chance for many years !!:frown:

Mind you.....I really would sell something to make sure they get to go.:biggrin:

 

[Haynie]

Ot response. That pick with the lubricant flowing has me curious. That is a lot of fluid (from the look of it). where does it go?

 

[skiprat]

Mark, there is a coolant / lubricant pump system directly under the lathe.
I have drilled a big hole through the base and a large funnel catches the flow and takes it straight back to the tank.

Mind you.....a lot of it still ends up all over the damned floor!!!:biggrin:

Edit; Added a couple of quick pics:wink:

 

[JD Combs Sr]

Skip, it may just be the difference in the quality of our lathes and tools but is your 3-jaw chuck accurate enough for using the saw(given that you said you used 3 blades). I wouldn't trust my Grizzly G0516 3-jaw for such an operation. I would use my MT3 collet system to hold the saw arbor. Last time I checked I had about 0.003" of run-out when using my 3-Jaw and that's in the best of three possible mountings.

 

[skiprat]

JD,
I actually have a 4 jaw mounted in these pics and although it is the same make as my 3 jaw, it is amazingly accurate.
I used the 4 jaw because I needed to drill in square stock and I think the edges of these square pens are testament to it's accuracy.
The blades are HSS, but I bought loads of them as seconds for a good price so I can't really complain. They are cutting stainless after all.
I'm not sure why they were seconds though.

 

[JD Combs Sr]

JD,
I actually have a 4 jaw mounted in these pics and although it is the same make as my 3 jaw, it is amazingly accurate.
I used the 4 jaw because I needed to drill in square stock and I think the edges of these square pens are testament to it's accuracy.
The blades are HSS, but I bought loads of them as seconds for a good price so I can't really complain. They are cutting stainless after all.
I'm not sure why they were seconds though.

Yes I see that it is a 4-jaw in the last pic now. My mistake. Is it a 4-jaw scroll chuck(never seen one) or individually adjustable jaws?

 

[skiprat]

JD, it's scroll chuck. I think it is made by Soba.
You can even get 6 jaw scroll chucks too. Very accurate, but pricey.

 

[BigShed]

You can always get a mill:tongue:

Fred, I wish.....:redface:
My two youngest kids start uni in September and I'm trying to decide which part I can sell to help pay for it....arm?.....leg?......kidney?... or maybe even my soul.
This is why my wife and I are going for a quick holiday to USA next week. Probably last chance for many years !!:frown:

Mind you.....I really would sell something to make sure they get to go.:biggrin:

Ah, been there done that (didn't sell any parts though)

I'm fortunate enough to be in the SKI stage of my life.

 

[skiprat]

Fred, My kids have already spent their inheritance so they've made sure we can't 'SKI'

 

[JD Combs Sr]

JD, it's scroll chuck. I think it is made by Soba.
You can even get 6 jaw scroll chucks too. Very accurate, but pricey.

Thanks Skip, I may have to look into getting one. I have a four-jaw non-scroll so I can get accuracy when I need it for large items but it's a bear getting there.

 

[ashaw]

Skip
What part of the States are you visiting?

 

[skiprat]

Alan, we'll be in New England area.

 

[BradG]

Did someone mention ~SKI? :biggrin: ... il stickto a board but never the less....

and if im not there you'll find me at the bottom of a lake or sea :tongue:

Love those two pens Steve, have come out great! though yes save up for a mill. i confess i should use my mill more than i do, though im currently not happy with my selection of tooling for it so it puts me off... have no rotary table or indexers for it... have most other things for it though.

Again, your making me jealous over your milky coolant... i miss the smell of it in a buckled way. used to go home each night stinking of it from the factory. for giggles i tried to drill out a piece of stainless the other week to see if i could pull it off withut coolant. i aborted after 9mm, glared at my lathe, and binned the burned out drill bit. For anyone who has never tried working with stainless, be impressed by these pens.. they are ALOT harder to do than you might imagine.

Ive just purchased a 75mm x 4mm cutting blade.. ITS A BEAST :biggrin:

 

[Justturnin]

L

JD, it's scroll chuck. I think it is made by Soba.
You can even get 6 jaw scroll chucks too. Very accurate, but pricey.

Thanks Skip, I may have to look into getting one. I have a four-jaw non-scroll so I can get accuracy when I need it for large items but it's a bear getting there.

Hey JD, i have/had the same issue so i just ordered a 6" 4-jaw scroll chuck from shars.com onThursday. Getting it delivered with a machined threaded backplate for just over $200. Should be here Monday. My biggest fear was drilling the backplate out to receive the chuck because i dont have an accurate DP just my shopsmith. So ordering both from shars they all fit togeter and its threaded for my PITA M39x4 spindle.

 

[ashaw]

Alan, we'll be in New England area.

Send me a PM when you get here. Maybe we can meet.