Using wood for mini-lathe and mini-mill accessories
Like many of us here, I have made a few accessories for my mini-lathe and my micro-mill - stops, carriage clamps, indicator holders, things like that. I don't think I have ever copied an existing design, mostly because I don't have easy access to the large blocks of steel or aluminum that those designs often need. So, I figure out a design based on the raw materials that I have on-hand. In figuring out a design, I almost always make up a proof-of-concept model made out of wood. I don't have a huge scrap bin of steel, brass, and aluminum, but I do have plenty of hardwood, Baltic Birch plywood, and lots of woodworking tools. With the wood model, I figure out approximate dimensions, where to put holes and fasteners, will the accessory interfere with features of the lathe, etc. I'm not afraid to re-make wood parts that aren't quite right. Eventually, when I have the design worked out, I'll make a metal version. But in some cases, the wood model has been good enough for my needs. I used a wooden spindle crank for a number of years, and I still use a couple of wooden indicator holders (which have embedded rare earth magnets).
I am the only one doing this?
|
Re: 7x16 Lathe Ways Indicator Holder?
You can get a magnetic back to mount an indicator on:
?<??>
You could also make one with the magnet from a junked speaker; if you go that route, make sure you fill gap where the voice coil used to ride with something non-magnetic (epoxy or auto body filler) before using it anywhere there's magnetic swarf.
Roy
|
Re: LMS 5000 Bed Extension kit - Carriage Adjustment
You're close - I would tighten it a smidgen more.
ralphie
|
LMS 5000 Bed Extension kit - Carriage Adjustment
I worked on the bed extension project again today.? Taking it a bit slow
on this project. No problem with adjusting out the carriage play.? I'm
wondering just how "freely" the carriage should move??? I currently have
it adjusted so there's no play in the vertical plane, but a little play
when I rotate the carriage clockwise and counter clockwise.? If I lift
one end of the bed, the carriage will slide down the ways.? Too loose?
Thanks for any help.
Stan
|
7x16 Lathe Ways Indicator Holder?
Looking for one - clamp OK but magnetic better. Any recommendations on a unit to buy vs build?
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
Good advice.? ? Headstock alignment - mine was out 0.001" per inch.? ?One headstock corner had 0.007" gap to bed (when retaining bolts loosened).
--
Lone Tree, Colorado? ?USA
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
There's a guy in one of my other groups that made a one shot
oiler that runs off a Arduino . The Arduino handles everything
cept for adding oil to the reservoir , pretty neato setup
animal
?On 4/16/24 2:25 PM, upand_at_them via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I remember a magazine article within the past 10 years (I
think?...heck if I remember) that was about adding an oiling
system to the mini-mill so that all you had to do was give a pump
or two and it distributed it to the various ways.? I like the idea
a lot.? And it could be adapted to the mini-lathe.? I forget which
magazine, or year, but it had to be one of these: The Home Shop
Machinist, Machinist's Workshop, Model Engineers' Workshop.
Mike
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
I don't have holes on my leadscrew bearings either, but I just dribble oil on the sides and it lubes fine. This is neither a high pressure nor a high speed situation, so that's good enough.
Also, I must say there are? many fundamental flaws in the design and construction of these lathes, which were not built to last but to sell . . . cheap. If you want to improve them, fixing those things would be better uses of your time.? For example all the machined surfaces on the lathe (except for the top the lathe bed) are machined sloppily, so the headstock isn't necessarily in alignment and the tailstock is almost never in alignment. Also, the? underside of the bed is so crudely finished (at least on older specimens like mine)? that the factory had to fit an idiotic spring-type keeper system to the carriage to keep it from flopping around (which people have to constantly fiddle with). Finally, the cross slide has a very restricted range, there's no carriage lock, and there's no back-gear, making it impossible to have full torque when turning slowly.
All these flaws have been fixed and how to do it is here. With so many worthwhile improvements you could make, using brain cells to improve the oiling seems a waste of time.? As far as I can see, the oiling system is one of the few systems on the lathe that's not seriously flawed.
On Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 5:25 PM upand_at_them via <upand_at_them= [email protected]> wrote: I remember a magazine article within the past 10 years (I think?...heck if I remember) that was about adding an oiling system to the mini-mill so that all you had to do was give a pump or two and it distributed it to the various ways.? I like the idea a lot.? And it could be adapted to the mini-lathe.? I forget which magazine, or year, but it had to be one of these: The Home Shop Machinist, Machinist's Workshop, Model Engineers' Workshop.
Mike
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
I use McMaster-Carr?
Most time I find the part on McMaster-Carr. Then for better price I Amazon and Walmart?
Dave?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Stan Gammons
6:23pm? ?
Thanks all for the the replies on an oiling solution. I may go with something like this https://www.mcmaster.com/1232K31/
Stan
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
Thanks all for the the replies on an oiling solution.? I may go with
something like this?
Stan
On 4/15/24 22:32, upand_at_them via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
The oil cup is good if you can fit it.? The problem with zerks, as
mentioned, is that fine metal particles will collect where the
ball meets the body so every time you push some lube in you're
also pushing the grit in.? Whether you wipe or not.? Get ones that
have covers.
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
Here is an online article for such a thing:
Larger mills commonly have this sort of thing where it is called "One Shot Lube."
Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
On Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 02:25:49 PM PDT, upand_at_them via groups.io <upand_at_them@...> wrote:
I remember a magazine article within the past 10 years (I think?...heck if I remember) that was about adding an oiling system to the mini-mill so that all you had to do was give a pump or two and it distributed it to the various ways.? I like the idea a lot.? And it could be adapted to the mini-lathe.? I forget which magazine, or year, but it had to be one of these: The Home Shop Machinist, Machinist's Workshop, Model Engineers' Workshop.
Mike
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
I remember a magazine article within the past 10 years (I think?...heck if I remember) that was about adding an oiling system to the mini-mill so that all you had to do was give a pump or two and it distributed it to the various ways.? I like the idea a lot.? And it could be adapted to the mini-lathe.? I forget which magazine, or year, but it had to be one of these: The Home Shop Machinist, Machinist's Workshop, Model Engineers' Workshop.
Mike
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
My lathe came without a hole. I thought that showed cheapness at its extreme. Anyway, I just drilled a hole in each one. A very small hole. Small enough that I think I risk little intrusion by swarf. Even then I can just look because any grease in the hole will stop any thing from entering. Then I use synthetic grease using a chainsaw grease gun to introduce grease. Takes very little.? But in actuality, considering the turning rate and the lack of much pressure on the actual bearing surface, once the surface is greased, it may not require greasing for a long time. Using this grease I can easily turn my lead screw with my thumb and forefinger, very very very little resistance.? Using white grease is a thicker kind of grease. It is a thicker grease and eventually it will start to get stiffer or harden up. If your lead screw turns very easily without any lube and then gets hard using grease then it's the grease. If it turns stiffly without anything then you need to fix that issue. I dont use oil because it just runs out and makes a mess.?
george
On Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 09:34:14 AM PDT, Mark Kimball <markkimball51@...> wrote:
On Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 12:06 PM, Ralph Lehotsky wrote:
I don't use oil - I inject white lithium based grease in the brackets.
I used to use grease in mine, too -- until I added a hand crank to my lead screw.? I couldn't figure out WHY the LS was relatively difficult to turn, until I replaced the grease with oil.? Apparently the large contact area(s) + the high viscosity of the grease produces a noticeable amount of drag.
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
All ya need is a coat of oil on the shafts . A lot like the old
lathes where the spindle ran in a coat of oil . There's also
several articles on line on converting a small grease gun to
dispense oil .
animal
On 4/16/24 9:34 AM, Mark Kimball wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 12:06 PM, Ralph Lehotsky wrote:
I don't use oil - I inject white lithium based grease
in the brackets.
I used to use grease in mine, too -- until I added a hand crank to
my lead screw.? I couldn't figure out WHY the LS was relatively
difficult to turn, until I replaced the grease with oil.?
Apparently the large contact area(s) + the high viscosity of the
grease produces a noticeable amount of drag.
|
Re: Moving my "new" Grizzly G1006
If you go to "grizzly parts" and get to that page and enter g1006 for the model is has an exploded view and a parts list.
They have a replacement handwheel, part 401V2 ($35.40) which is plastic and seems to have replaced part 401 which is likely metal and likely the handwheel remaining on your machine.? If so, you could get two plastic ones to have a "matched set".? Or have one of each.? Or if the remaining one is already plastic, then just get the one.? Might be hard to find a metal replacement, but there likely is something, somewhere..
You will also need one part 436 ($8.95) which is the little handle that affixes to the handwheel.
If it were mine, I would get the replacement handwheel and handle (or perhaps two if that was what was needed to make everything match) to get the machine back to "normal" so it is in a better configuration if I ever wanted to sell it.
On large mills, I find myself using both handwheels, but the right one far more often.? I find myself using the left one when the table is moved pretty far right so that I am closer to where the cutting action is (to observe) instead of being far away at the far end of an extended table or having to reach way over to get to a handwheel not in easy reach.
If you can find or fashion a power feed attachment for the handle-less end, you might enjoy it.? Grizzly shows parts for it, but it seems you can a replacement the motor for $503 which sounds like a punishing price and I can't imagine what an entire assembly would cost - IF they had it for sale.? Grizzly shows the entire power feed assembly as discontinued which seems to be this part number:? P1126231 - *DISCD*POWER FEED ASSEMBLY AL-200S V1 Charles E. "Chuck" Kinzer
On Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 09:37:30 AM PDT, paraflyr <frechettejoe4@...> wrote:
Using a handle on left or right of the table is pretty much a matter of convenience. Are you left or right handed, and where do you like to stand when using the mill?? Big mills have two to minimize the amount of walking from one side to the other if the work is not centered on the table.? Just loosen the set screw and move your handle if needed, but you really don't need two on a mill this size.
Joe Frechette -? "someone"
|
Re: Moving my "new" Grizzly G1006
It is pretty common for powerfeed to replace one of the table cranks. I have a Clausing mill of a similar size and same thing, left handle replaced by powerfeed.
Agree I can see where a second handle might be nice to have but I've not yet found myself wishing I had a crank on both ends.
|
Re: Moving my "new" Grizzly G1006
Using a handle on left or right of the table is pretty much a matter of convenience. Are you left or right handed, and where do you like to stand when using the mill?? Big mills have two to minimize the amount of walking from one side to the other if the work is not centered on the table.? Just loosen the set screw and move your handle if needed, but you really don't need two on a mill this size.
Joe Frechette -? "someone"
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
On Tue, Apr 16, 2024 at 12:06 PM, Ralph Lehotsky wrote:
I don't use oil - I inject white lithium based grease in the brackets.
I used to use grease in mine, too -- until I added a hand crank to my lead screw.? I couldn't figure out WHY the LS was relatively difficult to turn, until I replaced the grease with oil.? Apparently the large contact area(s) + the high viscosity of the grease produces a noticeable amount of drag.
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
You can buy a grease gun that takes oil.?
I have made a manifold oiler.
I used 1/8" copper tubing solder in a mill block for oil .? Use a pipe cleaner down to meter out the after filling milled oil cup
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Miket_NYC
5:00pm? ?
Aren't zerk fitting for injecting grease with a grease gun? How do you plan to use them for oil?
Mike Taglieri
|
Re: LMS 5000 bed extension
Mike - I don't use oil - I inject white lithium based grease in the brackets.
ralphie
|
Ralph Lehotsky
davesmith1800