Post by Tim Bayliss on Sept 23, 2005 11:08:04 GMT
As I was laying awake in the early hours with a blocked up nose, streaming eyes, etc., I started thinking (as you do!)about mods and improvements to my fairly new Chester Craftsman lathe.
Now I have to say that I like this lathe, maybe I was lucky and got a middle of the week one. It has a generous capacity which has already prooved a major asset, but most of the work could be done on a smaller capacity lathe though I have no intention of getting an additional, smaller lathe. For one thing I don't have the space and for another there are other more useful machines out there that need a good home.
Very early on (after catching my finger between the 8" 4 jaw chuck and the chuck board
) I realised that the chucks supplied are larger than mostly required. Having some fairly good smaller chucks & stuff of Myford heritage I turned up a false nose to fit the spindle thread which works really well with the face of the smaller chucks standing out no further from the headstock than the supplied chucks fitted directly on the spindle. So far - so good.
As my mind was churning over ideas in the pre dawn gloom I realised that the centre height over the cross slide is about 3 1/2", the same as the Myford. (It is not 100mm as advertised). And although the sales blurb indicated a tee slotted cross slide I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, there being only a single tee slot running down the centre of the cross slide.
Now a proper tee slotted cross slide being desirable why not make up a bolt on sub base (like the top of the Myford saddle) to accept a standard Myford cross slide, which could be clamped onto the dovetails with the gib strip. and then acquire a Myford top slide, QT toolpost, etc., etc., ad infinitum. ;D
To further this what I need from this posting is for somebody to reply that's it's a brilliant idea & should be encouraged or that it's a load of lawn torpedoes, only the fever talking & should be ditched. I can't discuss it with the wife, she just doesn't understand & anyway she's still ticked off with me for keeping her awake all night.
So come on lads, let's have your comments.
Snuffling in anticipation,
Tim
Now I have to say that I like this lathe, maybe I was lucky and got a middle of the week one. It has a generous capacity which has already prooved a major asset, but most of the work could be done on a smaller capacity lathe though I have no intention of getting an additional, smaller lathe. For one thing I don't have the space and for another there are other more useful machines out there that need a good home.
Very early on (after catching my finger between the 8" 4 jaw chuck and the chuck board
) I realised that the chucks supplied are larger than mostly required. Having some fairly good smaller chucks & stuff of Myford heritage I turned up a false nose to fit the spindle thread which works really well with the face of the smaller chucks standing out no further from the headstock than the supplied chucks fitted directly on the spindle. So far - so good.As my mind was churning over ideas in the pre dawn gloom I realised that the centre height over the cross slide is about 3 1/2", the same as the Myford. (It is not 100mm as advertised). And although the sales blurb indicated a tee slotted cross slide I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, there being only a single tee slot running down the centre of the cross slide.
Now a proper tee slotted cross slide being desirable why not make up a bolt on sub base (like the top of the Myford saddle) to accept a standard Myford cross slide, which could be clamped onto the dovetails with the gib strip. and then acquire a Myford top slide, QT toolpost, etc., etc., ad infinitum. ;D
To further this what I need from this posting is for somebody to reply that's it's a brilliant idea & should be encouraged or that it's a load of lawn torpedoes, only the fever talking & should be ditched. I can't discuss it with the wife, she just doesn't understand & anyway she's still ticked off with me for keeping her awake all night.
So come on lads, let's have your comments.
Snuffling in anticipation,
Tim
