buying first lathe... opinions on TIDA TD4a

Giorgio, congrats on getting your lathe home. Let the fun begin.

First project - make scrap! Totally waste a piece of mild steel. Find out what speeds and feeds turn the chips blue, then back off to straw. Play with it before you try to make something right the first time.
 
Hawkeye... I Just made something useless...totally worthy of the swarf designation!!!

No pic ...ha ha ha... Some nice smoke though.... carriage was going in the wrong direction! Whats wrong with this machine?! Ya right... Too many controls! And how do I make a curve? Its not like turning wood.

Im 6'5"....My back hurts and I am diggin it. Time to research.

More swarf to come...oh ya!
 
Get some 4 x 4 or 4 x 6 and put them under the end of the stand. That will help. I had to run a Kia-Seiki turret lathe foe a while, and it was made for short people. I'm 6'3" and went home with a backache every day.
 
Giorgio said:
Hawkeye... I Just made something useless...totally worthy of the swarf designation!!!

carriage was going in the wrong direction! Whats wrong with this machine?! Ya right... Too many controls! And how do I make a curve? Its not like turning wood.



More swarf to come...oh ya!
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Your lathe has a lever on the headstock that works the reverse tumbler to drive the leadscrew one direction or the other allowing the carriage to either move towards the headstock or away so you can cut either right or left handed threads. To accurately make a curve will require the use of a radius cutting attachment sometimes called a ball turner. These are actually fairly easy to make and can be a fun project.

Enjoy your lathe but please remember to wear your safety glasses and keep safe while operating it!
 
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Look in your manual. The lever NX is refering to will probably be called a "Tumbler Rerverse Lever". What it is is an idler gear on a lever added to the gear train to reverse the direction of the lead screw as already said. It also has a neutral position that allows the spindle to turn without engaging the lead screw. I use the neutral position when I do small parts and auto feed is not needed. Very quiet when the gear train is not engaged.

"Billy G"
 
DO NOT try manipulating the tumbler levers unless the lathe is stopped. BE SURE to lubricate the shafts the gears in the gear train inside the rear end gear cover(behind the headstock,I'm tired!!).

I had a gear freeze up on me and twist its shaft off when I was a newbie. The shafts ought to be steel,but are usually cast iron. Luckily,I was able to make a new shaft without the power feeds,and installed it. I think there's a grease nipple on the gear that froze up. ALWAYS investigate a squeak. It means something is wearing out FAST.

The wedge type tool post is best,but for your small lathe the piston type will be fine. ANY tool post is a GREAT improvement over the old "lantern" type tool post.
 
I greased and oiled everything just so i could play with it...no squeaks yet but those gears sure rattle some at faster speeds.... and the tumbler reverse?! ..got it, thank you

It did come with the follow rest, half rest, a handful of cutters, some carbide, Bull nose for the tail stock and a drill chuck, reverse jaws for the headstock, some measuring devices, a large machinist square, live center, parting tool

Think I'll need a face plate, four jaw chuck and QCTP

Attached is a MYSTERY PIECE .... Any thoughts on what it was or is?

Thanks in advance

Mystery 1.JPG
 
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Digging up a old thread! But I just recently got a 10x24 WT (Tida) and was wondering if the BXA toolpost fit this that was recommended on the first page of posts? If so how was it modified to fit? My thought is a sleeved bolt that will go over the standard threaded post that is part of the compound... or am I missing something! New to this haha
 
I think you would be better off with an AXA which fits lathes up to 12" swing, a BXA starts out at 10" which is pushing it and more common used for 12-14". Most QCTP manufactures post the size and range for fitment, I would check these against your lathe.
 
Double "A" Cues said:
Digging up a old thread! But I just recently got a 10x24 WT (Tida) and was wondering if the BXA toolpost fit this that was recommended on the first page of posts? If so how was it modified to fit? My thought is a sleeved bolt that will go over the standard threaded post that is part of the compound... or am I missing something! New to this haha
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Here are a couple of links of two hobbyists who made that concept work.

Instructions and video.

http://www.cnccookbook.com/MTLatheQCTP.htm

Note that stud thread on the TIDA is a not too common 1/2-12tpi. At least on mine.

What else did yuo get with it?
 
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