HF 8x12 Lathe - now an 8x21 - tailstock extension homemade
Well I needed extra length and found an easy way to get 21 inches out of the 8x12. I used a 5x5x5 solid webbed angle plate from use-enco.com for $30. The way was made from 1/2 x 1/2 cold steel from onlinemetals.com. I used 5/16 - 18 screws to attach to the lathe frame and 6-32 for attaching the way to the angle plate. The final milling cut was done by a machine shop to exact thousands, so the way bolted right in perfectly aligned with not shimming. The end of the lathe was perfectly square which that was nice. I had planned for 4 screws holding the way, and made the piece ahead of time, but when the angle plate was milled for where the way would go, there was porosity, so only 2 screws holding the way, and that is plenty. What is key is to make sure that the underside of the angle plate is centered so there is enough room on either side for the tailstock under block to grip on both sides. Althouigh the angle plate is about 5/8 thick, a nice entry slant on the underside allows a match to the 1/2 underside for the tailstock to slide smoothly. The 45 degree slope of the way was made by holding the 1/2 x 1/2 in 2 vee blocks then cutting the slant on a bandsaw.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=948518&PMAKA=418-4325
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=7175&step=4&showunits=inches&id=230&top_cat=197
Well I needed extra length and found an easy way to get 21 inches out of the 8x12. I used a 5x5x5 solid webbed angle plate from use-enco.com for $30. The way was made from 1/2 x 1/2 cold steel from onlinemetals.com. I used 5/16 - 18 screws to attach to the lathe frame and 6-32 for attaching the way to the angle plate. The final milling cut was done by a machine shop to exact thousands, so the way bolted right in perfectly aligned with not shimming. The end of the lathe was perfectly square which that was nice. I had planned for 4 screws holding the way, and made the piece ahead of time, but when the angle plate was milled for where the way would go, there was porosity, so only 2 screws holding the way, and that is plenty. What is key is to make sure that the underside of the angle plate is centered so there is enough room on either side for the tailstock under block to grip on both sides. Althouigh the angle plate is about 5/8 thick, a nice entry slant on the underside allows a match to the 1/2 underside for the tailstock to slide smoothly. The 45 degree slope of the way was made by holding the 1/2 x 1/2 in 2 vee blocks then cutting the slant on a bandsaw.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=948518&PMAKA=418-4325
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=7175&step=4&showunits=inches&id=230&top_cat=197