Received my first ever Mini Lathe - now what?

muscleflex said:
The wobble - how do I unscrew it out to check if it is cross threaded?
I did email the shop and this is what they said:
"The cog is at a slight angle on the spindle but the bore is in the centre of the cog so nothing to worry about."
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That response from the shop sounds pretty lame. There is something not right with the way that is put together.

If you don't have a spanner wrench that will fit the nuts, a punch (or screwdriver) and a hammer will do. ( I know I am going to catch hell for saying that) Not sure if those are left or right hand threads, so if it doesn't loosen in one direction, try the other.

EDIT: I looked at the video again, those are right hand threads in the spindle nuts. Be careful not to damage the speed sensor hardware. You will probably have to remove the speed sensor to get the wheel out.
 
hello james from el paso tx. i would get on the internet and look at the machining videos ive been at it for about 3 yrs now. dont expect to be an overnight expert. learn before ya hurt yourself. good luck james
 
JimDawson said:
Mmmmm, NO. I think that should be investigated. Looks like the inner nut might be cross threaded.:panic:

Also Center Drill is also call Combination Drill / Countersink.
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I would take the lathe back for repair or replacement. The 2 ring nuts on the spindle control the preload on the bearings in the headstock. An obvoius lack of quality control that could lead to premature bearing failure.

The gear set currently installed on the lathe is for fine feed, or slow traverse of the saddle for smoth finish. If you were to compare that gear set to a threading set, they would cut a 256TPI or threads per inch. You would change the size and order of gears depending on the thread you wanted to cut. Little Machine Shop has a gear selection calculator to tell you what gears to use for what thread here.

By all means, get tSouth Bend Pamphlet "How to Run a Lathe"! Read it cover to cover. ARC Eurotrade have several articles on setup and adjusting your lathe. You have a lot to learn! Be careful and be safe!

Chuck
 
When you have some down time check out this guy on youtube. He used to be a shop teacher and brings his knowledge to youtube. He used to be called Tubal Cain but now goes by the handle MrPete222. Even though he uses clausing,atlas and south bend lathes you can watch the techniques and how he does a lot of his own work for you to emulate at home. He's may not be the best machinist ever but he is very knowledgeable and shares his knowledge with the world.

Check him out here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/mrpete222
 
The long threaded rod is called a lead screw.It moves the cariage. the cross slide sits on top of the carriage and movesfrom front to back. the compound sits on top of the cross slide and can move at angles to the work as in cuuting tapers. Take your time. turn some scrap, and take light cuts to start with and work your way up to see how you machine handles it. It would be good also to learn how to ajust the way gids, so you cane get the best finish. And the best advise I can give you is don't be affraid to ask for help on this forum. The people here are friendly, and pretty sharp. some are master machinists some are metal workers. A lot of the people here started out learning from this site. I have been teaching mself how to machine things and this forum is my best tool. Mark
 
Hi very nice lathe,

It apears you have the 8x version and not the more common 7x version. The 8x version has a much heavy-er tailstock than the 7x.

as for the high low gear switch on the back. place it on low and forget about it. The reason is this will give you a higher torque output. that's much more important than speed. Why? well because this lathe has a variable speed motor. you can turn the knob and get more speed, the ONLY way to get maxium torque is to leave that lever in the back on low.

To understand the other lever . . . you first have to know the parts of your lathe.

these lathes ship with a "turret" type tool holder. you clamp you cutting tools into that. its perched on top of the "carriage" this travels up and down the "lathe bed" while making turning cuts on your work piece. The carriage is driven by the "lead screw"

so that other lever on the back controls the "lead screw" forward reverse and neutral.

as for all those gears . . . they are used to adjust the feed rate of the "lead screw" feed rate is measured in Turns Per Inch or TPI. So yes that can be used for cutting threads, and also if want a real smooth turning cut on your workpiece, then a realy fine rate of feed is what you want. around 240 TPI is what this machine puts out. a very fine rate of feed. the Other use seldom mentioned that, I always get excited about is spring making. You can wind your own springs on a lathe. Coils Per Inch and Turns Per Inch, and basicaly the same thing.

Here is everything you wanted to know about those gears:

http://www.gizmology.net/changegears.htm

and here is a great place for parts and upgrades:

https://littlemachineshop.com/
 
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