Using a 7X10 Mini Lathe With a Collet Closer & Bar Feeder

James Page

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This might be my first post here, actually? Please read it anyway… lol

I came into a HF 7X10 mini lathe for almost free and have a single use for it in mind. I'd like to set it up to machine 3/16" X .5" slugs from 3/16" mild steel rods. I would like to convert it to CNC and automate the process, as I go through several hundred of these slugs or more a month.

What would be ideal, I think, is to set it up with a collet closer and small bar feeder. The collet closer would have to be something I could control with an actuator or motor down the road to automate it. A lever action closer would probably work, but there may be better options out there. I'm still learning (I hope that's always the case!).

Of course, I'm not finding many (any?) easy options out there for this sort of setup. I did find a single YouTube video of a Sieg mini lathe with a bar feed. I'm aware that I may have to make the bar-feed entirely myself, and that's probably not a problem.

Any thoughts on the collet closer? What are my options for replacing the chuck on this lathe with something I can use collets with and also feed round stock through the back of the headstock?
 
easiest collet setup for a lathe like this would be to get a ER type collet chuck and setup a back plate. but the way to close these collets would defeat the purpose of automation as they need to be screwed on/off quite a bit to set/release the grab.

I think the best bet since this is a custom need is to build a custom collet closer for the lath that would utilize as much of it's through hole as possible (MT2?) with a set of those tapered collets.
 
Thanks, and right, an ER would not work as I need to open and close the collet from the back in order to automate the bar feed.

I am hoping there is something out there that would at least be a good starting point to modify for my needs.
 
I only intend to use it with 3/8" mild steel bar, but it would be nice to go to 1/4". That's all I'll ever need in this project though.

I found this video:

[video=youtube;FPKLChpHYZ8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPKLChpHYZ8[/video]

It's absolutely amazing and would be a perfect setup for me (plus an actuator on the lever) but I can't find any additional info about the video or user. I did sent the user a message. Hopefully, I will hear back.



btw - I dig those Nixis Trigr!
 
Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

You need a collet closer what I call a "snap" type. It has a handle on the back end that you "snap" close to tighten the collet. May need to ask a machinery builder for sources. I am sure you can convert your lathe. One shop I worked in had a turret lathe had one. It had a shop made stock feeder made out of black iron pipe that had a slot milled through the top and a pusher that was inserted in the end the pipe and a tang sticking up through the slot. The stock was pushed forward by a rope attached to the tang and counter weight. The rope past through a pulley about ten feet above the shop floor. When the stock was to short I would have to grab the stock by hand to cut the final pieces.

You may find it cheaper to hire a "sub-contractor" to operate your lathe. They work out of your shop for a set price per piece. I worked as a sub-contractor one summer in a shop based on a forty hour week. I paid my own taxes and insurance out of my pay, no with holdings. Good luck
 
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