# Incredible YouTube video channel and machinist



## Bob Korves (Feb 20, 2017)

The money shot for this video starts at 9:05.  After you watch this video, subscribe to Robin's channel and get ready to drop your jaw regularly at the knowledge he has and the incredible work he does.  If you are like me, you will not be able to stop until you have seen all his machining videos.  It's really that good...


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## intjonmiller (Feb 20, 2017)

That's funny. I'm halfway through this video. Had to stop to get kids in bed, so I picked up my phone while I wait for them to brush their teeth and I see a post about an incredible YouTube channel and machinist. Had to laugh when I saw the thumbnail. 

Robin is excellent. His stuff is often way over my head but I enjoy watching it anyway.


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## Zengineer (Feb 21, 2017)

Will check it out, thanks for posting!


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## Silverbullet (Feb 21, 2017)

Great idea , sure will help for parting proble


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## Silverbullet (Feb 21, 2017)

Great idea, that will really help cure parting problems. There's only a few reasons to need a compound , tapers ,,,short ones,, and threading. If you have ever ran a Hardinage turret LATHE when set up there's either a cut off tool on the head stock or on the back of the cross slide. And it's mounted in a very solid block. His set up makes it as rock solid as any I've ever ran besides the giant Warner& Swazey turret LATHES those are massively built.


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## Bob Korves (Feb 21, 2017)

Silverbullet said:


> (snip)There's only a few reasons to need a compound , tapers ,,,short ones,, and threading.(snip)


The compound is not needed for threading, and lots of machinists know it.  I have almost never used it for threading, but I might if I want to make an 8 TPI or coarser thread, might be some slight advantage there.  No need for anything that coarse so far...  Interestingly, I often keep the compound set at 29 degrees off the X axis, but never feed with the compound for threading.  About the only thing I use the compound for is short tapers and accurate facing cut depth settings.  My compound gib is normally set very snug to try to keep some rigidity.


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## Chipper5783 (Feb 22, 2017)

Bob, thank you for sharing the link (and thank you to Robin for the content he is sharing) - I really enjoyed Robin's video.  Now I have something else I didn't know I needed, that I now know I need!

I have fairly sturdy machines and I don't think I have a problem with the performance of the compound.  Maybe I do and now I know and so I do?  I certainly get it that all metal moves and when you get right down to it, nothing is really and truely solid.  Every additional element in a mechanical system will add flexibility.  The machine I am looking at is my 15" Enterprise - not a heavy pattern machine (D1-4 spindle and MT3 tailstock) and I am using a Phase II CXA (I have a center relieved washer underneath so the clamp force is out from the center bolt).  By in large I am happy with the result.  Sure, I have shifted the tool post on occasion - but usually I have done something extreme.

I find I don't use the compound very often (I leave it pulled back to just cover the nose, with the dial set on zero).  I leave mine mostly at 45° for doing little bevels.  I do use it for threading, set at 29°.  I acknowledge that the 29° thing is not necessary - but it is no big deal so that is usually the approach I take for threading.  If the compound was gone, I would not go to the trouble of installing it just for threading.  Going to a solid block would be quite a bit stiffer.

Robin pointed out he is using a better than average machine and it has a really good compound (an HVLH - no kidding).  In spite of that, Robin sees real value in a solid post.  I'm a hobby guy - I'm going to believe him.
Robin presents that a big part of the reason for a solid tool post is to maintain the DRO tool offsets in 50+ tool holders!!

I don't have a DRO and only a dozen holders (so I do some switching of tools in the holders).  Still, it seems a solid tool post would be a good deal.

I use a solid rear post for part off - it works great (blade inverted).  Parting off from the front worked fine, but the rear post saves one holder and only takes a few extra seconds to set up (once set it is always dead on square and at center height).

Right now I commonly drill from the tool post (depending on the size of drill).  For even larger drills, I'd rather be right off the cross slide.  Likewise for good sized boring bars, I think a solid post would be an improvement.

Clearly Robin's solution is good (very good).  I'm thinking a lesser effort would provide most of the benefit.  I'm one of those guys that rarely actually makes anything that leaves the building.  I'm usually fixing or adding to the machines or related tooling!

The lathe in question has a flat cross slide with 2 long t-slots and the round T-slot for the existing compound.  I'm thinking of a sub-plate bolted into the existing T-slots, with several T-slots parallel to the axis of the lathe.  Granted I'd lose a little swing over the cross slide, but I rarely have a job that big between centers (either large and hanging off the spindle, or long and thin supported at the tail stock).  Then one could bolt on any number of different posts key'd into the T-slot: my existing rear post (which is presently mounted on its' own little block), a center mounted post for larger boring bars (sleeved as needed) or larger MT drills (with adapter sleeve), also a post similar to Robin's for the CXA locked against rotation but with a couple mounting positions (maybe a dowel pin pressed into the bottom of the post that could register into reamed holes in the lower post?).

Has anyone heard of solid posts (a selection of them) on the cross slide of a conventional lathe?


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## Bob Korves (Feb 23, 2017)

Robin does production quantities of parts and tools with repeatable accuracy to a tenth -- and tighter yet!  He really needs all the rigidity and accuracy help he can get.  Most of the stuff he makes is small and fussy.  If you want to learn about really interesting setups and thinking outside the box, watch his videos.  They are addicting, and he is the Real Deal.


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## Ulma Doctor (Feb 23, 2017)

Bob Korves said:


> Robin does production quantities of parts and tools with repeatable accuracy to a tenth -- and tighter yet!  He really needs all the rigidity and accuracy help he can get.  Most of the stuff he makes is small and fussy.  If you want to learn about really interesting setups and thinking outside the box, watch his videos.  They are addicting, and he is the Real Deal.


His stuff is great Bob!
i got lost on his channel quite a few times
he really is an interesting and talented machinist


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## JohnBDownunder (Feb 26, 2017)

Oh dear, another item added to my round-tuit list. I have a 7x12 but think I can adapt it and any improvement in rigidity is a bonus. Thanks for the link = another channel to subscribe to.
John B


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## sanddan (Feb 26, 2017)

I just found his channel a week ago, great content. His series on threading is very good.


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## m2salmon (Feb 26, 2017)

I watched robins video last night and have been thinking about it off and on throughout the day. At fist I was surprised that someone with a HLV would be removing one of the major assemblies because it did not serve their purpose and re-engineering a home brewed replacement. This is a machine that some consider to be the best tool room lathe ever produced.  And robins machine is not a machine begging for repairs, that compoond looks new.  I guess if you are looking to consistently hold tenths and do it efficiently it makes sense. Honestly I think it would be worth it on the small import benchtops, the Atlases, and the smaller South bend machines- here the added stiffness would go a long way in an already low stiffness machine. For typical guys with larger lathes with more stiffness who don't have plus or minus a tenth tolerances on all their parts, it doesn't really make sense considering the cost and effort to make, the time to switchover when you want to use the compound and the loss of adaptability when you don't have the quantity of tooling Robin does to cover every situation. I don't have 50+ tool holders and I'm always scrambling to find a cutter option that will get the job done. I also frequently change the angle of my tool post for cutter clearance and in some cases to change the angle of approach with say a boring bar to minimize chatter to improve surface finish. This doesn't appear to be possible with this setup. Id like to hear others thoughts but to me the drop in versatility given more limited cutter and holder options isn't worth it unless you have a bench tip size machine or like the author your working to precision at quantities most hobbiests are not.  That being said I'm going to binge watch Robin's channel- thanks for the link I had never seen him before.


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## Bob Korves (Feb 26, 2017)

m2salmon said:


> That being said I'm going to binge watch Stacey's channel- thanks for the link I had never seen him before.


Stacey?


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## JayMcClellan (Feb 27, 2017)

I'm thinking of making something similar for my Logan 210 lathe. I could make something that would bolt to the existing cross slide, but it seems like the best (certainly most rigid) approach would be to machine a single piece to completely replace the top slide i.e. with a dovetail cut into the bottom to fit the cross-slide ways, and about 3 inches high so my toolpost mounts on top. Maybe this is a dumb newbie question but - is there any reason not to make it that way, and any reason not to make it out of steel? The reason I ask is that I can get a suitable block of mild steel pretty cheap at the local used metal store, but cast iron not so much. Is steel sliding on the iron ways a bad idea, for wear or other reasons?


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## Bob Korves (Feb 27, 2017)

JayMcClellan said:


> I'm thinking of making something similar for my Logan 210 lathe. I could make something that would bolt to the existing cross slide, but it seems like the best (certainly most rigid) approach would be to machine a single piece to completely replace the top slide i.e. with a dovetail cut into the bottom to fit the cross-slide ways, and about 3 inches high so my toolpost mounts on top. Maybe this is a dumb newbie question but - is there any reason not to make it that way, and any reason not to make it out of steel? The reason I ask is that I can get a suitable block of mild steel pretty cheap at the local used metal store, but cast iron not so much. Is steel sliding on the iron ways a bad idea, for wear or other reasons?


That would work, but it is not a simple job, at least not if it is done right...  The good news is that you would still have the original setup complete and unmodified for other uses.  If you don't alter any of the original parts from the lathe, you can always go back to original if you don't like it or have problems in making it.


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