# Need some cross slide dovetail measurements for the 10R, 10k, and 9"



## ScrapMetal (Mar 22, 2013)

I have been trying to find a threading stop for my 11" SB.  I figure that before I went and bought some Durabar and ruined a couple of dovetail cutters I would try and see if the cross slide dovetail on mine happened to match up with one on a different size SB.  I saw a great deal on a stop for a 13" and went ahead and bought it, figuring that at the worst I could use it as a model for making one the correct size.  I quickly found out that it is much too big.  No surprise there.

Okay, last effort before ordering the Durabar...  Found another stop that was supposedly off a heavy 10".  When I it showed up I found that is was the exact same size as my original 13".  I figure it must have been a mistake and the seller didn't know exactly what he had or that, stranger things have happened, the heavy 10 actually matches the 13.  I really, really doubt it but what do I know? 

Now, finally, for the "smart" thing.  I'm asking you guys to take some measurements of your cross slide dovetails so I can see if any happen to match mine.

I would really appreciate it!

Thanks much,

-Ron


----------



## wayne w (Mar 22, 2013)

my name is wayne, I am new to this forum. I have a 1944 sb 10 r.  I took these measurements with a dig. caliper of questionable quality. top(widest part) 2.043''. bottom (narrow part) 1.632""  depth (height) 0.254".  the length of the cross slide is approx. 7" and the width is approx.3 1/2.  I hope this helps, but keep in mind the  accuracy of the measurements.


----------



## ScrapMetal (Mar 22, 2013)

Wayne, that'll be good enough for me to get an idea of whether it will work or not.  This particular piece isn't "exact" by any means to begin with.

I'll measure mine dovetail tomorrow if I get out to the shop and post what I find.

Thanks much,

-Ron


----------



## GK1918 (Mar 23, 2013)

Hi Ron, there are solutions,   Moons ago I made a split collar clamped to the crossfeed snout just 
behind the dial.  Just picture a small connecting rod suppose a lawnmower rod will do.  drilled the
1/4 20 and used that for years.  No doves to deal with, good thing it can stay and be swung away
and out of the way.  And for internal threads I simply put the 1/4-20 in backwards with two locknuts.
aint pretty but works.  Big ole GK different story, that crossilde is massive, so I took 1 inch square stock, cut the male dovetail angles on shaper lightly c clamped in female (cross s) and tacked a 1x1 " over the top. 
took off welded up then drilled and tapped on the top for two allens (so it tightens upward) to lock it.
then the center hole and that works.


----------



## Old Iron (Mar 23, 2013)

Ron why not just mill down one of the ones you have shouldn't be that hard. I made one for a Clausing Lathe out of steel.

Paul


----------



## ScrapMetal (Mar 24, 2013)

GK1918 said:


> Hi Ron, there are solutions,   Moons ago I made a split collar clamped to the crossfeed snout just
> behind the dial.  Just picture a small connecting rod suppose a lawnmower rod will do.  drilled the
> 1/4 20 and used that for years.  No doves to deal with, good thing it can stay and be swung away
> and out of the way.  And for internal threads I simply put the 1/4-20 in backwards with two locknuts.
> ...



That sounds like a very good solution.  I may use it until I find/make something more like the original.  It's one of those things you get in your head that you want and it's got to be "just so". :nuts:  I really appreciate your pragmatic approach though. 

Thanks!



Old Iron said:


> Ron why not just mill down one of the ones you have shouldn't be that hard. I made one for a Clausing Lathe out of steel.
> 
> Paul



That occurred to me as well, that is until it sunk in that there was a sizable hole in the "center" of the stop.  There is also a "block" in the center of the casting where the hole is so re-working the piece and have it come out looking halfway decent would be a royal p.i.t.a.  I'm guessing it would be easier just to make a new one.  That and the fact that I have a real hard time cutting up "old" machine parts that are still functional as-is.

I'll take a pic of one of the stops I have so you can see what I'm talking about.

In the mean time, I did get some rough (and I do mean _rough_) measurements from the cross slide dovetail on the 11".




As the dovetail doesn't have that sharp of angles the measurements will be "off" at best but with the design of the stock threading stops it should be good enough for a comparison.  Looking back at the numbers Wayne posted I'm surprised to see that my dovetail is 1/4" wider and twice as tall.  I've got to believe that there were some "cross over" parts between machines.  They couldn't have made each size with completely proprietary parts, could they?

-Ron


----------



## Ulma Doctor (Mar 24, 2013)

i'm not trying to advertise for ebay but here's what the thread stop looks like:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/South-Bend-...920?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a2aeee1f8

it has a split design, meaning there are 2 parts to it a bolt tightens 2 pinch plates together to accommodate different dovetails.
i hope the illustration helps out.


----------



## ScrapMetal (Mar 24, 2013)

Thanks Ulma.  Now that's one less picture I need to take tomorrow. :tiphat:

-Ron


----------



## ScrapMetal (Apr 3, 2013)

Just wanted to give a follow-up on the issue I was having.  The key word is "was".  I happened to be looking through the SB stuff on e-bay and found someone had posted a thread stop for sale.  He wasn't sure what it was off of, maybe a 9" or 10" (what he wrote he was wrong though).  He did give a couple measurements from it though.  The number he gave for the wide part of the dovetail was almost spot-on to what I had but the narrow number was off quite a bit. I did a little math and figured he just wasn't real good reading a ruler.  )

Bid on it, won it.  Just received it earlier today.  It fits perfectly and I paid less than what I would have for the raw material to make one.

Happy ending.

-Ron


----------



## ScrapMetal (Apr 7, 2013)

Okay, I had the camera out in the shop so I just had to...




The color almost matches even! 

-Ron


----------



## Old Iron (Apr 7, 2013)

Looks like it belongs on there good score.

Paul


----------



## Daver (Apr 7, 2013)

Ok, I get that stops are almost always for ease of repeatability. Excuse my ignorance, but can someone give ma breakdown on the procedure using it?


----------



## ScrapMetal (Apr 8, 2013)

This is the best explanation I have.  It's a partial page from SB's "How to Run a Lathe"




Hope that helps,

-Ron


----------

