# AWW FUDGE! Busted my TH42 compound slide!



## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

Was parting off a piece of 3/4 mild steel rod. Just as I was thinking I don't like the looks of the chips, the parting blade dives under the rod and the tool post actually tilts!

What the......?!?!?!

Slammed the quick stop as fast as I could, but it was already too late:










and then:



Yep, snapped clean off. No idea why, everything was set right. Centered to work (if anything, it was a couple thou high), perpendicular to the work,, sharp tooling, coumpounf back over the crossslide and fully supported, tool stickout minimized, everytihg locked down, lots of oil, etc, etc.

Started off cutting fine, then the chips went kind of "gummy" looking and right at the instant I thought "don't like that, pull it back out", it decided to take the nose dive.



I did everything right that I can think of, I'm half guessing there was something in the steel (ie: inclusion of something) that contributed to this debacle. Whatever, it's a cold hard fact now.

 ->->->

I cruise ebay, nothing used for a 10". Only thing there is a new steel one at almost $280 (Cdn, exchange and shipping makes everything nuts here).

So it looks like these are my options: wait for used to show up and pay waaay too much for it, buy something new for equally crazy money, or maybe see if I can buy a bit of tooling and make one myself.

Making one may be possible, but it's got to be on the outside of my capabilities. I've got a collet for the spindle that I use for small jobs and I've got the milling attachment. The ebay pictures of the "new" one don't look that complicated:






Of the top of my head, I'll need a dovetail cutter and a T-slot cutter. The rest just looks like drills and end mills, which I already have. But again; whether I can manage that on my TH42 is the question. I'm sure I can build it, it's just a matter of getting it accurate enough....

Good news is I can finish the project for my tractor shift linkage without the lathe. Bad news is I need it to finish building the drive section for my Argo 8x8.

Any advice on how to go with getting/building a new compound?

Sheesh, one step forward, two steps back.....


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## SubtleHustle (Jan 22, 2019)

Tubalcain, mrpete, has a video series of him making one for an atlas, I believe. He goes through the process very clearly. You should have a look at that, it should be very similiar.


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## SubtleHustle (Jan 22, 2019)

The link for the first part.


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

SubtleHustle said:


> The link for the first part.


Thanks, I'll check it out. Not much else to do right now anyways....lol!


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## macardoso (Jan 22, 2019)

Dang, thats sucks. Sorry man! You can certainly make a new one. Good luck!


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## f350ca (Jan 22, 2019)

You could build a solid post to replace the compound. Get you by for now. The solid post is amazingly stiffer than the compound

Greg


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## Shootymacshootface (Jan 22, 2019)

Sorry dude.


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## Janderso (Jan 22, 2019)

That's awful.
What about E-bay?
I see used lathe components all the time.
Good luck.


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## macardoso (Jan 22, 2019)

Totally not making fun of you, but I found it amusing to see your post from yesterday about parting on this lathe and this one about 5 lines apart on the "Whats new" list.

Hope you get it fixed up quick.


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## Janderso (Jan 22, 2019)

Will this work?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-At...c:g:k5sAAOSwyulbz4aM:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

I might drop into the local shop and see what they would want to make one. I may go that way if it's not too much. Quickest way to get back up to speed again....


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

Janderso said:


> Will this work?
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-At...c:g:k5sAAOSwyulbz4aM:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true


nope.


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

macardoso said:


> Totally not making fun of you, but I found it amusing to see your post from yesterday about parting on this lathe and this one about 5 lines apart on the "Whats new" list.
> 
> Hope you get it fixed up quick.



Nah, it's ok. 

I was thinking the same thing.....


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## bpimm (Jan 22, 2019)

I made one for my Seneca falls star lathe, one of my first milling projects, I bet your milling attachment is as stable as my bench top mill.
If I could do it, you can too.


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## francist (Jan 22, 2019)

Ouch! That's really unfortunate. I'm in the same boat with one of my 6" lathes, when I got the machine the compound slide was already broken in exactly the same place. The casting is just sooo thin there...

I would give some thought to Greg's suggestion of a solid plinth. Even if it isn't forever and you still want a compound (I would), the solid plinth would be easier to build and have the lathe functional again. When you get another compound, either new or old, keep the solid plinth for heavy parting jobs or just as a spare behind the ear. 

-frank


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

My biggest issue is i don't have the right tooling here and it's not something that can be sourced locally (no stores). 3 hr round trip is the closest possibility.

Talked to a local shop over the phone. He want to look at it and may take a crack at welding the cast. If not, he can make me one. We didn't discuss price. 

Welding the cast I'm not keen on as it's not overly strong to begin with.

I might let him take a shot at welding it as it might get me back up and spinning (light work) until I can either get the right tooling or have them make me one.


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## pdentrem (Jan 22, 2019)

The top slide was too far forward and not supported against the loading. Happens. Mine was broken and repaired before I even bought mine. It was brazed together. I built a new one before the repaired one broke again in this topic.


https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/replacement-compound-slide-for-atlas-10.708/


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## WCraig (Jan 22, 2019)

Glad nobody got hurt.  Machines can always be repaired or replaced.

Craig


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## DiscoDan (Jan 22, 2019)

Try www.mymachineshop.net.

http://www.mymachineshop.net/SearchResults.asp?searching=Y&sort=13&search=compound&show=6&page=3


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

pdentrem said:


> The top slide was too far forward and not supported against the loading. Happens. Mine was broken and repaired before I even bought mine. It was brazed together. I built a new one before the repaired one broke again in this topic.
> 
> 
> https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/replacement-compound-slide-for-atlas-10.708/




Nope. I made sure i had it back on the cross slide. Always do when parting, trying to get it all as rigid as possible.

I did look at your other thread though. Gave me the idea that I might not need a T slot, just a threaded hole for my tool post. That would mean I can probably just build a plinth with what I have here and that will at least get me up and running...


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

So I finally got to where i could stand to look at it again. 

A closer examination of the break reveals it had been propagating for a long time. From the looks of the origin point, longer than I have had it. Crack started in the middle of the piece somehow and worked it's way out. 

It was a ticking bomb and only a matter of time before it would go "kaboom".


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## lordbeezer (Jan 22, 2019)

Can you measure height of compound.i have one in my extras pile but it looks taller than yours


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Jan 22, 2019)

Maybe this one would fit? 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ATLAS-12-C...m=372566075282&_trksid=p2056116.c100930.m5375


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

“Purists” may want to look away at this point:




This is pure “working with what I have available”.

I haven’t spun it up yet, but if it works, that chunk of round will becone a plinth for my qctp.

The top is just a “drill and tap” for the tool post, the bottom I can get very close with the drills and finish with a little boring.

By coincidence, the piece I parted off in my other thread is very close to the right height for a plinth. If I can face off a bit of it, it will be bang on.

If this works, I can leave the broken compound slide with the machine shop and they can build a new one with the old one for measurements.

Fingers crossed it cuts decently...


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## pdentrem (Jan 22, 2019)

Most of the top slides on these old Atlas/Craftsman lathe are fragile castings. Making a new one out of steel will outlast all of us. 

With that milling attachment you could tackle making a new slide, just will take time due to light cuts. As for your setup, sharp tool and light cuts to start and I would think you will be fine.


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

Latinrascalrg1 said:


> Maybe this one would fit?
> 
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/ATLAS-12-C...m=372566075282&_trksid=p2056116.c100930.m5375


Don’t think so. I think the 12” has a taller compound slide.


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

Well, it looks a little “ungainly”, but it’s making chips:




I can take a .020 cut without any protest from the rig. I don’t want to push it any more than that.

My little “home brew” micrometer stop is also working out. I can actually make accurate cuts with it.

I’m having to pretty much “sit on top of it” while its running to make sure it’s not having a problem, but it’s working. At least I can enjoy the scenery while stuck in one spot:






This might work out OK after all...especially considering that compound slide was going to break sooner or later and it became trapped this time rather than shooting across the shop or something worse...


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## great white (Jan 22, 2019)

Oh yeah baby!




That is so money!

I was able to get the machining done that I needed by holding the qctp holders in the milling attachment. It was a little “fiddle-y” but I got it.

All thats left now is drilling and tapping. One on the top for the qctp hold down bolt and two for the cross slide hold downs.

Now that I can use the lathe again, I can think about building my own compound slide. I think I can with the milling attachment (and a few new cutters), but it’s going to take some “creative postioning” as the milling attachment vice is just small enough that it will only hold the work piece in one way. I have to install in on the cross slide and make sure I have enough travel to cut the dovetails and T slot.

But, happy with how this has turned out so far!

Man, I am so glad I can build and repair my own stuff. You’re just never stuck when you have tools and even a sprinkle of knowledge.


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## pdentrem (Jan 22, 2019)

You may have to make a bolt on adapter to hold the work piece in the milling attachment. Almost all the machining is on the dovetail side and done with one set up. The top surface is simply fly cut and a hole drilled and tapped for the tool post bolt. Other than time, I would go for it.


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## Cadillac STS (Jan 22, 2019)

Looks like a nice fix with the solid mount and no cross slide. More rigid that way. Could just leave it like that for most all work.  See if the original cross could be welded for the occasional time it might be necessary, threading, tapers, etc..  keep an eye on eBay until something turns up?


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## Tozguy (Jan 23, 2019)

great white said:


> Welding the cast I'm not keen on as it's not overly strong to begin with.



Glad that you didn't try welding the old one. Very good work on the fix, inspiring even.



great white said:


> I can think about building my own compound slide.



Bingo


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## great white (Jan 23, 2019)

Well, I seemed to have missed something when I made the solid mount. IN order to put the "pinch pins" in the mount, I need to drill two holes and then install two screws to drive the pins. The mount wall is thick enough for the pins, but not the pins and the screws. 

So tomorrow, I'm going to look at machining up a couple "nubs" and welding them to the tool post so i can have enough depth to drill and mount the screws and the pins.

It's all pretty thick, hopefully it doesn't warp. If it does, a little clean up work will probably set it back to right.


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## Cadillac STS (Jan 24, 2019)

would it work to make a couple *very short* pins out of brass? Not use the original ones.  just something the screws could push against into the V?


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## great white (Jan 24, 2019)

Cadillac STS said:


> would it work to make a couple *very short* pins out of brass? Not use the original ones.  just something the screws could push against into the V?



Maybe, but it’s easier for me to just weld on a coupke nubs, machine them down, drill and tap and use standard dimension stuff.

The pins would be very short if I don’t add material and I would worry about them being unsupported in thier bores. Possibly leading to a failure of the tool post mount during heavy use...not something I wish to experience...again.

Lol!


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## great white (Jan 26, 2019)

Well, it's done and making chips:




Could it be "prettier"? Yup. Is it functional? Yup. Made some cuts and did some knurling, it's rock solid.

I did take a few moments and blend the welds into the body with the grinder as at least lip service towards the aesthetics.

Later down the road I may blend/smooth the welds a little better and apply some bluing compound to the whole thing.

But it's rock solid functional  and that's good enough for now.


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## ericc (Jan 26, 2019)

Looking good.  It looks strong.  Take your time with that compound fix.  It might be better to braze it.


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## Shootymacshootface (Jan 27, 2019)

Nice job!


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## SubtleHustle (Jan 27, 2019)

Glad you got a fix! Good job man!


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## Cadillac STS (Jan 27, 2019)

Since the block is round you could turn those screws to the back and out of sight.


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## great white (Jan 29, 2019)

Used it to part off yesterday. Much better than the compound rest! No chatter, much more forgiving to part off with. This will definitely now be my “go to” for parting operations on my Atlas!


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## pdentrem (Jan 29, 2019)

Cadillac STS said:


> Since the block is round you could turn those screws to the back and out of sight.



I wouldn’t as the forces would try to lift the back side up. Only those wedges are holding it in place.
Pierre


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## great white (Jan 29, 2019)

pdentrem said:


> I wouldn’t as the forces would try to lift the back side up. Only those wedges are holding it in place.
> Pierre



True enough. Form follows function...always.


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## Mercedes107 (Feb 24, 2019)

I made my self a rigid cast iron block to replace the compound. I still have the compound for when I need to do threading and tapering, but most of the time I'm doing turning, facing, boring and parting so the ridged block is the way to go. I run this on a Logan 922 11". It has made it able to part like a Hardinge.


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## NortonDommi (Feb 24, 2019)

I'm with *f350ca, *make a solid plinth.  You will use it all the time and only fit the compound when needed.  Bronze welding Cast Iron is a good solid repair and a pretty straight forward job and cleanup.  Make a new one at leisure.
  SS can be real *****y stuff to machine.  Can I suggest running the parting tool upside down?  If you have a screw on chuck there are several posts about solutions otherwise make a rear mount toolpost.  This is probably *the best* solution as it makes parting easy and safe.


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