# T-Slot Cross Slide Project



## Briney Eye (Oct 31, 2019)

Just floating an idea here.  I've gotten it into my head to try building an extended T-slot cross slide for my Model 200 based on Myford's design.  To make building it "easier" I've made the circular compound T slot a two-piece design.  I would also like to mount a magnetic encoder under the slide a la M-DRO (www.machine-dro.co.uk), which is the reason for the extension block on the tail end.  I currently have a TouchDRO setup with the X-axis scale mounted in the space above the screw, it works really well, and the flat surface of the chip cover is very handy.  It doesn't reduce the Z-axis travel, it doesn't interfere with the follower rest, and it minimizes sine error.  While I was at it I added some ball oilers for the dovetails and the screw.

What would y'all think of a project series here and YouTube video(s)?


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## brino (Oct 31, 2019)

Briney Eye said:


> What would y'all think of a project series here and YouTube video(s)?



That's a thread that I would subscribe to!
Would love to have one for my Southbend 9".

-brino


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Oct 31, 2019)

What he ^ said.


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## T. J. (Oct 31, 2019)

I think that would be an excellent project!


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## mikey (Oct 31, 2019)

Great idea! I wondered if it would be stronger if you ran maybe two T-slots lengthwise instead of four across. It would also be a lot less machining and allows you to slide rear mounted tools anywhere along those slots. Hope you build this because there are a lot of small older lathes that would benefit from being able to rear mount tools.


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## tmenyc (Oct 31, 2019)

I would love one of those to replace my 820's sloped cross-slide.  All that great real estate for mounting indicators would be available; now it's useless.  Looking forward to seeing your build!
Tim


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## ddickey (Oct 31, 2019)

mikey said:


> Great idea! I wondered if it would be stronger if you ran maybe two T-slots lengthwise instead of four across. It would also be a lot less machining and allows you to slide rear mounted tools anywhere along those slots. Hope you build this because there are a lot of small older lathes that would benefit from being able to rear mount tools.


Mikey,
According to Rob they will make the cross slide weaker. Mine has slots that run lengthwise but only about 40% length of the cross slide.


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## C-Bag (Oct 31, 2019)

ddickey said:


> Mikey,
> According to Rob they will make the cross slide weaker. Mine has slots that run lengthwise but only about 40% length of the cross slide.


Well that was unexpected! Something to think about as it made sense. I think it's weird that like with my 9x20 this was not a weird idea cooked up by China, is a knockoff of the Swedish Emco. And their crosslide are slotted with the crosslide it seems up to the Super 11, then they are not slotted at all. Makes you wonder....hmmm.


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## mikey (Oct 31, 2019)

ddickey said:


> Mikey,
> According to Rob they will make the cross slide weaker. Mine has slots that run lengthwise but only about 40% length of the cross slide.



I dunno, sounds like one guy's opinion. It's on Youtube so it must be true, right?  

My Sherline lathe has an aluminum cross slide and I have noted no issues with mounting tools at the rear. If anything, things are more rigid back there. My Emco Super 11 also has T-slots running down the length of the cross slide and I have had zero issues with that. So, based on long experience, I don't buy his theory.


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## Jimsehr (Nov 1, 2019)

tmenyc said:


> I would love one of those to replace my 820's sloped cross-slide.  All that great real estate for mounting indicators would be available; now it's useless.  Looking forward to seeing your build!
> Tim


If you look in the old Logan catalog the 820‘s had a optional front and back cross slide.


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## Jimsehr (Nov 1, 2019)

I am so old school I started in a machine shop on a  brand new 11 inch Logan with a cross slide 
with a tool post in the front side and another post in the back side. With production work we often timed tools. Timing tools meant facing part with front tool and using the same stop we might put a groove tool in the back to hold length from face of part to the groove location. There were times we would time 2 or 3 tools at a time.
Jim


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## wa5cab (Nov 1, 2019)

Atlas up through about the 1950's offered a cross slide that came with a 4-way turret tool post at the front and a fixed tool post for one tool at the rear.  It had front and rear adjustable stops on the right side.  However, it had no compound feed capability so threading with it would have been undesirable.


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## jwmay (Nov 1, 2019)

__





						Atlas/Craftsman Type Cross Slide (A-11)
					





					mlatoolbox.com
				




This may lend a head start. He sells two different cross slide castings. Neither is meant for a Logan, but I believe they’ve been adapted. The overall dimensions are fairly close to what you’ve drawn.


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## Jimsehr (Nov 1, 2019)

eBay has a Logan double tool post cross slide & 2 tool posts for $150 bucks. It only takes a short time to change cross slides from the standard to the double.


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## Briney Eye (Nov 2, 2019)

tmenyc said:


> I would love one of those to replace my 820's sloped cross-slide.  All that great real estate for mounting indicators would be available; now it's useless.  Looking forward to seeing your build!
> Tim


I figure on making an indicator adapter for the front slot.  Long t-nut, Noga arm screwed into one end and a thumb screw to lock it on the other end.

A slab of ductile iron the right size is $75 from McMaster-Carr.  Anybody have suggestions for other suppliers?


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## wa5cab (Nov 2, 2019)

One word of caution in the unlikely event that anyone else has a custom back-splash attached to the rear of the drip pan as my Atlas 3996 does.  I spent quite a bit of time and not a little money tracking down and buying the Atlas version of the T-slot cross slide only to find that in order to install it, I would have to either remove the back splash, cut an access door in the back splash, or remove the entire cross feed screw assembly (to install from the front) in order to install it.


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## jwmay (Nov 2, 2019)

Briney Eye said:


> Anybody have suggestions for other suppliers?







I wasn’t sure if you were trying to be polite by not saying “I don’t want that”, or if you just happened to miss the suggestion. Lol. They’re both a little shorter than you’d shown, but the cost is comparable to your McMaster quote. I don’t know if having the t slots cast in is really an advantage though. The cutters may last longer without having to get through all the scale.  I was quite happy once the scale removing portion was behind me anyways.


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## Briney Eye (Nov 2, 2019)

Thanks. I know about that one, and the price is very reasonable compared to raw material (and McMaster is just about as good as any place I can find).

With my slide all the way out it's exactly 12" to the back side of the carriage.  If I go with the full 12" length and the M-DRO to replace my TouchDRO setup, then I can also use the M-DRO embedded magnetic scale kit.


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## tmenyc (Nov 2, 2019)

Jimsehr said:


> eBay has a Logan double tool post cross slide & 2 tool posts for $150 bucks. It only takes a short time to change cross slides from the standard to the double.


very interesting indeed.  Thanks for finding it!


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