Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modification?

Re: Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modificati

sssfox said:
Try retracting the compound slide as far as you can.
It appears that there are two socket head cap screws on the base that allow you to rotate it, but you can't get to them unless you retract the slide.

I found them in the parts list, but the manual I found is in Spanish and I don't read Spanish.
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Thank you so much sssfox and Billy, I must say I am very surprised by how helpful and gentile you have been.


I have found them and it works.... but its not practical, tough.

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Any one knows of any modification that I can do/add to have the angles marked and to easily lock the compound after a new angle has been set?

Best regards

20121201_192608.jpg 20121201_192849.jpg 20121201_193728.jpg
 
Re: Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modificati

DMS said:
I think your lathe is a cousin of my lath (a MicroMark 7x14). Others are correct, unwind the the compound until it is nearly all the way off, and you will see two screws. Loosen just a bit, adjust your angle, then tighten back down.

This is one of the most annoying parts of these lathes (having to remove the compound to adjust the compound angle). There is a mod you can do that gives you a cam-action lock, so you can adjust the angle "on the fly" but I would recommend getting more experience before you undertake it, as you can ruin your compound pretty easily if you make a mistake.
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Hi DMS,

Thank you! Can you post how to do that modification? I will not do it before I am certain of what I am doing :)
 
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Re: Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modificati

Any one knows of any modification that I can do/add to have the angles marked and to easily lock the compound after a new angle has been set?

Not sure if they are the same but the Harbor Freight rotates the same and looks to be the same set up. Their cross slide is marked and can be purchased at Little machine Shop. Maybe you can just switch it out with one of theirs.
 
Re: Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modificati

I saw this on You-Tube and if you look close in the beginning it looks like there is a semi circular degree scale. I would contact them and maybe you could buy one.
This guy must be on "speed" lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaZueNS7OzU
 
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Re: Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modificati

Richard King said:
I saw this on You-Tube and if you look close in the beginning it looks like there is a semi circular degree scale. I would be you could buy one.
This guy must be on "speed" lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaZueNS7OzU
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Richard : Indeed, its looks to be a semi circular degrees scale, it could do the trick... I have post a comment on that video.. lets see if the author replies with some help.

autonoz: I looked at the website and I can't find it ...

Thanks you both for your help!!
 
Re: Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modificati

sssfox said:
There aren't a lot of angles that you will use. You can set it using a sliding T bevel or angle gauge and scratch a line.
Next time you need that angle, set it to the line. It's a pain, but you will get used to it. If you don't like the idea of scratching it, use a marker.
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You are correct, its probably the easiest way for me and its certainly the cheapest!!:))
 
Re: Compound on Otpimum 180X300 Vario does not rotate. Is it possible to do a aftermarket modificati

I recommend a handheld protractor. The graduations on the compound mounted units are coarse, and it's not very accurate. Good enough for decorative bevels, but if you need an accurate angle, a handheld unit is going to be more accurate.

The plans for the cam-lock compound are available in the "premium" section of mini-lathe.com. There is also a lot of free stuff there too, especially if you are new to the lathe, and machining in general. I think the price for just the cam lock compound is around $7 US. Your compound looks a little larger (wider) than mine, the plans may not work "as is", but it's not complicated.

As far as turning conic/tapered sections, there are 3 ways to do it.

1) Adjust the compound. This works for shorter tapers.
2) Adjusting the tail stock offset. This can be tedious, as you have to re-align your tailstock to "center" once done. Some folks use a boring head in the tail stock to simulate the offset, and prevent having to re-align the tail stock
3) Taper attachment. Very flexible, can do long tapers. There are no off-the shelf taper attachments available for these small lathes, but there are plenty of plans available to build one yourself

I have used 1 and 2, and both work well. If you are trying to cut a machine taper (Morse taper, etc) you need to get the angle correct the a couple minutes. I recommend this procedure to do that, it works very well.

http://www.projectsinmetal.com/shop-tip-how-to-cut-a-morse-taper-the-easy-way/
 
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