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full travel on compound feed 7x mini lathe reveals wobble
- Thread starter pds65
- Start date
If you like the smoother motion provided by the compound, another approach would be to put a hand crank on the end of the lead screw. To use it, just engage the half nuts and turn the crank. You can use your lathe to drill & tap a hole on the end of the lead screw for mounting a hand wheel/crank. I did this and use it fairly often. I used a shoulder bolt to install the handle so it turns freely as I turn the crank. This really isn't a necessity but does make it a bit more user friendly.
Warning: you want to remove the crank if you are using the power feed or threading. The crank handle thrashing around could be hazardous to your health! More sophisticated hand crank designs provide some way to disconnect the crank.
Warning: you want to remove the crank if you are using the power feed or threading. The crank handle thrashing around could be hazardous to your health! More sophisticated hand crank designs provide some way to disconnect the crank.
McMaster-Carr (and I'm sure other sources) sell handwheels with fold-away handles. That might be a safe alternative. The way McMaster's website is set up, I can't offer a working link. But if you go their site, search for "handwheel folding handle" and scroll down till you see:
Spoked Hand Wheels with
Unthreaded Through Hole
and Fold-Away Revolving Handle
Good suggestion about the fold-away handle, but McMaster sure is proud of those -- $65 and up. I did find one on Ebay for a little over $10. Made from aluminum, it probably would work OK.