Since I need to drill and tap into the backs of the collets for the 4-40 drawbar, I center drilled the backs of the stubs there still on.
Also did a lot on the tailstock today.
Drilled for the 5/16" tailstock ram, worked on the lock to hold the tailstock in place, and started work on the tailstock ram.
Made a little plug to become a lock. These plugs with the notch take awhile to machine. Easy, but they take awhile.
Some very careful eyeballing a center over a scribe line can get you extremely close. This is a 5/16" shaft on the dot with a 5/16" reamed hole in the tailstock. The spindle slips into the tailstock ram hole perfectly. That means the tailstock is aligned to the spindle probably within a thou or two. Not bad for eyeballing! Okay....I used a 7x Coddington magnifier. But still.
Next I shortened the tailstock because it's too tall. I would've loved to see this turn into chips flying all over but I like to save every bit of metal I can. Comes in handy later.
While knocking the corners off with a countersink I had a little crash. The countersink sucked the tailstock out of the vise and chowderd it up. So I had to cut a little off the side to get rid of the little mistake. Thankfully it happened while I had a good bit left to cut, so there was not much to clean up.
I flycut the sides of the tailstock and it looks really nice.
I don't plan to turn between centers so I don't need to put a lock on the tailstock ram. But I may in case the need comes up or it's future owner wants too.
Have left to do:
1. Finish tailstock
2. Make stand
3. Make box/motor mount
4. Finish cross slide
5. Toolpost for cross slide
6. Make flatbelt pulleys and some flat belts (flat belts transfer more torque than a V or round belt with less friction)
7. Cut keyway in round bed for tailstock alignment.
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