Made myself a Christmas present

[dml66]

I use the thin ruler technique for setting cutter height with the lathe, one minor quibble: Finding a suitable co-witness for the ruler that's known to be perpendicular. There are plenty things which should be, and may be perpendicular, like the headstock, but they aren't always easily co-witnessed with the ruler.

I searched for gages that might be compact enough to fit in with mini lathe size constraints, didn't find a thing. I have a few small round magnets and a piece of 5/16" diameter steel rod, maybe a magnetic-ended rod would be the answer .

Christmas Eve I faced the steel rod and using JB Weld, adhered the magnet to the faced end. Today I faced the magnet and did a bit of cleanup on the OD. Also spot drilled the magnet center to make a hole for any facing nub that might come up. The magnet may be a ceramic type, there are a few chips around the circumference. The face is flat though, and perpendicular to the rod.



I stood the rod on the lathe bed with a counter-facing machinists square, the daylight gap looks pretty good.



Here's what it looks like from the tailstock end. So far so good, we'll see if it really pans out.

 

[GrifterGuru]

@dml66

Nice piece of work. I was wondering if you had used the square to check verticality when setting tool height with the "scale between tool and centre" trick. Verticality looks good between the mag-rod and the square!

Any more phots/details on the Mini and what, if any, mods (other than the brushless motor) you have done to it?

BTW, the bedway webs look too clean! How much time do you spend cleaning it? LOL

I can't get mine looking that clean even using cleaners and a toothbrush!

 

[Nutfarmer]

Just eye balling the scale is usually fine. What ever works for you is fine. When I picked up the Hardinge lathe it came with a height gauge to set tool height. I had never seen that way of setting tool heights before

 

[dml66]

Any more phots/details on the Mini and what, if any, mods (other than the brushless motor) you have done to it?

BTW, the bedway webs look too clean! How much time do you spend cleaning it? LOL

The bedway looks new because it is; the lathe started out as a 7x10, LMS had a sale on the 16" bed kit earlier this year, this lathe is wearing one.

Other upgrades include X and Z axis 1 micron magnetic scales with a homemade DRO, solid tool post base, spindle encoder tach, angular contact spindle bearings and a brushless DC motor-driven carriage feed.

 

[GrifterGuru]

The bedway looks new because it is; the lathe started out as a 7x10, LMS had a sale on the 16" bed kit earlier this year, this lathe is wearing one.

Other upgrades include X and Z axis 1 micron magnetic scales with a homemade DRO, solid tool post base, spindle encoder tach, angular contact spindle bearings and a brushless DC motor-driven carriage feed.

Sounds an interesting setup. Bet you are loving that extra bedspace!

Currently rebuilding a 7x myself. Went with a 16" bed, plus a HiLo head and an 1100w motor kit. Have seen the thread? If not, it is HERE (<<< LINK).

Close to doing a dry build before stripping back for paint now the bulk of the custom machining is done.

 

[dml66]

Sounds an interesting setup. Bet you are loving that extra bedspace!

Currently rebuilding a 7x myself. Went with a 16" bed, plus a HiLo head and an 1100w motor kit. Have seen the thread? If not, it is HERE (<<< LINK).

Close to doing a dry build before stripping back for paint now the bulk of the custom machining is done.

I just went through your thread, looking very nice!

One thing I reversed on mine is going all steel gears in the headstock. I left the spindle gear metal because I really don't want to pull the spindle bearings, again. When I first fired up the all metal gears, the noise level was off my chart, the plastic gears run quieter and if they ever do become ruined, the shaft they ride on is easy to remove. Truth be known, I've felt tempted to go back to plastic on the spindle too.

 

[GrifterGuru]

I just went through your thread, looking very nice!

One thing I reversed on mine is going all steel gears in the headstock. I left the spindle gear metal because I really don't want to pull the spindle bearings, again. When I first fired up the all metal gears, the noise level was off my chart, the plastic gears run quieter and if they ever do become ruined, the shaft they ride on is easy to remove. Truth be known, I've felt tempted to go back to plastic on the spindle too.

I stuck with metal inside the head for the simple reason I do not ant to be dealing with having to tear the damn thing down if one of them shears a tooth or few. I can deal with what little noise I hear from them.

As for the Change gear train, I have eliminated the need for it with an ELS kit, though I have kept everything in place, bar the change-gears, should I ever need to use them.

Should be a chunky update on the rebuild in the new year. Lots of things getting finished, a couple of things being started, along with the ELS kit, motor kit and custom contol panel. Hoping to have it finished soon.

 

[dml66]

As for the Change gear train, I have eliminated the need for it with an ELS kit, though I have kept everything in place, bar the change-gears, should I ever need to use them.

Is the ELS kit something that's available to purchase? I'd sure like to see what it looks like.

 

[GrifterGuru]

Is the ELS kit something that's available to purchase? I'd sure like to see what it looks like.

@dml66

Yup, it's a kit that is available. I'll drop you a PM with the details.