Minor victories, modified AXA-8, first threads on my G0752Z

[Winegrower]

About change gears…yesterday I needed to make some adapters to add castering wheels to a lab table. This involved cutting a non-standard 13 TPI thread with an OD of 0.760”. The Takisawa QCGB does not have a 13 TPI native choice, but has a stack of change gears that I have avoided using for a few years now. So I set it up, got dirty from fingers to elbows, but cut the threads as expected. It was not really fun, so the NEXT lathe has to do all metric and imperial threads without change gears.

For now, I have a geometric die head with a good selection of threads, including 1/2-13, so perhaps I will not have to do this again for awhile. I hope.

 

[John281]

For you and other G0602/G0752 users out there, here is a a handy threading chart that shows the thread pitches for inch and metric gear/gearbox combinations in case you want to cut a pitch that isn't shown on the placard.
I didn't make this chart and I can't remember where I found it.

 

[WobblyHand]

For you and other G0602/G0752 users out there, here is a a handy threading chart that shows the thread pitches for inch and metric gear/gearbox combinations in case you want to cut a pitch that isn't shown on the placard.
I didn't make this chart and I can't remember where I found it.

Interesting way of looking at it. Myself, I prefer a pitch or thread width approach. Nonetheless, it is downloaded and saved! Thanks.

 

[RJSakowski]

For you and other G0602/G0752 users out there, here is a a handy threading chart that shows the thread pitches for inch and metric gear/gearbox combinations in case you want to cut a pitch that isn't shown on the placard.
I didn't make this chart and I can't remember where I found it.

I have the same chart and used it as a reference check when I added the gears not shown for my chart. However, since installing the Clough42 ELS, I no longer have any need for gears.

 

[WobblyHand]

Steel brush , file card , small needle triangular file , triangular stone , scotch brite should all be in your arsenal for cleaning up threads .

Have all but the stone. Need a finer steel brush though, as the wires are much coarser than the pitch. The file card didn't seem to help much either.

 

[WobblyHand]

I have the same chart and used it as a reference check when I added the gears not shown for my chart. However, since installing the Clough42 ELS, I no longer have any need for gears.

Long term, I'm going to do this. Doesn't seem that expensive and adds a lot of utility! Still not certain about sourcing the motors since there are so many choices. Want an install (without a long downtime,) that's going to be long lasting and useful. Probably will buy the controller board and play with it a while to build up some confidence. It seems TI still supports Linux for development, so that makes it possible for me to continue.

 

[RJSakowski]

Long term, I'm going to do this. Doesn't seem that expensive and adds a lot of utility! Still not certain about sourcing the motors since there are so many choices. Want an install (without a long downtime,) that's going to be long lasting and useful. Probably will buy the controller board and play with it a while to build up some confidence. It seems TI still supports Linux for development, so that makes it possible for me to continue.

In my install of the Clough42 ELS on my G0602, the actual down time was minimal and basically only affected lead screw. Specifically the 60 tooth driven gear cluster had to be removed for replacement of the drive gear with a gear belt pulley and the input gear to the gear box replaced with the driven pulley from the stepper motor. These modifications can easily be reversed should it become necessary to use the lead screw during the changeover. Additionally, provisions had to be made for mounting the encoder and stepper motor. but these can be done without interfering with OEM lathe operation.

The wiring and controls will all be external to the lathe. I mounted mine in a box attached to the back of the backsplash. If you wanted to mount the control panel on the top of the headstock, it will require drilling and tapping the casting for mounting which would best involve removing the front panel to clean out and chips that may fall into that space.

 

[WobblyHand]

Can't buy the TI LaunchXL-F280049C board now. DigiKey and Mouser have 0 stock. TI does not have any. Mouser is expecting parts on: 7/29/2022. Well, that's the end of that for now... Chip shortage in action. Be changing gears a while.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Comments in this thread demonstrate exactly why I insist that a QCGB is essential on a lathe, particularly for beginners. When shopping for a first lathe, it is very tempting to jump on one that lacks this feature because they can be had for less and it's easy to minimize the importance if you've never run a lathe. The added level of complexity with change gears discourages even the experienced from changing feed rates and makes threading for the beginner a really steep hill to climb before ever getting to the mechanics of the threading dial and half-nut. I won't even post an ad for a lathe without a QCGB in the Craigslist/Marketplace section.

 

[WobblyHand]

Changing gears isn't that hard, but it is a pain. The pain is sufficient that one doesn't change back to feed mode, when one ought to. Going to change the gears back to feed again after I grab some lunch. I single pointed a 1/4-40 thread this morning. Hand fed the carriage for other bits, and I can see it in the results. So back to feed mode again. To be honest, the gear noise was driving me nuts.