Piecing together a compound slide from milling attachment

[Mike Millis]

Hello all,

I just picked up a TH42. It came with a milling attachment in place of a compound slide. I found a fella' on here that has most of the compound slide parts he is will to part with. My question now is, can I cannibalize the milling attachment (that i cant imagine ever using) and reruse the gib to piece together a compund slide?

 

[wa5cab]

If I understand your question, no. The vertical slide on the milling attachment is the same 10-301 lower swivel or cross slide as used on the 10" and early 12" lathes. The compound swivel and compound slide are different, although the milling attachment vise will fit onto the pintel on the cross slide.

 

[Mike Millis]

Are the gibs interchangeable between the vertical slide on the milling attachment and the compound? I believe the compound uses pn 9-304 gib. Does the milling attachment use that same gib?

 

[benmychree]

Why not make a new gib, surely the milling attachment (complete) is worth enough to make it worthwhile to do so.

 

[Mike Millis]

Does anybody have a print of the compound Gib 9-304? Are they hardend?

 

[Bob Korves]

Gibs can be made with simple tools and no drawings. The actual parts need to fit each other, not some drawing. It takes time and care to fit a gib so that things end up snug, parallel, and without slop. They can be made with a file and some Hi-spot blue from a machinist supply, or Prussian blue from an artist store. Keep removing small amounts of material until the parts fit together correctly. If you cut too much, you have to start over. Then adjust for a sliding fit with no play and no rocking. Gibs are a very old idea, which worked well then and still works just as well today. Hand fitted gibs are far superior to most machine made ones.
Here is a H-M example from the archives:

Getting started with tapered gib conversion on mini-lathe.

Well, I decided a while back to start with putting tapered gibs on my lathe. The stock gibs are a pain to adjust and if I don't have them tight, they back out when I am making heavy cuts. I started out with some mystery meat steel I picked up and some brass for the gibs. Well, this steel...

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[wa5cab]

Yes, we have the drawing of 9-304 (it's available to donors in Downloads). No, they are not hardened. And I have three of them on hand. We also have the drawing on the Atlas 10-56 cross slide and vertical slide gib. And for both parts for the 6". I acquired them back when we began to notice that Atlas or more probably Clausing had changed all four parts to plastic including for replacements. All of the drawings are in Downloads except for the carriage gibs and the tailstock gibs, which are still steel and last time I checked still in stock at Clausing. Anyone who wants to make their own can download the drawing(s). Or I have a few of each.