The Stars Have Been In Alignment For Me This Week. Just Got My First Lathe, A D/r 11x36, 25-100

I figured out my problem with the apron. After trial assembling the apron, I neglected to completely disassemble it again before final assembly. In doing so, I forgot to re-install the ball and spring for the detent in the half-nut lever. Luckily, it was a very easy fix. All is well now. I should also note that it appears there is no "lockout" that keeps one from engaging the half-nuts while the power feed for the cross slide or carriage is engaged. I guess you just have to know not to do it. I will investigate this more, as I thought I remembered reading that there was a lockout. Maybe that was in my South Bend book.

Tim, as long as the cabinet is close enough to level that the coolant runs to the drain, you're fine. The lathe bed has leveling feet that give more than ample range for leveling to exactness. The only shimming will be to accommodate uneven spots in the shop floor (whenever I get another shop) to give the cabinet a solid footing and keep it from rocking. That's the problem with the feet I installed. They raise the cabinet about 1-1/2" and make it a little unstable. With the machine running I can feel it move the cabinet with vibration from the varidrive. I think it would be better all around to have it bolted to the floor. I'll only be in my current shop another couple weeks, though, so it won't be here.
 
Well, in preparation for my big move, I have loaded all my big tools onto my flatbed trailer. It is at max payload. I also started pulling out a bunch of stuff I have been saving for a long time, just because it was still useful, not because I needed it. I need to get rid of that kind of stuff before my move. I have been sufficiently successful in selling off my old "junk" that when I saw a Rockwell Follower Rest come up on ebay recently, I decided that if I could sell enough stuff to be able to pay the "buy-it-now" price, I would do it. Bought it this morning. Paid $309 (including shipping). The only way I justified it was by telling myself that I was simply trading stuff I didn't need for something I really wanted. I wouldn't have bought it any other way. I haven't seen a lot of follow rests come up for sale, and I can get a Chinese-made steady rest, so I bit the bullet and got it.

Once I get it, and get a bit of time, I'm going to inquire with a couple foundries and see what it would take to make a few castings off of it for resale. It would be nice to get a few "after-market" things like this into the market place to bring the prices back to earth a little bit. This picture is not the one I bought, but similar. Mine has seen a lot less use. Slowly, but surely, getting my tooling and accessories together.


Follow rest1.JPG

Follow rest1.JPG
 
Tony, you would want to make a wood pattern and sand cast them, they need to be just slightly larger than the part due to shrinkage. Tim
 
Thenrie

If you have $3000 spent on this and it's been about 180 days since you acquired your lathe , then you have spent about $17.00 per day. Where else would you have learned so much and had so much fun for so little?

Ed
 
Got my Follower Rest today. It is in better shape than I had hoped. While there are some scratches and chips in the paint, it appears the thing may not ever have been used. There is absolutely no wear on the brass rests (or whatever you call them). It was expensive, but like I said, I was essentially trading stuff I didn't need or want for it. I'm quite pleased.

Sorry for the fuzzy picture.

2014-06-02_19-28-51_5.jpg
 
Good find. If you're happy with it, it doesn't really matter what you paid for it. Last year I stumbled across an unused original rotary table for the Atlas mill. Paid about as much for it as I paid for the mill (excluding motor freight). But I wanted one, and am happy with it. So who cares what it cost. This is, after all, a hobby. Business type decisions don't necessarily apply. And there were three other people who were willing to pay almost as much.:thinking:

Robert D.
 
Now, if a steady rest or a collet adapter would just show up for sale... I've been pretty successful selling off my old junk.
 
I've just been watching for a 5C collet adapter and spindle thread protector, like you have for yours. Tom from the Yahoo group has said he can make one for me, along with a couple sizes of MT adapters, but he needs measurements from my spindle. My lathe is packed up for shipping, so I'll have to wait until I land somewhere and get settled again. Meanwhile, I just keep my eyes open. I know I can get one from Kennedy for about $150. Seems a little high, but at least I know it's available.
 
You can get the whole shebang from JKS precision, they have a complete kit that will bolt on the lathe for a lever style closer for 800, it does not require modification. Kinda spendy but its new and a lever style. Tim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top