Today I finished my Tool-less Lathe Carriage Lock Bolt! A little backstory: The Carriage lock bolt on my lathe has a 7/16" square head bolt. I haven't been enamored with this because I don't like using and open end wrench (that I keep loosing!) on the square head and the cost of buying a square wrench is outrageous ($13-$50) so in true hobbyist fashion I wasted a lot of time and even more money making a better bolt. I started out with 3/4" 12L14 and did everything by hand. I used the upside-down and backwards threading technique I saw from Joe P on youtube to single point the thread without a shoulder, worked like a charm. The bolt part is a 7/16" Square just in case something goes wrong and I need a wrench to get it out. the Knurled handle is held on with a roll pin and can flip over to stay out of the way.
Just so you know: I only ruined 3 (really cheap Chinese) end mills making this!
Here's the old bolt:
And now the new one (pre-bluing):
New one blued and oiled:
Old and new side by side:
New installed and loose:
New installed and locked:
I had planed on the locked and loose positions to be 45 degrees to the left, I even threaded the bolt in and marked the side I wanted but it came out wrong. It's still on an OK position so i'm happy.
Just so you know: I only ruined 3 (really cheap Chinese) end mills making this!
Here's the old bolt:
And now the new one (pre-bluing):
New one blued and oiled:
Old and new side by side:
New installed and loose:
New installed and locked:
I had planed on the locked and loose positions to be 45 degrees to the left, I even threaded the bolt in and marked the side I wanted but it came out wrong. It's still on an OK position so i'm happy.
