------------------------------------------------------------------ This is just one of some 80 files about machining and metalworking and useful workshop subjects that can be read at: http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ Many thoughtful tips by users of the Taig metal lathe that might solve problems or help your work. Some tips might be suitable for adaptation to the operation of similar size lathes from other brands. If you got to this file directly from my HOME PAGE, return there by using your browser's back button. 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(c) Copyright 2003 - 2015 Machining and Metalworking at Home The form of the collected work in this text file (including editing, additions, and notes) is copyrighted and this file is not to be reproduced by any means, including electronic, without written permission except for strictly personal use. ========================================================================== NOTE TO FILE: There are a great many Taig experts contributing to this subject. Tom Benedict has a very helpful message of advice to the new owner to buy stuff as needed, rather than every possible accessory. See his message dated 22 Mar 2005. This file is in nearly chronological (date) order. ------- Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 11:09:06 -0500 (CDT) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Settings On Mon, 18 Jun 2001 acharlestox~xxhotmail.com wrote: > The gibs on the carriage and cross slide each have two allen screws > for adjustment. > How does one set them evenly? Here's how I've been doing it (so now I get to find out if I did it right or not!) If I'm starting from a slide that feels pretty good, I'll skip this first step. But if it's completely out of whack, I'll... Loosen them up until the slide moves really freely and has play. Snug each one down in turn until it just starts to cause drag, then back it off. Once they've all had their initial snug-down, I'll repeat the process until any sort of side-play is gone, preferably without much drag. > Is it important that both screws on a gib are providing equal load? I like to think so, but I don't know how much it'll skew your machining if they're both snug, but one's more snug than another. I haven't done it in a while, but I'm betting you can get a feel for it just from how much torque you're applying to the allen wrench. > Is adjustment just a matter of experience? Errr... No clue. Looking for feedback on that one. > Any advice on setting the top slide to a precise angle - and keeping > it there?! Definitely looking for the advice of others on this. I can set it really imprecisely, but... Tom --------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 15:49:16 -0000 From: J.C.Beechx~xxshu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Settings I'll go with Tom on the setting up side. For setting angles, I would rather cheat than use my brain too much. If you are cutting tapers, set one you made earlier !!! between centres and then dial the cross slide in so it runs paralell. If you haven't a jig to use, or don't know how many .001" per inch your taper is you are going to have to calculate it and measure with a dial guage, it's not too hard, as long as you write it all down as you go along ....doh, it took some time to remember that stage. The other trick is to fix a straight bit of stock to the cross slide (100mm long for argument's sake) and a piece of accurate bar stock between centre's then if the taper is 1 in 100 use a 1mm wire as a spacer at one end and touch your bar at the other. Lock everything tight and re-check, you should now be ready to cut that taper. Hope this is OK. A clear as MUD guide..... Joules -------- Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 13:11:18 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Settings Generally, I loosen the two top screws (on the carriage, the two underneath screws) and then adjust the gibs with the side screws until it all feels snug, with no side to side play, but not a lot of torque needed to move the slide, then I tighten the top screws to lock. Repeat this process several times until it all feels good, usually locking the top screws makes things a little tighter so you have to develop a feel for how loose the side screws should be set. For the top slide I usually use a vernier protractor to set against the side of the cross and compound slide - the crosslide should be 90 deg to the ways and you get pretty good results this way - otherwise you need to use a dial indicator and taper per inch to figure out the angle. I made a set of adjustment brackets for my Jet920 lathe compound, one could make them for the Taig as well: http://www.cartertools.com/compadj1.jpg http://www.cartertools.com/compadj2.jpg This allows you to shove the compound over pretty precisely without resorting to a hammer. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- From: "Leon Heller" Date: Sun Jul 8, 2001 7:38 am Subject: Taig notes I've added some notes about using my Taig lathe for fly cutting and holding a DTI with the toolpost to my web site (see sig.). I'll be adding more tips and techniques as I come up with them. Please let me know if there is anything wrong with my approach. It's many years since I've done any machining, and I didn't do very much of it then, anyway. Leon Heller, G1HSM Tel: +44 1327 359058 My web page: http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller ------ From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Date: Sun Jul 8, 2001 12:41 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] Taig notes Great start for the page! I use the toolpost on the mill headstock for holding my Starret DTI, although mone has a rectangular shank with a pivot to the body for a little more adjustment. For the small space available, that's a great solution. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- From: James Eckman Date: Sun Jul 8, 2001 9:05 pm Subject: Re: Taig notes From: "Leon Heller" > I've added some notes about using my Taig lathe for fly cutting > and holding a DTI with the toolpost to my web site (see sig.). > Please let me know if there is anything wrong with my approach. Your approach looks fine. Even after you get the mill, you'll find yourself milling or flycutting the ends of bars and such in the lathe since the Z axis on the Taig mill is short. I found your living cheaply in France material very interesting, thanks for the link! Jim Eckman ------- From: Stan Stocker Date: Mon Jul 9, 2001 12:42 am Subject: Re: [taigtools] Taig notes Leon; Nice pictures, and an interesting site for a former electronics guy! If you are getting chatter while flycutting, you might want to reduce the cutter overhang a bit, the photo of the flycutter appears to have quite a bit of toolbit out in the breeze. Looking Good! Stan ------- From: darrylbielerx~xxi... Date: Fri Jul 20, 2001 11:50 am Subject: Taig Micro Lathe 2...Help please?? Hello there! I just got a Taig Micro Lathe 2 and I have a question. I am new to lathe use and I don't seem to understand something. What does it mean (in plain english) when the directions tell you that you need to "machine" the 3 jaw chuck? What do I need to do? I would REALLY appreciate the help! Thanks! Darryl ------- From: "Leon Heller" Date: Fri Jul 20, 2001 1:29 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] Taig Micro Lathe 2...Help please?? The chuck has aluminium jaws. You simply use a boring tool to machine a little off them, on the inside, so they will grip the work properly. You should have been supplied with a sort of thick washer, push this to the back of the chuck and tighten the jaws on it, before boring them. This ensures that the cut will be true when tightened on an actual workpiece. It's a good idea to set the stop (the rod secured by a thumbscrew to the side of the headstock) before you start the boring operation so that you don't run the boring tool too far into the chuck, and into the 'washer'. You'll need to remove the little step at the back of the jaws when you've finished boring them. The Peatol (UK supplied) instructions suggests filing it. I'm lazy so I just used the boring tool from the back, after removing the 'washer'. Once you've done this, you can actually do your first bit of turning. Sherline has a nice account of how you do this on their web site, for their lathe. I'll produce a similar account for the Taig, and put it on my web site. I'll post a msg. when I've done it, probably tomorrow. Leon ------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Date: Fri Jul 20, 2001 2:09 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] Taig Micro Lathe 2...Help please?? Here are pictures that should make some sense of the operation: http://www.cartertools.com/picture.html#3JT I love the digital camera, it's so fast to get things like this up... http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- From: "Leon Heller" Date: Sun Aug 5, 2001 3:51 am Subject: Re: [taigtools] unassembled vs assembled taig lathe.. any difference? >I have been told that there is a difference between the assembled and >the unassembled taig lathes. Something about the bed being ground or >lapped or something. can someone please verify this? With the unassembled unit you should lap the carriage to the bed, using a mixture of engine oil and Ajax. It only takes about 10 minutes. It's a bit messy, though. You'll learn more about how the thing is constructed by putting it together yourself, and will therefore find it easier to replace things if they get damaged. Leon -------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Date: Sun Aug 5, 2001 1:06 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] unassembled vs assembled taig lathe.. any difference? The difference is just that, assembly and lapping. There is slight danger that you will tweak the crosslide screw when assembling - take care with that. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- From: Tony Jeffree Date: Mon Aug 6, 2001 4:53 am Subject: Re: [taigtools] Re: unassembled vs assembled taig lathe.. any difference? At 07:44 06/08/2001 +0000, you wrote: > >OK great thanks for the info yall.. however I am still fairly new to > >this.. what all exactly is involved in lapping the cross slide to the > >bed? I saw someone had mentioned using motor oil and ajax. Apply to > >the bed and work the slide across it..(?) like lapping valve seats in > >a head? would regular valve lapping compound work for this as well? > >thanks for the input! >That's basically how it's done. I suppose you could use valve grinding >paste, but it might be too coarse. Ajax seems to be just about right. Valve grinding paste is *way* too coarse, and also will be more difficult to remove from the aluminium components after use. Hard abrasives will tend to embed in the surface of soft metals - this is not a good idea and will reduce the working life of the machine. Ajax or similar powdered, mildly abrasive cleaner is definitely the right stuff to use. The instructions that Taig send out suggest about 30-40 strokes to lap the slide, so it is a quick process. Regards, Tony ------- From: J.C.Beechx~xxs... Date: Mon Aug 6, 2001 7:14 am Subject: Re: unassembled vs assembled taig lathe.. any difference? May I also add, that rubbing compound (for auto paint) is not a good choice (I speak from experience 8-( ). Brasso or autosol polish is good, but use it with a few drops of oil. Get a nice finish, then flood the lot with carb/brake cleaner to remove every last bit of abrasive, and don't forget behind the gib strips, or other crevices. Joules ------- From: Ken Jenkins Date: Mon Aug 6, 2001 8:42 am Subject: Re: Bed lapping I used "rottenstone" which is a very fine abrasive typically employed in wood finishing. It worked very well for me as the particular type of Ajax recommended (without bleach if I recall) I could not find anywhere. The key is to take it slow and do multiple many passes with cleanup in between, you're after a nice slurry type consistency. ------- NOTE TO FILE: LATHE LAPPING PROCEDURE AS UPDATED IN 2005. Nick Carter posted a detailed lapping procedure on his website, see: http://www.cartertools.com/setup.html Assembling and Lapping the Taig Lathe Kit K1019 (February 28th, 2005). Basically make a thin slurry of 1 teaspoon of Bon Ami commercial household product and 1/4 cup motor or lubricating oil (20 or 30 or similar weight oils are all fine). Easy to wipe off afterwards; Nick suggests you then re-oil with pure oil and thoroughly wipe off again. (Bon Ami's very mild abrasive particles will break down to harmlessness even if you missed a few in the wipedown/cleanup. More a polish, and not a persistent destructive abrasive like some mentioned above.) Tony Jeffree in taigtools on 13 September 2005 said: "I would suggest careful wiping off, followed by rinsing with paraffin (kerosene) or similar on an old toothbrush, then wipe/dry it off thoroughly before assembly/lubrication for use. You don't want any residual abrasive in the ways when you are using the lathe." ------- From: Ken Jenkins Date: Mon Aug 6, 2001 8:52 am Subject: Re: Assembled vs. unassembled Taig Well the "assembly" is quite straightforward in that the most critical "assembly" is already done ... the headstock. The rest is very easy. I suppose the "lapping" part causes some to scratch their heads a bit (it did me) but just follow the directions and it's a quick job. I had the whole thing done and up and running in a Saturday afternoon. The drive particulars are where I spend most of my initial time with the Taig in the beginning finally deciding upon a treadmill motor and XL timing belt and pulley (see my file section on the Taig site for pictures ands details). ------- From: karenwhite60x~xxh... Date: Sat Aug 18, 2001 6:53 pm Subject: spindle run out Hi all, I have a question about the Taig's INNER spindle taper. I set a dial indacator against the inside of it, SLOWLY turned the headstock pulley, and in one complete turn, there was .001 movement of the needle. Is this typical?? Also, What is the spindle made of? in other words, would I have ANY luck reboring the inside taper with a boring bar held in the Taig's compound? Would Taig's boring bar work, or would I need to regrind one?? Thanks, Jeff ------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Date: Mon Aug 20, 2001 11:21 am Subject: Re: [taigtools] spindle run out The spindle is soft, so you could rebore it. Is the runout only in one place, or does the needle gradually move .001 as you turn the spindle? It may just be a burr that has been raised in the taper that could be removed. You would need a slightly smaller bar to do this work. How long have you had this headstock? http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Date: Mon Aug 20, 2001 11:10 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] Re: spindle run out What is the runout of a rod chucked up in a collet? It may be that the runout of the taper may not have a significant effect on the performance of the collet. I would measure that before doing anything else. You could always return the headstock to Taig... ------- From: Ken Jenkins Date: Tue Aug 21, 2001 8:42 am Subject: Re: Spindle boring >> of the needle. Is this typical?? Also, What is the spindle made of? >> in other words, would I have ANY luck reboring the inside taper >> with a boring bar held in the Taig's compound? Would Taig's boring >> bar work, or would I need to regrind one?? Thanks, Jeff I have bored out my spindle to a little over 3/8 (can't remember exact but I can pass 3/8 thru). No problems. I used a drill and then a ream with a lot of turbine oil. It still screeched like a banshee and stalled a couple times during the process but in the end worked out fine. Be especially careful (of course) to go easy around the taper if you do this operation. Ken J. ------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Date: Mon Aug 20, 2001 11:14 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] centering tail stock/ qeustion for Nick From: > Hi again. I have been trying off and on to center the tail stock > for a while now. I have it within about .001 or so, but allways move > it to far when making final adjustment. What is the best way to go > about this?? Also, just out of curiosoty, Nick, do you weld?? If > yes, what type?? I use a plate that mounts to the tailstock t-slot on the back side. It has a screw that pushes the tailstock body over on the base. It is very easy to control the movement (in one direction). I should put a picture up of this on my site. The only welding I do is FCAW, with my Lincoln Weldpak 100, I don't enjoy welding too much compared to machining, but it's nice to make tables and mounts, etc. I do a bit of silver brazing (hard soldering) as well with my air/acetylene torch. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 10:49:40 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Truing soft jaws > I have just received my first lathe, Taig Micro Lathe II. > What I must do first is preparation of 3 jaw chuck. > Should I turn the pulley by hand while truing soft jaws? > Or is it safe to use motor for this process? Regards. Yuji Kuwabara You want the lathe rotating under motor power, faily fast (usually the 3rd belt step when I do it) and a fine, slow feed of the carriage. Set the depth stop so you don't run the boring bar into the chuck back. See: http://www.cartertools.com/picture.html#3JT http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 21:37:32 -0400 From: Myron Gochnauer Subject: Re: crosslide binding > I have just setup Micro Lathe II. I noticed that the crosslide had > binding a little, where it requires little more force to continue > to turn the Dial Crosslide. I had the same problem when I got my lathe in June. I fretted and fussed and cleaned and lapped and lubricated... all to no avail. And then when I actually started using the lathe I never really noticed it again. When there's a bit of resistance against the tool bit the last thing you notice is so slight a difference in crosslide motion. I just went into the workshop, brushed the brass chips off and tried the crosslide --- no obvious unevenness now. So sometime in the past six months, when I wasn't looking, it smoothed right out. Maybe yours will too. Myron (in Canada) ------- Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 17:27:22 -0800 (PST) From: Mike Berriman Subject: Re: Re: crosslide binding One other thing to check, which I initially had a problem with on my lathe, was the threaded rod that actually moves the crosslide was slightly bent, and so at the bend it "caught" a little, making it harder to move. Mine was only minor so I managed to straighten it, but if it's too bad you might want to think about getting it replaced. The easiest way to check this is to simply wind the crosslide off the end, and then carefully check whether the screw rotates smoothly. There is a little slop in it, so you have to be careful, but you should be able to tell if the threaded rod is bent. ------- Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2001 08:30:47 -0600 From: "Bad Brad" Subject: Re: T Bar Cut off Tool >I have an interest in Taig #1173 "T Bar Cut off Tool". >It seems to me that this tool will reduce waste of stock >because of its narrower cutting edge. >Is it usable to cut brass or nickel silver rod? >What is purpose this tool intended for? Regards. Yuji Kuwabara Yuji, the T-bar cut-off tool will work for the reasons you mention. Ifo und it works well. It mounts on the back of the cross-slide and can be left on (when using small stock) while using othe tools on the front side. The only thing I changed was on the side plate that holds the blade I machined the outboard surface and shortened the bolts for better clearance to keep the tool holder from striking the chuck when parting short parts. In my opinion, it is a good investment. It is made from steel and comes with a 0.0625, 1/16" blade, which should last for many years. With any cut off tool, reduce the spindle speed and use a lot of lubricant. With brass, to keep the tool from grabbing reduce the amount of back rake. Good luck. Forrest ------- Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 11:19:28 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Binding crosslide > I need some help. The dial on my crosslide binds when the > handle is at about the 10:00 to 12:00 position. It has done this > ever since I have had it and I've tried everything to fix it. It is > really starting to annoy me because I know it should be smooth > throughout the whole revolution. I've loostened up the dial from > the crosslide screw to the point of excessive backlash and it > seems to be the only way to solve that problem but then there is > the backlash to deal with (10 thou +). Any ideas would be great. > Thanks in advance for any help. Eric Sometimes I lap in the screw and bearing with the same oil/bon ami mix I use for the crosslide. I smear the goo on the offending surfaces and use a power drill to drive the acorn nut back and forth. Don't use clover compounds, they will embed permanently into the lathe and ruin it over time - only use mild abrasives like Bon Ami, or other "no scratch" cleanser. ------- Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 19:19:30 -0000 From: "fuzzylogic1012000" Subject: Re: Binding crosslide Ha, ha .... I love the simple solutions that you give for the minor problems Nick. With a .010 piece of derlin that I made the binding is not so bad but the lapping idea is great. I'll try it today. Thanks ------- Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 17:14:02 -0500 From: wmbrady Subject: Re: Tiny Hand wheels [BINDING CROSSLIDE] Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein Wrote: >There are no wrong solutions [TO LOOSEN CROSSLIDE], fill us in! OK, but I don't recommend that anyone do it unless they are very familiar with lapping. Here is what I did: I have three slides. The two cross slides and the milling adapter. I noticed that all three slides would start to bind when the slide closing. This binding took place at specific points in the rotation of the lead screw/handle. Gib settings made only a slight difference, making things worse when the gibs were loose actually. I took apart the Top Slide because it was the worst and I figured out that I could buy another if I ruined it. I could visibly see that the lead screw was slightly bent. I could also see that the angle of the screw as it goes through the nut was consistent with the binding, it always happened at the same "tilt" of the screw. The nut for the Cross Slide was not installed when I got my lathe, I had to install it. So I knew that this nut has a round peg that fits into a bore in the slide. The peg was extremely tight in the hole. I had a difficult time getting it in straight enough so that I could turn the knob at all. I realized that all three slides had slightly bent lead screws and that they were binding in this lead nut. So I pulled the nut from the Top Slide and lapped it to the hole. I used my "green crayon" abrasive. (chromium oxide?). Using a diluted (oil) bit of crayon, I painted the inside of the hole and the outside of the peg. I then pressed the peg back into the hole and turned the nut as far as I could. (watch the dovetails and I recommend pulling the gib to get it out of the way). This procedure has to be repeated at least three times. I turned about 10 times, cleaned off all of the residue and tried the fit. I removed all the oxide because I wanted to test with nothing in the hole or on the peg, I didn't want to take off too much. Finally I reached the point where this nut could turn axially in this hole but was still a snug fit. I reached the point where I could turn the nut by hand. While I had the side apart I pulled the gib and used it to polish the dovetails using the same "green crayon" and the gib. I also deburred the gib screw holes on the inside. I then oil washed all parts, followed by a hot water wash with a light brushing with a bristle brush and another oil wash. Under the 30x microscope the surfaces are all clean. I checked the gibs in the big scope at 150x. Very smooth. Eventually I did all three slides. Upon lubrication and reassembly I found the slide smooth with no binding and and very easy to turn with the same low resistance for the full travel. I adjusted the gibs and after one hour of use readjusted. No further adjustment has been required under heavy use milling. There is no play. (Cross Slide & Mill Slide). Previously, in two hours of milling I adjusted the gibs several times. A side benefit is that I can move the end mill at a constant speed and I get better "feel" or tactile feedback of the cut. One point should be made. The nuts would have eventually loosened with use. But at my age, I figure any time saved is time earned. Wm. "Bill" Brady, Harwood MD 38°51'30"N 76°41'00"W - Its in the darkest hour that the most stars come out ------- Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 16:44:35 -0000 From: "jmetm" Subject: Re: Tiny Handwheels [BINDING CROSSLIDE] I just figured mine out too. After lapping the screw and nut and cross slide itself I noticed a couple of little wear marks on the smooth part of the screw right by the main threads. It is where it enteres the hole in the carriage. That screw was out of center and would rub on the carriage every time it turned. What I did was lower the nut on the slide by wigling it out about a 32nd of an inch and that brought the screw down enough to clear it! No more rubbing! So basically what was happening was the nut was sitting too high and pulling the screw up causing the out of center part of the screw to rub on the carriage where it enters it. Fixed! Eric ------- Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 21:02:54 -0500 From: wmbrady Subject: First swarf My Taig arrived today. I bought the kit. Here is my "first report". I spent about twice as much time/effort lapping the bed as indicated. One end was pretty tight. The item that took the most time was the split nut under the cross carriage. It was not covered at all in the instructions and is not on the drawing. The problem was getting it aligned parallel with the slide so that the feed screw didn't bind. It is very tight in it's hole. It is slightly longer on one end and I don't know which way is correct. (I just checked and it's on the drawing on the web page, but not well enough illustrated to see which way the long end goes.) Another problem was with the feed wheel. They gave me a C ring and show it going on the shaft in between the eccentric and the spurs. There is no room (the eccentric sleeve is too long) and no slot for it to ride in on the shaft. This one is not on the web page drawing.) The wheel/shaft will just pull out but it has no tendency to do so; I left it alone. I turned down a more or less square piece of aluminum, a cutoff, or an inch and a half long section of it anyway. I used a 4 jaw independent chuck and a dial indicator for centering. The final round is .932". The surface is not as smooth as I expected but since I'm a rank beginner (or re-tread after 45 years) I am probably doing something wrong. It's nice to turn a junk cutoff into a perfect cylinder. (I ran the digital caliper down it and its pretty consistent along the length, within .001" or better.) Later I'll get out the micrometer. Many times the lathe loaded down. I am not sure but I think the motor itself just slowed down. I tried the 3 lowest speeds. It was satisfying near the end to see those long curls wafting away. I had did have some problems feeding at a consistent rate. The wired switch cable is too short in the section between the switch and the motor. The switch can only be placed behind the lathe, forcing the user to reach across the machine to switch it on or off. I did not try the stock tool holder, I went right to the Kenbo. Very nice device. I used a Taig RH cutter. I also ended up using the dead center. (chicken). I bought the milling attachment which I will check out next. I think also that I will put some more effort into tuning the machine. So far I'm as happy as a hog in a corn field. I shoulda done this 30 years ago. It sure gives you a feeling of power, being able to shape metal instead of scrounging around for a part. Oh yeah, I still have all the skin on my knuckles. Surprise, surprise, I guess I did learn something in metal shop class after all! I bought one of those flashy colored bonnets for the chuck but forgot to put it on. Wm. "Bill" Brady, Harwood MD ------- Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 22:34:00 -0600 (CST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: First swarf Man, when I saw the subject of this post, it took me back to when mine first arrived. I think one of my biggest adjustments was taking lighter cuts. I learned on a Monarch 10EE, an absolute beast of a machine. It'd take as deep a cut as you could convince yourself to take. Not so on the Taig. I did find that much of my motor slippage was because of the way the motor was mounted. I got the stock mount, and it had a tendency to let the motor get out of line with the lathe bed. I made a hinged motor mount, and got the motor pointed completely parallel to the lathe bed, and got the pulleys running completely in line with one another. The lathe got truckloads quieter, and I was able to take heavier cuts. Still not what I could do on the Monarch, but my Taig doesn't weigh in at close to a ton, either. ;) > The wired switch cable is too short in the section between the switch > and the motor. The switch can only be placed behind the lathe, forcing > the user to reach across the machine to switch it on or off. Ooof... Not good. > I did not try the stock tool holder, I went right to the Kenbo. Very > nice device. I'm curious what your opinion is of the Kenbo. I had an Aloris on the Monarch, and still long for something closer to a wedge-style Aloris toolpost for my Taig. I've looked at the Kenbo, and one other (can't remember the name) that looks REALLY close to an Aloris. But I'm using the stock toolholders. I'd like to do some CNC work on my lathe at some point. When I do, having a toolpost that'll accurately switch out tools and reposition them identically each time will become a lot more important to me. For now, I've got a toolpost for each tool, and that works out great. Congrats! Tom ------- Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 10:13:19 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: First swarf I left mine off, you don't really need it and it makes it easier to clean. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html Another problem was with the feed wheel. They gave me a C ring and show it going on the shaft in between the eccentric and the spurs. There is no room (the eccentric sleeve is too long) and no slot for it to ride in on the shaft. This one is not on the web page drawing.) The wheel/shaft will just pull out but it has no tendency to do so; I left it alone. ------- Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 16:05:00 -0500 From: wmbrady Subject: Re: First swarf Tom Benedict Wrote: >On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein wrote: >> Kent redesigned it recently so that it locks into a taper, making it >> much more repeatable than the older version. He now sells the whole set for one price, the post?, holders, a boring bar holder and a parting tool holder. $100. Sorry if I'm not making sense, Ill today. ------- Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 06:57:50 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: LEAD RACK > In putting my Taig lathe together I noticed that the lead rack only > had 1 screw to tightened it down to the lathe. This makes the other end > bow upward slightly, which in turn makes the carriage harder to turn > towards the headstock! Does anyone have a cure for this. Why did'nt > they add another screw hole to the other end. Should I try to shim > the end with the screw hole up alittle or will it make a difference. > I though about adding a little epoxy to the other end and clamping it > down until it dried. But im sure ill have to replace the rack at some > time. Any ideas?? Make sure that the groove that the rack fits into is clean, it could have some oil or chips from manufacturing that is making the rack seat poorly. Also the screw hole is sometimes not deburred well. The rack should, if anything, be slightly concave on the bottom. If it is bent up at the end, then it is defective. Also make sure that there is some backlash of the pinion meshing with the rack, it should be set with a piece of fine paper (rolling or typing paper) between the pinion and the rack. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 02:15:16 -0000 From: "woodknack" Subject: Re: LEAD RACK You were right. I think the rack was defective. I put it on a straight edge and it was bowed the wrong way. I really did'nt want to wait for another one so I tweaked it alittle. got it to bow the way it should. Put it back together and she works fine! My next project i am going to make longer handles that spin freely for the carriage and the rack. Do you know how the handles from the factory are put in? Are they pressed or threaded? Also there are degree marks on the carriage crank but there is no mark on the carriage!? What do you line your mark up with? Boy if you take your time and set this lathe up right, It is a real joy to use. ------- Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 21:32:21 -0500 From: Larry Richter Subject: Re: Re: LEAD RACK Thread and Loctite on the old ones. Tight. ------- Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 09:18:48 +0000 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Re: LEAD RACK The handles on mine were a press fit. The hole size happens to be perfect to take a 4BA tap without further drilling, so my "quick & dirty" solution to the spinning handles problem is to remove the handles, drill them axially 4BA clearance, and re-fit them with a 4BA round head screw & nut. Fit the screw through the handle, adjust the nut till the handle spins freely, fix the nut with a drop of Locktite, and screw the whole assembly into the hole in the wheel (which you have previously tapped 4BA). Regards, Tony ------- Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 14:15:39 +0000 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: lathe bed scoring >Has anyone developed a foolproof method of preventing metal turnings >from getting between the lathe bed and the carriage? >A strip of felt, or leather, attached to the front edge of the >carriage might push turnings ahead of it - and could keep a film of >oil on the bed - but metal particles might become embedded in the >strip and continue to score the bed! >Since the gib adjustment tends to lift the carriage off the bed am I >concerned unecessarily about scoring of the bed? I haven't managed to develop any scoring on my lathe bed so far (circa 10 years on) - at least, not from the scenario that you are worried about! Scoring between the bearing surfaces is largely irrelevant even if it happens, and the close contact between the bearing surfaces will mean that swarf is naturally swept ahead of the carriage. Some lathes (including my Myford ML7) do use the felt strip approach that you suggest, but it is not at all clear to me that it is really necessary. If you use the lathe at all for grinding, my concern would be that abrasive particles might embed in the felt, causing more problems than it would solve, whereas without it, you can simply strip the lathe down & clean off any abrasive material, and be reasonably sure that there won't be any particles lurking anywhere. Regards, Tony ------- Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 10:50:48 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: lathe bed scoring Just sweep turnings off the bed regularly, and use oil for the ways and it should be fine. If you are turning something abrasive then installing wipers may help. Gib adjustments pull the carriage down onto the ways, not lift it off the bed. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 11:00:05 -0000 From: "joulesbee" Subject: Re: lathe bed scoring For the very scary jobs turning HARD nasty metal, and very fine turnings use cling film or thin plastic to protect the ways. I suspect many people who do grinding on the Taig, already protect the machine bed, and ways from grit. But, as others have echoed, the fit on saddle to bed is such that swarf should be swept over the bed and not trapped, if it is you have other problems to solve first. Joules ------- Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2002 00:47:16 -0500 From: Ken Jenkins Subject: Re: Cross-slide comments >On the bottom you should see a circular race. The factory lock is a pair >of nuts on a horizontal cap screw which grasp the lip of the turret. The >slide is free to rotate as long as the nuts are loose, allowing the slide >to be placed at any angle. When the cap screw is turned (tightened) the >nuts grasp the turret, locking the slide angle and locking the whole >assembly in the slot. I suppose it could break but I assume a replacement >could be had from Taig. I don't find I use my cross-slide very often. When I have, it has a tendency to move a bit (I think someone suggested putting a piece of paper under it helps ... never tried it). Also, someone here was working on a different design for a cross-slide or modification for the existing one. Who was that and hows it coming :-)? I've looked at in terms of design and to be fair to TAIG the problem is one of available space (headroom from the carriage to the turning center). Once you start stacking stuff up ... carriage, cross-slide, tool post and tool .... you run out of room pretty quick. This lack of space constrains the design to something that can work without requiring much "vertical" (like the existing method described below). Still, when you need a sharp taper and you can take it easy it works fine. For gentler tapers offset the tailstock and turn between centers if you can. Ken Jenkins ------- Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 15:17:58 -0000 From: "manhattantony" Subject: Holding compound slide. Jon, one of the hints in Nick Carter's web site may help. He is in the bookmarks section of this group. Look at the pic: http://www.cartertools.com/dmock04.jpg I had a lot of trouble turning short tapers because the compound slide would move. To solve the problem I built 3 clamps which hold the compound slide to the cross slide. Using 3 clamps, you do not need to use the central mounting device and this allows you to put the compound slide any place on top of the cross slide where you can get purchase for the clamps. The clamps can be milled out of steel or just hacksawed from some type of thin angle iron. I hope that my attempt at "ascii art" will convey the idea. (r h screw) V |__ (clamp) -----|----- __| (compound slide) | | |________ | --- (nut in tee slot) take care ...... tgrimes in Manhattan, NV. ------- Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2002 13:57:19 -0000 From: "manhattantony" Subject: Holding compound slide.. file uploaded. My attempt at "ascii art" was mangled by the Yahoo message list viewer. It does present properly when viewed as individual e-mail, though. The hint may be viewed in the file I uploaded to the files area. "/metal/holdcompound.jpg" done with Xpaint. Sorry. Tony. ------- Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 20:08:07 -0000 From: "jmetm" Subject: Cut-Off Tool Quick Tip Here's a quick way to adjust the tool height on the Taig Cut-Off Tool. As the lathe center height is 1.250" + or - I take a 1-2-3 block and lay it on the cross slide. Get a .250" tool bit and lay it on top of that. You now have 1.250" in height. With the cut-off tool holder mounted and secure, the cut-off tool bit can then be slid in or out until it just touches the .250" tool bit. This will give you perfect height and make it easy to reset after sharpening. I don't think this has been discussed before so let me know what you think. If anyone else has any other methods for setting tool height please post them. Take Care, Eric ------- Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 15:13:20 -0500 From: wmbrady Subject: Re: Cut-Off Tool Quick Tip Eric, I assume that you are talking about the back side cutoff tool post. I did not realize that sliding the cutter in or out would change the height. I will certainly check it out as parting off has been a real pain in the butt for me. I have tried several methods and toolholders to no avail. Wm. "Bill" Brady, Harwood MD ------- Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 20:25:51 -0000 From: "jmetm" Subject: Re: Cut-Off Tool Quick Tip Yes, the back side cut-off tool. If you look at the blade it is held in at an angle so sliting it in or out changes the height. This has made it almost too easy to use as the set up is such a snap. Take a look and let me know how it works. Eric ------- Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 19:08:17 -0500 From: wmbrady Subject: Re: Re: Cut-Off Tool Quick Tip >Take a look and let me know how it works. Yes, it certainly works and makes it quite easy to set the cutter. It does limit the cutter depth though; I hadn't realized that. There are, of course, ways around that, shimming, grinding the tip of the cutter down so that more extension is required to get the height. I had planned on making a "setting bar" of 1.25", but your method will fill in until I get a round tuit. I haven't parted anything yet. But I am sure your method will go a long way to solving my problems. One problem I have been having is the tool post turning or twisting when pressure is applied. I have been working on developing ideas to solve this. One possible solution is to drill and ream one or two holes to accept 1/8" dowel pins that'll register in the slot of the crosslide. I also re-worked one cutter. I put a rather agressive hook on the end, tapered it back from the end by grinding the sides, and put a bevel on the cutting edge. I will reserve this one for parting soft metals, I have, in fact, been parting mostly aluminum anyway. I did learn from Jose to increase the feed rate if chatter occurs. But I had almost given up on parting. Wm. "Bill" Brady, Harwood MD ------- Date: Mon, 01 Apr 2002 08:37:49 -0500 From: Ken Jenkins Subject: Re: Best cut off tool I've used >> Yes, the back side cut-off tool The best cut off tool I've used is a hacksaw. reverse and face. no worries. Ken J. ------- Date: Mon, 01 Apr 2002 17:53:59 +0100 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Re: Best cut off tool I've used I confess to using a hacksaw too; however, the technique needs care to avoid what I did the first couple of times, namely not easing off enough on the last couple of strokes, and putting a small "ding" in the bed as a result. Oops.... Regards, Tony ------- Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 12:35:09 -0500 From: Ken Jenkins Subject: Re: Best cut off tool > Do you mean with the part still in the lathe and running? Eric No, I mean there haven't been many applications where I couldn't take the part out, clamp it in a vise, cut off the part being held in the chuck, then reverse it back in the chuck and face off the cut end smooth ... or whatever ... ------- Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 10:08:41 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Carriage rack bent? > I've had a slight problem with my Taig since I had it, but it wasnt > too bad so I just left it. Now it has started to get really annoying > and I need to get rid of it. The carriage gets harder to move as it > gets closer to the headstock. After checking things I came to the > conclusion that my rack deforms whenever the bolt holding it down > gets tightened. Does anybody have a quick fix for this? Just call me > lazy, but I dont feel like drilling and tapping a second hole for a > screw to hold it down at the headstock end. Thanks! -Chris Make sure the slot that it fits in is clean, and if there is a burr on the screw hole, clean it off with a thin file or scraper. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 12:16:01 -0500 From: "Bad Brad" Subject: Re: Carriage rack bent? Here are some things to try: Remove the rack and look to see if there is anything in the groove where the rack sits. Inspect the rack for tags and use 600 grit paper to hone the sides of rack. Place the rack in the groove and try to slide it; if the rack gets stuck at the end where the resistance is felt, that you had mentioned, open up the groove a little, side only. Remove the hand wheel and slide the saddle by its self; if it gets stuck then the problem might be a gib adjustment,located on the backside of saddle. The lash between the rack and hand wheel gear is adjustable, located on the right side of saddle. The hand wheel bushing is drilled off center so it can be rotated to adjust lash. Slide the saddle to the position it is hardest to move and adjust the lash there(same as with the gib adjustment). Finally you can remove the rack and hand wheel and install a lead-screw system. (See Nick Carter's web pages for adding a lead-screw). ------- Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 21:04:55 EDT From: tadici283x~xxcs.com Subject: Re: Carriage rack bent? or made that way You are much better off to just drill and tap two holes- don't take too long and solves all problems, I added a third hole and my rack is smooth as silk, be careful not to drill all the way through, I like having the rack even though I have a lead screw makes simple movements faster than that of the leadscrew alone, you can fab up a disengage if you wish to convert that and add half nuts, a bit overkill I guess but that seems to be the way that I do everything. any way it seems that the rack has some kind of bias built into it (for what ever reason Taig thought that this was good, I guess that they thought the same thing when they did not include a "G" clip on the pinion shaft). While you have it apart you can add a groove with a Dremel cutoff, simply hold the pinnion in the ecentric shaft and turn while holding the cutoff disk agenst it - better than using the lathe (that is now apart) and get a clip at your local hardware store. Chris of Bradenton FLA. Tap is 4-40 by the way and use drill #43 ------- Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 10:23:17 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Normal for rack to be bowed? Rack should be flat. How are you measuring it's flatness? When you place it on the bed surface (always a good flat surface for reference)? You can contact the factory of a replacement. It is important when assembling the lathe to always clean the rack thoroughly and debur the screw hole. Also make sure the eccentric setscrew is pressing on the thick wall of the eccentric bushing, not the thin wall. Always set gear backlash with a thin piece of rolling or typing paper. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 15:48:49 -0000 From: "joulesbee" Subject: Re: Normal for rack to be bowed? Hi Scott, my rack was bowed, and so was the replacement I got from Peatol (UK supplier) So I just straightened mine carefully, just chock up one end and press gently in the centre, place on a straight edge and keep at it till straight. By the way my bend has come back looking at the oil oozing out from the alloy extrusion supporting the rack. Joules. ------- Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 17:01:27 +0100 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Re: Normal for rack to be bowed? >my rack was bowed, and so was the replacement I got from Peatol Not a lot of people know this, but the Taig racks are actually screwcut. They have a jig that holds several racks at a time in longitudinal grooves around a large round-section bar (3" diam or so if I recall correctly) - the lathe then cuts a "thread" of the right pitch in the bits of the racks that are exposed. So strictly speaking, the teeth in the racks are all slightly off square as a result of the helical cut, and are also slightly convex, but because of the large diameter of the "thread" relative to the width of the rack, this is hardly noticeable. I guess the bowing of the racks is a result of the stock not being stress-relieved before they cut the teeth. Regards, Tony ------- Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2002 11:07:08 -0500 From: Ken Jenkins Subject: Re: Where to buy a Taig + advice on accessories > I'm thinking of buying a Taig Lathe. Any suggestions. Where to buy. You can buy Taig equipment from several different vendors ...however ... in my opinion (and I'm sure you'll find this sentiment echoed here by others) the only place I'll buy from is Nick Carter http://www.cartertools.com/. Why? Very simple. You won't find a better deal on the equipment anywhere else and "service and support", and you won't find a better person to deal with. I've been in this egroup for several years and Nick has been absolutely solid in terms of providing advice, support, information and encouragement. > accessories to buy? What accssories can I make? > Jonathan Bernstein,jb134259x~xxhotmail.com In terms of what accessories to buy and what you can make you'll get different responses on this one depending on what people use their equipment for. Also it will be very much dependent on your skill level as a machinist and your access to other equipment. Here's my 2 cents on some general things. 1. Don't buy accessories unless you need them. It doesn't take that long to order say "a live center" if you find out you need it (while we're on that topic, I don't care for Taig's live center and the only reason I have one is I haven't had the time to develop a different solution like a turned down Morse 1 or 2 live center to fit the Taig tailstock ... anybody found a Morse 1 anywhere?). 2. Get a 4-jawed chuck in addition to the 3 jaw which come with the lathe. You will need a dial indicator in order to use the 4-jaw also. The 4-jaw is required if you plan on doing any real precision work. http://www.taigtools.com/c1030.html 3. Get one or two extra softjaw sets you can machine to fit the particular range of turning you are doing. http://www.taigtools.com/c1051.html 4. Get the highspeed steel turning tool set. There are lots of other options you can get into later in terms of grinding and sharpening your own tools but to start get this. http://www.taigtools.com/c1095.html Also get (5) of the 1170 tool posts. They're cheap and you can set up each of your turning tools in individual posts and not have to worry about setting up centerline on each tool every time you want to use it. The above will get you started. In addition I would recommend: 1. The highest precision 3/8" drill chuck you can afford. Shop around for this and get some recommendations from this group ... I can't help because I can remember where I got mine from. 2. You're also going to want a boring bar set and boring bar holder (which you need to make). Here are some places to look on-line for reasonable priced tooling and supplies: http://www.harborfreight.com/ http://www.use-enco.com/ http://grizzlyindustrial.com/ http://www.jlindustrial.com/ http://www.mscdirect.com/ 3. I would recommend a 6-8 inch digital caliper (again get the best one you can afford). 4. Get a complete "American made" drill set FRACTIONAL/LETTER/NUMBERED. This will be expensive $100+ but well worth the investment. In terms of what accessories you can make, I have made loads of accessories for my lathe (the most ambitious being a woodturning dupicator for doing chess pieces ... see my FILES area on the Taig site). I remember I was working on my lathe once and my wife said, "What are you making?" to which I replied, "Some accessories for my mill." Then she asked, "What do you make with your mill?" ... to which I replied, "Accessories for my lathe OF COURSE!!!" At which point she shook her head sympathetically and walked away. Buying a Taig for a lot of us here is like buying a real solid well made automobile with the intent to "soup it up". So you start adding things and features and making little bits and bobs to help do certain things and it kind evolves into what you want it to be. Among the "accessories" I have made are: 1. Boring bar holders. 2. Dial indicator holders. 3. A split-nut and carriage drive. 4. Flexible shaft tool holder. 5. Part duplicator. 6. Tailstock handle. 7. Adjustable plexiglass shield and mount. 8. Changed the whole drive system to variable speed. 9. Various custom tooling mounts. 10. Sharpen jig for rotary fabric cutter blades. That's my 2 cents .... have fun! Ken J. ------- Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 12:31:26 +0900 From: "Mark Thomas" Subject: RE: Question about Taig collets >>I am wondering if the collets that come with the Taig mill are of a common or proprietary design? I have noticed that there is a very slight wobble in the 1/8" collet and I would like to get a more accurately made set. thanks, Tom Murray << Tom, The design is proprietary, i.e. not a standard morse taper, 15 degrees if I'm not mistaken. I'm surprised that you're getting a wobble however as the collets do center very well. Check that the collet closer is threading itself on properly, and make sure that the collet is inserted the proper way, taper end first., I'm not being facetious here as I've reversed a collet by mistake on occasion, and inevitably the bit will not center properly as a result. Cheers, Mark ------- Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 02:17:08 -0600 From: "Don Feinberg" Subject: Re: Question about Taig collets I did get one "bad" collet from Taig; they replaced it immediately on my request, and all was well afterwards. It was supposed to be 1/8", but somehow it was a couple of thou too small... Ring up Taig -- my experience is that they'll take care of it straight away. Don Feinberg ------- Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2003 12:59:24 -0000 From: "Tom Murray " Subject: Re: Question about Taig collets Thanks to everyone for the information. Yes, the collet is inserted the correct way; I take no offence in being asked because the first time I put one in, I did indeed insert it backwards =] I noticed that the collet holds the cutter slightly off center. I estimate that it is about 1-2 thousandths off, but I have no way to measure. I will be using v-cutters that have very fine tips (0.001" - 0.01") to do very fine detail, so a movement of the tool by a thousandths or two is not trivial. I will contact Taig soon. Thanks again, Tom Murray ------- Date: Sun, 5 Jan 2003 09:46:58 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Re: Question about Taig collets Several other things to check: 1) get a dial test indicator, chuck up a 1/8" dowel and see if the collet is really running true. You need a dial indicator, for tramming the column anyway. 2) is it possible that the cutter is bent? or have you checked several cutters in succession? 3) is there any swarf, or other obstructions in the collet slots? 4) do your other collets work well? (once again good place for an indicator) could be the spindle taper instead, perhaps a burr. 5) as others have said, Taig will take care of it if it is bad. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2003 23:13:55 -0000 From: "Kevin Gregg " Subject: How to tighten chuck Well, being the newbie that I am, I managed to get the chuck on my lathe to spin off at several thousand RPM the other night. I also instinctively tried to prevent it from rolling off the bench with my bare hands... that was stupid. OK, you are laughing... I'll wait. ahem. It did a nice job on the bed, but I think I have those cleaned up. Now that we have that little embarassment out of the way, could you guys help me with a question? When using the spindle wrench to tighten the chuck, how do you go about locking the chuck so you can tighten it? Sheepishly, Kevin ------- Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 13:57:30 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: How to tighten chuck Nooo, no laughter here. I managed to do that with the 4-jaw shortly after buying my lathe. I did have the presence of mind to get out of its way, but I'm still paranoid about that. I grab the chuck by the jaws, and the spindle by the wrench, and twist. The jaws don't rotate with respect to the back of the chuck, so it's a good "handle". More specifically, I slowly screw the chuck on until it seats, to make sure the threads are clean and the mating surfaces don't have any burrs or swarf on them. (Yes, I wipe both before doing this.) Once I know I have a good clean seat, I back the chuck off a half turn or so, and spin it on. It should seat with a nice sharp stop. That's all the cranking I do. I haven't had one come off since doing this, and I haven't overtightened, either. So far so good. Keep the fingers intact, and keep makin' chips. Tom ------- Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 03:26:06 -0000 From: "jumbo75007 " Subject: Re: How to tighten chuck Kevin, many of us have been there, done that. As been said, no heroics with the wrench. Just hand tighten "snuggly." Even though you hand tighten the chuck, keep the wrench handy when removing the chuck. As far as tightening up the jaws on the 3 jaw chuck, I hold on to the back half of the chuck while grabbing on the the jaws themself. If I have any slippage of round stock, then I put a tommy bar into the holes on the back half of the chuck and retighten holding on to the jaws. Enjoy! Dan Fuller Carrollton, Texas ------- Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 14:18:52 +0000 From: "Leon Heller" Subject: Re: How to tighten chuck Peatol, the UK distributor, sells a special thin laser cut spanner that can be used to hold the nut on the back of the spindle behind the chuck. It's quite cheap. I always make sure I'm out of line with the chuck when I start up the motor, just in case. 8-) Leon ------- Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 09:34:11 -0500 From: Ken Jenkins Subject: Re: Spinning the Chuck off Kevin, don't feel bad. I did this twice when I first got my lathe. Very scary!!! and...yes...I also tried to stop it with my thumb the first time (not the second time :-). What I did was to make a simple wooden block out of hardwood about 2 inches square and appropriate height (can't measure it right now because it's not in front of me). It has two "ledges" on it. This block stands on the base the lathe is mounted to and the ledges catch the edge of a jaw when tightening and loosening (for loosening the block goes on the opposite side and you use a different ledge) and keep it from turning so a good tight lock can be achieved. Both times this happened to me I was lucky and had no permanent physical damage done to the lathe or me but it certainly does get the old heart racing. The best thing to do when it happens is move backwards and to your right as fast as possible and let Newtonian physics have it's way without your involvement. Ken J. ------- Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 15:04:43 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: I've done it again! [EXAMINE PARTS -- ROUGH CROSSLIDE MOTION] Lets start over again for the sake of clarity: looking at the exploded diagram of the lathe on Taigs website (at the bottom of this page): http://www.taigtools.com/mlathe.html Since it seems that you ultimnately want to remove the existing screw and replace it with a longer one, here is what you should do, starting from scratch: 1) remove the carriage (100-11) from the lathe 2) hold the carriage in a vise with soft jaws 3) remove the slide (100-26) by screwing it all the way out 4) either make a small face pin spanner to engage the two small holes in the crosslide bearing (100-20), or use a chain vise grip with soft packing between the jaws and the bearing, and unscrew the bearing from the carriage. 5) hold the crosslide screw (100-17) by the threads in a vise with soft jaws. Unscrew the acorn nut (100-23) 6) gently heat the dial (100-22) with a heat gun or torch to relax the loctite. Just a little heat, don't make it glow red! 7) unscrew the dial (it may be hot!) holding it with your favorite round thingy remover, in my case a chain vise grip with soft packing, whatever you use, use soft packing to prevent marring the dial. Do not use a lot of force, or else I guarantee you will break the leadscrew. Try not to tweak it up and down or side to side as you do this. 8) slide the crosslide bearing off the screw. That should leave you with all the components separated and you can then see what is bent, if anything, and replace it with your new screw. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 01:52:57 -0000 From: "mrgamber " Subject: Spindle freedom I have a concern about my spindle bearings. With the motor belt removed, should the spindle spin freely and continue to spin if I give it a "snap"? It turns with no resistance and only a slight bit of drag but I can't just "spin it like a top" and expect it to keep going. Mike ------- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 21:50:42 -0700 From: "Doug Powell" <4machiningx~xxattbi.com> Subject: Re: Spindle freedom Mike, don't expect your lathe or mill spindle to "spin like a top". Although the bearings seem to have little resistance, the drag from the seals and the viscous drag from the grease inside the bearings will prevent them from free wheeling for more than a few seconds. Doug ------- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 19:41:21 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Spindle freedom My guess is no. My lathe and my mill both turn freely, but almost immediately spin to a stop. My guess is it's the bearing seals. I'm pretty sure they're actually sealed and not just shielded bearings. Shields are set up so they're not physically contacting the inner and outer races. Seals do make physical contact. It makes for more drag, but it also makes for no contamination. Tom ------- Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 09:14:32 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Spindle freedom The grease is the primary culprit, it is normal for there to be drag. As the bearings warm up this drag diminishes as well. If it did spin freely I would suggest the lube had all run out. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 06:45:19 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Boring Tool On Mon, 27 Jan 2003, Kevin Gregg wrote: > I want to bore a pretty small hole inside a piece of Al that is about 1" > deep and about .46 in diameter. I was attempting to use the boring bar > from Taig but it seemed a bit large for this work. Could I remove > material from the back side and underneath of this cutter to make it > smaller or would that weaken it too much? I wound up making a new boring bar for a project with a really small hole. I needed a tapered bore, so using a reamer wasn't an option. Since it was a tapered hole, I made a tapered boring bar. But the cutting end was something like 1mm across. So yes, you can go quite small. But yes, it weakens it a LOT. So long as you're careful it's possible to do without breaking the bar. The thing that'll get you, though, is tool flexure. Turn down something so it should be a nice sliding fit into the hole, and use that as a gauge. If you get unacceptable flexure in your boring bar, the hole will be undersized or tapered. The gauge will spot it for you. But yes, it's doable. Tom ------- Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 12:58:16 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Re: Taig to stop shipping international orders > Just for clarification, does that include Canada? It does, part of the problem is all the forms they have to fill out, and part is that it is a pain for them to send via the post office. They are so busy that it's just not worth it for them anymore. I suspect that I, and other dealers will just forward items on, especially to existing customers like you. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 14:24:19 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Re: Taig to stop shipping international orders Yes, those dealers, and Lee Valley in Canada, and the guys in Oz all buy their machines by the pallet loads, so that they are handling all shipping themselves, as freight. What Taig is tired of doing is handling small onesey-twosey orders that require too much time to handle. It's pretty complex. Part of the problem is the labor pool in Phoenix is pretty poor, at least by Taig's standards. They don't seem inclined to really up production (the way Sherline does) as they are still just a mom&pop operation. They have their idea of how they want their business to be, and run it thusly. Another part is that shipping by the post office is a big hassle for them, and UPS is a pain with international orders. Granted it does show what a company can achieve when they keep their prices down, and have a good product. Still a lot of opportunity for another person to step in an manufacture benchtop machines. I bet that any dealer who does want to take on the hassle of shipping internationally would clean up. I routinly get emails from all over the world begging for me to send them. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 14:44:46 -0000 From: "Johnnie " Subject: Drilling&Boring long holes?? New to the group. New to Taig lathe also. I got a Taig lathe recently and going to use it to make long tubes measuring 1 3/4 by about 12 to 14 inches long with a bores from 1/2 inch to 1 inch in dia. I am getting another bed to extend the lathe as I need more room to put drills or drill rod with brazed drill on end to do the boring. What I am concerned about tho is how to, or what to do as far as a setup for the tailstock end to do the drilling. Should I use a a V slot type setup on a made up tail stock to clamp a drill or boring bar? I have no problem with having to shove by hand the drill into the workpiece tho it would be nice to find a better way. Should I try and rig up some kind of drillpress thing sitting on its side to use horizontal and run the drill into the workpiece that way? In all this tho I would be chucking the piece on one end and having it on a Steady rest on the other. I am a bit miffed as to what to do here hoping some of you experts and pro's can add some input to my dilema. I know, I know. I probably should have got a gun drill type thing but I cant afford what they want for them lol. Any tips or input of any kind will be considered for sure. Thanks a bunch Johnnie Hamilton, Ontario ------- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 17:17:32 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? Hi JJ; Got to warn you, this post probably isn't the answer you want to hear, but is as honest as I can be! It's going to depend on the material you are cutting and how many you have to make, but any time you get into deep hole drilling you're getting into deep and tricky water. Pretty much as soon as the depth of bore is 10 times the diameter or deeper the world gets hard. Here are a few questions: What material? What is the target accuracy of the final hole size? What is the concentricity limit (runout) of the hole with respect to OD? How many do you have to make? Must the part be one piece, or can you make it in sections, and connect them via threads or silver soldered/ brazed/ welded joints? Could you use tubing, with bushes pressed/threaded/brazed/welded at each end? If you're talking 1 3/4 inch steel, the Taig is way under sized and powered, unless you intend to take a LONG time to make each part. So are most 9 inch lathes, even a SB heavy 10 would probably be tough to pull this one off on. The Taig tailstock ram doesn't have 7 inches of travel, and the drilling forces involved are awfully high for a 1/2 inch ram that is kept from twisting by a soft steel strap. One hard catch with a large bit and either the motor stalls, the belt slips or breaks, or the tailstock takes some damage. If I had to do this, I would look for thick wall mechanical tubing first, to see if I could use that. Pressing in bushing on each end might work, don't know your application requirements. Next option would be to hit the Thomas Register at the local library and look for an outfit that makes spacers/standoffs for the electrical industry. Higher cost option would be to look for hollow ground shaft used in linear bearing assemblies, and cut to length. If after all that I HAD to make these myself, then I'd rig up a gun drilling sort of setup on my 13 inch lathe. The seven foot bed would probably accomodate the drill guide, power advance for the drill, and steady rest for the work. The hairy part would be handling chip ejection, in gun drilling cutting oil is pumped through the bit and chips/oil exit a trough build into the bit. Oil pressure varies from 800 to 3000 PSI based on material, size of hole, feed rate, how far into the bore the cutting tip is, etc. If I had to make these on a smaller lathe, doing the part in sections to be joined for final sizing would be preferred. If this is out, then I'd step drill using aircraft bits from each end, very carefully locating center at each end. The final cut ( a few thou undersized) with a bit 1/16 larger than the previous bit would be from one end to smooth out the bore. Then ream to final size. You'll probably have to make your own reamer or buy one that will cost serious money. I would probably make a D reamer, necked about an inch back from the cutting end. I might even look at rigging a vertical drilling setup, so that once the first pilot hole was through there would be some gravity helping clear the chips. I would encourage you to do a google search on "Deep Hole Drilling" and "Gun Drilling" to get some ideas about what is involved before spending money to extend the Taig for this application. Love Taig lathes, but not for this application. Cheers, Stan ------- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 00:25:09 -0000 From: "jjkanuck " Subject: Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? Material will be either Delrin, Polypenco plastics or wood. The Delrin and Polypenco cuts like butter with a dull knife. > What is the target accuracy of the final hole size? Not that accurate a good flat ground drill size is fine. Would be 11/16 11/32 9/16 and 1 1/8 drill sizes are fine. Concentricity doesn't really matter. Would be 8 pieces. No! The lengths must be one piece Just checked my drawings and longest piece would be 11 5/8ths > Could you use tubing, with bushes pressed/threaded/brazed/welded > at each end? If push comes to shove I could do that but dont really want to Actually there is no steel involved at all. What Im making is a musical instruments. Either wood or plastics. I will check out the gun drilling thing. It might give me an idea on using my drill press on its side for hole boring. Why I was thinking of the extra bed addition was to be able to use the tailstock and make up fixture to hold what ever size drill. Then just basically just shove the drive thru the plastic. Finish inside bore can be cleaned up with emery and slotted dowel far as that goes. As a side note my trade was a tool and die maker till I retired 12 years ago. So I have machining experience just not with an ELF of a piece of machinery ;-] Will be fun for sure. Anyway thanks for all that info. Much appreciated for sure. Thanks John ------- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 02:18:35 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? Hi John: Plastic and wood might just be a doable proposition :-) Maybe I'm making this out as more of a project than it is, simply poking a hole with a long twist drill might do just fine. In wood it probably will work just fine, as long as the drill is guided in some way so it stays close to center. For the wooden tubes, a long auger bit held in a brace might be just the item. I used to drill the holes for lamp cord through wooden lamp bodies using long augers, occasionally with an extension required. Using an auger in a brace gave better control and was just about as fast as using a hand drill. Far less scary as things didn't tend to go bad in any rush. These might just be easier to do "old school", simply holding the work in a vise or clamping jig which could also have a guide hole for the auger bit. Might work fine in the plastics you are using as well. If not... Rather than drilling in the conventional sense, could you make a trepanning sort of tool from steel tubing in the target size? I'm thinking of basically a very long hole saw. You could rig a steady rest for the stock, a fairly long bushing to guide the tube, and maybe get away with a T handle held by hand or by holding the tool on a sliding block (similar to a boring bar holder) that rides the second bed. Not sure I'd hold such a beast in the stock tailstock still, a catch would generate quite a bit of torque. If the OD of the parts is consistent, the drill guide bushing could be stepped and serve as a steady for the free end of the workpiece. Just a scaled up version of a pinion drilling flag on a watchmakers lathe. You might need a second steady rest halfway down the workpiece to control whipping. Chip control would probably be the big thing. I have very little experience working with plastics, but enough to suggest polishing the OD of the tool and using some sort of lube would probably be required. Once plastics start getting hot they tend to grab onto tools. I know delrin is pretty slick stuff, but have never even heard of polypenco, much less machined it. You might take a look at some info on making wooden water pipes back in colonial days (and earlier.) I recall seeing one sketch of a spring pole or great wheel lathe sort of setup being run by an apprentice, while the master fed in a large T handled auger. Not an exact solution, but maybe enough to get the creative juices flowing. I just repaired a music box for one of my daughters. The plastic balerina figure was injection molded and pressed down on the spring loaded stop bar of the box, which jams the mechanism when the lid closes, folding over the spring extension of the stop rod. Naturally the figurine broke. Twist drilling with a pin vise just didn't give the strength needed as there was not enough material left to resist the force of the spring loaded rod. I filed teeth on the end of a 2 inch length of 1/8 inch brass tubing, spun the tube in a drill press, and bored right down through the feet and legs and into the body. Left the tool in place as a bushing so the figurine is simply decorative rather than the strength element of the mechanism. Worked like a charm once I fixed the music box movement, which has gotten knocked out of whack when the figurine snapped off. The brass tube was held in a drill press chuck and the figurine was pressed up onto the tool. The final hole depth was about 15 times the bore diameter. Only additional operation required was a quick few turns of a twist drill in a pin vise to remove a bit of the plastic plug in the center of the tube. Took less time to file the teeth and do the job than to write this post. As you're a tool and die guy I guess you've probably forgotten more about deep hole drilling and fixturing for weird setups than I know :-) What type of instrument are you making? There was a guy over on RCM doing something similar, he had some odd expectations for bore accuracy at first (half a thou total size, location, and TIR error over 20 inches in wood), but once calmed down a bit I think he planned to drill, ream, and finish the bore, then mount to blank on a mandrel for exterior machining. While we couldn't get him to within a half thou over 20 inches with drilling alone, going this route did let him get a uniform wall thickness in the finished product, which was apparently a critical item for tone. Don't know any more than this, I'm just a guitar player. Please post what you come up with, sounds like a neat sort of project. Cheers, Stan ------- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 07:23:48 +0000 From: Steve Blackmore Subject: Re: Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? >Material will be either Delrin,Polypenco< plastics or wood. The >Delrin and Polypenco cuts like butter with a dull knife. John - you may have some problems with the plastics - I've drilled 13mm dia holes 6inches deep in Delrin and the stuff heats up and grabs the drill - enough so that it seizes on the drill and either turns the drill or the stock the chuck! (Wasn't on a Taig) The answer was to grind down the flutes and shaft after the first 1/2" or so and use coolant. Steve Blackmore ------- Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 09:57:37 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Backlash on the crosslide screw Got an email from a customer who felt that his lathe had too much backlash, at .006". I measured my lathe's backlash and found I had .006" as well. Other machines in my shop had significantly more backlash. So I thought I would ask, how much backlash do your lathes have? http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 11:13:58 -0800 From: "Dave Hylands" Subject: RE: Backlash on the crosslide screw Hi Nick: I have a Sherline that's still relatively new, and it has about 0.003 - 0.004. I think 0.006 would be quite acceptable given the cost of the lathe. I've used some bigger/older equipment that had 0.030 to 0.050 backlash. I think that ballscrews are the answer for people who don't like backlash. Dave Hylands Vancouver, BC, Canada http://www.DaveHylands.com/ ------- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 00:11:32 +0000 From: Steve Blackmore Subject: Re: Backlash on the crosslide screw Hi Nick, I put a new cross slide leadscrew and nut on a Myford Super 7 and couldn't get it below 4 thou without it being overly tight. (It was 15-25 before ;) Most stuff I've seen has 10 or worse. (Apart from ball screws of course:) The backlash is not a problem as long as by winding out past, then back in, you end up at the same spot each time. Steve Blackmore ------- Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 20:38:11 -0800 From: "JAMES BEGGEROW" Subject: Re: Backlash on the crosslide screw Nick: I have .003 and it works smooth the only other problem to check would be the lead error. My machine has .008 over 7 inches. Jim ------- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 05:19:29 -0000 From: "gjb1gb1 " Subject: Re: Backlash on the crosslide screw Hi Nick .0045 My Lathe is 20 years old, about the best machine I ever bought. Got a long bed cnc mill about a year ago (got it from Andrew as I hadn't found this group at that time) other than that weird end to end gib adjustment on the X it has performed flawlessly. When I get the chance i`m going to put the adjusters in front where they belong. Gary Bailey ------- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 01:04:16 -0500 (EST) From: indiabudx~xxwebtv.net Subject: Backlash on crosslide screw I measured mine and found it to be .0065. I have no complaints as a compound unit for an old lathe is closer to .030. John ------- Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 10:15:40 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Backlash on crosslide screw I know, old lathes certainly have backlash, I think my Atlas has about 50 thou. See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 16:18:58 -0000 From: "Ed Chesnut " Subject: Re: Backlash on the crosslide screw Mine measured in x~xx .006" also. My lathe is a little less than a year old. Used mostly for turning Aluminum, Delrin/Acetal and pen turning (various woods). Not a lot of hours of use. I don't think cross slide backlash has changed much (if any) since new. Ed ------- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 13:14:29 -0800 From: "Elliot Burke" Subject: RE: Digest Number 994 was Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? JJ Writes: >>I got a Taig lathe recently and going to use it to make long tubes measuring 1 3/4 by about 12 to 14 inches long with a bores from 1/2 inch to 1 inch in dia.I am getting another bed to extend the lathe as I need more room to put drills or drill rod with brazed drill on end to do the boring.What I am concerned about tho is how to, or what to do as far as a setup for the tailstock end to do the drilling. Any tips or input of anykind will be considered for sure. << I suggest you browse through the books available at Lindsay Publications http://www.lindsaybks.com/ They have several titles on just that subject, long hole boring/drilling. One book in their collection is Amateur Wind Instrument Making, which covers making recorders and flutes. Some good tips on tapered holes too. It certainly can be done, consider that rifles were made with very little equipment but much patience before machinery was available. You haven't helped yourself by trying to use a non-rigid lathe. The stiffness of a beam (lathe bed) decreases rapidly as it is made longer. Perhaps you can bolt it to something rigid without twisting it? regards- Elliot B. ------- Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 08:01:27 -0000 From: "Rodger " Subject: Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? > Would be 8 pieces. > No! The lengths must be one piece Just checked my drawings and > longest piece would be 11 5/8ths The number of pieces, and the 11" length on some of them sound vaguely familiar.. Does this instrument happen to be "louder than satan" ??? I am getting my tooling together for Pipemaking, and what is really looking sweet is the Cuesmith. Chris Hightower uses as many standard Taig parts as possible. I believe that he wants $250 or so for a 48" bed, that all the existing Taig parts I already have can be mounted onto.. The 1 3/8" through spindle twin chuck headstock also sounds like a treat for long hole boring. What I really want to do is run the bore with a carriage mounted tool, and One axis FROG cnc. set it up for 1200 steps if need be, and supervise the bore rather than run it the old fashioned way. The Great big lathes seem more like a 401K in scrap iron to me. I really don't think that I need a monsterous floor mounted lathe for what I am going to be doing. The biggest diameter I might ever turn is 2", and one of the last things I even want to turn is metal except as needed. I actually plan to mount my modified Taig lathe on a desk someday. ------- Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 17:41:55 -0000 From: "jjkanuck " Subject: Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? Hi. Sorry for the late reply. Yes I noticed the grabbing also. I been messing [experimenting] around with some delrin and drilling. What I have found works really well is making a formed D drill out of drill rod or HS round Deckel cutter blanks [Deckel is type of pantograph] It's 5/8 round cutting stock ground to D shape and brazed on a 7/16 drill rod. I have ground the form of a D on the stock cutting it in half lengthways then reducing the diameter about 1/4 inch back of the full cutting edge [similar to your back grinding your drill]. I was using wd40 or silicone spray. but that gets pricey and the fumes arent that great [no buzz either lol ] so I now just use plain old water spray with a very light amount of water soluble cutting oil. Minute enough to use in a misting bottle. Works great. I have a 5/8 D drill made up brazed onto some drill rod and drill thru with no pilot hole 7 plus inches and taking the drill out at the most 4 or 5 times. Not all the way either just enough to spray some cooling into the bore. Thanks for all the tips to you and the other guys on here. JJ I will keep you informed and will try and get some pics up on here but it will be a while. Got to get a digital camera first ;-] ------- Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 10:27:14 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Re: Turning and Boring Long Lenghts info?? Ummmm! Dang! Thanks for the info on Chris Hightower's lathes. Do you know if he sells just lathe beds? I've already got a lot of Taig hardware, and I'm not really in the market for a new headstock just yet. But if I could get a longer bed, I'd definitely be interested. I don't know if I'll be getting into the pool cue business (very likely not) but this would make a whole bunch of projects go from the "someday" pile to the "can-do" pile. Tom ------- Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2003 09:46:13 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Setting the compound > Stupid question, how do you set the angle of the compound slide? > Regards, Fernando You can use a protractor against the crosslide, as it is parallel to the work face. You can also figure out the taper per inch, and use a dial test indicator to see if your setting is correct. I just use a protractor. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2003 11:14:32 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: riser block question On Tue, 10 Jun 2003, Des Bromilow wrote: >I bought my taig many moons ago as a secondhand piece of equipment, and >it came with the riser blocks set. I've never seen anyone using the riser >blocks on this list, so I wonder.. is there something wrong with them? Nope. Nothing wrong with them, and I've used them both on the lathe and the mill. >Why? I'm thinking about adding threading to my lathe. I have a rough >design for some backgears,(although I'm interested in seeign gene's >design now he's mentioned it) and I'm tossing up about using gears, or a >gearbox for the ranges. - One thing has become obvious in the >designing... I will have to set up everything to hang on a fixed >distance between the spindle and the leadscrew... in otherwords, adding >the riser block at a later date will incur redesign of the gearing. So.. >what are the issues (rigidity I expect) with adding the riser blocks >permanently?... How much difference will the additions make in terms of >day to day usage? You've hit on the biggest one: rigidity. The headstock's up higher, so it's not as rigid. Toolposts are higher, so they're not as rigid. I use it when necessary, and remove it when not. Same is true of the mill. It's a great way to get an extra inch between your spindle and your vertical column, but it comes at a price. (Most of the time I'm willing to pay the price and take lighter cuts.) Tom ------- Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 09:04:39 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Turning odd shape on Taig On Tue, 2 Sep 2003, Dave wrote: > I am considering getting a Taig lathe. I am casting some silicon bronze > oarlocks for a boat. I will want to turn the cast oarlock shank down > from about .6" to .5" diameter and about 2" long. I plan to leave the > shank long enough to chuck up, then the oarlock horn will be at the > right end. The casting will be about 6" long and I will not need to use > the tailstock. > My question is, will the Taig lathe handle this ? Or will the fact that > the spinning mass on the right side of the piece create a problem ? Having the spinning mass on the right shouldn't cause a problem, but there may be another issue. I'll go into this in a sec. > Will there be enough room with toolpost and chuck to make a finish pass > from left to right 2" and then face cut .125" ? Because the spinning > mass on the right side I won't be able to go from right to left. There should be enough room. It may be cramped, but there should be room. The Taig will turn .6" diameter bronze, but it's going to be a rough ride. You'll need to take fairly light cuts, and lots of them. I just cut some stainless about that size, and truth be told it wasn't very fun. I'm glad I don't turn stainless every day. Just make sure your tools are sharp and their geometry is right for the material you're cutting. A bigger concern is the rest of the oar lock. How big is it? The Taig has pretty limited space between the spindle and the bed, and even more limited space between the spindle and the cross slide. The carriage on the Taig is pretty wide (which adds a lot in terms of stability), but it means if you have 3.5" of oarlock spinning on the tailstock end of your work and you can't fit the carriage under it, things will be cramped indeed. You can stretch this a little by using the headstock riser block. It'll add a full two inches to what you can handle in terms of diameter, but at the cost of rigidity. When cutting bronze, rigidity is what you're after, unfortunately, so you'll have to take even lighter cuts and more of them. If you can finagle some way to use the tailstock, it'll help in terms of rigidity, but you'll need a tailstock riser block as well. If this is the only part you'll ever want machined, you'd probably be better served by taking the work to a local machine shop. If this is the smallest part you'll ever want to machine, you'd probably be better served with a larger lathe. If this is on the large and awkward end of what you're thinking of doing with a lathe, the Taig may be your best bet. There is one thing going for the Taig in this regard: It's the Erector Set of lathes. If you need more height on your spindle, you can do it. If you need a leadscrew, you can add it. I've turned 5" diameter parts on my Taig. In a pinch, you can usually make it do what you need. But I don't do this every day. If you find you're constantly pushing the limits of your lathe, it means you need a larger lathe. I only rarely cut stuff as big as 5", and that's only when I can't figure out any other way to get the job done. Tom -------- Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 15:39:12 -0400 From: "Gissing, Robert" Subject: RE: Turning odd shape on Taig Ok i have to ask, how did you turn a 5 inch diameter piece on the taig. I am very interested. robert gissing ------- Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 09:57:36 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: RE: Turning odd shape on Taig With great difficulty. Wasn't fun. It involved stacking riser blocks under the headstock. Most of it was a facing cut, so I didn't need to clear the cross-slide. The material was only 1" thick, so even the OD cut didn't strictly require it to clear the cross-slide. I just had a ton of overhang. Getting the tool all the way out to the edge was another trick. It involved the toolpost riser block and some extra fixturing I made for the task at hand. It worked, after a fashion. Having to face 1.5" at a time was obnoxious. Luckily the shape lent itself to breaking up the cuts this way. I didn't have to match cut depth from one cut to the next. The material in question was UHMW plastic. Had it been anything else, I doubt I would've tried it. If I had it to do over again, I still probably wouldn't try it. Having that much spinning mass on the Taig is nerve- wracking. Next time this comes up, it'll be my excuse for getting a larger lathe to compliment my Taig. Tom ------- NOTE TO FILE: John Bentley, in a message dated 30 Oct 2003, was talking about threading on the Taig but the method is applicable to many other lathes that do not have change gears. Please see the Threading text file on this site. (Sorry, but I don't have the space to repeat stuff in multiple files.) ------- Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2003 09:14:14 -0800 From: Don Rogers Subject: Re:Leaking bearing >I don't know if this is normal (e.g. first time you run the lathe, the >bearing warms up and squeezes extra lubricant out) or not As long as the seal is undamaged, this is not a problem. The bearing is packed with grease when manufactured. When it is brought into use, The balls must form a track in the grease as they roll on the races. The pushing of the grease to the size to form this track will result in forcing some under the seal. It ensures a lub on the seal as a side effect. Wipe off the excess grease and inspect the seal to make sure it isn't damaged. It you see no dings or twisting of the seal, then it is nothing to worry about. If the seal is damaged, it will mean a shorter life for the bearing, but you should still get good service. By the way, is the rear bearing leaking also? Don ------- Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 10:51:44 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: taig lathe headstock bearing I haven't come across this, but I suspect it's nothing to worry about, just a bearing that had a lot of grease in the initial packing. Keep an eye on it and if it starts to burn up quickly I'll get you replacements. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 17:15:55 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Received my new Taig lathe today On Wed, 26 Nov 2003, edgerrin322000 wrote: > I received my lathe package including a top compound slide today if > anyone has any beginner's setup tips or things to watch for, I am all > ears. Thanks. First off, congrats! Next, do you have any machining experience? Most of what I ran into that tripped me up was bad habits I had from running bigger machines. If this is your first foray into machining, you're in for a treat. Start without the compound. It's tricky in its own right, so I only use it when I honestly need it. The best way to learn is to chuck something up and take a cut. Cuts on the Taig tend to be light compared to bigger machines. Cuts in 1" aluminum over about 0.025" are considered heavy cuts on a lathe the size of the Taig. I take finish cuts down around 0.005", though that's probably a little extreme. After you take your first cut and look at the surface finish, hopefully without TOO much dismay, check for any or all of the following: 1 - Are your tools sharp? If not, sharpen them. You can usually touch up a lathe tool on a small bench stone rather than breaking out the grinder every single time. I tend to grind, then stone my cutters anyway. The sharper your cutter, the finer the cut. If you can split an atom with it, it's just about right. 2 - Is your tool tip radius a good size? I got used to tools with 1/8" radii on them or bigger. On a lathe the size of the Taig this doesn't work as well. There's just too much cutting tip trying to bite into the metal. So (of course) I see-sawed the other way and used NO radius at the tool tip. This resulted in surfaces that looked like a rat had chewed on them. Gotta have some, but too much is not always better than not enough. After grinding a cutter, I'll run the very tip over a stone to kinda take the edge off (while preserving the geometry I just ground into the tool). This seems to do well. 3 - Is your tool the right height? This has killed a cut more often than anything else I've done. The easiest way to set tool height is to chuck up something thin, say a 1/8" diameter drill bit, and bring your cutter up until it's almost touching the shank of the drill bit. Slip something thin in between the two. I use my 6" scale, but anything about 1/16" thick or thinner would work. (Sorry to the metric crowd... I realize I'm using "heathen units" as my boss calls them. He's Canadian.) If the scale tips away from you, your tool's too high. If it tips toward you, the tool is too low. Adjust the tool using shims until the scale, when pinched between tool and the drill bit shank, stands vertically. 4 - Are you using some sort of lube or cutting fluid? Most metals (excepting brass and cast iron) like to have some sort of lubricant when you cut. In a pinch WD-40 will work, but it's smelly. I got attached to some soluble oil that I had to leave when I moved. Much of the Taig is aluminum and brass, so I've never had rust problems from using soluble oils. Pick something up from Enco and use it. An honest to goodness cutting oil can't be beat. 5 - Are you using nice metal? Hardware store aluminum is always gummy to me. I like 6061-T6 or T651. It's a very common alloy and treatment you can pick up from almost any metal dealer. I also have a hard time with some steels. 12L14 is a nice steel to work with, but it does have lead in it so be careful. Oddly enough I've had good luck turning tool steel. When I got it I thought it'd be rough stuff to use. My favorite has got to be brass. It cuts like a dream, but the chips are like cactus needles. Keep 'em out of your hands! PVC is also nice to cut and can be cut without coolant. Same with Delrin, though it's more expensive than PVC. 6 - Are you using a decent spindle speed for the cut you're taking? Check in the Files area in a folder called, I think, "Feeds & Speeds" or words to that effect. There should be a PDF and an Excel spreadsheet for spindle speeds for the lathe as a function of material and diameter. It's a good starting point. At this point you should be making nice cuts. Play! Have fun! At some point you'll come up with an idea for something you want to make. From that point on expect to have ten times as many things you want to make than you have time to make them. Nirvanna. Tom ------- Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 04:06:05 -0000 From: "John Bentley" Subject: Re: Received my new Taig lathe today Congratulations Will! I hope it all goes together well. Keep your speed down for a while, protect that cone-shaped hole in the spindle with your life and the same goes for the surface of the bed. Keep brushing away the swarf and frequently coat the bed with light oil. You will have lots of fun - and we'll be waiting to hear your stories! Good luck! John ------- Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 06:16:05 -0000 From: "John Bentley" Subject: Re: Hey Guys... Motor mounting options. >The manual doesn't really explain how to use or mount the motor >mounting bracket either. Any help would be great. -- Will I could never figure out the one that came with mine either. I just got a cheap door hinge, screwed it to the bench top and bolted it to the bottom of the motor. Then the weight of the motor puts tension on the belt. I mounted the foot of my lathe on a 1 1/2" thick block of wood - it makes it a lot easier to use the carriage handwheel and to clean underneath. They tell me my site's down, but if you go to the photos section of this group, under engineman, the first photo shows that block. Your motor and bracket may be different, so I'm not sure I'm of much help. After everybody wakes up in the morning, you are sure to get some helpful suggestions. John ------- Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 19:23:00 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Hey Guys... Motor mounting options. I wound up ditching the stock motor mount and just bolted it to a wooden board that was hinged to the lathe mounting board. I made sure the hinges were directly in line with the spindle axis (ok, to within a few degrees anyway... not exactly dialed in). Once the headstock and motor pulleys were lined up, they STAYED lined up. No matter how many times I tried I was never able to get the stock motor mount to stay in alignment. But defintely start with the stock motor mount. Who knows? I may have just been using it wrong the whole time. The hinges can wait until you've cut metal. One thing I don't think I caught on to for the first week or so: The pulleys really do want to be parallel to each other and very very closely aligned. The lathe should run without any squeaking or squealing from the belt. That's one thing I really really appreciate about metalworking tools. When my neighbor saw me toting in the crates I used to ship my tools here, she just about banged her jaw on the ground from shock. (I live in a duplex.) It was a while before she realized when I'm working metal, the shop is almost dead silent. When I'm working wood (which I only do around noon) it's loud enough to wake the dead. The Taig lathe, when well set up, is a really quiet and pleasant tool to use. Tom ------- Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 19:54:41 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: door hinge for motor mount On Thu, 27 Nov 2003, edgerrin322000 wrote: > Hey thanks John for the idea about the door hinge. I had a box of two > new hinges here and the holes lined right up with the motors'holes. > Seems to work great adding tension, although it shakes a bit, no problem > though. I officially became a turner tonight and I'm hooked. It didn't > take me long to figure out why all you guys modify the handles, LOL! Heh! I haven't modified mine to be spinners yet. (More on this in a sec.) > How often should I run the motor without letting it cool some? I think the Dayton motors that come with the lathe are continuous duty fan motors (like you'd find in a ceiling fan or a big vent fan). I just run it 'till I'm done. I used to live in Texas where my shop could get up over 100F in the summers. The motor just kept going. Niiiice motor. > Smooth cuts seem to be a bit of a challenge but I'm sure that just comes > naturally with experience. Well... Mmm... It comes with experience. But I don't think there's much that's natural about it. Lots of head banging, hair pulling, question asking (here, of course), and trying what I was told. And every time you change materials, the rules will change. Subtly, but they'll change. One way to get a smooth cut is not to use the handle, modified or not. (See? I told you I'd get back to it!) I grab the whole wheel with both hands. Ok, with both thumb'n'forefingers. If you kinda shuffle between which hand's turning the wheel and which one is reaching for the next grip, you can get a really really steady feed rate that way. One trick I haven't tried since I killed my cordless screwdriver years ago is to pull the bit out of a cordless screw driver and stick it on the little acorn nut on the cross slide. Voila, power cross-feed. And the cut should be really steady and smooth. I did use a manual version of this. I've got one of those multi-bit screwdrivers you can get at [insert local hardware store name]. I took the bit out and stuck it on the acorn nut on the cross slide. Fitting two hands on THAT is a snap. Makes me want to cut a hex head into the carriage wheel! > My first project was a dowel rod with a tenon cut into it, wow that was > great. Thanks for all the help everyone. Cool! Man, I know the feeling. There's nothing like thinking something up an then making it. Because you can. Tom ------- Note to file: a couple of messages in this advice to a new owner thread changed to the importance of sharp cutters. For the benefit of all brands, that conversation was moved to the general Cutters Collets Arbors file. ------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 09:55:09 -0000 From: "diteman2001" Subject: Re: A good compound slide wrote: > I have never even seen a Taig compound slide for real but I gather by > reading messages on this superb site that they are perhaps not as > good as they might be. I understand that they can slip while in use. > Is there an alternative? I have built a replacement compound slide for the Taig. It is calibrated, easily adjustable for angle and clamps firmly. It works reasonably well but as I am fairly new to this game it can probably be improved. It was built on the hoof so there are no drawings. I have posted some photos of the compound slide in the Photos section under Ian Pollard. Some comments, the slide is based somewhat on the Sherline. It could probably be improved with an increased length for the lower dovetail. The screw is from the Taig compound but running in a ballrace, the handwheel has a zero adjustable ring. The holes in the sliding component have no relevance, just left over from the Taig mill motor support from which it was made. Regards Ian Pollard ------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 12:51:00 -0000 From: "John Bentley" Subject: Re: A good compound slide There is also a picture and short description of a good-looking little compound slide made by Goeff Kingma on Nick Carter's site. Here is the URL: http://www.cartertools.com/picture.html#GKT The description and a link to the picture are at the bottom of the page. John ------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 13:28:44 +0000 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Re: A good compound slide Ian - Very nice! My initial attempt was based on a two-part cylindrical base/lower dovetail, with a single central clamp screw that locked in the angular adjustment, but I found that I couldn't get sufficient clamping force to make the thing stay in position. I suspect it could be made to work with different materials though - aluminium to aluminium doesn't seem to have a high enough coefficient of friction. Regards, Tony ------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 14:57:37 -0000 From: "Tony Grimes" Subject: Re: A good compound slide The factory compound slide works fine. Make three of the little clamps described in the Files section under "holdcompound.jpg." Take the factory clamp out. Position the compound slide where it is most convenient on top of the cross slide. Use the three small clamps you have made and almost no amount of "hogging" will twist the compound out of alignment. ------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 07:08:45 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: Re: A good compound slide Ok, I've got a sheepish grin all over my face. That clamp design is really close to what I use to hold down my vise on my mill. So WHY did it never occur to me to use them on the compound?! Thanks for posting that. I still think Ian's compound is sexy, but I'm also going to build a set of clamps for the one I've got. Tom ------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 01:35:13 -0000 From: "Mitch Singler" Subject: Introduction. I'm new to the group. I bought a Taig lathe about 2 years ago, and have a 2018 mill on order from Nick Carter. Since I've owned my lathe, I've made a few modifications to it, as well as making a few fixtures for the mill. Most of these ideas I've gotten from the files posted to this group or Nick Carter's Taig pages. I like to thank all of you for the great ideas and information. I've posted some pictures to my folder in the "photos" section. Please check out "Mitch's taig". Thanks again. Mitch Singler ------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 08:30:55 +0000 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Introduction. Very impressive! I particularly liked the tailstock offset adjustment design ;-) Regards, Tony ------- Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 21:28:31 -0000 From: "vks_generic" Subject: milling large volumes I am still very new to milling, and I need to mill a fairly large area (about 4"x3") pretty deep (1/2"), some with a 1/2" ball end mill. All of that on a taig lathe. Obviously, I can't just take a plunge and mill that in one pass. My question is - if I have a choice (most of the time I will have that choice for that project), what's better for removing the bulk of the material - 1. Taking light cuts with the milling bit at full depth (that is, shaving a .020" or so of the edge and going further toward the middle of the work piece with each pass, holding the milling bit 1/2" deep) or 2. Taking "full-width" cuts (e.g. 3/8" and 1/2" wide cuts because those are the birs I will be using) each going a little deeper each time till I reach 1/2". So, what would be a better way, and why? I've had surprisingly good results with milling fairly large objects on my lathe using an ad-hoc rotary table, but now I need to remove a lot of material, and I want to do it the best way possible. Thanks! ------- Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 11:37:53 -1000 (HST) From: Tom Benedict Subject: Re: milling large volumes 'Fraid I can't give you a good answer on that. I've been going for the second approach, taking full-width (or 50% width) cuts at shallow depths, and stepping to depth. But that's from habit, not because it's inherently better. I'm curious to see people's answers to this question! Tom ------- Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 22:43:28 -0000 From: "Charles Hixon" Subject: Re: milling large volumes I second Tom's approach - too much chatter the other way - not rigid enough setup. If I had a spindle bearing on either end of the cutter, like in a typical horizontal mill, then the second approach is superior, because that's the way to use a typical horizontal mill. End milling is for the vertical mills. However, I try to go with full depth/light cuts, climb milling with a new, sharp mill for a nice surface on the finish pass if I can. Charles Hixon ------- Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 23:48:41 -0000 From: "Robin S." Subject: Re: milling large volumes As others have said, you don't have the horsepower or the rigidity to take the massive cuts one might take on larger verticals, horizontals and CNC machining centers. You'll probably have to take many passes of light cuts. However, depending on the material you're cutting, and the wall thickness of the remaining material, you may be able to chain drill to a depth just short of your final depth and either mill or chisel out the remaining bits. You would then finish the part by milling. Drilling is just about the most efficient method of metal removal. Once you become good a marking out and center punching, you can drill out a pocket pretty quickly. HTH. Regards, Robin ------- Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 22:48:05 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Re: milling large volumes Hi Vlad, I've never had much luck using end mills in the drill press, even just for counterboring. You could remove a lot of the waste with conventional drill bits. If you do this using say a 3/4 inch drill bit, drill the first set of holes on 1 1/4 inch centers give or take a bit, then drill out the webs between the holes. Doing it this way will balance the forces on the drill bit, so you get less chatter or wander. Same method as you use for chain drilling. Cheers, Stan ------- From: Wayne Berry Date: Tue Dec 9, 2003 6:33 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] 8mm or WW tooling? I have a watchmaker's lathe with a webster-whitcomb headstock and a tool rest. However, if you are not familiar with watchmaker lathe's inside and out, its easy to purchase accessories that don't fit or are just out right junk. I finally gave up and bought a Taig with a ww headstock, after I read Tony's book. I like the fact that I can buy NEW accessories and know what I am buying. I was lucky and purchased a good set of 29 ww collets, all under 5 mm, on E-bay, sizes I need in my clock repair business. E-bay now offers a buyer protection plan so If you are not satisfied with what you get, you can return and get a refund. Too bad that Taig doesn't manufacturer ww collets! Another source I have purchased from is http://www.dashto.com , one of the largest suppliers of used watchmaker lathe equipment, good source if you know what you are doing. Wayne Berry ------- From: Don Rogers Date: Tue Dec 9, 2003 10:23 pm Subject: RE: [taigtools] 8mm or WW tooling? You guys got me to thinking. I've got close to 40 of the 8mm collets and why not put them to use? A closer look tonight convinced me that they were not for me. First, the maximum OD of the stock you can get through one is around 0.200", a lot less than the 5/16' collet from Taig, or the 3/8" with a good three Jaw. Second, they are a single closure collet, IE they are only are slit from the front. Last and not least, the holding surface is only about 5mm long. These would add up to a lot of wobble on anything over 3/8" to 1/2" long, without a tailstock center supporting it.. These just don't hold up for the work I do. Now, if you were building clocks and watches, they would be exactly what you want. A 10mm WW might work on 1/4" stock, but the other issues are still there. Don ------- From: Stan Stocker Date: Wed Dec 10, 2003 1:46 pm Subject: Re: [taigtools] 8mm or WW tooling? > Having used the same lathe for years now, I can't remember if all WW > collets are the same, interchangeable or not, I think there were dif- > ferences in the collet closer length, anyone with knowledge of this? CMD The length issue isn't too hard to deal with if you have a WW tap or a drawbar that is long enough to tighten the shortest collet you have. Just make a drawbar spacer or make several drawbars. There was at one time a great variety in collets, Goodrich's Watchmakers Lathe shows around 40 variations. Some makers used a curved taper rather than a flat taper surface, Peerless was one I believe. The OD of a standard WW collet body is 0.312 inches, the length of the body is 1.125 inch from threaded end to base of taper. OAL less face curvature is around 1.35, but there is some minor variation over the size range and manufacturer. 0.275 - 40 threads are the standard, V form rather than the butress threads used on 10mm collets. You will see some minor variation in the major diameter of the thread, my Marshall collets are as small as 0.270 inches in a few cases. I believe the "official" spec is 0.265-40. The one collet (8mm) from Sherline is 0.275 inches major diameter. Cheers, Stan ------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 15:32:42 -0000 From: "Chet R Biggerstaff" Subject: Need help badly.... I have had my lathe for almost 2 months now and am having some problems. 1. The lathe seems to chatter a lot when using the tailstock to drill. 2. The belt seems to have a whole lot of deflection (almost an inch and a half!) and it runs very porly. When I cut it slows way down and even will stop if I am not careful (this happens when I take 1-3 thous off. Especially when boring). When just turning it does fine but I can only take off a couple thous...what can you take off on a regular basis? 3. The motor bounces a lot due to the loose belt problem. If I hold the motor under pressure (which I usally have to do) it works well but this does not seem right. Any help would be great. Thanks ------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 11:50:42 -0800 From: "Larry Richter" Subject: Re: Need help badly.... > Most everyone ends up making their own motor mount. The Taig motor mount > works, but as you have discovered, not that well. If you can just add a > holddown on the back of the motor to lock it in position it will go a > long way to helping. [Nick Carter] It's funny. I've had my Taig Lathe for 21 years now. I bought it to do firearms prototype work, and also had some thoughts in the back of my mind about doing working miniatures of designs I had worked on in the real world. My Taig mill is from the original production test batch. Must be something less than twenty years for it. I did do gun parts, not the beautiful American craftsmanship at strong prices that you see now from one and two man shops, but pieces that just got the thing back working. But I never produced a glittering little miniature of the different bread and butter objects that used to fill mind and drawing board. Mostly it was replacement parts, and improvement parts, or finishing the job for the manufacturer on something that was bought broken or badly designed. Bushings for exercise machines and yard tools and this and that. And a world of pocket knife and sporting goods bits. Probably a world of things, too, that are forgotten, having been done in a dead rush to get something working. It must be fundamentally different from what you folks do. Nothing I got from Forrest has ever broken yet. I've never really had any of these troubles, although I've been puzzled about things plenty. All the damage on my machines has been operator error, heaven help me, and of course Heaven has, because all the negative moments have been controllable so far. I've had a good stock of fear to help me with these tools. Iha ven't even used up a belt yet. I got replacement belts, and I put one on once because I was tired of seeing it just hanging around, but really... There was a small lathe on the farm that supported my family, my forebears, back when Americans had farms and when keeping stuff running was money and food. When I visited my Grands I used to pass it, in its little house with its permanently open door, about half buried on its bench in chips and grease. It's probably a pile of rust now. It fixed everything it could for them and stretched to do things it couldn't. And, it kept Richters eating steady enough to live on into an era when Americans can't really live off farms or, it seems like, even live off manufacturing. I think my little lathe has done a smaller similar job in a later American household. It just doesn't seem to have worn out or had problems in this service. I guess the poor mill once dreamed of bigger things, but it has mainly done slots, surfaces, and perfect holes, with the goal almost always being something other than the machining itself. Nothing has ever broken on it either, or worn out, although you can see things and dings the guy who owns it has done to it. Well... ------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 14:01:19 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Need help badly.... > 1. The lathe seems to chatter a lot when using the tailstock to drill Hi Chet, a couple of things can cause this: Tailstock alignment: Is the tailstock centered? You can grab a piece of 1/8 rod in a collet in the headstock, loosen the tailstock cross slide, tighten the drill chuck on the rod, snug up the ram, and tighten the tailstock cross slide. Not super precise, but quick and accurate enough for all but the smaller number drills. Lost motion (free play): Is the clamp screw on the upper housing that locks the ram snugged up enough to give a little drag on the ram? If not, the ram can bounce around in the tailstock. Method: Are you drilling at too high a speed for the material? Drill bits dull? Correct lube for the material? Work faced off and center drilled so the bit starts in the correct place? Material: Does this happen with all materials, or only brass? Brass tends to grab drill bits, I have a set of bits used only for brass that have the cutting edges stoned flat for a few thou to avoid this. > but I can only take off a couple thous....what can you take off on a > regular basis? I can usually cut 35 to 50 thou in a pass in all but harder steels. If the belt is slipping see below. If the motor is stalling you may have the 1/10 HP motor, one that I found very anaemic. A larger motor or dropping the speed are about the only options if this is the case. Don't overlook having your tools ground correctly for the material and honed very sharp, on small lathes this makes a huge difference in possible depth of cut and finish quality. Double check that your tools are shimmed on center, behing a thou or two below center is usally OK, but being above center with small diameter work really causes poor results. > 3. The motor bounces a lot due to the loose belt problem. The default motor plate leaves a lot to be desired. I have my 1/2 HP motor simply bolted down at a compromise location that has the belt slightly looser or tighter than optimal for some speeds, but usuable at all settings.Others have made sliding mounts, spring loaded mounts, all sorts of approaches to this one. You could perhaps add a hold down bolt or screw to the rear of the motor to allow tensioning of the belt. Larger motors have enough weight to allow gravity to provide belt tension, smaller ones usually don't. Cheers, Stan ------- Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 12:06:50 -0800 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Belt tension >>>I'm new to the Taig and I am afraid of putting too much tension on the belt. It always seems to slip to easily, in my opinion. So my question to you is: How can I make sure of the proper tension of the belt? It looks quite fragile and I do not what to do any damage. Luc Valličres<<< I put enough tension so I can only deflect it about 1/8"-1/4" pressing hard against it. It's reinforced with nylon and is stronger than it looks. http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 23:19:31 -0500 From: Stan Stocker Subject: Re: Newbe retainer clip on carriage pinion gear Denis Thibault wrote: > I'm in the process of setting up my new Taig lathe and I'm having > some difficulties working out the right way to secure the pinion > gear & hand wheel to the carriage. > The lathe was supplied with a retainer clip but I don't see a > recess in the pinion gear's shaft for it to seat into ? > If I just put it on the gear, the ring rubs against the rack's > protecting cover and the pinion gear is very easily pulled out of > the carriage. > I must be doing something wrong... can anyone offer me clues ? Hi Denis, you're not doing anything wrong at all, for some reason Taig doesn't cut a retaining groove in the pinion. Quite a few of the folks here simply leave the clip off. I guess you could mark the spot and grind a clip groove with a Dremel and thin cut off wheel, it just never seemed important enough to bother. It used to bother me early on, but I'd completely forgotten about the entire issue until your post showed up. Maybe it's just that I press in slightly when moving the carriage, don't pull outwards when moving the carriage, don't really know. Maybe after sliding the clip back on several times it found a sweet spot where it was willing to stay. Now that it's back in my mind I'll probably look at grinding a groove for the clip, but honestly can say that it's been years since the clip without a groove thing bothered me or caused any problems. Cheers, Stan ------- Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 15:59:28 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Tailstock binding > Whenever I loosen the tailstock to move it out of the way , i can't > get it to move on the base. It seems like the aluminum base and the > aluminum clamp portion of the base get locked together. Does anyone > have a similar problem or a solution? I tried to lubricate with a > light oil WD40 but it didn't seem to help. Ideas? Thanks Roy Brooks Usually a burr/dirt/oil varnish in the slot that the body/clamp interface has will cause binding. Deburr the two pieces and oil. It will loosen up a bit with continued use.WD40 will dry to a varnish and lock them up again, use oil. Loosen the screw and twist the body a bit and it should lever out the clamp. See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 17:49:32 -0000 From: "johnechternach" Subject: cross-slide knob "play" I hve been using my Taig for only 2 weeks and so far it is a "get re- acquainted with turning" period. My problem: I have "play" in the cross-slide knob. It goes back and forth before it moves the cross- slide. Is this typical or do I have an adjustment to do or is there something wrong? Also why isn't there a stationary mark opposite the knob to give me a point of reference? Can anyone offer suggestions to create a mark or some such equivalent? Thank you for your help. Sincerely, John ------- Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 11:01:14 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: cross-slide knob "play" Hi John, some play is always the case with a leadscrew, you just have to make sure you move it back past the slack each time you change directions. There is a mark, sort of, that spring clip that goes around the bearing block can be rotated so one of the ends provides a mark - that way you can rotate it to read on one of the .010 graduations to make it a bit easier to keep track of where you are. See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 16:33:22 -0500 From: "Bob Burandt" Subject: Re: cross-slide knob "play" John, what I have found useful is to always make the last movement of the knob in the direction that brings the cutting tool closer to the work, or increases the cut. Depending on whether you are using the backside toolpost or the regular toolpost, or a boring bar also, will determine if it is CW or CCW. Also that the movement should be more then the play. My reason is that the pressure against the tool, by the work, should not cause the tool to move back because the play is not taken up. Also remember that whatever amount you increase the cut, the diameter will decrease, or increase with a boring bar, by double that amount. The wire spring clip is a good marker to use. Just be careful not to bump it and lose your position. I use a pencil and paper to keep track of where I am and how much I need to go. I have also found that the last cut can't be too small, or it is not accurate. That is why I track what I wanted to cut against what I did cut, for several cuts. As I approach the finished size I use that information to calculate my last cut. To give credit where credit is due, I learned of these techniques in Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK. But they work very much as well with small corrections on the Taig lathe as they did with howitzers. Take the time you need to do it right the first time. Bob Burandt ------- Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 14:32:00 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: cross-slide knob "play" I bet a mistake in position when setting up a howitzer is a little more spectacular than on the Taig! ------- Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 19:58:31 -0500 From: "Bob Burandt" Subject: Re: cross-slide knob "play" A mistake with a howitzer is called 'an artillery incident'. It can profoundly affect the lives of many people. Including any and everybody responsible at the howitzer end. Because there is no such thing as a blank for artillery. (Yes, I'm aware of a salute round. Several pounds of high velocity hot wax from a cannon is still serious.) There was an amazing amount of common sense that I learned while learning how to work with howitzers. The play in the parts of the Taig lathe does not make it an inferior product. But it does need to be compensated for if you want to get better results. I am learning what my grandfather meant when he said, "It takes effort to do better then your tools." Bob Burandt ------- Date: Sun, 23 May 2004 13:27:48 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Knob graduations? Each graduation is .001 The screws are 20 threads per inch, or 1/20th of an inch movement per revolution. So 50 graduations (50 divisions of turn) yields 1/20 x 1/50 = 1/1000 per graduation See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 12:20:18 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Taig Lathe Pully Removal > I made an index plate to attach to the pully on my taig lathe. > However, I am experiencing problems removing the pully. I removed > the setscrew and pulled the pully towards the end of the shaft, but > it would only go so far. Tried a little Starrett instrument oil on > the shaft, but the pully doesen't want to cooperate. Any ideas on > how I can remove the pully would be appreciated. > Thanks for your assistance -Bill I have found that I usually have to remove the spindle cartridge from the headstock housing (screws on either side) Then I screw a blank arbor onto the spindle (anything that blocks the hole at the spindle end is fine), support the pulley on the arbor press, with the rest hanging free and use a long 5/16" dia rod to push against the blocked spindle and push it out of the pulley. See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 21:42:28 -0000 From: "bassman_bill1" Subject: Re: Taig Lathe Pully Removal Thanks, Nick. I appreciate your help. That sounds like a good way to do it. However, is there a way to remove the pully without taking the headstock apart?, perhaps with a gear puller and plug for the hollow shaft? As I was reading my Taig manual, it mentions heating up the pully prior to re-assembling, in order to make the aluminum expand. I was thinking of trying this procedure using a heat gun, but I don't want to ruin anything. (I didn't have to do this when I assembled my lathe - the pully was a nice tight fit.) Nor do I want to deform anything with a gear puller. However, I am concerned that if I take the headstock apart, that it may affect its accuracy. Maybe I am just being overly cautious. Also, if I use your procedure, I have a small 1/2 ton arbor press. Would that be large enough to use? Sorry for the verbosity and questions upon questions. I am new to this. Many thanks again for your help. Bill ------- Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 21:49:58 -0000 From: "whatt_kid" Subject: Re: Taig Lathe Pully Removal Bill, I recently removed the pulley from my Taig lathe by heating it slightly with a heat gun just as you suggested. Not much heat was required -- I was able to remove the pulley easily with an ungloved hand. After reinstalling the pulley, it runs as true as ever. Andrew ------- Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 15:48:44 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Re: Taig Lathe Pully Removal As others have said, heating the pulley may work fine for you- just try not overheating the bearing. The small arbor press might not have enough clearance for the whole headstock to move between the u shaped cutout. A gear puller will also work fine. One last thing, when you put the pulley back on, file a flat where the setscrew contacts the shaft. And anyone putting the lathe together for the first time - file a flat first, it greatly helps in taking the pulley back off later! See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 22:24:46 -0700 From: Don Rogers Subject: Re: Taig Lathe Pully Removal The reason the pulley is hard to remove is that there is no flat on the spindle for the setscrew to seat on. The lack of the flat results in a couple nice dents in the shaft where the cup on the setscrew contacts it. The pulley moves easily until the dent reaches the edge of the setscrew hole and then it jams. When you finally get the pulley off, look inside and you will see a trail from the setscrew hole to the edge nearest the headstock housing where the dent cut a grove in the bore. This needs to be cleaned up prior to re-assembly. A chucking reamer turned in by hand is the best way, but baring that, use a dowel with some silicon carbide paper to clean up the bore. Don't go overboard here or you will get a loose fit. You also need to clean up the spindle. A fine file is the best to just remove the dents. A quick polish down with some silicon carbide paper to finish and then make sure all of the silicon carbide cleaned off both the spindle and the bore of the pulley. To prevent this problem in the future, file a small flat in the spindle at the point of the dent. Then when you put the pulley back on, place the flat under the setscrew. Bring the setscrew not quite down and rock the pulley back and forth a bit to feel the edges of the flat. As you are rocking the pulley back and forth, lightly tighten the setscrew until there is no rock left. This will place the flat exactly under the setscrew for the best fit. The lack of a flat on the spindle, and the blind split pin holes, IE the carriage pinion to Hand wheel attachment, and the leadscrew bearings on the mill, are the only two issues I have with the engineering of both the lathe and mill. Don ------- Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 07:00:12 -0000 From: "bassman_bill1" Subject: Successful Taig Lathe Pully Removal Please accept my heartfelt thanks to all who posted replies to my message inquiring on how to remove an uncooperative pully from the shaft of the Taig lathe. Your willingness to help demonstrates the camaraderie that this group has; I am proud to be a member. nyway here's how I did it: I removed the set screw on the pully. Then, using a heat gun on low setting (a hair dryer should work well also) I heated up the pully, pointing the nozzle of the heat gun away from the bearings. To keep the heat distribution even, I rotated the pully slowly. After the pully was warm, but not too hot to the touch, I worked it partially off - to the area where the set screw made its mark. Then, using a faucet-handle puller (sort of a small gear puller), I removed the pully. I then measured the inside diameter of the pully and the outside diameter of the shaft. Both were within .001 of each other - a very tight fit. I filed a flat where the set screw contacted the shaft (boy, this stuff files easily!!!) and polished the shaft with a strip of emery paper followed by crocus cloth, which put a near polished finish on the shaft. Then, I cleaned interior of the pully in the same manner, with the emery paper and crocus cloth wrapped around a 1/2" dowel. During this process, I tested the fit of the pully to shaft and stopped my polishing when the pully just slid on easily to a nice tight fit without having to heat it up. I then aligned the pullys, tightened the set screw and started the lathe. It now runs as it should. I hope this information is helpful to others who may be experiencing the same problems. Again, thanks to all who responded. Regards, Bill ------- Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 17:55:11 -0400 From: John Bell Subject: Re: Digest Number 1446 [INSTALLING A SETSCREW ON A SHAFT SECURELY AND WITHOUT BURRING THE SHAFT] Certainly the "Flat" will work well, but I prefer the method GH Thomas taught in his book on the VDH. He uses a small slug of annealed Copper, shoved into the hole and then spread out with a punch and hammer. What this does is to form a copper "bottom" in the setscrew hole which is shaped to fit the curve of the shaft and also engages the bottom thread of the setscrew hole. Now the set screw bottoms on the copper locking it to the shaft, but not causing any deformation of the shaft. It backs off enough to remove the pulley when the set screw is loosened. For small setscrews up to about 6/32 a piece of 14 ga copper wire works well--for anything bigger I cut a piece of copper plumbing, anneal it and hammer it flat--then cut a disk of the required size. It's obviously more work than a filed flat but does work well. For what it's worth, John Bell ------- Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2004 22:02:46 -0000 From: "leon_heller" Subject: Peatol mounting plate I've just updated my Taig web page with details of the Peatol mounting plate and the feet I made for it: http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller/taig.html I think it is a neater arrangement than the official Taig method. More expensive, of course. The 1/2 HP GE motor supplied by Peatol (they still seem to think it's 1/4 HP) actually has two speeds: I've mounted an On/Off switch and a fast/slow switch in a small die-cast box. I'll get round to mounting the box on a suitable high bracket behind the motor one of these days. Leon ------- Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2004 10:22:03 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Spindle question From: "davideggy2" > I was playing around trying to cob together a table saw attachment > using the wood turning tool rest base as a mount for the table. I > found a nice little 3-5/8" 24 tooth carbide blade at Home Depot, and > made an arbor for it. I slipped the table base/tool rest base onto > the lathe, then screwed the arbor on. Looked like it would work. > Picked up the spindle wrench to remove the arbor and discovered I > didn't leave room for it. No problem, I slipped another wrench down > behind the headstock onto the nut located there. It promptly loosened > which wasn't exactly what I wanted to happen. So I turned it the other > way to tighten it back up. Just when I thought it was probably tight > enough, it suddenly went onother 1/8th turn or so. Felt kinda like I > was sliding the bearing along on the shaft. The shaft is a little > more difficult to turn and has a little bit of "bumpiness" (for lack > of a better word) to it. I don't want to mess it up, so I'm > appealing to the group for help. Is it possible to over tighten that > nut or is this just my imagination (wouldn't be the first time). How > tight should it be. If I did move the bearing, how do I get it to > move back? > Sorry for being a windbag, but this is the first time I've been able > to mess something up on the lathe and I'm nervous about it. This is > my baby and I don't want to hurt it. Taig changed the headstock design about a year ago to the one you have, with a nut for preload. They found a lot of people would use a mallet for installing the pully, which would tend to eliminate the preload. So they switched (without notifying dealers, which confused the hell out of me the first time I had a question from a customer about it) It sounds like you have loaded the bearings too much. I would back the nut off and the turn it until it is just tight, perhaps holding the wrench with just three fingers, really close to the head. Run it for a couple of minutes and if it still sounds crunchy, then you may have screwed up the bearings. Before throwing up your hands, loosen the nut again, lightly (LIGHTLY!) whack the pulley end of the spindle with a rubber mallet to break the preload, then retighten the nut as above. If it still sounds crunchy then you'll probably have to replace the bearings. Let us know what happens. See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 23:36:34 -0000 From: "davideggy2" Subject: Re: Spindle question Thanks for the help! I gave the spindle end a few light whacks and nothing happened. I held my breath and gave it a medium whack and heard the "snick" as the rear bearing snapped back into place. It works like a charm. On a different note. I know this has been discussed before (sorry, don't have time to search right now), but, can I drill the spindle out to 3/8" ? Seems to be plenty of meat there. Please let me know. You guys're so helpful. Thanks again, Dave ------- Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 16:59:06 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Re: Spindle question You can safely drill the spindle out to 3/8", drill undersize then use an oversize 3/8" reamer so you have clearance for truly 3/8" stock. Glad you got your spindle fixed! See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 11:15:23 -0700 From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" Subject: Re: Turning between centres From: "leon_heller" > I want to do some turning between centres, but I couldn't see a > centre for the headstock in the accessory list. I rang Mr Peatol and > found that I need to make my own centre as Taig don't make one. This > seems a strange omission - perhaps it's to make people buy the > compound slide. 8-) Leon Local Tech college has students make a center by chucking up stock in the 3 or 4 jaw, turing a center and using the jaws of the chuck to drive the dog. That way you know the center is always true. See our web pages http://www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 11:27:22 -0700 From: Don Rogers Subject: Re:newbie questions [taigtools group] [was Q re tightening 3-jaw chuck with Tommy bar] >It comes with the chuck, it's just a piece of 3/16" steel rod. >That is probably your problem, the chuck must be really tight. I use a long Allen wrench in the hole, and use a 6" crescent wrench on one of the jaws. I find I can get a much tighter grip that way. The 3/16" rod bends quite easily. The Allen Wrench is a bunch tougher. For really tight grips though, the four jaw is the best. Don ------- Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 22:00:26 +0100 From: Clive Foster Subject: Re: Backlash and locking the lathe cross slide > As for locking the cross slide by tightening the gib screws, that > approach had completely eluded me! My plan was to lock the cross slide > using a shop-made fitting attached to the cross slide table and > lockable to the T-slot in the side of slide itself. I still may go > ahead with that plan because the idea of constantly adjusting the gib > screw(s) makes me a little nervous. Perhaps I'm overly cautious. > Regards, Andrew Andrew: As always for beginners its a combination of "not quite rights" getting in the way of acquiring the knack. A major advantage of having an experienced mentor at your shoulder when you start is that they will sort these things for you. On your own you can end up trying to work around errors instead of learning how to do a good job. Things like tools not quite sharp, not quite set right, speed not right, gibs not quite right and so on right down to a claggy piece of material dragged out of the scrap box to practice on. This last is a major hurdle for most people 'cos it seems wasteful to buy good material just to practice with when you have, like most people who get lathes, a box full of useful "rubbish" to use. Unfortunately rubbish is what most of it is. The advantages to the learner of having good material and good tools to start with cannot be over-emphasised. Unless you have a set of brand new tools whose sharpness is beyond reproach its worth getting a good new set from someone like Nick (not a HF or import cheapy) just to be sure that tooling is not part of the problem. I know it costs an arm and a leg but its worth getting a stick of delryn to practice on as it turns to a super finish quite easily once you get everything right. If you can trim the backlash down by something approaching half and get everything else running smoothly, pay particular attention to the feed screw thrust bearing, you will find it makes a huge difference. Naturally, once you have the knack you will be able to do a pretty reasonable job with scrap box material on a complete butt dragger of a lathe! Don't adjust the gib screws to lock the slide. These should be adjusted correctly and left well alone until attention is needed. Set them with the feed screw removed and pushing by back and forth hand so you can feel what's happening. Any locking screw is an extra fitting bearing on the gib between two of the existing screws. Clive ------- Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 02:53:01 -0000 From: "Gordon Reithmeier" Subject: RE: Cross Slide Backlash When I first acquired my Taig I noticed a considerable amount of Hand Wheel play. I was also surprised that the Hand Wheel locking nut and the Hand Wheel itself were secured to the lead screw with permanent locktite which seems to defeat the purpose of the lock nut. I like to have the Hand Wheel adjusted so there is some drag and it will stay where it is set. The lock nut and Hand Wheel were easily removed from the lead screw by heating them with a small torch. A clamping arrangement is required to hold the lead screw. The lock nut should be removeable without heat. With the lock nut and Hand Wheel removed, I machined, on another lathe, two thin delrin washers .015" - .020" thick and mounted them on each side of the bearing block. The washer on the threaded side of lead screw is 1/4" O.D and the one next to the Hand Wheel is 1/2" O.D. The Hand Wheel drag can now be easily adjusted using the same procedure as other lathes, mills, etc. I used this procedure for the Cross Slide, Compound Slide and the Milling Slide Hand Wheels. Heat was not required to remove the Hand Wheels from the Compound or Milling slides. Gordon Reithmeier p.s. Backlash with the leadscrew nut can be reduced by rotating the nut slightly. The nut is a press fit into the slide but it can be rotated. It may be necessary to fabricate a wedge so that the nut says in place. ------- NOTE TO FILE: See the Sherline site and examine their milling machines' construction for ideas on locking the leadscrew nut after it is adjusted. ------- Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 21:04:52 -0000 From: "whatt_kid" Subject: Re: Cross Slide Backlash Thanks, Gordon. Your modification is very appealing in its simplicity and adjustibility. Does locktite red dissolve in acetone? I'd rather use a solvent to remove the handwheel as I don't have a small torch at hand. Last night I measured the bearing end play in my cross slide at just over 1.5 thou. After squeezing the carriage nut, I managed to reduce the total play/backlash in the cross slide to just to about 4.5 thou. The reduction in lash/play certainly seems to have improved the finish of turnings, but I think there's room for improvement yet. Andrew ------- Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 22:09:21 +0100 From: Steve Blackmore Subject: Re: Headstock Spindle Taper? >Does anyone know the taper of the Taig headstock spindle (degrees or >taper per foot, etc)? How does that compare with WW collet taper or >Sherline's taper? Taig is 15 degrees. Sherline is MT1, WW are 20 degrees AFAIK. Steve Blackmore ------- Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 18:45:13 -0000 From: "n2562001" Subject: Re: er collets on the sherline [thread has changed content to Sherline threading attachment] >>jerry k, thanks for the encouragement. i keep doing new things all the time but i think and hope i have a sense of proportion. there is a learning curve and i try to follow it. eventually i will get there. indeed i do not have a threading accessory. i did not buy one because, frankly, i did not like it as it is originally offered with the need to remove the motor each time it is used and put it back a few minutes later. i know that some of you guys have mounted it permanently, using a long spindle. i also know that there are several improvements possible, jim knighton's to name one. if i had the space i would just get an extra lathe and keep one original. there, i have bared my soul. regards dan << > Dan, I am with you on the threading attachment. > As a matter of fact, I would not want to have to play around to > thread something, including the change gears. > I would get a lathe with a quick change gear box, > and then just move the levers for the pitch I wanted to cut. > I understand the Sherline threading attachment requires change > gears, and a hand crank! Regards, Jerry G (Glickstein) Jerry, I have seen your comments on Sherlines threading attchment several times but would suspect you have not tried this unit. I would agree with you on the thread changing gear box if your cutting 1/4x 20 bolts and other standard pitches etc. The big problem I have with gear box`s is that they never seem to have the pitch range you need and you end up changing primary gears a couple of times anyway. The Sherline Threading attachment has a much wider pitch selection in both US and metric threads than is available with most lathes. The hand crank gives far better control than than my standard gear box lathe. I just cut a 2.250"x84 tpi internal thread .068" deep for mounting a protective lens on a Microscope. I can`t even imagine doing this on my standard lathe even if the pitch was available not to mention the short time it took on the Sherline. Of course the interesting thing is with the standard pitches available on my gear box lathe, anybody will do for little of nothing and expect them for little of nothing. These people as well as others were very happy to pay whatever outrageous price I charge and keep sending other people as long as I have the Equipment to do the work. Change over on the sherline unit is about five minutes once you have done it a couple of times. I have almost that much time reading the charts and trying to get levers and gears to mesh on my standard full size lathe. Just having fun with ya. Jerry Kieffer ------- Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 19:08:42 -0000 From: "n2562001" Subject: Re: er collets on the sherline Dan, you explain that the threading attachment is better because it will do far more than other available systems in this size equipment. The few minutes it takes to change over is nothing compared to not being able to do something at all. Not to mention the skill that will be lost. If I were selling Sherlines (I am Not) it would be one of the first systems I would demonstrate. Jerry Kieffer ------- Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 16:01:42 -0400 From: "Jerry G" Subject: Re: Re: er collets on the sherline Jerry, Your suspicion is correct. I have nor tried or used the threading attachment for the Sherline. And I also understand about pitches other than standard and the need to accommodate odd pitches, specials, etc. Having said that, how do you feel about CNC control on the lathe to thread with? I am not as old fashioned as I might sound. Old? yes, but not in my thinking. I go along with your "Superb" machinist and his advice. I also say, almost the same thing, "Learn to think outside the box"! I was most fortunate to have met two "Superb Toolmakers" who helped me when no one would. One of them was a most unusual man. I will tell that story in a later e-mail. Meanwhile, have all the fun you like, I can take it. :) Regards, Jerry G (Glickstein) ------- Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 13:19:25 -0700 From: "David" Subject: Re: Re: er collets on the sherline Dan: I agree with Jim and Jerry K that the Sherline threading attachment has more versatility, a relatively quick setup time, and the capability to quickly turn out a very wide range of threads. If I were selling Sherlines (and I'm not), it would be the first thing I would demonstrate, along with comparing it to the standard gear-change systems on the larger machines with their comparative limitations. BUT The first thing I would do is strong-arm Joe Martin into including an extension for the handcrank as part of the threading attachment accessory set. Having to remove the motor (and replace it afterwards) before being able to use the gears is a major PITA. Of course we can make one ourselves--we have the lathe, can find suitable material, etc. But we shouldn't have to. Not including this extension was a major marketing blunder by Sherline. Are you listening Craig? I know you lurk out there. Good work, Dan, for introducing the machine and our small hobby into your area. Dave Wood ------- Date: Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:41:48 -0000 From: "n2562001" Subject: Re: er collets on the sherline Dave, actually you can put two 1/4" spacers next to the head stock behind the "L" shaped motor bracket and the threading handwheel will fit as it is. (With the motor on.) A 1/2" longer belt can be ordered from many sources. The gear train can be assembled in the front same as in the back with the motor off. The motor is a little in the way of the handle but no big deal. Jerry Kieffer ------- NOTE TO FILE: on 18 Nov 2004 Don Rogers gave some tips on parting off on a Taig lathe that were useful to other brands too. See the Parting Off file. ------- Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 11:16:07 -1000 (HST) From: benedictx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: New Taig Lathe On Fri, 17 Dec 2004, jth2904 wrote: > Hi all, I am new to this list and machining with my Taig lathe. I am > turning a piece of aluminum bar stock, ( 2 3/4" diameter ). Much to my > chagrin I have discovered I'm off to Lee Valley to purchase a set of > riser blocks as my carriage will not clear the bottom of the bar stock. > I am wondering how to turn down the diameter of the part as the cross > slide does appear to have enough travel rearward to begin turning down > the part...even with the tool bit moved to the rear of the tool post. > Any advice would be appreciated! The riser block set should also come with a toolpost riser block. It's a little asymmetric, and lets you position the toolpost so it is farther outboard than you can normally position it. Not sure if that makes sense. Only problem with the riser blocks is that things get a lot less rigid in a hurry. You have the joint between the tool and the toolpost, the toolpost and the riser, the riser and the cross slide, the cross slide and the carriage, the carriage and the bed. I haven't used the riser blocks that much, but if I do wind up using them in the future, I think it'd be worthwhile making a tall toolpost that would clamp across the entire top of the carriage and position the tool at a decent distance from the lathe axis. It'd be a strange piece of work, but it'd knock out two points of flexure. In any case, I think you'll be good to go if you get the riser block set and take light cuts. I've cut 5" diameter parts using it. Tom ------- Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 16:41:11 -0600 From: "Bob Burandt" Subject: Re: New Taig Lathe Jeff, you will find that the riser elevates the headstock one inch. It is also 3/16 to 1/4 inch forward or back depending on whether the clamping screws are in front or in back. You will want to get the height of the cutting edge of the tool at the same height as the center of the headstock. You may want to consider using a backside toolpost. You also want to adjust the gib on the crosslide to remove excess play. Make sure the tool is sharp. Calculate the surface speed for the diameter and type of material. Make sure the drive belt is clean and not glazed. I have cut 4" diameter 12L14 steel on my Taig using a 4 inch 4 jaw chuck, but I made some changes to the drive train with a toothed belt and an intermediate set of toothed pulleys to reduce the speed and increase the torque. The Taig lathe frame will handle it. The original equipment drive belt may slip if the cut is too aggressive. Bob Burandt ------- Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 13:53:32 -0000 From: "John Bentley" Subject: Re: New Taig Lathe Jeff, as Tom mentioned, the headstock riser kit includes the toolpost riser block that reaches around the front of the work, like a big arm. It has two T-nuts/screws in line which can either go both in the left slot of the cross slide, or one in each slot. If you get into an "impossible" situation, try each method. I have used the headstock riser set in making flywheels up to 5" for steam engines and I also use it to accommodate a big push-in type knurling tool from a large lathe, instead of an appropriate clamp-type knurling device. I don't recommend this to anyone as it constitutes abuse of the lathe, but I have done it many times with success and suffered no apparent damage. This speaks well for the sturdiness of both the lathe and toolpost block, but not for the operator's methods! With the headstock riser in place, it is also possible to use the compound (top) slide with the standard toolpost only, as that slide is exactly 1" in height (by good design). This arrangement is ok for cutting tapers on large diameter work when needed, but is not as solid as the toolpost riser for regular work. Good luck Jeff, John ------- Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 21:54:35 -0800 From: "Felice Luftschein and Nicholas Carter" Subject: Re: Turning small stuff "jdholbrook33" wrote: > I'm trying to turn some hardened steel shaft from 3.18mm down to 3.08mm. > I have tried just turning it and the shaft bends too easy. I wound up > just using emory cloth and sanding it down but it took forever. > Will a follow rest do what I need? > I've thought of making some kind of plate with a hole in it, bolt it > to the tool holder and adjust the cutter to get the desired diameter. > Any suggestions? Thanks James This is what I did: http://www.cartertools.com/ntaig9.jpg I mounted a plate with a hole on the back toolpost and used the compound to feed the tool into the work. Check out our homepage www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 12:12:57 -0800 From: "Felice Luftschein and Nicholas Carter" Subject: Re: Steps to making accurate & useable collets "f24kdc" wrote: > Are there any tricks or tips I should know making Taig blank collets > for metal smaller than 1/8" diameter? Of course put the blank > collet in the spindle to be used in. Can I just drill the final > diameter like 1/16" with that size drill or does it need to be > reamed to the final size? The hole doesn't need to be a little bit > bigger for squeezing down on does it? Then cutting the slits. > Should there be 4 or 3? Looking through search archive has there > been determined the best way to accomplish this? Reason I ask is > because I've made a collet for 1/16" diameter with 3 slots. Not > satisfied with it. The nut does not squeeze down hard on it. I > made slits with a jeweler's saw. Kind of butchered it. Does anyone > machine and sell Taig collets for sizes smaller than 1/8"? Does any > metal need to be remove inside the collet from behind? Appreciate > any help. Thanks. Kent A much easier method is to make a bushing that fits in the collet and has a single slit - so use some 1/4" round stock, mount it in the 1/4" collet, drill and ream (yes you should ideally ream, but you can get away with just drilling if you don't have a reamer) the size hole you want, then put a single slit in it. ------- Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 19:09:02 -0000 From: "Andrew Carlisle" Subject: Wear and tear on the Taig lathe bed Hi All, it's been over a year now that I've been enjoying my Taig lathe. Last night I decided it was time to have a good look at the lathe bed and confirm that the cross-slide gibs were in optimum adjustment. I was quite surprised to discover that when I adjusted the cross-slide for a an optimum fit on the tailstock end of the lathe bed, it was too tight at the headstock end of the bed. There was significant binding. So it seems that in a year of causal hobby use, I have managed to put a noticeable amount of wear on the tailstock end of the lathe bed. It is a mystery to me as to why the wear would be greatest at the tailstock given that almost all the machining I have done is of work near the headstock. Perhaps all those numerous occasions when I slid the cross-slide and the tailstock right off the lathe to get them out of the way were putting more wear on the lathe than I imagined. At any rate, I re-lapped the cross-slide to the bed, concentrating on the headstck end. The results are acceptable, but the cross-slide is definitely still a tighter fit near the headstock. I wonder if such wear is unusual. I have only ever used Comet cleaner for lapping, so I hope that there are no nasty abrasive particals embedded in the cross-slide ways. I keep the lathe bed well oiled during and after use, yet notice that by the end of an evening's work on the lathe, the oil on the lathe bed is quite black from abrasion. Is that to be expected? Andrew ------ Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 14:46:12 -0600 From: "Bad Brad" Subject: RE: Wear and tear on the Taig lathe bed Andrew, it's a good idea to lube the bed where the tailstock slides on any lathe. Try a teflon based lubricant called Super Lube, available from most hardware stores also sold by Sherline dealers and maketed under Lube Gel sold at Radio Shack, instead of oil. I have used (Super Lube) for years and it works great. Teflon is the sliperiest substance known to man. I think when you mention cross slide you mean saddle right? Bad Brad Rabid Weasel Racing Team ------- Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 21:28:45 -0000 From: "Andrew Carlisle" Subject: Re: Wear and tear on the Taig lathe bed Hi Brad, thanks for the reply. I already have some Super Lube which I've been using on leadscrews, nuts and bolts, etc. I'll start using the SL on the tailstock (instead of oil). And yes, you're right: I was referring to the saddle. Thanks again, Andrew ------- Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 11:16:23 -1000 (HST) From: benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: Slot cars? [ACTUALLY ABOUT STARTING OUT WITH A TAIG LATHE] On Tue, 22 Mar 2005, David wrote: > I'm brand new to this Group and hope to learn about using a Taig lathe. > I have yet to actually buy a Taig, but am ready to do so soon! > Am feeling a bit overwhelmed with the various accessories, what they do, > how to use them and how to use them in my Slot car hobby. You've definitely come to the right place. If you can stand waiting a little on stuff, don't sweat too many accessories just yet. Some may be useful, some won't be. Do start with the basic lathe, a chuck or two, and some tool bits. You can do an amazing amount with just those. Making hubs I'm guessing a tailstock and small drill chuck would also be of service, along with a good set of drills in the appropriate size for what you need. Since you're talking about turning small parts (I'm guessing HO scale slot car hubs? Let me know if I'm wrong), one of the first accessories you might consider is a small bench grinder. I've never made slot car parts, but I've made small rocket nozzles. A bench grinder was absolutely necessary for making the really small boring bars I needed to make those things. You can do a lot with a Dremel (and I'd serously consider using a Dremel of Foredom for finishing the boring bars), but starting from a 1/4"x1/4" tool blank, there's a lot to remove before you get something that'll cut small inside pockets. Using a Dremel it'd take hours. Using an inexpensive small grinder it'd take a couple of minutes. Another accessory to consider would be a reamer sized to give you the right size hole on the insides of your hubs. I'm guessing the axles are a standard size. You should be able to get a slightly undersized reamer to bring the central holes in the hub to a good size for pressing onto an axle. > I'm curious if any one else on this list uses a Taig to turn Hubs, true > tires, and or Pancake motors? I know at least one person on-list who does, but I'm guessing you'll hear from them soon enough. > I am hoping to some day do the above tasks as I would enjoy building > cars from the Ground up, literally! > Perhaps someone here could give me an idea of what tools and accessories > I will need to do those tasks? > P.S. I'll be turning Hubs from Plastic rather than metal. Definitely start with the basic lathe and some blank tool bits. If the idea of grinding tools doesn't appeal, pick up a set of pre-ground cutters. The angles won't be ideal, but with them you can get cutting immediately and not have to go through the frustration of learning how to use a grinder before you get to play with the lathe. Still, pick up the blanks and a grinder. You'll hit the limits on the pre-ground tools pretty quickly working at those scales. What kind of plastic are you planning on using? Just curious. Lots of plastics out there. [SEE THE PLASTIC MACHINING TEXT FILE ON THIS SITE.] > OK, and since I'm such a Newby, when do you use Cutting Oils? Mostly on metals, so I'm guessing you'll be free of that, at least to begin with. For plastics I've had best results when cut dry or when cut with a coolant. Coolants and cutting oils aren't the same, so I don't mind explaining a little. There have been some threads on this, so I won't go into it in any great depth, but here's a quick run-down: Coolants keep the material and the tool cool. With thermoplastics, some sort of coolant is almost always necessary. This can run the gamut from a commercial coolant to just using water to just using a blast of air from a compressor. The idea is to keep the tool and the material cool, so whatever you can do that'll do the trick will work. With thermoplastics you have definite target temperatures you need to aim for. If the material gets above the melting point of the plastic, you have a mess. (Been there, done that, went "Ugh!" and learned.) Even hitting the temperature where the plastic can be thermoformed is a mess. Rather than removing material, the tool basically shoves it around. It's impossible to get a decent finish, and nothing ever comes out to size. Luckily, most plastics will be in good shape if they're in water. Ok, boiling water will cause problems with some plastics, but if you're constantly applying water the material rarely has a chance to heat up. The same can be said of a blast from a compressor. The air coming out will almost always be cooler than the thermoforming temperature of the plastic. If you ever get the chance to visit a small job shop, you may see squirt bottles sitting next to the machine tools. That's the coolant. If you DO go to a small job shop, though, you may notice the stuff in the squirt bottles doesn't exactly resemble water. Some may look blue, some green, some milky white. There's still water in those bottles, but there's something else in there, too. If you go the water route, adding a little soluble oil to the water will help both in terms of rust and in terms of lubricity. Cutting oils lubricate the tool. Coolants keep it cool. Mix the two together and you have something that's used in a lot of shops: soluble oil coolants. The best of both worlds. With plastics you're more than likely worrying about the cooling rather than the lubrication, but it can still help, and taking an edge off the rust is a good thing. Soluble cutting oils are available at most industrial suppliers like Enco, MSC, Grainger, etc. I use Koolmist in my shop, and we use RustLick at work. Both seem to do well on most metals and plastics. I keep some in a squirt bottle next to my lathe and apply as needed. These things often come in gallon bottles. Don't worry, they're typically mixed 1:20 to 1:40 with water, so they last a loooong time. I've been going through this bottle for years. I do occasionally use straight cutting oils. That's usually when I'm drilling or tapping steel. Not sure if you'll run into this working on slot cars, even if you're scratch-building. (Still, I could be wrong!) Cutting oils can be had from the same industrial suppliers. One last accessory! Get on the mailing list for a couple of catalogs. Some will be places you're likely to order from. Others may just give you ideas to try in the shop. It can't hurt, and it gives you something to look forward to when you go to your mail box. Here are a few I get: http://www.use-enco.com http://www.mscdirect.com http://www.grainger.com They send out weekly or bi-weekly fliers as well. The MSC catalog is unwieldy. Either use the online catalog or get the CD version. (The Big Book really is as big as they say.) Another good catalog to get is the one from Lindsay Publications. If you're looking for esoteric books on metalworking, machining, welding, motors, windmill, cars, steam cars (yeah, steam cars), etc., this is the place: http://www.lindsaybks.com Sorry if this was too much information. But you did ask! And my apologies about the URLs for the industrial suppliers. I feel like a pusher whenever I tell people to get their catalogs. Tools are an addictive substance. Tom ------- Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 22:37:37 +0100 From: Keith Bucklitch Subject: Re: Rack and Pinion Blues >Thanks for the reply. The movement does not lock up, the handwheel spins >without doing anything (other than a nasty grinding noise as the pinion >teeth try, but fail to engage with the rack). I have inspected the rack >and found no damaged or missing teeth, the pinion also is not damaged-it >has just had its teeth polished from the failed attempts. Martin I have also encountered the problem of the toothed pinion slipping at one point along the rack. I eventually discovered that the rack was not level all the way along. There is a screw holding the rack in place. If this is not tight, it is possible for the rack to slacken with vibration. Swarf then gets under the rack lifting it away from the channel. The rack then starts to bind on the pinion. If you then adjust the pinion to prevent the binding, then the pinion starts to slip where the rack does not have any swarf underneath it. Remove the rack, clean out the channel and the bottom edge of the rack very carefully, replace and secure. Now adjust the eccentric sleeve carrying the pinion until it teeth engage fully, without binding along the full length. Keith ------- NOTE TO FILE: There are further discussions about adjusting problems with a bent or loose rack earlier in this file. ------- Date: Wed, 04 May 2005 20:15:03 -0000 From: "jdholbrook33" Subject: Speaking of tramming Just wanted to pass along a tidbit I came up with today. If this is old hat I apologize. I have been using the taig to make some small precision parts and one of the operations I do is ream a hole with a chucking reamer in the tailstock chuck. I noticed that if I ream it by hand then it produces a tigher hole (preferred). I looked at the tail stock and tried tramming it via a test indicator in the headstock and known straight bar in the tailstock chuck. I never could get it as close as I wanted and noticed a pretty big difference from retracted to extended and lots of runout when rotated. I figured it was due to manufacturing error in the tailstock. Well today I had some free time and was about to do some reaming operations and decided to go over the tailstock. Took the chuck off and trammed the 1/2" rod by taking the handle loose and turning the rod. I got around 0.001mm (pointer hardly moved). Same thing checking the runout as I extended and retracted the rod. Conclusion is the tailstock is very precise. Put the chuck back on and measured runout. Got 0.04mm close to the chuck and 0.15mm (you could see the end of the 3" bar making circles) out 1" from the chuck! Ok chuck has lots of runout. How do I get rid of that? Long story short. I saw that the chuck seats on the brass ring on the tailstock and thought. Maybe that's out so I measured the brass ring 0.001mm on the seating face. Ok maybe the seating face of the chuck is out so I turned down a piece of scrap and clamped the chuck on it just like a drill and then faced off the backside of the chuck. Results 0.02mm (0.0007") TIR extended or retracted measured on the end of my 3" known good rod!! I'm happy. ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 18:47:42 -0000 From: "Andrew Carlisle" Subject: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? I'm in need of some help to increase the accuracy of drilling from the tailstock on the Taig lathe. Whatever the problem, the result is that I'm finding it very difficult to bore and ream precise 0.124 diameter holes in aluminum to fit 0.125 shafts. Even though the shafts are supposedly bigger than the reamed hole, the fit is always noticeably loose. Ever since I started with my lathe over a year ago, I've noticed a centering problem when drilling from the tailstock. I noticed that a twist drill chucked in the tailstock is forced to deflect noticeably in order to centre on a centre-drilled hole in the workpiece. The problem occurs consistently with all sizes of drills, and with both of the two chucks Ius e, one of which is an industrial quality Jacobs chuck. Initially I put the problem down to the tailstock ram not being centred. However, the deflection problem persisted even after I centred the tail- stock ram accurately by mounting a dial indicator on the spindle and rotating it around the tailstock ram. With that method, I was able to centre the ram in the horizontal plane with an accuracy of much less than one thou. I did notice that the ram is about three thou higher than the spindle. I haven't attempted any correction there. Next I checked the axial alignment of the ram to the bed, and found that the ram is more than half a thou out of parallel over one inch of travel. That doesn't sound like too much. However, the problem can only be made worse once a drill bit is chucked. Do you think the axial misalignment of the tailstock ram is the problem? Or am I missing something more obvious? Your advice appreciated, Andrew ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 12:34:33 -0700 (GMT-07:00) From: Larry Richter Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? I'm surprised it's that far off vertically. Wrong direction to shim out, too. Are there wire edges, dinged edges, or embedded swarf in the aluminum of the ram's dovetail mounts? Irregular surface? Out of parallel in what plane? ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 19:56:33 -0000 From: "Andrew Carlisle" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? Hi Larry: Thanks for your reply. I can confirm that there's no damage to either set ofdovetails on the tailstock, nor is there any embedded swarf. Before my last attempt to correct the problem, I disassembled the tailstock and inspected and cleaned all the mating surfaces. The ram is out of parallel in the horizontal plane - and that's the plane in which the drill bit deflection occurs. I didn't measure parallel in the vertical plane - but then again, I haven't noticed any deflection occurring in that plane. I really am quite stumped by this issue. The deflection of the drill bit is very noticeable to the eye. I can plainly see the bit being pulled to the left (as viewed from tailstock) every time I bore or ream a hole. I haven't tried to measure the deflection, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were more than 1/64 inch. And, needless to say, the deflection is always in the same direction. Regards, Andrew ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 15:28:37 -0500 From: "Martin Dobbins" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? I ran into similar problems drilling some small holes a couple of weeks back, although I was drilling an order of magnitude smaller than you at 0.0197. I'm going to guess that the inaccuracy is coming from the chuck and not the tailstock. Do you have a way of testing both of your chucks for runout independently of the tailstock? I'll bet they have a deal more runout than the "mere" half a thou on the tailstock ram. Paraphrasing Tony Jeffree, he found that his tailstock is 3 thou lower than the spindle, but isn't going to be fixing it anytime soon; for an explanation as to why, see his book "The Taig Lathe", which I thoroughly recommend if you don't already have it. I stopped using Jacobs chucks to drill accurate holes, now I can consistently drill a 0.0197 hole through a thin composite of steel, solder, bronze, and brass without breaking drills, and the holes come out within tolerances. No, I did not go out and spend $$$ on alternative chucks to achieve this. Martin ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 20:34:40 -0000 From: "Andrew Carlisle" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? Hi Martin, thanks for the good advice. I'm going to take a good look at runout on my drill chucks. But now you've got me really curious: What are you using for a chuck? And yes, since I acquired some months ago, Tony's excellent book is the first place I turn for answers. Cheers, Andrew ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 21:03:24 -0000 From: "n2562001" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? Andrew: I can only speak for the three Taig lathes that I have owned over the years including the current one. Tailstock alignment has been adequate for general machining through normal adjustments. One of the biggest improvements has been the use of a qaulity drill chuck. My first Taig Lathe was intended to be used as my primary small lathe. As I moved to smaller and smaller projects I started to run into the same problem you have. While adequate with the use of a #1 center drill, the alignment was not close enough for smaller center drills and the drills themselves. To resolve the problem I ordered a second tailstock assembly since they were cheap. From that point I clamped the old tailstock in the center of the bed with the new one clamped to the rear of the bed. The new tailstock at the rear of the bed allowed me to use it as a support to line bore the original that came with the lathe. I machined a new ram to fit the line bore along with a #1 MT taper to accept an Albrecht drill chuck. This resolved my Alignment problem but to my surprise did not resolve my problem. I now had a repeatability problem every time I moved the tailstock. This repeatability problem was not enough to affect general machining, but was not close enough to prevent breakage of the small drills I wanted to use. This problem has plagued all three Taig lathes that I have owned. The Taig lathe has a wide bed and a tailstock with a narrow clamping area (1.500") that won`t always clamp in the same position. To test my belief I built a test piece with a wider clamping area (2.250" wide) and it had no problem with repeatability. Depending on the accuracy you need you may have to build a new tailstock with a wider clamping area. Jerry Kieffer ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 16:15:37 -0500 From: David Robertson Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? This doesn't solve your alignment problem but may help you get the holes drilled... you can spot center with a center drill and hold a drill bit in a pin vise and hold it in your hand... keeping it as near parallel and centered at the rear as possible. In other words don't use the tailstock.. except possibly for spotting the center. This is how watch and clock repairmen drill holes in arbors for new pivots. It works really well... try it.. Actually watch and clock repairmen don't even use the tailstock to spot center. They will use a hand graver to "catch center" or some use a female, cup shaped devise to put over the end of the shaft with a bit in a hole in the center of the bell shaped device to spot center. You may need to use a smaller bit also... David ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 16:27:45 -0500 From: "Martin Dobbins" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? I use the 4 jaw chuck to hold the drill if I'm drilling something on the vertical milling slide. I borrowed ideas from Nick carter's boring bar holder to hold the drill if I want to drill towards the headstock, so I drill from the crosslide rather than the tailstock. As long as you have a four jaw chuck and a dti (and a deal of patience) you can get your drills running much more accurately than you may have noted so far. From there it is not difficult to make a boring bar holder (plans on Nick's site, or in Tony's book) then make a holder for your drill which fits in the boring bar holder to be secured by a set screw. Drill the holes in the boring bar holder from the 4 jaw where you control the runout of the drills, the holder for the drill is also drilled for the size of drill you wish to use from the 4 jaw. Work carefully with the 4 jaw to ensure the drill is running as true as you can get it before you drill the holes (typically you should manage fractions of a thou runout). Secure your drill in the drill holder with a dab of solder or loctite, and that should be the end of your inaccurate hole woes. If I were you, Iwo uld be tempted to make another holder for the reamer that you are using. Somebody else had a problem similar to yours a couple of weeks ago and fixed it a different way, I might be able to find a copy of that if you are interested. Martin ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 22:09:54 -0000 From: "Andrew Carlisle" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? Hi Martin, David, Jerry, Wayne, James, Larry, Wow! Yet again, I am floored by the depth of knowledge and helpfulness of the Taig group members. Thanks to all who have replied. I wondered in my original post whether I might be overlooking a more basic aspect of the alignment problem. The answer seems to be yes: drill chuck runout. I think I'll start there and see how I make out. That being said, the suggestions of making a custom tailstock, and or custom drill bit/reamer holders seem to be worth adding to my growing list of machining projects. If I can't successfully reduce the runout of my existing chucks and tailstock, those suggestion will move to the front of the list! Jerry, your suggestion of using two tailstocks in a line-boring operation has me interested. I gather the idea is to use the second tailstock (the outboard one) to support the drill bit as it bores the first tailstock (i.e. the one being trued). Have I got that right? It's not quite clear to me yet how that second tailstock could provide support for the drill or reamer. In the past, I have chucked a boring bar in the four jaw on the spindle and used that set-up for boring a workpiece mounted to the carriage. It worked well, but adjusting the diameter of the bore is a little tiresome. Thanks again for the wonderful ideas, Andrew ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 02:45:19 -1000 (HST) From: benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? Fascinating. Jerry, I'd noticed something similar about the clamping area on the tailstock, and was planning on doing some testing when time allowed. I've been eyeballing one of my headstock riser blocks for a new tailstock base, but wanted to be sure this was a good way to go. Looks like it is. Tom ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 22:50:49 -0000 From: "n2562001" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? Andrew: I was afraid someone might ask about that. I made up a boring bar from square stock with a small cutting tool mounted in a hole cross ways in the middle of the bar. The cutting tool was set so it took a light cut on the tail stock and I only made one or two passes. On the headstock side the bar was placed inside a tight fit square holed bushing that was held in the three jaw chuck. On the tailstock side a bushing was clamped inside the ram passage. This bushing was bored so it would be a nice fit to the other end of the sqaure stock while it was rotating. Both bushings allowed the bar to move in and out while rotating so the center tailstock could be bored. Not a very professional set up but it worked great as a one time deal. Jerry Kieffer ------- Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 23:12:29 -0000 From: "Andrew Carlisle" Subject: Re: Tailstock ram on lathe not parallel to bed, does it matter? Jerry: Very neat. I'm glad you explained the method because chances are I never would have imagined it myself. Andrew ------- Date: Mon, 23 May 2005 18:45:32 -0000 From: "Scott" Subject: Dial problem I have had a problem since I bought my Taig lathe and I'm going to try to describe it here to see if anyone has had a similar experience and if they know how to solve the issue. I'm going to try to describe it without the lathe in front of me since I am traveling at the moment, so bear with me. Over a certain portion of the dial range (let's say 35-45 for the sake of discussion), the dial becomes "loose" - in other words, if you try to set it to a number in that range and leave it, it will "wander". Once you go outside of that range, the dial "tightens up" again and can be set to a number and left. So if I want a diameter which happens to end up in that range, I end up steadying that dial with one hand while I use the other dial with the other hand to cut. This is obviously not very accurate if the slide is in fact moving. Like I said, I don't have the lathe in front of me, but I believe this portion is "loose" whether the lathe motor is on or not. Can anyone provide any advice? Is there an adjustment I can make, or do I need to look to my dealer for service of some kind? I have had the lathe for a number of months but have only used it 4-5 times and the issue has been present since the beginning. I guess I thought it might "tighten up" with use (not sure why I thought this, but I'm new to the lathe) but it has not (again, though, I have used it very little just to turn 4-5 stems for tobacco pipes (or to try to turn them, anyway - 3 ended up as scrap). Thanks in advance for any help. Regards, Scott ------- Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 01:38:50 -0000 From: "Gordon Reithmeier" Subject: RE: Dial Problems For reasons that are not clear to me, the factory secures the dial (hand- wheel) and the acorn nut(jam nut) to the thread of the leadscrew with a standard threadlocker. This action seems to defeat the purpose of the threaded design which is supposed to facilitate altering the amount of drag on the dial. The bond of the threadlocker can be broken with ordinary hand tools although a 1 1/4" flexiclamp facilitates holding the dial without marring the surface. The acorn nut can be removed with a standard socket or nut driver. The only difficult part is holding the leadscrew, without marring it, while loosening the dial. The bearing block is secured to the carriage or the mounting plate of the top slide/milling slide with a permanent threadlocker and some heat is usually required. The action of the dial can be substantially improved by inserting thin acetal washers on both sides of the bearing block. The one next to the leadscrew shoulder should be 1/4" od and about .025" thick. The one on the dial side should be about 1/2" od and the same thickness. The unit is assembled by making the dial tight, then attach the acorn nut and tighten. This operation will have to be repeated until the the required anount of drag is obtained. Do not use any lubricant on the washers. HTH Gordon Reithmeier Toronto, Ontario, Canada ------- Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 17:17:48 -1000 (HST) From: benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: milling attachment On Mon, 27 Jun 2005, John wrote: > Thinking about buying a milling attachment for my taig lathe but dont > see much activity around this , mostly about the milling machine , fine > if you can afford it but there must be others out there who use the > attachment , so I need some advise as to its usfulness and price > justification .I would mainly want to mill steam ports and other small > machine bits. Others have already mentioned the travel limitations on the milling attachment, so I won't elaborate on them. For milling steam ports, you should be fine provided you can arrange things so the tool hits the work at the right place. As far as turning your head sideways goes, keep in mind milling attachments and horizontal mills pre-dated the vertical mills in common use today. I know most of the head-cocking I do when using mine is habitual rather than necessary. If you catch yourself doing it, stop for a sec and see if you can stand up straight and still get the job done. I'm amazed at the unnecessary contortions I'll get into. I have the milling attachment, but I also have a mill. So I don't typically use it for milling. But it's also great for holding a secondary spindle with live tooling. That's a fancy way of saying it's great when I stick a Dremel or Foredom on it. With that and a dividing plate you can make bolt heads, do radial drilling, do angled radial drilling, do offset angled radial drilling, etc. (There's a neat design for a multiple-orifice rocket nozzle that required this. Setting up a Foredom handpiece on the milling attachment made this a snap.) I probably haven't used mine more than a handful of times. Ok, closer to about 30-50 times. (I have big hands.) But each one of those jobs made it worth it to me. It's not so much that I bought a tool that let me do milling on the lathe. It's that I bought something that let me look at my box of Legos er... I mean TOOLS and say, "But what if I need something to make something move up and down in order to get this job done?" If the need arises, I've got it. I've also used the attachment on my mill. Don't ask. I can't remember the circumstances of the setup. But it was there, I used it, and it got the job done. I have to agree with campgems about price justification. It's tough to justify purchases for a hobby. It's also a little counter-productive. For a while I was trying to make my shop pay for itself. It's neat if it happens, but in pushing myself for that I set aside a lot of the projects I was enjoying and focused on projects I wasn't fond of that had better returns. The end result? I was't enjoying myself and my shop wasn't paying for itself anyway. A quick story: About three years ago I was in the market for a career change. The job I was in was going away and there were no jobs in that field. I took the plunge and applied for jobs in a field I'd left years before. In the end I wound up getting a job in this other field. The clincher? That I was a home shop machinist. You never can tell when a skill is going to stand you in good stead, regardless of whether it's acquired at a job or through the blood sweat and tears shed in a home shop. Tom ------- Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 09:44:26 +0100 From: "Alan Smith" Subject: Re: Milling Attachment I use my Peatol (Taig) to make 16mm scale model steam engines and use the milling attachment to form the steam chests of the cylinders. It is true that it is difficult to see the actual process and I was forever 'over- running' the marked area. My solution was to set up a series of stops to limit the travel of the cutter. I sent photos to Felise & Nicholas some time ago and I believe that they put them into an archive somewhere. I'm sure they could help. Yes, get the milling attachment - you won't regret it but remember it works very well within its limitations. You wouldn't mow a large field with a handmower! Alan Smith - Wichling Garden Railway ------- Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 10:16:04 -0700 From: "Felice Luftschein and Nicholas Carter" Subject: Re: Re: Milling Attachment http://www.cartertools.com/asmith01.jpg Check out our homepage www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Fri, 8 Jul 2005 15:26:25 -0700 From: "Felice Luftschein and Nicholas Carter" Subject: Re: Re: Added article on ring mandrel Nicholas Carter wrote: > > I added an article to cartertools.com on making an expanding ring > > mandrel/arbor out of the 1132 blank arbor. "Lynn Livingston" wrote > Thanks Nick, > That's a really neat article. I don't intend to make rings, but I > think this could be adapted to other tasks as well. Another thing I > appreciate about it is that I could never figure how to set the > compound angle. I don't use it much, but when I have, I get sooooo > frustrated at my inexperience. The fact that I didn't pay attention > in geometry doesn't help either I'm afraid. ;-0 You say in the > article to set the angle at 30deg, but the picture showing you > setting the angle looks like it is setting at about 60deg. Clue me > in please on what is happening here. > Also, how did you cut the wax ring blank. Are they bought in > a "sized" roll, or do you have to machine it out of a hunk? > Lynn Livingston The angle thing makes my head hurt sometimes. Basically with the protractor against the cross slide, and the arm of the protractor parallel to the bed the protractor reads 90 degrees. If I want to turn a 60 degree cone then I need to set the compound slide over by half of that angle, or 30 degrees. 90 degrees minus 30 degrees is 60 degrees, which is what it shows on the protractor... As for ring wax, you can buy it in square or round bar stock, or round tube stock, usually about 6" long. There are only a couple of sizes so you buy the size bigger than what you need. Check out our homepage www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 17:44:17 -0500 From: "C. J. Klingman" Subject: Dumb Question I'm about to order a Taig lathe package and I'm having a mental lapse on a very basic issue. How do you hold taps (square shaft) in the Taig drilling tailstock? The screw-on chucks all have the normal three jaws don't they? Also a curiosity question. How does Sherline get away with a rotating headstock? Seems like would be contrary to the idea of having a headstock spindle axis parallel to the bed axis within a very few 10,000's. I know that the Sherline headstock could be adjusted with repeated face cuts, etc. but to a really high degree of accuracy? Are big lathes built with rotating headstocks? C. J. Klingman Briarcliff, TX ------- Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 08:17:17 +0100 From: Steve Blackmore Subject: Re: Dumb Question >How do you hold taps (square shaft) in the Taig drilling tailstock? On the round part above the square section. Steve Blackmore ------- Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:13:17 -0000 From: "Jim Knighton" Subject: Re: Dumb Question My answers here may not be typical of the mainstream, but here goes. Regarding taps, I hold small taps in a jacobs chuck, and don't use the small square ends at all. For larger taps, I use a 4 jaw scroll chuck that mounts on a custom arbor. As noted below, I've adapted a Taig tailstock to my long bed Sherline - a decidedly non-standard approach. Since this gives me both Taig functionality and additional real estate to work with, I can do some things here that may seem a bit unusual. I machined a live center that fits on this tailstock with 3/4" - 16 tpi threads. It also has 6 interchangeable points, but that's another story, altogether. On this live center I can mount any Sherline chuck I want, and I have one each of their offerings. With a 4 jaw scroll chuck installed, I use this setup as a horizontal manual tapping machine by using a tommy bar to rotate the chuck holding the tap. It's possible to do this on the Taig lathe as well, but the overall length of the bed can be an issue. Regarding Sherline's rotating headstock... You'll get a lot of opinions on this one, but I don't like it. I'm speaking from experience since I have several Sherline lathes in addition to my Taig. I DON'T use this feature! On my main machine, I can't use it. I relocated the motor such that it's no longer attached by a bracket to the headstock. I use risers on this lathe, and it's been several years since the headstock came off or was moved in any way. Keep in mind that Sherline's tailstock doesn't have a lateral adjustment for turning tapers. Their rotating headstock is supposed to compensate for this failure. In my case, I adapted a Taig tailstock to the Sherline so that I could have lateral adjustability. I'm not aware of other Sherline users who have done likewise, but surely there are some who have. I've tried using one of my Sherline lathes without the headstock alignment bar that normally prevents rotation, and this was a very frustrating experience. Never Again!!! The bottom line, at least in my opinion, is that the rotating headstock isn't one of Sherline's better ideas, and that the Taig design is intrinsically superior in this regard. I need to also say that the way I use them, my 3 Sherline lathes are excellent all around machines. So is the Taig! Since I have lathes from both manufacturers, I feel that I can say with confidence that both are good machines, but that they each have differing strengths and weaknesses. In my eyes, they are complementary, not competitors. There are photos of my Sherline machines in the Yahoo Sherline forum archives. Photos of my Taig lathe are on Nick Carter's web site. Contact me off-forum if you want to discuss any of this stuff. Regards, Jim ------- Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 02:05:56 -0000 From: "jkeyser14" Subject: Re: Dumb Question The way I've always tapped things is as follows: 1) Work piece goes in headstock. 2) Put a live center in the Tailstock. 3) Put the tap between the work piece and tailstock. Use the live center to push on the back of the tap gently, holding it in place. Almost all the taps I've got have a dimple in the back, so this works to perfectly center them. 4) Hold the tap from turning by putting a wrench on the square end. 5) Turn the headstock to cut the threads. In the case of the taig, I'm not sure how easy the headstock is to turn by hand. The only lathes I've used are large ones that have a hand wheel on the headstock. ------- Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2005 20:20:35 -0600 From: "Kory Hamzeh" Subject: RE: Re: Dumb Question > The way I've always tapped things is as follows: > 5)Turn the headstock to cut the threads. Just as a slight variation to this method, you can use a "T" style tap wrench to hold and turn the tap. They all also have a dimple on the top that the live center than guide & support the wrench. That way, you turn the wrench and can feel how the tap is cutting and if it needs to be backed out to be cleaned. Good luck, Kory http://www.avatartools.com ------- Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 10:14:54 -0500 From: "Bad Brad" Subject: RE: Dumb Question Taps can be held with the drill chuck on the tailstock. They need to be gripped on the round portion of the tap. I have tapped up to 1/4-20 with little problem. Use lots of lubricant and use gun taps (spiral point type) for the best results. Larger taps require some sort of clamp to keep them from spinnging. I have tapped well over a thousand times this way without any trouble. If you use gun taps you can use the lowest speed that the motor will turn, pull the motor to loosen the tension on the belt when you get to the end point of the threads, and tap under power. FBA ------- Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 18:29:51 -0000 From: "n2562001" Subject: Re: Dumb Question C.J., I am a little late on this but I don`t think anyone addressed your curiosity questions. For the price that Taig and Sherline charge it is not practical to deliver consistently aligned machines within tenth`s of a thousand. If your work requires this type of accuracy you have two choices. You can buy something like a Levin for about $10,000 and up. Or you can purchase something with an adjustable headstock as well as an adjustable tailstock. The tailstock will need to Adjust in all directions, not just right and left. It will also need to be repeatable its full travel length. There are exceptions, however larger machines rarely have rotating head- stocks like the Sherline. Considering the type of work that is normally done on larger machines there would be no advantage. The Sherline head- stock is keyed to its normal position for alignment. On the earlier models a standard keyway key was used with a less than desirable fit. On these machines special attention was needed for proper alignment when the head was moved. A number of years ago Sherline started grinding keys parallel on two sides with a tight fit to the base and head. With these machines I have not experienced any alignment problems. I seldom cut tapers on center`s with small machines. However when I have, I have found it much easier and faster to rotate a head and insert a key than realigning a traditional tailstock. Jerry Kieffer ------- Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 00:58:45 -0000 From: "Walter Anderson" Subject: New Taig Tailstock using Sherline and Taig Parts I've been wanting to create a new tailstock similar to those recently posted by Jim Knighton (among many others) however, I have not had the time to machine the parts nescessary. I purchased a Sherline Right Angle adjustable tailstock for use with my Rotary Table and realized that this product was key to a simple tailstock replacement. This design allows the tailstock to be adjusted in the horizontal and vertical planes (including tilt). And the Sherline part is unmodified and can be used as originally intended. This new tailstock can be built in less than 2 hours and the machining can be done on the lathe with the milling attachment. I had a spare taig tailstock that I used (the upper piece is machined). I cut the top off the piece and the sides and squared and flattened the cut surfaces. I cut a piece of tool steel 1/8" x 1/2" as long as the Sherline tailstock. This piece is screwed and epoxied to the modified taig piece. All that is left is to mount the Sherline part and adjust for a true center. I've posted pictures to the taigfiles group under the Photos Section, Sherline_Taig_Tailstock folder. ------- Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 07:05:11 -0800 From: "Ken Vaughan" Subject: Adaptation of cup live center for Taig I have ended up with two of these little devils - one for wood and one for metal. The stock live center is pointed and I have been looking to adapt cup and cone live centers to the lathe. The conventional format is #1 mt which does not fit the tail stock easily. have figured out how to rebore a blank adapter on the headstock and cut off the tail of some #1 MT tooling to make it fit; but do not think I will need to go there. Anyone been down this path for a more versatile live center on the tail stock; and can share where the quick sand it located at -- Ken in Alaska ------- Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 15:22:41 -0000 From: "Lynn Livingston" Subject: Re: Adaptation of cup live center for Taig Ken, I have contemplated the same thing. I have a Delta wood lathe, and use different centers that seems, at times, like a good choice for jobs in the Taig lathe. I have two centers I got from Grizzly, http://tinyurl.com/awcws and stubs are pressed in. Ditto for the Delta cone center that came with the lathe. If you could figure out how to get the stub out, you could then machine one that would fit the Taig tailstock. I'm sure there is a way to do it, but it is beyond me. It looks like a oneway street, but I'd bet there is a contraption or setup that will do it. Also, making one out of 12L14 probably wouldn't be a monumental task. I don't know if 12L14 hardens well though; somebody with experience will have to confirm or poo-poo that idea. You know, if one was made with a threaded stub, you could make removeable center heads, and they wouldn't have to be hardened being you could "dress" them when needed. Just musing. Lynn ------- Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 20:18:18 -0000 From: "Jim Knighton" Subject: Re: Adaptation of cup live center for Taig Ken, I built a substitute tailstock and photos are on Nick Carter's site. As I built it, I machined the Ram with a 0MT socket so that I could use Sherline accessories. I could just as easily made it 1MT - I have the reamer. I have more 0MT accessories than I do 1MT, however. In my toolbox I have an Axminster live center with interchangable points. It is 1MT. While I've used it extensively in the past I don't use it any more, having built a couple of my own live centers that accept the same interchangable points. These replacement live centers fit a modified Taig tailstock I use on my "big" Sherline lathe. Maybe this sounds contradictory and perhaps a bit eccentric. Regardless, it works really well. I have a few photos of the shop built live centers. If you are interested in this stuff send me an email and I'll forward the photos. Regards, Jim ------- Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 11:21:17 -1000 (HST) From: benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: Re: Milling mild steel & tool life One other thought: Hot rolled steel is typically covered by a gray scale, a result of the hot forming process. This scale is Hard. No, I take that back. It's HARD. It eats tooling. It can be mechanically or chemically removed prior to machining. If you must use HRS, see if you can remove the scale. Your tools will thank you. Cold rolled steel doesn't have the scale HRS has, but it's almost always chok full of internal stresses that can make machining it interesting. Not so much in terms of the cut as the final dimensions the part will creep into. I've cut HRS and CRS with HSS tooling. The finish is lousy compared to 12L14 or any other free machining material. The scale ate my end mills and made me wish I'd removed it first. Still, I made a number of parts that way, and it worked out ok in the end. Tom ------- Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 02:54:25 +0100 From: Steve Blackmore Subject: Re: Re: Milling mild steel and tool life >I will try and find some material to "read up" on the nature of >machining ti before I do though. Polished ti sure looks nice! You really need a rigid machine, indexable carbide tooling, flood coolant and plenty of feed to do titanium well. I make ring blanks for my wife's jewellery hobby, anything less than a 20 thou cut and it's a "forget it" without taking another 50 thou off to get past the bit you've just hardened! It work hardens like crazy unless you take big bites, also the chips can spontaneously combust unless kept cool. It burns like magnesium, I've done it with swarf. Took it in pliers, lit it with a cigarette lighter, It doesn't go out when you drop it in water!! Don't flood cool and it can do that on it's own. Not what you want on the bed of your lathe/mill. If you can work stainless steel, you're maybe half way to working Ti. Personally, I wouldn't attempt it with Taig, not impossible, but expensive to learn with... Steve Blackmore ------- Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 12:38:04 -0000 From: "jensen_remote" Subject: Re: Milling mild steel & tool life Great advice from everyone; thank you again! I pulled out one of the 4-flute end mills that was getting dull, and tried cutting with it with the new settings suggested (19ipm, third pully -> ~4600RPM). Wow, that sure works better! I can now take 0.01" cuts (haven't tried deeper) for at least a few hours with a tool I thought was too dull to use. I still am not exactly sure why the 2-flute slot drill broke so easily, the setup was the same as the 4-flute endmill (except feed, which was initially 9.5ipm to compensate for there only being 2 flutes). The bit was not apparently seizing up; it just seemed like it was taking to large a cut, even when I slowed the feed down. As suggested by Steve, maybe small carbide tools are just too fragile. Some good suggestions here about the material. The steel does not appear to have any significant amounts of scale (I bought it from scrap at a machine shop, and I suspect they had already cleaned it for their own use). I chose 1018 because I wanted to weld it later, and was told anything with lead in it is a no-no for welding. Any other suggestions for a cheap, heavy metal that would be better for machining? Aluminum is much to light. On a side note, I can confirm what Steve said about the 4 flute endmills: they do make an oversized slot. Quite oversized, by about 0.02" in some cases. It's exactly as described (not that I ever doubted, but it seems like the 4-flute endmill is all I have for now :) Best Regards, Peter ------- Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 18:48:52 +1000 From: Peter Homann Subject: Vibration on Lathe when cutting. I've just experienced and solved a vibration problem when turning with my lathe that I thought I'd pass on, as in the past people have had similar problems. I was trying to turn down a 15mm aluminium rod. It was good quality machining rod. I went to do the cut and experienced a continuous vibration that resulted in the finish looking like it had been chewed. By a rat? I tried reducing the cut depth, faster and slower spindle speeds, different feed rates, different tools and angles all to no avail. I then figured that something must be loose. I checked the tool holder, and the height of the tool, no improvement. I tightened up the cross slide unit it was hard to move, no improvement. I tightened up the Z axis, again with no improvement. I had recently (working hours with the lathe) mounted the lathe on a 1/4" aluminium plate and wondered if I had found a resonate frequency as the vibration was making a squeal. If this was the case I would not be happy as I'd invested a bit of time and effort into mounting it like this. It can be seen at; http://www.homanndesigns.com/CNCTaigProject.html I knew that a lot of others had mounted their lathe like this so I was no convinced. I then wondered if the headstock was loose. No movement by hand. I then tightened up the 2 pinch bolts by 1/4 of a turn. PROBLEM SOLVED!!! It is very easy to over tighten the 2 screws as they should be tightened by holding the allen key by the SHORT end so as not to over tightened. If over tightened it will put pressure on the bearings, binding the spindle. I had been adjusting the position of the headstock to fit the enclosure and had obviously not tightened it sufficiently. I thought I'd pass this on as I'd remembered others who had a similar problem. Cheers, Peter ------- Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 10:35:06 -0000 From: "dan pines" Subject: Re: Vibration on Lathe when cutting. Peter: I had a similar "chewed up" look a couple of weeks ago plus a rythmic thumping noise. I was really afraid that it was a faulty bearing (the lathe is just a month old). In the end it was a loose pulley! My setup is now cnc and I find out that any screw that can shake loose does so after a short time. This includes pulley, handlewheels and the screws holding the stepper shafts as well as some others. I guess I will have to use some loctite. It never happened with my previous manual system. [Later:] I forgot to mention that I run a Sherline, but the problems are apparently similar on any equipment. regards dan ------- Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 09:16:35 -0700 From: "Felice Luftschein and Nicholas Carter" Subject: Re: Vibration on Lathe when cutting. The purpose of the new Taig housing design was to basically eliminate this problem as Forrest got tired of trying to explain how to tighten the headstock, but not too tight...The new design doesn't squeeze the housing around the bearings which are pressed in instead. Of course now he's had to deal with people tightening the ER nut too tight so his problems never end... Check out our homepage www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 19:01:54 -0000 From: "Art" Subject: Re: Vibration on Lathe when cutting. Dan: Rather than Loctite I prefer when the depth permits, to use two shorter set screws in the same hole. One to lock the pully to the shaft and the other as a lock screw against the first set screw. Works the same as a lock nut, but just remember the two screws when it comes to removing the pully. I always fully remove set screws whenever I disassemble tight pulleys to check for a second screw as a matter of routine. Regards Art ------- Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 12:23:01 -1000 (HST) From: benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: Backlash On Tue, 13 Sep 2005, bramblebeagle wrote: > I am new to the use of a lathe, and have started to practice on my new > Taig lathe. I intend to make cannons for my 1:48 scale model ship, and > have purchased a compund slide for this operation to accommodate the 1 > degree taper. I have two questions: First, is there an accurate way to > adjust the compund slide to fine taper angles? I have used a small > protractor against relevant surfaces, and while a crude method it seems > to do the job, but I am a bit concerned about the need for repeatability. One possibility would be to use tailstock offset instead of the compound. If you're relatively careful in setting the tailstock off to one side, you can get pretty good repeatability and accuracy. I know Tony Jeffree made a graduated dial for offsetting his tailstock. It's well worth looking at his page for info. Even if you don't wind up making a graduated tailstock offset, it might give you some ideas about the procedure. > Second, when trying to advance both the cross-slide and the compound > slide I find that the backlash in the operating screws seems to be > excessive - about .002 on the cross slide and about .005 compund. Is > this excessive, and if not how do I reduce it to acceptable values. Any > help from all you experts would be much appreciated. Thanks That's about typical. 0.005 may be a little high, but 0.002 is normal. A couple of things you can do about this: One is to just keep track of it and remember whether you're moving in or out, left or right. It may not sound appealing, but that's how things were when I first learned how to use a mill. The backlash on that beast was on the order of 15 thou in one direction and 20 in the other. Aaaah, but then I got my taste of digital readouts. I went for it, hook line and sinker. So when I got my Taig I didn't want to go back to reading handwheels. So I stuck dial indicators all over my lathe. There should be pictures of this on Nick Carter's page. Since then I've seen a number of other mounting schemes people have done to mount dial indicators on their Taigs. Surf around and see what you can see. Doing this made my lathe incredibly easy to use. It's a mod I can't recommend highly enough. Tom ------- Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 02:15:40 -0000 From: "gehaddad" Subject: Mounting milling attachment onto compound slide I've had the usual beginner problems with figuring out the compound slide. When mounting the milling attachment onto the compound slide, do you ever have problems with stiffness or spring back? How easy is to drill/mill on an angle with the milling attachment? I'll be giving it a try, but I just was wondering if there was anything to watch out for. Thanks again, George ------- Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 21:52:08 -0500 From: "C. J. Klingman" Subject: Re: Mounting milling attachment onto compound slide Yes, very much so. I just did a job today with that setup. Adequate for the particular job I was doing but very poor setup in general. Compound slide would get rotated by the pressure of the milling cutter. Held it with my left hand while feeding jerkily with the right. Made me ashamed of myself to be doing it. A better way of fastening the compound slide to the cross slide must be found. There's always a way. Haven't put enough thought into it yet. It probably really shouldn't be used with the milling attachment holding a workpiece as it is now. I have used the compound slide to hold a cutting tool several times and did a perfectly good job, although thinking about it, I'm surprised it didn't get rotated. I'm usually making very light cuts in this case. I'm adjusting the gibs on all slides constantly on most jobs, either locking or as tight as feeding allows. C. J. Klingman Briarcliff, TX ------- Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 22:23:50 -1000 (HST) From: benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: Mounting milling attachment onto compound slide A while back someone posted their procedure for mounting the compound slide. I tried it, and it works like a charm: Mount the slide the normal way, set the angle, tighten it. Next, either mount stop blocks on either side or mount honest to goodness clamps to clamp it in position. There's enough of a ledge on the side of the fixed part of the slide to make this work. Once that's done there's no tendency for the slide to slip and rotate. If I used the slide a lot this would get to be a pain really really fast. But the few times I use it I'm willing to put in the extra couple of minutes to really clamp it down. I've been more than pleased. I still think you'd have a fair amount of flexure mounting the milling attachment on top of that, but it should help. Tom P.S. [Later post answering question about source of clamps] Rollin' my own, same as the clamps I use to hold my screwless toolmaker's vise down to my mill table. It's a pretty simple shape, and something you could make pretty easily using the milling attachment. ------- Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:32:56 +0100 From: Tony Jeffree Subject: Re: Mounting milling attachment onto compound slide I've never liked the compound slide terribly much - it is difficult to adjust to the right angle and it inevitably compromises the rigidity of the setup. So my starting point would not be to try mounting anything at all (even a cutting tool, if I could find another way!) on the compound slide, let alone the milling attachment. You might get better results mounting the milling attachment square on and looking at ways to mount the workpiece at the correct angle for the milling operation (packing under one end, maybe even devise a simple tilting table arrangment). Alternatively, the Taig mill is a very nice addition to your machine shop...;-) Regards, Tony ------- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 18:47:06 -0600 From: "C. J. Klingman" Subject: Headstock Riser I used the Taig lathe headstock riser for the first time today. I was surprised to find that it does not just raise the headstock one inch, it also offsets the headstock toward the motor about 3/16". I guess this was designed this way to hold the belt distance constant to the motor. It also gives a little more cutting tool room on the operator side. (You can reverse the riser and get the offset the other direction also). Thankfully, the tailstock can be offset sideways also, or my particular project (a Jacot tool-type application) would have been badly screwed up. I think Taig should mention that the headstock riser does not just raise the headstock, it offsets it sideways a little. Also, there is no provision for securing the carriage stop rod. C. J. Klingman Briarcliff, TX ------- Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 18:45:00 -0500 From: Rich Crook Subject: Re: Headstock Riser I think the horizontal offset isn't mentioned because they figure you'll be using the tailstock riser as well, and it has the same offset. As for the stop rod, making a little clamp block or bracket that bolts to the riser shouldn't be hard to do. (Nothing needs to be precise about it.) Taig lathes are like Harley motorcycles - finding one that hasn't been modified or customized in some way by its owner is going to be rare. Rich ------- NOTE TO FILE: The following message is Taig-specific but the main conversation relating to machining cast iron can be found here in the "Metal Types and Tips" file starting 01 January 2006. ------- Date: Wed, 04 Jan 2006 09:36:24 -0800 From: Don Rogers Subject: Re: Machining Cast Iron (was Using Fortal (? 7075 aluminum) ) [Min_Int_Comb_Eng group at Yahoo] >Yes, you need to touch up your cutting tool frequently, even Carbide, >but if CI is making your Taig 'sweat', then I'd look closely at your >setup. This fall when I was changing the motor on my 10x24, I had to use my Taig to bore out the motor pulley to fit the 3/4" shaft on the new motor. I tried about every cutting setup and sharpening I could find trying to get the job done. I finally resorted to using a 1/2" single flute mill that was kind of beat up as a boring bar. It still needed to be sharpened twice before the job was done. Even then, I ended up with a slight neck in the bore. I attributed it to a couple things, first the Chinese iron, and second to the keyway. I know the high speed boring bars I have wouldn't do the job. I think that part of the problem also was the Taig though. It is not a really stiff machine, and the interruption of the key way was probably really driving it nuts. It is about the only job I've really had trouble with on the Taig. I've machined 2 1/2" stainless with good success on mine. Don ------- Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 19:18:30 -0500 From: "S or J" Subject: Re: Newbie buying question [taigtools] > > Anyway, is it good to get a mill to start out with or should I stick > > with the lathe? I want to get the milling attachment, but I know it > > can only work with very small parts. Whatever I buy will be my only > > machine tool(s), I don't even have a drill press! :) > I'd just get the lathe and milling attachment to start with. Leon You will not go wrong with Leon's sage advice. It will also allow you to do an incredible amount of metalworking (and woodturning, pen-making, etc.) Lots of folks with links off Nick's site started with the lathe and accomplished great things before the Taig mill was even invented. The lathe will also let you ease into the hobby and do a lot of learning before spending big bucks, and then finding out you'd rather be doing something else. (Not likely --you will probably be hooked after the first project.) > > But it looks like everyone has a CNC mill now Yes it can look like that based on the number of messages here from CNC mill owners who are constantly having problems or needing info on stepper motors and software (which are constantly being upgraded so you have more new problems so you buy more new steppers and software and so on, so on, so on......) But that does allow you to type a lot and correspond regularly with the good folks here on subjects like: Re: My Stepper's Losing Steps and My Dog Ran Away. Why??? (Could be the start of a catchy country and western ditty :-) Those with manual machines can get nearly all their answers from looking in the archives, or at Nick's site, or reading some of the files on my site. They are machining, not messing with programming, so they don't say much here. [My opinion and sticking to it ;-] Personally, if I wanted to switch everything to a CNC, I would just use that on-line CAD program that lets you design the part at home, upload the design to the company, and drink beer while they messed with steppers and software and icky flood lubes. Now there's the way to take ALL the fun out of manual machining; so why go only part way? :-) Not entirely kidding, regards Steve -- in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada Machining and Metalworking at Home http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/ still using manual 100-year-old wood planes that quietly go "swish.." ------- Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 06:38:50 -1000 (HST) From: benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com Subject: Re: Re: Newbie buying question On Thu, 5 Jan 2006, tarendol06 wrote: > Thanks everyone! I am going to just get the lathe for now, I can always > get a mill later and this will give me a chance to do a ton of work. > > I do have another question if anyone has some suggestions. I am trying > to decide what motor to get for my lathe. I would prefer to actually > buy a motor from somewhere as I know nothing about them (if I pick one > up in the trash it is likely to melt my apartment or something!) but > there are a ton of choices. I have been looking at the links on Nick's > page but nothing is really jumping out at me. I don't really care as > long as it runs the lathe and is quiet! Is it worth spending a little > more to get the DC variable control? The variable speed DC motor is nice (NICE! nice) but making mine fit involved machining a new pulley for the motor and a new motor mount. If you can find someone who's offering a turnkey system or you can find one with a shaft that fits a stock Taig pulley, go for it. But if you have to do machining to make the motor work, that'd be frustrating. Tom ------- Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 10:45:12 -0800 From: Vlad Krupin Subject: Re: Newbie buying question I totally agree. It is amazing how many 'square' things you can make on a lathe, even without a milling attachment. Until I was able to afford a mill, I managed to do some fairly creative things with a taig lathe and a milling attachment, so you may want to give that a try, and see if you like it. For any reasonably precise drilling I tend to use my lathe too, even though I have a cheap craftsman drill press. The setup takes longer, but at least you get holes exactly where you want them, and you can get them square. And you can bore them out, if your hole needs to be large. (My drill press has abysmal bearing runout, and, until I modified it a bit, the table was not stiff enough, so the harder you pushed, the less square your drill bit was to the table.) So, for small pieces the taig lathe works as a good drill press too :) The only concern is that, if you get a mill, you may very well be able to afford a lathe later as well. It feels easier to afford a cheaper thing after bying a more expensive one. If, however, you buy a cheaper thing (lathe) first, affording a more expensive one (mill) later may be hard. I do agree with Leon though -- get a lathe. It's small, it's less expensive, it'll teach you a lot about machining, and you'll be able to see if you like to do that kind of stuff before investing in a mill. I've met a few people who spent good money on machines just to find out they did not really like machining in the first place. It's sad to see when they end up selling their toys, barely if at all used. Vlad's shop http://www.krupin.net/serendipity/index.php?/categories/2-metalworking ------- Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:51:09 -0800 (PST) From: Des Bromilow Subject: lathe carriage/rack adjustment procedure??? Hi, long story short, I've never had to adjust the position/fit of the carriage handwheel/ rack on the lathe. That is until the other day... I've tried to get it to work smoothly, but I still get binding a little, and the rotation is nowhere near as smooth as it was before being "fiddled with". Is there a proper procedure, or method to adjust it properly? I tried to line up the mark from the set screw on the eccentric bush, but that isn't working too well due to the bush needing to be slid out from the carriage by about 1mm. I cut a small slit in the face of the bush to allow me to rotate it with a screwdriver, but I'm not having too much success. Thanks, Des ------- Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 20:43:38 -0800 From: Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein Subject: Re: lathe carriage/rack adjustment procedure??? http://www.cartertools.com/setup.html Scroll down. The upshot is it's really easy to adjust it if you have the lathe upside down. Make sure the thick rather than the thin wall has the setscrew against it - the setscrew can crush the thin wall making it rough. ------- Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 08:29:29 -0600 From: "C. J. Klingman" Subject: Re: lathe carriage/rack adjustment procedure??? On my lathe, the c-ring holding the carriage pinion shaft in place was rubbing on the underside of the plastic rack dust shield. I had to completely do away with the c-ring and go with an o-ring (which doesn't do much holding) to get rid of the binding. C. J. Klingman Briarcliff, TX ------- From: "Paul W. Chamberlain" pwcx~xxcapcocons.com Date: Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:30am(PDT) Subject: Re: Cutting Hex on a Lathe [taigtools] BRAD SHENAMAN wrote: >I have a Lathe with the milling attachment. What would be the best way >to cut a 1.5" long .5" diameter hexagon accurately out of aluminum >round stock. If it were me...Start with a longer piece of stock. Drill and tap one end for whatever size machine screw and washer you have on hand. Make a disk out of sheet stock marked with six evenly divided radial lines. I'd use my computer and printer, but it could be done on a piece of manilla folder with a compass and ruler. Secure the marked disk to the end of the aluminum stock with the screw and washer. Clamp the aluminum stock in the milling attachment with the disk hanging over the back edge of the cross slide, and 1.625" or so extending out the front side of the milling attachment. Setup up a simple pointer (could just be a piece of wire) on the back end of the cross slide to index the lines on the disk. Set the carriage stop for the correct depth of cut per flat... cut the first flat along the 1.625" exposed portion of the aluminum stock... rotate the stock/disk to the next radial line... repeat until all six sides are cut. Cut the hex portion off with a hacksaw. Set in the 3-jaw chuck and face the saw cut end to your 1.5" length. Howzat sound? Paul, Central OR ------- From: "Andrew Carlisle" acarlislex~xxidelix.com Date: Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:31am(PDT) Subject: Replacing spindle bearings [taigtools] Sadly, it appears that my Taig lathe is suffering from damaged spindle bearings. The symptoms are a slight chattering during turning and facing operations. Also, I measured a half thou radial runout at the nose of the spindle when I pull on the spindle with hand pressure (normal/allowable flex, perhaps?). After disassembling the headstock, further investigation showed a distinct rough spot in the bearings when turning the spindle by hand. The prospect of getting the bearings off the spindle is daunting. A quick test with light clamping pressure showed that they're a tight fit. I'm fairly sure I can obtain replacement bearings locally, but that will do me little good if removal/installation proves too much for me to handle. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Regards, Andrew ------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:34am(PDT) Subject: Re: Replacing spindle bearings You need an arbor press with enough room (height/throw/whatever the nomenclature is for arbor presses) to press the spindle out of the bearings. Is this the older type held with the circlip, or the newer type with the nut at the back end for preload? See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- From: "Andrew Carlisle" acarlislex~xxidelix.com Date: Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:50am(PDT) Subject: Re: Replacing spindle bearings Hi Nick, Hmmm. I wonder where I could get access to an arbor press. There used to be a little machine shop nearby my workplace. The owner was very friendly and helped me out with small jobs on a number of occasions. Unfortunately, he's since moved away. As for the preload, mine is the newer type with the preload nut. Does that make a difference as far as removal/installation of the bearings? Regards, Andrew ------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:00am(PDT) Subject: Re: Replacing spindle bearings You need to find a replacement friendly shop owner! Often garages will have an arbor press. If it is the old 2 part housing, remove the screws on either side of the housing, slide the spindle cartridge out. If the one piece housing, remove the screw in the underside of the housing, heat the housing with a heat gun or hotplate to expand and slide the spindle cartridge out (sometimes requires a soft hammer or press as well...) Undo the preload nut and press the bearings out, or rather the spindle out of the bearings. Take care when replacing them to get preload right, the newer spindles have a spring washer that can get compressed too much with overzealous assembly. Preload is one of those "feel" things, but it's better to have too loose a preload as you can always tighten it a bit, where if it's too tight you'll end up destroying the bearings. ------- From: "Andrew Carlisle" acarlislex~xxidelix.com Date: Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:41pm(PDT) Subject: Re: Replacing spindle bearings With Nick's advice and a little other help, I managed to replace the lathe bearings successfully. And had a surprising and delightful experience along the way: While casting around for a machine shop to help me press off the old bearings and install the new ones, I remembered the old industrial building in my neighborhood with its ancient, weathered sign that reads B & K Precision Machine Shop. Worth a try, I thought, and in I went. What I discovered was a secret world I had no idea existed just a mile from my front door. The commercial machine shop was long gone, it turned out, replaced by a private garage run by a retired engineer from Rolls Royce. In the huge shop area were ten or so vintage Rolls and Bentleys in various conditions from very ragged to perfectly mint. The owner pressed out my Taig bearings as I stood beside a pre-war RR Phantom. Sadly the engine wasn't in running condition, but what a treat to have a very close look at that massive V-12, a cousin of the venerable Merlin of aviation fame. Oh yes, and the Taig runs smoother than ever with the new bearings. Andrew ------- From: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Sat Apr 22, 2006 9:14am(PDT) Subject: Re: Replacing spindle bearings Yup, exploring the neighborhood will often yield surprises. I myself wondered about a sign for many years (pre-Taig) and finally met the shop owner at an auction. Hae has an open shop night I attend with some other crackpots, and we go to auctions together all the time now. Networking is at least 10-20% of this hobby/profession. ------- From: "Andrew Carlisle" acarlislex~xxidelix.com Date: Tue May 9, 2006 8:38am(PDT) Subject: Re: bowed pinion rack [taigtools] "rick jones" wrote: > I've had my lathe for a little over a year now and recently realized > that my pinion rack is slightly bowed in the center. This causes it to > rock when the carriage is moved to the last inch or two towards the > headstock.> > I was considering just adding a second set screw towards the headstock > end. Or should I simply get in touch with the company for a replacement? Hi Rick: My Taig suffered from the same problem. I added a second set screw near the headstock and have been happy with the results. The second set screw solved another issue with the rack, too: the hole in the aluminum lathe extrusion for the original set screw had been slightly elongated by the constant movement of the bowed rack. Before the modification, I had never been able to keep that single set screw tight. After adding the second set screw, the rack stays put, and control of the carriage movement is much improved. Andrew ------- From: "n2562001" jlkiefferx~xxcharter.net Date: Tue May 16, 2006 11:15am(PDT) Subject: Re: ER Collets for the Taig. How to handle .086" size? In taigtools, "phoneteamd" wrote: > I am thinking about ordering the ER16 option for the Taig Lathe. I > need to handle stock with a diameter of .086". But it looks like Taig > and the dealers only offer 1/16 and 1/8 collets. They don't have > 3/32. Is it possible to use a 1/16 collet with .086" stock? Or 1/8 > collet? Are the ranges that big with these collets? ER-16 collets are available for any size down to .020" from most machine tool supply houses such as MSC, Travers etc. However the size of the ER-16 closing Nut makes it difficult and clumbsy to work around stock this size. If it's a one time thing and you normally work with much larger stock then you should be able to occasionally work around this problem. On the other hand if a lot of your collet work is .200" and smaller you may want to consider WW collets. Jerry Kieffer ------- From: "C. J. Klingman" cklingmanx~xxaustin.rr.com Date: Tue May 16, 2006 0:23pm(PDT) Subject: Re: ER Collets for the Taig. How to handle .086" size? A true ER16 collet is metric and has a range of 1mm. See the Swiss inventor company website, Rego-fix. I haven't seen a good correspondence between the collet designation and the maximum size it will hold - some hold bigger than the designation, some won't hold that size without shoving pretty hard. I ordered a medium quality series from KBC and still had to get one more from another maker to fill a gap in the so-called continuous series. This was a fractional inch series of collets. I don't think anything but a metric series will truly be an accurate series without gaps. To answer your question, you can hold right down to zero. My one metric collet was obtained from Ebay and was right on its designation. C. J. Klingman Briarcliff, TX ------- NOTE TO FILE: There is an excellent thread with title "fearles newbie learns fear" in the Sherline group starting 03 July 2006. That conversation can also be found here in the "Sherline Lathe Quirks or Tips" file. Lots of good beginner turning tips that particularly relate to small lathes like Taig or Sherline, plus some good chuck information. ------- Drilling small holes with the lathe [taigtools] Posted by: "James Dickie" jdickiex~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:02 am (PDT) I need to drill a small, blind hole - 0.35mm diameter and 5mm deep. Material is hexagonal free-cutting mild steel, held in a Taig collet. To hold the drill bit, I am gripping a pin chuck in the tailstock drill chuck. What seems to be happening is that there is a slight slackness in the tailstock ram as I feed it into the cut. After withdrawing the bit to clear swarf and then feeding it back in again, the inevitable dig in happens and the bit breaks. I then hit on the idea of clamping the tailstock ram up tight at its fully back setting and just nipping the tailstack clamp up so that I can slide the whole assembly along the lathe bed to feed the drill. This eliminates any slack at the drill bit and allows me to drill the hole to the required depth. However what I end up with is a hole with a bell mouth. A 0.45mm dia. drill bit will fit into the hole for about 1mm. Obviously there is some run-out or misalignment somewhere that is causing the drill to flex. Any ideas on how I can minimise this effect? Cheers, James ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:42 am (PDT) Well, not an easy task... > I need to drill a small, blind hole - 0.35mm diameter and 5mm deep. > Material is hexagonal free-cutting mild steel, held in a Taig collet. Not the best workholding, unless the corners of the hex are true to the diameter. 5mm deep is 15 times diameter, which is deep drilling...so you have to peck as you found out. Are you using lube? I assume you used a center drill to start the hole? Is the drill carbide or HSS? What spindle speed? The pin chuck adds flex to the setup - what about using a 1/4" drill chuck that will grip it? > I then hit on the idea of clamping the tailstock ram up tight at its > fully back setting and just nipping the tailstack clamp up so that I > can slide the whole assembly along the lathe bed to feed the drill. > This eliminates any slack at the drill bit and allows me to drill the > hole to the required depth. That will work, but it is better to adjust the ram so that it is stiff but travels. There is likely too much play in using your method. You could make a dedicated drill holder for the carriage, drilled on center exactly using a bit in the headstock. That would probably help. More important is adjusting the tailstock so that it is on center. Often the tailstock is a bit high or low, in which case you have to shim the body or (if you think it's worth it) scrape the body so it is exactly on center. Jerry Kieffer will probably weigh in... See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "James Dickie" jdickiex~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:21 am (PDT) > Well, not an easy task... :o) > Not the best workholding, unless the corners of the hex are true to the > diameter. No, they're not, but the collet gives less run-out than using the 3 jaw chuck. Maybe I should skim the hex corners first... > Are you using lube? Just a bit of oil. > I assume you used a center drill to start the hole? Yep. > Is the drill carbide or HSS? HSS. > What spindle speed? 3rd smallest pulley ring, but I haven't measured the speed exactly. > The pin chuck adds flex to the setup - what about using a 1/4" drill > chuck that will grip it? Yeah, would be nice if I had one. Does the 'industrial quality' Jacobs chuck sold by Taig cut it for such small drills? As much of my work involves small drills then I might have to consider one. The tailstock is as good as I can get it. Thanks for your advice, James ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:40 pm (PDT) > Maybe I should skim the hex corners first... That might be a good idea. If you take care and bore the soft jaws for that diameter it should run dead true. Try bringing up the speed a tad, I doubt you can run too slow, even with steel at that diameter. > Does the 'industrial quality' Jacobs chuck sold by Taig cut it for such > small drills? It should, although I don't have one on hand to test it. Enco has Rohm keyless chucks with a 3/8"-24 thread on sale right now as well. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:14 pm (PDT) I just chucked up some free machining steel in the 3 jaw. Didn't make sure it was running true. Faced the end. Centerdrilled a tiny pip with a 00 center drill. Chucked up a HSS #80 drill in a pin chuck held in the 1/4" chuck. #80 is .0135", .35mm = .0137" so pretty close. Drilled 5mm deep. The tailstock ram was loose and I just pecked away. Spindle speed was 2nd from high. A .0140 pin gage will pass through the hole, a .0150 pin gage will go only about half a mm. So the hole is slightly bellmouthed. But I guess my question is, what are the tolerances for your hole? I would maybe use a spade drill rather than a twist drill, that only cuts on the end - I think the bellmouting happens because of the cutting action of the sides of the twist drill. I think using a drill bushing might help as well. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "Jeff Demand" jdemandx~xxgmavt.net Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:48 pm (PDT) Not a spade drill, grind the back end of one of your broken drills as a D bit with a very short D section (try 1-1.5mm). Granted lots more 'pecking' and you have to lube like crazy but it should cure the bell mouth. With a good start even a rough hand ground D bit can be very good. Jeff ------- 3h. Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "Rich Crook" richcrook9418x~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:45 pm (PDT) For a drill that small, I'd run the spindle at top speed, or one step down. Optimum drill speeds are based on surface speed at the outer edge of the flutes. A smooth, precise feed is a must as well, with a peck length about equal to the diameter. (And yeah, it's going to take a while. Be patient.) Rich ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "Jim" samadams4qx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:48 pm (PDT) As well as the other suggestions already posted, you might also check the drill bit point. I've found a few bits (PC board bits) where the points were ground with just a tad bit of an offset. Any offset equates to larger holes. My 2 cents, Jim ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "n2562001" jlkiefferx~xxcharter.net Date: Tue Aug 29, 2006 6:43 am (PDT) James: Three things are required to drill QUALITY small holes of this size. First the lathe headstock and tailstock must be in very close alignment. Second the drill feed system must be sensitive enough not to distort the drill. Third you will need to use QUALITY drills. If you use Harbor Freight drills the holes will look like they came from Harbor Freight. (If you manage to drill holes at all) As with most things in life there is Good news and Bad news. The Bad news is that the Taig Lathe was never designed for Micro Machining/Drilling. The Good news is that if this is a occasional or one time deal you can "Beat the system" as they say for a hole this large. First you will need an accurate method of holding items in the headstock. If you do not have a WW collet headstock I would suggest the 4 Jaw chuck as others have suggested. (Providing you don`t mind indicating each item.) Second you will need to deal with the Tailstock. A quality drill chuck will be of no help other than going down to almost zero to hold small drills. The reason for this is that while OK for general machining, the Taig tailstock is not repeatable for Micro Machining. The clamping length of the Tailstock is too short for the width of the bed causing inconsistent alignment. I would suggest that you deal with this as follows for this job. First install a piece of 1/8" brass rod full length in your drill chuck and cut off just in front of the jaws. Next remove the brass rod and face off the front end and reinstall in the drill chuck. Next locate the tailstock in a position that will allow you to drill this hole without repositioning it. Then tighten the ram locking screw so that the ram will just move freely without any slop and lube the heck out of it with light oil. (The oil film will help center the ram in the tailstock bore.) Then install a #1 center drill or smaller in the 4 jaw chuck and indicate it. Next center drill the brass rod by moving the ram forward. Then drill a 1mm hole about .625" deep in the brass rod with the drill in the 4 jaw chuck. If the chuck will not go down small enough to hold the drill, insert it in a piece of 1/16" aluminum tubing from a hobby shop. The jaws on the chuck will crush the tubing over the drill and it can then be indicated. Also you may want to drill a slightly smaller hole than 1mm and then drill with the 1mm drill. The reason for the 1mm hole in the brass rod is to hold 1mm shank drills. Since this hole was drilled with the headstock it is in perfect alignment with the headstock. Since the tailstock will not be moved it will remain in alignment. 1mm shank spade and twist drills (any size up to 1mm) can now be inserted in the brass rod. The .625" long hole will provide enough friction to prevent the drill from spinning in place. In operation the tailstock lever is not sensitive enough to prevent possible distortion of small drills. In this case I would suggest that the ram be advanced with your finger over the rear of the ram itself. To drill your hole I would first suggest that it be spot/center drilled with a spade drill of about .025"-.030" in diameter. Spade drills are best limited to a depth of about three to four times their diameter. So for drilling the hole I would suggest a 1mm shank carbide twist drill. These drills are expensive but can generally be found at surplus suppliers or E-bay. Standard twist drills can used by inserting a 1mm rod in the drill chuck bushing and back drilling for the drill as suggested above. Again the friction of the hole will be enough to hold the drill in place. I would suggest drilling at about 3000 rpm. Good luck Jerry Kieffer ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com" Date: Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:23 am (PDT) Jerry, I'm almost certain I've asked you this one before, but since it has a bearing on this discussion, I figured I'd ask anyway: I know Sherline's got an attachment for their tailstock that allows you to adjust a tailstock chuck until it's dead-on with the spindle. Granted the base of the Taig tailstock doesn't allow for repeatable positioning, if the base were swapped out to something roughly twice as long as the lathe bed is wide, do you think the ram arrangement would be good enough to benefit from this and from a centering attachment for the chuck? Or would a complete re-design of the entire tailstock be required? By the way, thanks for the description [above]. I don't often have need of small holes, but I'm tucking this one away in the notebook. Tom ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "Martin Dobbins" tutankhamunx~xxmsn.com Date: Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:42 am (PDT) I too wonder if more stability and repeatability might be obtained by something as simple as rigidly attaching a second tailstock base extrusion behind the existing one. Martin ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com" Date: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:00 pm (PDT) That or taking a headstock riser block and machining a new dovetail on top, one that runs crosswise like the tailstock base. It wouldn't be a 2:1 like I was mentioning, but it'd provide a much better ratio than the existing setup. I do wonder about the length of the ram that's supported by the tailstock housing. The lathes I use at work have a much longer supported length relative to the diameter of the ram. Mind you I'm not maligning the design of the tailstock. For most intents and purposes it's suited me just fine, and a larger one could get in the way. But I'm wondering if it'd be worthwhile to make a second tailstock for this sort of thing if I wind up having projects that require it. Tom ------- Tailstock (was Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe) Posted by: "Martin Dobbins" tutankhamunx~xxmsn.com Date: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:33 pm (PDT) I hadn't thought of that; I'll look up the dimensions of the riser blocks at Nick's site, it might be an easier solution. The existing tailstock ram really needs to be longer for turning between centers, for that the ram supporting structure needs to be longer (and probably redesigned). Walt Anderson has an interesting idea with his "Frankenstock": http://www.walteranderson.us/hobbies/metalworking/microlathe/acce ssories/frankenstock.html Even if you adapted this to use a wider base, I'm not sure the Sherline tailstock has sufficient reach to get over the Taig crosslide for turning between centers. I'm not maligning the existing design either (although it may sound like it!), it is what it is for a very reasonable price and it is up to us users to think up modifications to make it work better in our hands. Martin ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "James Dickie" jdickiex~xxgmail.com Date: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:28 pm (PDT) Hi Folks: Thanks for all the help and advice. I eventually got a hole that suited my purposes - faced off the bell-mouth section and then drilled a bit deeper much more carefully! A couple of things that I noticed: My dial indicator showed that the hex bar did not have any appreciable runout. 5 sides had the same reading and one was 0.04mm higher. I put this down to manufacturing rather than an alignment problem. My tailstock ram has a middle portion that is more worn than the ends. This makes it really difficult to get an even feed. I guess that a new tailstock will be needed eventually. :o( In the future I'll probably take up the suggestion of using a custom drill holder on the crossslide. I guess that this is all part of getting to know a pre-loved machine. Cheers, James ------- Re: Drilling small holes with the lathe Posted by: "n2562001" jlkiefferx~xxcharter.net n2562001 Date: Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:03 pm (PDT) Tom: Martin's suggestion of another attached tailstock base will work however it need not be twice as long. Actually only another .0625"-.750" is required. A lower tailstock block can be purchased and machined down to this length leaving the locking screw in the center. The two blocks can be screwed together with the short block to the rear of the existing tailstock. Epoxy can also be used when attaching the two blocks. Also only one locking screw need to be used unless very accurate repeatability is required. As far as the ram is concerned, in my experience it was the least trouble- some area. However the threaded drill chuck mount and a lack of alignment in all directions was. The most accurate way to deal with this is to drill and ream the Ram to take a 0 MT. This would allow you to use the Sherline centering devise or make something that will do the samething. The MT mount will assure repeatability when the chuck is removed. These modifications will of course be of little help unless you are willing to invest in a good quality drill chuck or ww/8mm tailstock collet holder. But then again this is true of any lathe. Jerry Kieffer ------- Re: Micro Lathe Question [taigtools] Posted by: "Peter Homann" groupsx~xxhomanndesigns.com Date: Sun Jan 7, 2007 10:11 pm ((PST)) Damian Chrystie wrote:> Hi Members, I am cutting multiple items. I need > to return the tool back into the same position on the tool post block > after I part-off (remove tool and replace with parting off tool), so > that the tool will cut to the same depth. Any Ideas? Hi Damian: With the tool in the proper position, fix a "Stop" to the cross-slide T-slot so that it is hard up against the tool post. That way when you remove and replace it, it will be in the same position. The stop could be made out of a piece of 3/8" x 1/8" bar stock. Mount it in place with a 10-24 bolt to a t-slot nut. Even better is to mount it by both T-slots. That way it won't twist. Cheers, Peter ------- Re: Micro Lathe Question Posted by: "benedict-listx~xxhawaii.rr.com" Date: Mon Jan 8, 2007 5:13 pm ((PST)) Two possibilities come to mind: 1 - Get a quick change toolpost. A little pricey, but I love mine. 2 - Get a second toolpost to position the cutoff tool on the back of the cross-slide. You'll basically have two tools mounted at once. I think the ugliest setup I ever did like this had a facing tool, a turning tool, a parting tool, and the tailstock rigged for drilling through the stock. Each one had its own zero point. Worked like a charm, but you have to make sure everything can fit without ramming another tool into the part. Tom ------- Re: Motor Mounting [taigtools] Posted by: "Rich Crook" richcrook9418x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:52 am ((PDT)) >I am investigating the purchase of a Taig Lathe and I would appreciate >any feedback on the upside/downside between mounting the motor to the >side or to the back. >It looks like mounting the motor to the side gives you more room over >the bed area since I also want to use the lathe for milling operations. Mounting to the side means that it won't get chips, oil, coolant, etc. thrown onto it (primary reason), as well as more room for any future accessories that you might want to add on the back side. Rich ------- Re: Motor Mounting Posted by: "prettejohn" alan.prettejohnx~xxntlworld.com Date: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:49 pm ((PDT)) Hi. Neither; mount it underneath with a longer belt. This gives a clear bench behind the lathe and the motor is protected from swarf & coolant. Just requires a small slot in the top of the bench. regards Alan ------- Re: Motor Mounting Posted by: "Lester Caine" lscesx~xxbtconnect.com Date: Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:27 am ((PDT)) Rich Crook wrote: > So how do you keep the swarf & coolant out of the slot in the bench? > (never mind figuring out how to neatly *cut* said slot in the first > place...) The brush type draft excluder works well, and a kit for a letter box normally has just enough in it. Also it hides the slot so you can't see if it is tidy :) Lester Caine - G8HFL ------- Re: New dial assembly Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Sat Mar 17, 2007 10:11 pm ((PDT)) davideggy2 wrote: > The Taig site says the lathe cross slide now comes with a ball bearing > on the lead screw. Is this part no. 100-20 for $2.65 or is that the > price for the old one? Are they interchangeable? Thanks, Dave I've been lax in getting up the new details... The leadscrew is now different. If anyone needs parts for the old one, they have to buy a complete leadscrew assembly, Taig is out of the old ones. Not sure about price as yet, will try and get that info...The new assembly screws into the same threaded hole (1/4"-28 helicoil thread) and is backwards compatible. The new leadscrew doesn't have the oft broken small diameter and the bearing block has a small ball bearing race pressed in. It seems much smoother and should be better/easier for those attempting to convert to CNC. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html [and in a later message] If it's more than about 6 months old, it uses the old screw. The way to tell is if the leadscrew has an acorn nut on the end, it's the old one, if not then the new. ------- Re: Few quick questions [taigtools] Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Thu May 10, 2007 9:48 am ((PDT)) James Eckman wrote: > Looking at the parts page, what is the ntls New Taig Leadscrew Assembly, > I think it's this? http://www.cartertools.com/ntls01.jpg > How much more travel is there? Does it feel better? The old one feels > pretty good to me. Jim Eckman With the new assembly I get 2.25" of travel on my old lathe. I need to check if that is true for all lathes. The old one was fine, but the screw where it passed through the bearing was very thin and caused some issues, as well the bearing when new was a bit rough and needed to wear in through use (they do become very smooth). The new one is smooth right away. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Few quick questions Posted by: "Collins, Graham" collingx~xxnavcanada.ca planophore Date: Fri May 11, 2007 4:39 am ((PDT)) I recently put one of the new lead screw assemblies on my Taig lathe. The old one was fine but I found that adjusting the dial to get a nice fit and reduce backlash caused by too much clearance between the dial and the surface it rotates against was difficult and I always ended up with too much play. The new assembly I can take apart and reassemble very easily and get a real nice fit with essentially zero play. I tightened up the brass feed nut on the cross slide while I was at it and have a very nice fitting feel and motion with no play and very little backlash. I have found that any mod or adjustment I have made that tightens up the assembly and makes the cross slide more "rigid" has had a very positive effect in allowing me to machine material that before seemed problematic. The lathe wasn't happy when I first tried to turn some cold rolled steel. Now with the new lead screw assembly, the adjust brass feed nut, and a modified A2Z QCTP base mount, the lathe just laughs at a piece of 1.5" diameter cold rolled Steel as it obligingly does it job. I must still make a revolving handle for the handle for the assembly, the fixed one is ok but not near as nice. Cheers, Graham in Embrun near Ottawa Canada. ------- Re: Metric. [taigtools] Posted by: "Leon" leon355x~xxbtinternet.com Date: Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:57 am ((PDT)) "Aahz." wrote: > I'm planning on getting a Taig lathe in the next few months here and > I was wondering, is there any simple ways of converting it to Metric? There isn't, but it's quite easy to use metric measurements using a technique described here: http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller/taig.html Leon Heller ------- Re: How much belt tension. [taigtools] Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Sun Jul 8, 2007 10:18 am ((PDT)) "Aahz." wrote: >I'm getting used to my new Taig lathe and I'm still not happy with >the belt from the motor to the pulley, how much tension should it >have? Erick I think about .2" deflection when pushed lightly with a finger... But it depends on how much torque you need... See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: How much belt tension. Posted by: "dionljohnsonii" dionjx~xxcomcast.net Date: Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:36 pm ((PDT)) There are various belt "no-slip dressing" chemicals that will make your belt a lot stickier. First clean it, and the pulleys thoroughly with alcohol, then apply one of the "non slip" potions. Interestingly, the stuff from the paint store called "de-glaze" works quite well. Or try your auto supply. Same trick works on oxidized rubber rollers in various machines. Dion ------- Re: My new lathe [taigtools] Posted by: "Dean Williams" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:44 pm ((PDT)) "Jim" wrote: > Speaking of which, how does the Taig Milling attachment work out? Is > it a worth while investment for minor milling operations? Could it be > used for making or repairing clock gears? Jim D. I use my Taig lathe with a milling attachment to make gears. You can make lots of stuff with it. I use mine mostly for camera parts, which includes gears. I have a page about gear cutting with the Taig lathe: http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/gearcutting/gea rcutting.html Dean ------- NOTE TO FILE: Be sure to check out the other pages on Dean's site above. ------- Re: My new lathe Posted by: "Clif Lowry" CLOWRYx~xxSATX.RR.COM Date: Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:49 pm ((PDT)) Jim, I have used the milling attachment to cut wooden clock gears. Clamped a cutting frame and sewing machine motor to the attachment; blank on the main spindle with dividing plate outboard. A little awkward, but accurate. Clif San Antonio ------- Runout with WWW Collets? [taigtools] Posted by: "Rick Voegelin" rickvoegelinx~xxcompuserve.com Date: Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:10 am ((PDT)) I'm considering converting my Taig lathe to a WWW headstock. I use the lathe primarily for modifying and machining small wheels and armatures for HO scale slot cars, with shaft sizes typically between .062" and .125". I'm dissatisfied with the TIR and lack of repeatability I experience with the Taig collets and three-jaw chuck, and using a four-jaw in this application is problematic, so I'm looking for an alternative that will offer improved precision. But before I invest in a WWW headstock and collets, I'd appreciate some real-world input. What is the range of TIR that I can reasonably expect with the WWW collets and Taig WWW headstock? Are there some recommended online sources for high quality collets? Finally, if the WWW collets won't significantly reduce TIR, are there steps I should take to improve the Taig collets and/or three-jaw chuck? All input will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance, Rick Voegelin [IN A LATER MESSAGE:] Oops -- make that "WW" headstock, not WWW. Here in the Internet Age, I type WWW so frequently that it's become a bad habit . ------- Re: Runout with WWW Collets? Posted by: "Martin Dobbins" trainnutzx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:06 pm ((PDT)) Hi Rick: Since nobody else has replied yet, I thought I would chime in. I have to wonder if home made mandrels and arbors might serve you better with the kind of applications you are talking about? What kind of accuracy do you need? If you are determined to got the WW route you will find that WW collets beat the standard Taig collets hands down for accuracy, depending on careful sizing of work to collet size. TIR of just about any WW collet in the WW headstock will be a fraction of what you might have been seeing, the disadvantage is that each collet has a very narrow range so you need exactly the right size for each of your applications. The good thing about the WW headstock is that it will accomodate Sherline WW collets which have a body size of .312-.313" or the so called 8.0MM collets which have a body size of .314-.315". The not so good thing is that Taig has chosen to make the draw bar out of brass which, in my opinion, has the chance of "freezing" on the threads of a steel collet. It's not too difficult to make or adapt your own drawbar if this becomes a concern for you. There are two manufacturers of unhardened WW collets that I know of, one is Sherline the other is Starrett. Sherline makes both imperial and metric sized collets, all the others will be sized in mm: http://www.starrett.ws/ http://www.sherline.com/ I believe you will find the accuracy and repeatability you are looking for with unhardened collets, but you will find people who will swear that only a hardened collet will do the correct job. Once upon a time all WW collets were hardened, so it is possible to find them secondhand from dealers or via ebay, but caveat emptor because there is some junk around and if you get a sprung collet it is useless. If you have a healthy pocketbook, I believe there is just one company that is still producing hardened WW collets: http://levinlathe.com/page23.htm I've droned on long enough, so drop us another email if you would like more info or can't find something via a google search. With a bit of luck Jerry Kieffer will chime in and give you the benefit of his experience. Martin ------- thrust nut adjustment [taigtools] Posted by: "Jim" oldtoolx~xxverizon.net Date: Sun Sep 9, 2007 12:34 pm ((PDT)) At least I think that is what it is called. Taig's poor parts listing and instruction sheets do not show it. I am referring to the nut to the left side of the headstock. I noticed the lathe getting noister than usual and then the belt flipped over on me. I tried all the normal things and could not stop it from flipping. I then tightened this nut and the lathe quieted down and the belt is doing fine. Is this normal for this lathe? Might be because it is new and just breaking in? I have only about 12 working hours on it. Sure would be nice if Taig updated their web site parts list and/or gave decent documentation with their lathe. What they supply with a new lathe is really a disgrace! Jim D. ------- Re: thrust nut adjustment Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Sun Sep 9, 2007 2:12 pm ((PDT)) A belt flipping over is usually because of pulley misalignment. That it got a bit noisy tells me that possibly the nut was too loose to begin with (a mistake in assembly) and the spindle might have shifted slightly. I do wish Taig had more documentation, but then what would I do with my spare time? See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: thrust nut adjustment Posted by: "Jim" oldtoolx~xxverizon.net Date: Sun Sep 9, 2007 7:26 pm ((PDT)) You are right about the spindle shifting from what I could tell. Once I tightened the nuts I re-aligned the pulleys and it seems to be fine at the moment. Their documentation is about the worst I have ever seen except for some things that have been translated from Chinese to English. I would settle for an accurate parts diagram and list. They have upgraded the headstock and spindle by going to a one piece housing and the crosslide by adding the bearing but none of it is shown anywhere. As a whole I am really pleased with the lathe. I do not think it can be beat for the money. I just wonder if they are serious about staying in business with their attitude about keeping things up to date. I would think they would want people to know about these improvements and changes. Then again they may not want you to get bored! As always, thanks Nick!! Jim D. ------- Re: thrust nut adjustment Posted by: "Jim" oldtoolx~xxverizon.net Date: Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:10 pm ((PDT)) A short update for those interested on this. I started having belt problems again after running about 10 minutes. Inspected the belt and found it did develope a crack from flipping over so called Taig for a replacement. I spoke with the gentleman (owner?) about the problem and he told me the nut basically just holds everything together but also helps to preload the bearings like a thrust nut. Inside the new style head there are also 2 spring washers to preload the bearings. He said they put blue locktite on this nut to keep it from moving and recommended, because mine moved, I take it apart and add more locktite to the nut when reassembling the headstock. Apparently this is not intended to be an adjustment for the bearing and should not have moved. Hope this helps any others that may have a problem. Actually, hope no one else has this problem but it is another cause for belt failure we need to be aware of. Jim D. ------- Lathe crosslide question [taigtools] Posted by: "prettejohn" alan.prettejohnx~xxntlworld.com Date: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:10 am ((PDT)) Hi. Hopefully an easy question. Taig lathe cross-slide split brass driving boss -- should this be loose or tight? regards Alan ------- Re: Lathe crosslide question Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:23 am ((PDT)) It should be a tight fit, and there should be minimal play between it & the feed screw (but not so tight that the handwheel becomes hard to turn). The latter can be adjusted to some extent by carefully nipping up the split in the brass nut. Regards, Tony ------- Re: Lathe crosslide question Posted by: "prettejohn" alan.prettejohnx~xxntlworld.com Date: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:30 am ((PDT)) Thank you Tony regards Alan ------- Re: Lathe crosslide question Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:50 am ((PDT)) I find it's a good idea to put a shim smaller than the gap in the slot when compressing so that you don't compress it too far. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Lathe crosslide question Posted by: "Alan Briggs" alan2525x~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:18 am ((PDT)) The boss should be a tight fit in the cross slide, on my Taig which I purchased 2nd hand, this was very loose. I used some loctite bearing lock to remove the small amount of play. It fixed my backlash and now my cross slide is silky smooth and free of play. Alan ------- Re: The New Carriage [taigtools] Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:13 pm ((PST)) Marv wrote: > Nick, do you know how much more cross travel there will be with the new > carriage ? Just a little over 2.5" See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: T-Nuts for Taig Head Stock [taigtools] Posted by: "bob_ledoux" bobledouxx~xxproaxis.com Date: Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:37 pm ((PST)) "bob_ledoux" wrote: > Are there commercially available "T" nuts that fit the lathe carriage > and headstock? OPPS, found them here: http://www.hightechsystemsllc.com/taig.html ------- Re: T-Nuts for Taig Head Stock Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:46 pm ((PST)) Those T-nuts are dimensioned for the Taig mill table - I believe that they are bigger than the slots on the headstock. Regards, Tony ------- Re: T-Nuts for Taig Head Stock Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Thu Dec 27, 2007 6:53 pm ((PST)) 10-32 square nuts do the job. Taig charges .10 each, but you can find them at most good hardware stores. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: T-Nuts for Taig Head Stock Posted by: "bob_ledoux" bobledouxx~xxproaxis.com Date: Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:29 am ((PST)) A2Z CNC makes "T" nuts for the lathe. They cost $15 for 8. http://www.peck-polymers.com Choose from left menu "Tnut" "Taig" ------- Re: T-Nuts for Taig Head Stock Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Sun Dec 30, 2007 1:27 am ((PST)) At 03:07 29/12/2007, "aztaig" aztaigx~xxyahoo.com wrote: >For T-nuts I use 1/2" x 1/4" aluminum flat stock about 3/4" long >pieces. I drill and tap for a 1/4-20 thread. They work great, no probs >with holding force. Very easy and quick to make. Rick Of course you have to mill these (the slot will not take 1/4"). Even easier is 1/2" X 1/8" steel flatstock - all you need to do is cut to length and drill/tap. Again, no problem with holding force - in fact this is what Taig does for their (few) mill fitting accessories. Regards, Tony ------- Re: T-Nuts for Taig Head Stock Posted by: "Rick Reyes" aztaigx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:35 pm ((PST)) Tony I was referring to the use of flat stock for the mill table nuts, not the headstock slots. Please excuse my lack of clarity. Rick ------- Parting tool, a simple question. [taigtools] Posted by: "Aahz." erickkilmerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Tue Jan 8, 2008 5:31 pm ((PST)) I have a fairly standard Taig lathe setup which overall does just what I need and does it quite well. The one problem I am having is with the parting tool, I just can't seem to figure out how to get it centered vertically and I could just be missing something obvious. I have the stock lathe with cross slide and risers to make the spindle match its height, which makes the parting tool too low. Is there a simple way of getting it the correct height without taking the riser and cross slide off? Aahz. ------- Re: Parting tool, a simple question. Posted by: "chieftoolmaker" chieftoolmakerx~xxearthlink.net Date: Tue Jan 8, 2008 6:40 pm ((PST)) Hi Aahz: How low is the parting tool? Can you measure the centerline height of your lathe and then compare the height of the top of the parting tool? Is there provision in the parting tool holder for shimming to height? Take a very thin facing cut with the parting tool, and observe (closely with a jeweler's loupe) if a nub/nib is left at the center, and also if the cutting edge is below the nib diameter. Jerry G (Glickstein) ------- Re: Parting tool, a simple question. Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Tue Jan 8, 2008 6:45 pm ((PST)) With the 1173 mounted on the rear of the slide, you slide the blade in or out of the holder to set the height of the blade. If you have the headstock on the riser, then you need to use the toolpost riser that comes with it to raise the 1173 up so that it's high enough. If that's what you mean? See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Parting tool, a simple question. Posted by: "John Bentley" Johnx~xxJRBentley.com Date: Tue Jan 8, 2008 9:25 pm ((PST)) Aahz, you might want to take note that the Taig compound slide is exactly the height of the riser system. This means that when the lathe is up on the risers the standard toolpost can be mounted on the compound, just like a larger lathe. However a compound slide detracts from the rigidity of any lathe. John ------- Shiming tool on center [taigtools] Posted by: "Al" al_takax~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Jan 8, 2008 9:02 pm ((PST)) Any suggestions on what you all use to raise the tool in a standard holder? I'm using a taig lathe with standard tool holder and the supplied bits cut a little low. Thanks Al ------- Re: Shiming tool on center Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Tue Jan 8, 2008 9:15 pm ((PST)) Hi Al: Folks use all sorts of things for this. Brass shim stock is available at many hardware stores and hobby shops that handle KD brand metals for modeling. Cut up soda cans will usually get you close on the cheap. Rolling papers are 0.001 thick, aluminum foil is pretty thin too. Cheers, Stan ------- Re: Shiming tool on center Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Tue Jan 8, 2008 9:25 pm ((PST)) Enco has a good selection of brass and steel shim stock. I would sit down and cut up a bunch of pieces the right size and store them in envelopes, so you have them when you need them. ------- Re: Shiming tool on center Posted by: "Clive Foster" clive_fosterx~xxtalk21.com Date: Wed Jan 9, 2008 12:09 pm ((PST)) In the UK RS components sell colour coded plastic shim sheets for "not very much" which are ideal for this sort of thing because you can see at a glance which ones you have in. I imagine that similar stuff is available elsewhere. Beats the heck out of measuring up shims after you have gotten them mixed up. Putting the set in separate envelopes is great to start with but it would take me about 5 minutes to get the whole lot completely oggled up. YMMD. Do remember to use a minimum number of shims with a few thicker pieces to take up the main clearance in one bite. I was advised that a good way to mark the not-immediately-obviously different sizes of thicker shim was to drill a variable number of small holes in a line down the middle: say no holes in the thinnest, one in the next thicker, then two and so on. I'm never got organised enough to do it but it still seems good advice to me. A good way to verify that a tool cutting edge is sufficiently close to centre height is to trap a thin steel rule between the tool edge and a centred up round bar. If the rule stands vertical the cutting edge is on centre; if it lies top towards you it's low; top away it's high. Obviously you have to be fairly close to start with, easy enough to eyeball that, and the results may not be good enough for real fine work. Clive ------- Re: Shiming tool on center Posted by: "chieftoolmaker" chieftoolmakerx~xxearthlink.net Date: Wed Jan 9, 2008 1:11 pm ((PST)) Hi Clive, for really fine work, which is applicable to all lathes, the best way to go is to turn a piece in the lathe, mike it up, call that D. Now, you measure from the bed of the lathe to the top of D. Subtract half the value of D and that would be the centerline of the lathe from the bed. A good way to measure is to use a DTI mounted on a surface gage (or a height gage). Read the top of D, set a zero and then transfer the surface gage to a surface plate. On the surface plate, you can use adjustable parallels or a planer gage, or if you are flush, "Jo blocks"... Your height should be the centerline height of the lathe plus half the value of D. Once you establish that dimension, you can make a block so you can measure the cutting edge of any toolbits in any holder to see where they are in regard to the centerline of the lathe. This can be applied to upside down toolbits in rear slide positions as well. Just use a toolbit or straight edge to measure from. Jerry G (Glickstein) ------- Slitting Taig Collets JIGS - Help Wanted! [taigtools] Posted by: "Alan" alan2525x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:44 pm ((PST)) Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere but I've scanned the internet looking for help on this item, but how best to slit the taig collets by hand? I want to make a JIG and have a Taig lathe and Milling attachment but no milling machine. I also have the taig slitting saw and arbour and ample bits of aluminium stock for making a jig for use in a vice with a handsaw but can't figure out what the jig should look like or how to make the jig without it falling apart! I'm a bit dim this way...if anyone has slit the blank collets and made a jig, could you please post some photos as I'm desperate for a set of metric collets as the taig imperial ones wont fit standard metric bar stock, 3, 4,5,6mm etc. If you have any photos would it be possible to put the photos in an album on here rather than attachments to the reply as I only get the daily digest on this usergroup! Many thanks in advance, I'm sure the ability to produce collets in metric sizes would appeal to a lot of the taig users in the UK. Alan ------- Re: Slitting Taig Collets JIGS - Help Wanted! Posted by: "Wally and Otter" walnotrx~xxhotmail.com Date: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:34 pm ((PST)) Check out "Steve Bachmann's Taig Projects" on Nick Carter's Taig photos section. http://www.mechanicalphilosopher.com/picture.html It should give you a good idea how to do it. Steve C. ------- Re: Slitting Taig Collets JIGS - Help Wanted! Posted by: "Alan" alan2525x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Jan 26, 2008 11:24 am ((PST)) I can see how that adapter would work well in a milling machine, only problem is that I only have the lathe... ------- Re: Slitting Taig Collets JIGS - Help Wanted! Posted by: "Martin Dobbins" trainnutzx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:30 pm ((PST)) Alan: Have a look at: http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/gearcutting/gearcut ting.html The first picture shows gear cutting on the lathe. Imagine instead that the fixture (it doesn't need to be an indexer for this) which is holding the gear is actually holding the collet jig with a collet in it and the spindle has a small slitting saw instead of a gear cutter. The slitting saw would need to be small and the fixture would need to hold the collet and jig clear of the saw blade so that the collet can be fed gradually downwards with the milling attachment and the crosslide will then handle the feed into the cut. I got the link to the Dean Williams web page from Nick Carter's Taig Users section. Martin ------- Slop [taigtools] Posted by: "Paul" spamx~xxbobsnbits.34sp.com Date: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:50 pm ((PST)) I've had my lathe for about a year now but I've just recently started using it with some small bits of brass round stock to try and get a feel for the machine and machining in general as this is the first lathe I've used. Unfortunately there seems to be some slop (backlash?) in the cross slide. I mounted my dial indicator on the bed and located the probe against the tool holder. When I move the cross slide and then reverse direction there appears to be about 5 thou of slop before the dial indicator registers movement. The cross slide nut was a little loose in the hole so to remedy this I added a bit of 10 thou shim to the hole to make a nice tight fit but this has the side effect of making the slide stiff to move and it doesn't seem to make much improvement. Have I overlooked a simple remedy or is this normal? Paul ------- Re: Slop Posted by: "Doug Stout" kingshouse41225x~xxgmail.com Date: Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:03 pm ((PST)) This is normal and .005" is really not all that high. Is is at the high end of "normal", I think. On my CNC'd lathe I am getting .002" but only because I keep after maintenance/tuning. On a full size lathe it is not uncommon to see even more, say .010" being considered "normal". It does not really present a problem as long as you always cut in the same direction. ------- Re: Slop Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:10 pm ((PST)) This movement, known as "backlash" is considered fairly normal for most machines. To do the most accurate work, you have to use a dial indicator to directly measure position of the tool rather than relying on the dials and other components which measure the position of the handwheel. I have mounted dial indicators on both the linear and cross axes of my Atlas 12" lathe to routinely get positions to 0.001", and I have used a toolroom lathe with an extremely sensitive dial indicator mounted on the cross slide to read to 0.0001". ------- Slop Posted by: "Gordon Reithmeier" blscopesx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:16 am ((PST)) The Cross Slide slop you have noticed might be due to a poorly adjusted Handwheel. For some strange reason Taig secures the locking nut and Handwheel to the leadscrew with locktite. You may have to heat the parts to remove them so that you can make a proper adjustment. Another trick that I use is to add two very thin Delrin washers, about .010" thick, on each side of the bearing block. Then tighten the Handwheel on the leadscrew and secure with the locking nut. You may have to do this several time to get the right amount of drag on the Handwheel and smooth operation. Gordon ------- Re: Cross Slide Slop Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:04 pm ((PST)) Actually this has changed with the current design, mostly due to the reasons you outline. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Cross Slide Slop Posted by: "John Bentley" Johnx~xxJRBentley.com theengineman Date: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:42 pm ((PST)) It is interesting that prior to the Loctite Era to which Gordon referred, Taig used a standard steel hex nut instead of the brass acorn nut. In Britain, the lathe was described as having "cross slide backlash compensation" in the beautiful color information sheets distributed by Peatol in the 1980's. John ------- milling vise for lathe [taigtools] Posted by: "morbid0000" marco-borromeix~xxcolumbus.rr.com Date: Sat Mar 8, 2008 7:38 pm ((PST)) I just got the milling vise for the taig lathe. It attached down to the cross slide with two t-nuts and has an alignment plate that drops down on the back to keep things square. Everything works nicely, except that when lowering the milling face, the vertical screw hits the lathe cross slide by a thread's depth or two. The t-bolt placement doesn't allow me to move the whole thing forward enough to let the screw clear the slide. Is this a misunderstanding on my part? Is this common? Am I describing it clearly, or should I take a picture? M ------- Re: milling vise for lathe Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Sat Mar 8, 2008 11:00 pm ((PST)) The answer is to not mount it with the slide all the way down. You do indeed not have about .18" of travel that you would have if it did clear, but I think that's just an unintended product of the use of the same screw assembly as used on the top slide. You should have 1.5" of z travel even if you can't make full use of the slide travel. But it's true that it seems odd, and this is the first time it's come up! See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Standard Taig Spindle Speeds [taigtools] Posted by: "Kristin" kd006x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Mar 9, 2008 2:40 pm ((PDT)) "markzemanek" wrote: > Hi: I'm wondering if there's a file or chart somewhere that lists the > Taig's standard spindle speeds using their current six-step pulleys in > combo with a motor turning 1725 rpm. Thanks, Mark Mark, from looking at the specs it looks like 525, 825, 1300, 2100, 3350, and 5300 RPM using a 1725 RPM motor. Kristin ------- Re: Cut off chatter [taigtools] Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:57 pm ((PDT)) I was just using the cut off yesterday. First with the Taig cutoff post and then later with the AtoZ Quick change. This was on Ľ" stainless. As Nick said a sharp tool is a must. Also, it has to have the tip at exactly dead center. If it is just a tad too high, it starts rubbing on the heal of the tool. If it is a tad too low, you lose your cutting angle. Face off a piece and then put the cutting edge right on the center, springing the post the way the tool will spring when cutting. The other thing with a cutoff blade is that the blade has to be exactly perpendicular to the axis of the lathe and the cutting edge has to be exactly 90 degrees to the blade. If either of these are off just a bit, the blade will flex and run off to one side, resulting in chatter, an over-heated blade, and a bent or broken blade if the cut is continued. Sharpening the blade is simply grinding the face with the tip a bit above the center of the grinding wheel. Make sure it is exactly 90 from the length of the blade. Kiss the top of the blade with the grinding wheel to finish the sharpening. I like to keep about 10 degrees of rake on the face. NEVER grind the sides. That is preground into the blade stock. Inspect the blade and make sure that there are sharp corners from the face to the sides. The slightest shiny spots require cutting the face back. For small stock, you can vary a very slight amount, but the larger the stock, the more important it is that cutting edge is right and the blade is exactly perpendicular to the stock. Last, fast feeds. This operation requires an aggressive feed. The slower you feed the more chatter you will get. A Ľ" stock will require 2 ˝ turns of the cross feed to part it off. That should happen in less than two seconds. Slower than that is to slow and will cause problem. You want to keep constant surface feet per second feed. Slower feed at first and gaining speed as you near the center. That is why you want to keep the cutting face on center. If it is too high, it will ride over center and quit cutting. If it is too low, it runs under center and you end up having to snap the piece off. Don ------- Re: Cut off chatter Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:40 am ((PDT)) At 16:16 30/04/2008, "Jim Matheson" wrote: > I found on my taig or on my bigger lathe cutting off upside down > from the back works better, a lot better I prefer standing the right way up at the front, personally ;-) Seriously, the best cutoff tool I have ever used is a Sandvik carbide insert cutoff tool - mine has a 2.5mm wide insert. It is a bit of a struggle using it on a small machine like the Taig, but the results are better than I have managed with anything else. And yes, mounting it upside down in a rear toolpost is the way to go. Regards, Tony ------- Cross slide upgrade question.... [taigtools] Posted by: "mbonfire2002" mbonfirex~xxhotmail.com Date: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:22 am ((PDT)) I am a little confused on the various cross-slide versions on the Taig lathe. I have a lathe that must be six plus years old by now. It does not have ball bearings supporting the lead screw. Did I get the correct impression that the latest Taigs have ball bearing(s) in the cross slide? If so, is there a upgrade path and what parts would I need to replace. Do I need to replace the entire cross slide and carridge? TIA for your help. Steve ------- Re: Cross slide upgrade question.... Posted by: "kd006" kd006x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:04 am ((PDT)) Steve, I got mine from Nick Carter; he lists it as the last item in his spare parts list as NTLS "New Taig Leadscrew Assembly". Took about 5 minutes to change once I found the strap wrench. Or you can make a pin spanner to fit the two holes in the back 3/4" between centers. Kristin ------- Taig Lathe Chatter.... [taigtools] Posted by: "mbonfire2002" mbonfirex~xxhotmail.com Date: Wed Dec 3, 2008 6:21 am ((PST)) First let me say that I love my little Taig lathe dearly but I find that it can be demanding when it comes to getting smooth cuts on steel and stainless. Also, I am not looking for helpful hints on working these materials (I know the importance of absolute pristine bit sharpening with correct geometry and feeds and speeds). What I am curious about is what people think (or better yet know) is the primary source (or sources) of flexure that contribute to chatter when cutting. Of course, there are many candidates and it may be that as in any optimized system, they all contribute some with no "weak link". The list of candidates would seem to include: the bed, the headstock, the carriage, the lead screw (pushed, rather than pulled into the workpiece), the tool post, the bit itself, others? Of course, my question has a purpose i.e. is there an opportunity to beef up or remake a part out of a new material to substantially improve the stiffness? As in the case of a back mounted cutoff tool, pulling the bit into the workpiece seems to improve the chatter problem by putting the leadscrew into tension. Anyway, seemed like a good topic to raise relative to email lists and prickly personalities. And oh, by the way, my opinion is the only one that counts '^) Steve ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Johnny Davis" EDAVIS93x~xxComcast.Net Date: Wed Dec 3, 2008 2:01 pm ((PST)) Steve I guess as far as flex a lot would depend on the diameter and lenth of stock you are turning. As you mentioned the tool point, feed and machine speed will certainly come into play. I am sure you have considerd the tool height. In my limited experiance I have found that height along with tool point make a lot of differance. I get good results on such material by cutting first with a sharp tool and then following up with a very fine cut utilizing a round nose tool. I think another major improvement would be a follow rest for small diameter stock. That is one of my future projects and I think it will serve me well. Johnny ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Dean Williams" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Dec 3, 2008 5:24 pm ((PST)) Well, improperly adjusted gibs could be a source. It's a small lathe, and I don't know what cutting conditions the lathe is working under in your case. Length of work piece, diameter, and spindle speed can all contribute to chatter in any combination of the three. Spindle speed and tool shape seem to be the main suspects. Under "others" I would add motor vibration, the mass of the lathe mounting surface, pulleys being out of balance, and same with the chuck and workpiece. All can cause vibration that is not really related to mechanical aspects, except for the main fact that the lathe itself has little mass to dampen it. In the case of the back mount cut off tool, its main attribute is that it pulls the carriage up solidly against the bed ways, as long as you are in the cut. Prickly? OK. I'll mention that I rarely have any trouble with chatter. > And oh, by the way, my opinion is the only one > that counts '^) Well in that case, skip what I've just written... ;^) Dean ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Wed Dec 3, 2008 9:01 pm ((PST)) Hi Steve: Sounds like you've covered most of the main chatter sources. One thing that gets overlooked is cutter overhang. The further the cutter is extended past the tool post edge the more likely it is to flex. Using too long a tool (end mill/lathe bit/insert tooling waving in the breeze) will always decrease the quality of cut or practical depth of cut. Heavy tool holders can help, on larger lathes removing the compound as installing a big hunk of cast iron that is also a toolholder can get you through some ugly jobs. I don't know how much this approach would bring to the Taig world. Replacing the aluminum holder with a steel one makes some difference in some materials it seems, I think the aluminum one does have some small but non zero flex. A tight hold down eliminates most of this however as it stiffens the stock holder. Anything that can resonate or introduce underdamped motion to the process can trigger chattering. Way oil, cutting oils, well maintained tools, locking unused motions all help. And then there are just painful jobs that want to chatter no matter what you do. The old advise to decrease speed and increase feed always works, except when it doesn't... ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Johnny Davis" EDAVIS93x~xxComcast.Net Date: Wed Dec 3, 2008 7:51 pm ((PST)) Dean's mention of gibs brings up a good topic. I have adjusted them on my larger machines but not on the taig apron. Would I be correct to adjust by adjusting gib screws on the apron until minimum apron side to side deflection is noted for minimum drag when apron is rolled on the rack? Should I have any drag? Johnny ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Dean Williams" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 3:17 pm ((PST)) Johnny, regarding your gib question, I'll just tell you how I do it and you can decide if it works for you. For the carriage, I adjust the two lock screws on the back side until the gib just starts to tighten up the carriage so it is a little stiff to move, then back them off the smallest amount I can until the carriage moves with no perceivable drag when I crank the handwheel. When it is adjusted just right, the carriage moves easily, but will have no slop on the bed ways that you can feel. This works for me, in keeping an accurate cut and still be able to move the carriage smoothly. If I'm taking a cut in something, and am getting a little bit of a rough cut even though I feel the feed and speed are right, I use the carriage lock to put just a little more pressure on the gib. Seems to work in my case. For the cross slide it's a little different, because the back of the gib is off the dovetail when the slide is cranked all the way to the back. You have to fool with them a bit, until you get slop out of the gib/dovetail surfaces but are still able to crank the cross slide in and out all the way without the dial getting harder to turn as you crank the slide toward you. A lot like adjusting the table on a full sized mill and getting it to go all the way left and all the way right with the same smooth feel to the hand wheel from one extreme to the other. FWIW, I lock any gib that is not in use on the lathe, especially when using the milling attachment. Dean ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Johnny Davis" EDAVIS93x~xxComcast.Net Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 5:19 pm ((PST)) Thanks Dean. ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Shad" shendersonx~xxthegeekgroup.org Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 6:23 am ((PST)) Hi All: A tip a hobby machinist buddy of mine told me is to keep a roll of the heavy plumber's solder on hand. When using lots of tool overhang or long stock, wrap the tool and sometimes the stock with the solder, and secure it with tape or zip ties. I thought he was smokin' crack. Till I tried it. I was using a home-made boring bar (ground a drill bit), about 1/8" diameter and 3" long. Boring a 2" deep hole 3/8" diameter in 12L14. Spotted & drilled to near size, then bored. That thin tool squalled and screeched and chattered like a thing possessed. So I wrapped some 1mm electrical solder around the tool shank. The difference was night & day. It took about 90% of the chatter out. The solder deadens the tool by adding mass, but since it's not intimately attached to the tool, it moves ever-so-little when the tool begins to chatter and vibrate. The added mass alters the resonant frequency of the tool, and the soft solder soaks up vibrations, helping prevent the tool from getting enough resonant ringing built up to start chattering. Solder may also be wound around the workpiece and secured with electrical tape to help damp ringing in the workpiece (ever hear a brake drum getting turned?). Same effect. Changes the resonant frequency and soaks up the vibrations. Though with the size workpieces we use on the Taig, I doubt they'll be big enough to start ringing as they're cut. The solder-wrapped-around-the-tool trick isn't a magic bullet. A dull tool, improper technique, or simply too flimsy of a setup will chatter like a monkey on speed. But the solder helps when you've done all you can, and still need just a little bit 'o help. Shad H. ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 9:52 am ((PST)) Shad, (and the group) I used to work for 8 hours a day on a lapidary "trim saw". It is a fine diamond sintered disk which is mounted on a pillow block on a sheet metal "table" which is roughly 12 by 12 inch. They are notorious for vibrational noise. The sheet metal table acts like a drum. I was building a new shop from scratch, and I knew I would need to do something about vibration in the saw. I built a table of edge-glued 2 by 12 lumber. I built a rim around the edge with 2 by 6 lumber and used a half round rasp to carve two half-round ledges for my arms to lay on while I ran the derned thing. The whole saw was coated with fibreglass "gel" coat. The fibreglass supplier had a gallon of it left over from a job, and I got it cheap - Sky Blue! It looked like a swimming pool. I built the base about twice the size it needed to be and I left cavities that I intended to fill with concrete to add mass. A guy I knew that was a microscopist was telling me about the trouble he had with vibration while he viewed tiny crystal reactions -- trucks on a street 1/2 mile away were perceptable in his microscope -- he solved it by building a box and filling it with lead shot. OK -- so I filled my saw with lead shot and hundred of thousands of brass locksmith tumbler pins I had saved over the years. The shot was entombed under a layer of fibreglass matt and the gel coat. That was the best saw I ever used -- almost dead silent. Only noise was bearing noise (a little belt noise) and the wind flowing off the blade. Best part was that the vibration didn't get transmitted into my forearms. I rigged up some parts from a Mr Coffee brewing system to heat the water as it flowed onto the blade and my hands -- it was like a dream. When I first heard that Taig filled their extruded column with cement, I thought -- hey, why not shot? Then I realized that Taig was looking at rigidity, mass, and vibration. ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Jeff Demand" jdemandx~xxgmavt.net Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 10:02 am ((PST)) Will, I enjoyed your saw build description. Often times massive overkill is the best answer. Jeff ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter.... Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 4:24 pm ((PST)) Another point on the tool holder, the stock Taig holder works best compared to a quick change tool post. It has to be very tight though. I've cut 3" D stainless with very good results. Much better than 3" aluminum. The issue was usually facing, I would adjust the RPMs and start with a good cut, but as I progressed to the center, a chatter would develop and then nearer the center, it would smooth out again. A constant surface speed motor control would eliminate this, but that's asking a lot for a little lathe like this one. The real key though as mentioned before is the tool point. High Speed Steel tool bits are all I will use on the Taig. It just doesn't have the power or stiffness required for a carbide bit. I've shattered several trying. Don ------- Re: Taig Lathe Chatter Posted by: "Gordon Reithmeier" blscopesx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Thu Dec 4, 2008 10:25 am ((PST)) When machining on a light lathe, Taig, Compact 5, Sherline, Unimat, etc. it is important to use a "free machining" material that was designed to be machined on an automatic screw machine. Ordinary cold rolled steel (SAE 1018), readily available in North America, is NOT free machining making it very difficult to abtain a good finish with any lathe. For steel, I suggest using 12L14 which is readily available from most metal suppliers. Even though 12L14 is easy to machine, its tensile strength is higher than 1018. Gord ------- Taig/Peatol lathe poor design [tsigtools] Posted by: "sedge1044" sedge1044x~xxyahoo.co.uk Date: Fri Apr 3, 2009 5:41 pm ((PDT)) Hi: I have a Taig/Peatol lathe that to me has a very bad design fault, that completely spoils a good machine. The 100-14 retainer clip, is there a modification for this? sedge ------- Re: Taig/Peatol lathe poor design Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Fri Apr 3, 2009 7:04 pm ((PDT)) Hi Sedge, I never understood why they: 1) put on an E clip but not a groove to receive it; or 2) bothered to put on a clip at all! I just tossed the thing away; it isn't like there is any force pushing the handwheel out of the carriage apron. You could take a Dremel with a flat grinding wheel and add a groove to retain the clip as this obviously is a great irritation to you. I don't think the pinion is hardened, so even a very thin needle file would probably do the job. I remember this coming up now and then over the last ten years or so, but never as a major problem, just as a minor irritation. Are you doing some- thing unusual with the handwheel such as rigging up a power feed that makes this a big problem? Please don't take this as a confrontational post, I don't mean it as such (and did offer two ways to resolve it first). Cheers, Stan ------- Re: Taig/Peatol lathe poor design Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Sat Apr 4, 2009 12:39 am ((PDT)) I didn't use it when I first assembled my lathe because I didn't figure out what it was for; consequently, the saddle handwheel kept disengaging. I fitted it after I figured out what the solution was, and it has stayed that way since. I haven't had any problems with it due to lack of a locating groove, whatever. Regards, Tony ------- Re: Taig/Peatol lathe poor design Posted by: "sedge1044" sedge1044x~xxyahoo.co.uk Date: Sat Apr 4, 2009 6:40 am ((PDT)) Hi. Thanks for all the replies. Stan, I did not take your message as confrontational. I will have to look to modify it. I find it most annoying when it loosens during use. sedge ------- Re: Taig/Peatol lathe poor design Posted by: "Art" t2b1r3x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Apr 4, 2009 10:00 pm ((PDT)) Hi Sedge, Stan and all. I solved the hand wheel and pinion rattle or falling on the floor problem many years ago. No problems since. The two grooves in the pinion shaft retain the hand wheel either engaged or disengaged, or it can be completely removed. Mine is an older Taig, and the carriage casting is slightly different from the newer one, but the difference does not affect this mod. Photos here. http://tinyurl.com/cap8su The old style carriage would not work with Gordon Reithhmeier's lead screw conversion, which fit and worked great on my newer Taig. Regards Art ------- Re: Is there an adjustment? [taigtools] Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:33 am ((PDT)) Will Schmit wrote: > On a standard Taig lathe, in order to turn a cylinder, the toolpost is aligned by the "ways". In this case a 15 inch long dovetail. The spindle head (seems to be) aligned with the same dovetail. FINE If a test is run on a 3 inch cylinder of stock, (or whatever the maximum stable length is) and it is cut by the toolpost mounted on that dovetail, it should be the same dimension if measured at either end. Is this always true? If it turns out to be conical, then is there a way to adjust the relationship of the spindle head to the dovetail? Does this mean that swapping spindle heads (set up for special turnings) would have to be trammed every time? < Hi Will, It depends on the accuracy you require. A three inch long cylinder will flex something in the process, to some small but non zero amount. When making cylinder squares for inspection or critical applications, the work is done between centers. If you look at cylinder squares, you will see the centers are left in place to allow set up in a grinder. The centers are "protected", they are in a recess. By turning between centers, you can take a test pass, measure, and adjust the tailstock. Repeat until the results meet your needs or the limit of your tooling. On a larger (but still small and lightly built for this sort of application) lathe such as a South Bend 9, it is pretty easy to generate an eight or nine inch cylinder square with a three to four inch diameter that is within half a thou total error, and not much harder to get to better than a quarter thou total error. In some cases, it is easier to turn the ends on precision ground stock. By dialing in carefully and running the free end in a steady rest you get very good results quickly. The trick is to have the absolute minimum overhang beyond the steady rest fingers. Face a small flat on the free end perimeter, then relieve the inner area of the cylinder. As the cylinder is running on its perimeter in the steady rest, the facing cut at the outer edge will be perpendicular to a very good degree. If this sort of work interests you, getting some of the toolmaking books from Lindsey Publishing can be helpful, as can the books now available on Google. The older books show how to make accurate items from first principles using manual machines and methods. The Taig lathe is an amazingly accurate as built machine for the money. It is valid to test the spindle to bed alignment by turning, although a quick search on "Rollies Dads Method" will turn up an easier way to evaluate bed twist in larger lathes. The same method will tell you quite a bit about spindle accuracy and alignment on smaller lathes that support the bed on a single pedestal such as Taig and WW lathes. [NOTE TO FILE: "Rollies Dads Method" of setting up any lathe can be read in the file here called "Atlas Repair or Fitting" see 22 Dec 2000 in file http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/atlas_repair_or_fitting.txt for a full description.] The trick is knowing just what an apparently "bad" reading means, and what to do about it. Connelly's Machine Tool Reconditioning is a superb book to build an understanding of machine tool testing and the things that effect accuracy. At nearly $100 per copy it isn't cheap. I believe it can be obtained via inter-library loan however. I have swapped heads around between Taig lathes without encountering any problems. Even clamping force is important. IF I had a headstock that did not line up to the bed centerline, I'd look for a bit of swarf or crud before I'd suspect a defect. If there was a defect, then the resolution would depend on the other tooling available to you. I've seen lathes put right by scraping, machining/grinding, and on occasion a bit of cigarette paper tucked in the right spot. Sorry to be long winded, but the machine tool accuracy business is full of unexpected side effects and down the rabbit hole sorts of things. Cheers, Stan ------- Re: Is there an adjustment? Posted by: "Forrest A" atkinonx~xxhotmail.com Date: Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:10 pm ((PDT)) Support the rear end with a properly adjusted center or steady rest and take light cuts and you should be able to get the job done with little taper. The cutting effort will be determined by how good the cutting edge is, and if it is on center. ------- Re: Is there an adjustment? Posted by: "Dean Williams" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:11 pm ((PDT)) The head stock -should- be parallel to the bed ways, but there has to be some manufacturing tolerance. On mine, when dialing in off the tail stock taper, I had a small variance, and the lathe would cut a taper. It was a very shallow taper, but I needed it perfectly "on" for some longer shafting I was turning. You can dial in the head stock by shimming the head stock dovetails. To get mine to cut less than .001" over six inches, (work piece supported between centers), I used a shim of aluminum foil under one corner of the head stock dovetail. That's all it took, but it took me a while to figure where to place the piece of foil. You just have to test, shim, and check to get the "nth" out of it. If you change head stocks, you will probably have to test and shim again, if you want to get it right down to the gnat's fanny. It depends on how much accuracy you need, and over what distance of cut. Dean ------- Re: Is there an adjustment? Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:25 pm ((PDT)) Thanks Stan, That verifies my suspicion (that the bed and head alignment is a good match). The bed twist thing is a problem I don't expect to have. I will be "fixing" the lathe bed on both ends. I know that the cantilever design allows the lathe to be suspended from one point and it will avoid (absorb) vibration errors. The reason I will be "fixing" both ends is that I will be building (for lack of a better word) slant bed lathe. If I tram my tool holder axis to the dovetail, then my parts will be cylindrical. My design will attempt to absorb vibrations two ways: 1) I will avoid making any; 2) I will add a few hundred pounds of unnecessary weight as mass to absorb vibration. I probably will be turning between centers - and the 3" example was only that - an example. Also, my final parts are "art" not machine parts, but that doesn't mean I will accept anything less than the highest precision that I can squeeze out of my set-up. My largest part will only be 1" by 1" and NOT CYLINDRICAL -- but they will be made to the right size. I will have a "turning head" and a "4th axis head", it is nice to know that I won't have to re-invent the wheel on swaps -- just toss on the head, and switch belts. I will probably turn a brass cylinder to set zero, so I will probably do some basic set-up tweeks. I'll look at the stuff you cited. I like Dave Gingery -- I have been buying his stuff from underground sources like Lindsay for 20 years. About the long-winded remark: Don't hang around bikers if you don't like dirty jokes. Don't hang around rednecks if you don't like country music Don't hang around old ladies if you can't stand "quilting" Don't hang around old men with tools (or fishing gear) if you don't like long winded stories. Once a culture loses its stories, we are done-for. BTW - Thanks for your words too Dean! ------- Lathe Saddle Gib Question [taigtools] Posted by: "wmbenham" wmbenhamx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:30 am ((PDT)) The saddle gib adjusting and locking arrangement on my new Taig lathe is different from the parts diagram that came with the machine and what's on Taig's website. It's got 2 set screws to adjust the gib, but rather than the nut and split washer to lock it, there are set screws perpendicular to the gib screws (to the left and right on the saddle) that are slightly out of line with the axis of the adjusting screws. I thought this was a better arrangement, but tightening the locking screws changed the tension on the gib. Consequently, I didn't tighten them down much, and after a couple of hours use, the saddle gib is loose, resulting in very rough cuts at odds to the nice test cuts I got at first. I suppose I may need to just keep tension on the gib screw when I lock it? Anyone else got this arrangement on their lathe? Thanks, Bill ------- Re: Lathe Saddle Gib Question Posted by: "Shad" shendersonx~xxthegeekgroup.org Date: Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:48 am ((PDT)) The carriage on my Taig lathe is exactly the same, with the same difficulties. Either the gibs are too tight and bind up, or I get them "Just Right", where they stay for about 5 minutes of use before they get sloppy. Or about 30 seconds of turning an interrupted cut (rounding out square or hex stock). Biggest gripe I have is that the carriage is a PITA to get on/off the bed with the gibs properly adjusted. It binds ever so little at the extremely far end of the bed, just after the handwheel gear clears the rack. Since it's a matter of course to remove the carriage when drilling with the tailstock, and since I use my Taig to drill pretty extensively, it's therefore a very annoying PITA. Though I've pretty much become a whiz at adjusting the gibs on my carriage lickety-split. Sooner or later I'll get around to scraping the last inch or two of the bed's dovetails to eliminate the binding when installing or removing the carriage, as that area of the bed isn't normally used when turning. But I worry about throwing the tailstock off kilter when doing it. Though, when I think about it, the tailstock would already be off kilter (and it is!) when clamped at the very end of the bed. As for the locking grubs perpendicular to the carriage gib adjustment grubs.. I simply don't tighten them up, since I'm forever loosening the gib adjusters to remove the carriage. On the upside, my lathe turns remarkably true, due to me always adjusting the gibs after re-installing the carriage. ;) Any advice on how to safely scrape the bed dovetail to eliminate the binding and get the tailstock to align at the very end of the bed? Thanks! Shad H. ------- Re: Lathe Saddle Gib Question Posted by: "wmbenham" wmbenhamx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:01 am ((PDT)) To follow up on this - I called Taig and asked for a explanation on this saddle gib arrangement. Here's what they told me and is how they set them when they're assemebled at the factory (I got mine elsewhere): Back off the locking screws. Remove the gib screws and apply BLUE loctite to threads. Reinstall gib screws and tighten all the way. Tap saddle at gib screws with a mallet (brass, wood, etc.) to seat screw ends to the brass gib. Adjust gib screws. Tighten locking screws lightly using short arm of wrench. I imagine the loctite will make a difference with regard to things loosening up. Ditto with setting the screw ends. Thanks, Bill ------- Re: Lathe Saddle Gib Question Posted by: "Forrest A" atkinonx~xxhotmail.com Date: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:04 am ((PDT)) All of the Taig lathes I have had were tight out there on the end (even when new). My solution was to lap them in, a little at a time, until the tension feels the same all the way along the length of the bed. Seeing as the most of the lapping was at the far end the chance of lapping it out of alignment is low. I also only lap the back side, where the gib rides. FBA ------- Re: Bad Lathe Belts? [taigtools] Posted by: "campgems" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Sun May 3, 2009 12:32 pm ((PDT)) "wmbenham" wrote: > I've been trying to fix a vibration problem with my new lathe. I changed the motor mount to a wood platform and piano hinge arrangement, and made sure that the pulleys lined up and everything was square. That helped, but I still get some bad bouncing on a couple of the pulley combinations. Then I noticed that the motor mount was rising and falling when the motor was spooling down. I put an indicator on the motor mount and turned the lathe by hand. There's a spot on the belt that causes the motor board to rise .025" when it goes around the pulleys. I'm guessing the belt's thicker in that spot? And this is the good belt - the spare I bought is worse. So what's up? Do I just have a couple of bad belts? Should I buy some more in the hopes of getting a good one? Or is this the norm? I can live with it - I can dampen the vibration with a 5 lbs. lead pig added to the motor board - but I expected better. Thanks, Bill < Bill, if you spun the pulley in the belt, it overheats the belt and makes a hard spot in it. I've screwed up a couple by not keeping the motor tention high enough. All it takes is an aggressive feed or depth of cut to bite off more than the belt can supply, and you will burn the belt in a heartbeat unless the motor stalls also. Those little belts need a lot of tention to keep them from slipping. Way more that a standard 1/2" V belt. Don ------- Re: Bad Lathe Belts? Posted by: "davideggy2" burtchelldmx~xxverizon.net Date: Sun May 3, 2009 12:52 pm ((PDT)) Bill: I had the same problem with both my belts. The best fix I came up with was to add a large turnbuckle between the lathe and motor. The motor didn't bounce at all then. It took just a couple turns of the turnbuckle to loosen it enough to change speeds. After I did this, I plucked the belt like a guitar string while turning the pulley by hand, and was amazed at the change in pitch as the lump in the belt ran around the pulley. I've always tested our woodcutting band saws this way, by plucking the blade (while turning by hand). A drastic change in pitch means a lump in the bandsaw tire. I've read that this condition can cause failure of the bandsaw shaft over time. Crystalization or some such thing. Anyway, I don't think the lathe shaft will be hurt by running with a lumpy belt using the turnbuckle, but having a good belt would be the best option. Dave ------- Re: Bad Lathe Belts? Posted by: "Shad" shendersonx~xxthegeekgroup.org Date: Mon May 4, 2009 5:10 am ((PDT)) Hi All, Bill, Yup, I took the same course of action. The motor I'm using has about 1/2" of stud sticking out from the face and rear (was originally a face-mounted motor). I used some angle iron to mount it to the board the lathe lives on. At first I just let the weight of the motor tension the belt, but I found that it slips a bit too much for hogging cuts on aluminum, or mini- hogging cuts on steel. I used a little turnbuckle to provide extra tension. A short 10x32 SHCS & square nut on the T slot on the back of the headstock to act as a stop, and a turnbuckle with two eyes. I slip one eye over one of the mounting studs on the motor's face, the other into the slot up against the SHCS, and give it a twist to tighten the belt. No more slipping belt when hogging cuts, and still plenty of opportunity for the spindle or motor to stall when I bind things up. Made a world of difference in the operation of the lathe. Hope it helps! Shad H. ------- Re: LATHE MILLING ATTACHMENT [taigtools] Posted by: "Dean Williams" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jul 5, 2009 2:53 pm ((PDT)) "figginsco" wrote: > I am just getting familiar with the Taig lathe. Would like to hear comments about the milling attachment. It would seem to be very limited. Can it handle a 3/16 dia. cutter? What are the vice options? A Taig mill is not an option for me at this point. After 35 yr. in a machine shop I am going nuts without means to make chips. Would appreciate any advice. David Figgins < Hi David; It does have a pretty small working envelope, but I've found it very useful. I made a lot of stuff with the milling attachment on the lathe while I was "between" milling machines. I find it easy to set up, and the vise that comes with it will hold most of the projects that would normally fit within the working area of the attachment. The main thing to remember about the vise is to lightly snug the moveable jaw gib before tightening the work piece in the vise. This will keep the moveable jaw from pushing the work piece toward the top of the stationary jaw. If you want to use a different vise, you may have to drill mounting holes in it. The vertical slide of the attachment uses the same T-slots as the cross slide, so there are a number of work holding options. I've used up to a 3/8" end mill for aluminum and brass, but for steel would keep it down to 3/16". Up-milling is the only option unless taking cuts under about one thou. There's too much hanging off the cross slide to really consider down-milling. One thing's for sure, it will let you make chips at a very reasonable cost, and it works well for what it's made to do. Dean ------- Re: LATHE MILLING ATTACHMENT Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Sun Jul 5, 2009 11:28 pm ((PDT)) I have a Taig mill that I converted to CNC, but I find myself using the mill attachment on the lathe for a lot of projects that don't require a CNC operation. Securing the work on the mill attachment is the main problem. I've found that if I position it properly, the TS Engineering Modular vise setup works better than the clamp setup that came with the vise. You just have to make sure you set it up to clear the motor. The issue though is stiffness. The mill attachment exploits the lack of stiffness in the lathe and you have to be very cautious in your depth of cuts and cut speeds. I just finished cutting some flats on a muffler for a Saito 150 model airplane engine. I damaged the muffler on it beyond repair and I used the baffle cut free from the damaged muffler and mated it with a length of 1" OD aluminum tubing and then the manifold to muffler fitting on the muffler. I had to mill some flats on the new muffler end, 17mm finished width. I used a 3/16" end mill mounted in a spindle adaptor. I found that very light passes, several of them, were required to make a clean cut. It didn't seem to matter whether it was a normal or climb cut, it still wadded up some lumps on the face. I'm sure some coolant and or lube would have helped, but I dry cut it. The length of the cut was about 1/2inch, the limit of the mill used. It stressed the stiffness of the mill, but still gave me a usable product in the end. The Taig mill clamps would not have worked; I used a pair of small V blocks and a bearing wrapped in brass shim stock to the jaws of the TS vise to clamp onto the round piece I was milling the flats on. It was just the overall lever length that caused the problems. If I were to make another, I would not try to machine full depth with light cuts, but many smaller cut depths at a more aggressive cut depth, and some Lube on the cutter also. Don ------- Organizing my stuff [taigtools] Posted by: "Shad H" shendersonx~xxthegeekgroup.org Date: Fri Jul 10, 2009 11:12 am ((PDT)) Hi All, Well, I've got some time off work 'cause the wife is visiting some relatives in Tennessee. So, I set about getting my lathe stuff organized better. Now it's on one workstation, vs spread out across my bench, shelves, and storage cabinet. I added some photos in the Shad's Photos album for those who are interested. I'd guesstimate I have maybe $100 in the whole workstation setup. A good deal of it I salvaged. The stand cost about $35, I had 1" thick MDF on hand from an old desk that made up the top work surface. I cut it so that an old 16ga metal shelf from a cabinet *just* slipped over it. That gives me an excellent work surface that's durable. I used more MDF for the shelf at the bottom of the stand, and the platform it sits on. The drawer is around 16x14, the drawer slides are heavy-duty ones I've had kicking around for quite awhile now. The pegboard I bought, cut down to a 2x2 square, and used 2x4's to mount it at the back of the work bench. The light is a 2' T5 fluorescent, which puts off *plenty* of light to see what I'm doing. A bit expensive at $17, but well worth every penny. The blue "shade" is actually 1/4" thick EPS foam insulation. I cut a slice in the top so a section could "hang" down a bit, keeping the glare of the light from hitting me straight in the eyes. I simply hot glued it to the top of the light's housing. Works a treat, and cheap to boot! I choked up $11 for a pegboard organizing kit, and made sure I got the little plastic locking dooleys with it. No longer will I have to chase down my T handled hex wrenches. All the common sizes I use on the Taig. The Taig arbors just happen to fit perfectly on the screwdriver holder, so they're out of the way and easily found when needed. My protractor sits happily behind the wrenches. The tailstock hangs nicely from a hook, as does the 3 or 4 jaw chuck, whichever one I'm not using at the moment. A piece of red oak (seasoned nearly 100 years!) was cut on the miter saw (a little burning, even with a new carbide tipped blade), then drilled to hold 1/4" square tooling. Plenty of holes for tooling as I slowly grind new ones. The left blue tray holds 10x32 SHCS of various lengths, and the right tray holds my miscellaneous cutters/taps, edge finders, etc. The short piece of pipe at the lower right is the "nicer" handle for the tailstock. Some cutting fluid, Tap Magic and el-cheapo stuff that works. Barely. The block of aluminum is my center-setting tool. Slips over the bed, hooks on the back edge of the bed, and has a cross-line scribed on the face to let me quickly and easily set my tool height. Also lets me zero my poor man's DRO to the lathe's centerline when in use. The lone empty-looking hook to the right of the hex wrenches actually has a stack of 10x32 square nuts on it. Convenient. The drawer holds drills, the milling attachment, compound slide, and other lesser-used-but-need-to-keep-handy doodads. Calipers, milling cutters, spare jacob's chucks, spare jaws for the 3 jaw, etc. The two shelves are for stock storage, and I purposely didn't put a lip around them. Makes it easier to sweep up the swarf. The drawer is set far enough back that it shouldn't get much debris in it. The grey plastic drawer-cabinet-thing I bought on clearance for $4. It holds "parts" and small pieces of stock that would otherwise refuse to stay on the shelves. Anything that doesn't have a home on the pegboard or in the drawer lives in the grey thing. The whole mess is set on casters, two lockable swivel casters and 2 rigid casters. Makes it enormously easier to move the setup around. Yeah, I know the board the lathe is mounted on is grimy and nasty. It'll have to do until I can get around to casting an aluminum base for the lathe. It's on the to-do list, and I'm getting there slowly. And yup, that's a leadscrew on my lathe. More of a leadscrew-in-progress. Some fine tweaking to do on its length so it doesn't bind, then I get to make the halfnut-type-dooley for the carriage. Another item on the ToDo list. Once I get the rest of the garage cleaned up, I'll get back to making chips and dirty my workstation all up. :) But it'll be an organized dirty. Shad H. ------- NOTE TO FILE: The following message is extracted from a conversation about turning wooden pen parts on a Taig lathe. That conversation is mostly contained here in the file "Turning Pens" starting Aug 14, 2009 with the same subject "Taig Miniature Lathe for Wood". ------- Re: Taig Miniature Lathe for Wood [taigtools] Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:58 am ((PDT)) Joseph Heath wrote: > Thank you, Ken. I didn't realize the 1040 collet kit was for ER-16 > headstock. My lathe is also 3/4-16 and the set looks the same as what I > have. > > Nick, is the 1040 set for the ER-16 headstock? Are the collets different > or only the closer? Cheers, Joe The 1040 collet set and the 1041X collets fit in the standard Taig spindle. The 1040ER and 1041ER-X collets are ER16. If it has ER in the part# then it is for the ER spindle, if not then it's for the standard spindle. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Included in my Taig lathe order,,,,,,,,,, [taigtools] Posted by: "Shad" shendersonx~xxthegeekgroup.org Date: Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:44 am ((PDT)) On Thu, 2009-09-03 at 10:13 +0000, tonphil1960 wrote: > I will be ordering my Taig soon, here is a list of things on the > order, I think I have everything covered but would like input from the > group to see if I am good to go. > > K1019 Micro Lathe II kit , unassembled > > 1050 3 Jaw 3 1/4" dia. self centering scroll chuck > 1091 0-1/4" Jacobs drill chuck, commercial quality > 1150 Drilling tailstock > 1023 Mounting board 12" x 18" used for No. 1021W motor, use 3M 500 > belt > 1022 Motor mount bracket with necessary hardware > 1162 Pulley set 1/2" shaft 3M 500 belt included > 1160 Spare 3M-500 belt > 1021W Marathon Motor 115v 60 HZ 1725 RPM 1/4 HP, 1/2" shaft, > 1040 collet set > 1095 lathe tool set > 1170 tool post > 1173 T-Bar cut off tool > 1140 Drill Chuck Arbor (mount drill chuck to spindle) > 1151 (live)Needle bearing center > 1097E boring bar tool bit > Thanks Tony To echo the comments of the others, Get some blank arbors. They're useful, inexpensive, and easy to machine. I've made a fly cutter, some endmill holders, and an arbor for a metal slitting saw. A 4 jaw chuck is another must-have. It'll handle square or oddly shaped stock whereas the 3 jaw is somewhat limited in the shape of stock it can grab solidly and accurately. After some practice, centering stock in the 4 jaw becomes second nature. It can also double as a small faceplate. Go to your local Ace Hardware (Home Depot or Lowes generally won't have them) and buy some 10x32 square nuts and assorted length 10x32 socket head cap screws. The square nuts fit the T slots of the lathe, and the SHCS will let you add accessories to your Taig as you become more familiar with it's operation and want to hang stuff off it like dial indicators, jigs, fixtures, etc. It may seem superfluous to buy them now, but it sure beats stopping what you're doing to go and get 'em later. I have 4 each of 1/2, 1", 1.5", 2", 2.5", and 3" SHCS. I also keep a small plastic jar of washers on-hand to let me pack a longer screw so I don't run it into the bottom of the T slots. Extra toolposts are good to have, as well. Quicker than swapping out tools, and eliminates the need to set each tool on center every time you use it. I recommend a couple of digital calipers from Harbor Freight. They're generally pretty accurate and repeatable. IIRC, Little Machine Shop has a magnetic base and .0005" dial test indicator on sale for around $50. Purchase a regular .001" dial indicator in addition to that, and you'll have enough measuring equipment to get started with. Only other thing I could recommend would be a steel 6" ruler (thin one), and a protractor. One of the adjustable 2 piece ones. While you're at Harbor Freight, purchase several (3-5) pairs of safety goggles. I've got probably a half dozen pairs scattered about the garage and in the house. Use 'em. For doing layout work, spend the money on the real Dykem blue. I tried the Enco brand, and it's a waste of time and money. Dries splotchy and somewhat shiny, whereas the Dykem dries matte and uniform. A Sharpie marker will do in a pinch. A plain inexpensive carbide tipped scribe works well for layout work. A spring-loaded centerpunch is nice to have, but not super-necessary. If you use a hacksaw to cut your stock to length, spend the money on a decent saw frame, and buy quality bimetal blades. I prefer Starret or Lenox blades, but Buck Bros do an acceptable job. If you can afford it, purchase 2 frames, and fit each one with a different TPI blade for use in steel or aluminum. Fine teeth (24TPI) for steel, 18TPI or similar for aluminum. I spray-painted the frame of one saw blue to indicate it for cutting steel. Hacksawing is mindless work, but there's no need to make it more time-consuming by using dull or crappy blades. A good blade cuts like a hot knife through butter. Some cutting or tapping fluid helps also. Buy some chip brushes, or buy cheap paintbrushes (1, 2, and 3-4") and cut the bristles short with scissors. That'll let you sweep chips around without flipping them all over. Don't use your hand to clear swarf or sweep it around. You'll cut yourself to ribbons and end up with splinters of metal. Don't use compressed air to blow chips, as Murphy steps in to make sure they go where you don't want them. Your eyes, face, into the ways, etc. Vacuum them up if need be, but don't blow them around. I use plain 3-in-1 oil to lubricate my lathe's ways and slides, and generally disassemble, clean, and lubricate it after I'm done using it. I also give it a shot of oil on the ways before I start using it. Harbor freight also sells a set of indexable carbide lathe tools with 1/4" shanks. I've got a set and they work great on steel for me. I use them for rough cuts, but use a HSS tool for the finishing work (better finish than the carbide tooling.) I recommend a set of short (screw machine length) drill bits, either fractional or number sizes. Regular length (jobber length) drill bits are usable, but take up a fair amount of bed length. For spotting, I use a 1/4" drill bit used in the center of hole saws. It's short, sharp, and won't deflect when spotting a hole. Cost me less than $2 and works great. Usually I just need to make a tiny dimple to ensure that the bit I'll be using has a conical depression to start in. If you have a grinder, buy some 1/4" tool blanks and learn to grind your own tools. It's a good and useful skill. Start by copying the Taig tools, and you'll soon understand how all the angles conspire to produce a good efficient cut. Buy some cutting fluid and tapping fluid. If all you can find is tapping fluid, it will work for cutting, but tends to be rather more expensive. Kerosene will work as cutting fluid on Aluminum, but I prefer real cutting fluid for steel. Using cutting fluids will usually result in a better finish, and prolong the life (sharpness) of the tool. To start with, you can turn aluminum dry to get a feel for speeds and feeds. Don't forget that the lathe will "paint" a swath around it where it flings the cutting fluid off the workpiece. Plan accordingly so you aren't getting spatters on stuff you don't want spattered. Including yourself! Lathes and mills are messy machines, and chips tend to get *everywhere!* I wear an apron while working, and it keeps most of the chips off my clothes. Keep a roll of paper towels or rags nearby, where they won't collect metal chips. Wipe your hands on them, *NOT* on your apron or pants. That's a sure-fire way to get metal splinters. I started by trying to make simple things accurately. Say turning a piece of 3/4" aluminum bar down to .5", or .0615", or make a piece exactly .5" long. Next I worked on getting the surface finish good. Just tinker with the lathe and have fun. Though I warn you, this is an addictive hobby. Soon I predict you'll be bitten by the bug to get a milling machine as well. Unfortunately, the machines themselves are often the least expensive items. Tooling, fixtures, and accessories are where you'll sink your money into. That, and metal stock. :) Hope it helps! Shad H. ------- Taking Backlash out of crossslide... [taigtools] Posted by: "mbonfire2002" mbonfirex~xxhotmail.com Date: Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:18 am ((PDT)) You may want to check out the approach I took (and still use). As described it is not ideal but I have had good luck with it. Refer to the "/metal/backlash.pdf" file in the following: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taigfiles/files/ ------- Lathe Parting Tool [taigtools] Posted by: "Jack" tech.writerx~xxearthlink.net Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:10 am ((PDT)) I recently bought the Taig T Bar Cutoff Tool, but I'm having a problem using it. This tool mounts behind the work, and the cutoff blade extends back so far that it hits the motor. Is there a solution for this, other than cutting down the blade? I tried to mount it on the front, but it doesn't seem that the blade can be turned upside down. Is there something I'm overlooking? ------- Re: Lathe Parting Tool Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:19 am ((PDT)) Unfortunately it does get in the way of that motor mounting. So you have to cut it off. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Lathe Parting Tool Posted by: "Jack" tech.writerx~xxearthlink.net Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:40 am ((PDT)) OK, thanks Nick. I have to say, if there was one thing I could change about the lathe, it would be the location of the motor. At the very least, it should be at the upper left, so turnings won't be thrown into the cooling slots. Mine blew the house breaker early on due to a "thread" that was unwinding from a round bar as I turned it. Unknown to me (I was watching the cut), the thread had entered the cooling slots, and it apparently contacted primary voltage inside the motor casing. There was a red flash as the thread evaporated, and my workbench lost power. It is easy to imagine a slightly different scenario in which an operator could be seriously injured or electrocuted. Jack ------- Re: Lathe Parting Tool Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:57 am ((PDT)) They do sell an alternate mounting that places the motor behind and to the left (rotation reversed) but they hate shipping it as it's unwieldy... I personally think it's always best to make your own mounting board and motor setup rather than going with the factory setup. See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: Lathe Parting Tool Posted by: "Stephen Ellacott" sellacottx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:13 am ((PDT)) Here is the other mounting method Jack - it works very well for me: http://www.mechanicalphilosopher.com/ellacott02.jpg Regards, Stephen ------- Re: Lathe Parting Tool Posted by: "kd006" kd006x~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:54 am ((PDT)) "Jack" wrote: > Nick and Stephen, how do you reverse the rotation of the motor? I > haven't taken a close look at it yet. Jack: If it's reversible there should be a wiring diagram either on the motor or under the cover plate for the cord. Take a picture before you start moving wires. Kristin ------- Re: Lathe Parting Tool Posted by: "Stephen Ellacott" sellacottx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:55 am ((PDT)) Hi Jack: Swap the leads or change a jumper - most motors have a wiring chart on the label with instructions for clockwise or counter-clockwise operation. You will also require the shorter belt - Taig P/N 1159 since the motor is much closer to the headstock. Regards, Stephen ------- Re: Lathe Parting Tool Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Oct 14, 2009 3:22 pm ((PDT)) Look in the "photos" section under Penn State Motor. I ran the belt straight down, and use the weight of the motor for tension. I couldn't stand those tiny vee belts. I swap out the swingarm for a second version that uses a stepper, which allows me to use the lathe as an A-axis for overarm milling operations and threading. FWIW - All of my lathe tools are mounted in back (upside down), but I still have the cross-slide available, and Ironically (considering this thread) I mostly use it for parting operations -- In front - hahahhahah Also see photos/anchornm for the stepper set-up. ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle [taigtools] Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:37 am ((PST)) leeharrysouth wrote: > I have noticed the WW hadstock option in taigs catolog and wonder what this type spindle is used for. Is this a far more acurate headstock in terms of runout? What is the advatage of such a setup? < Greetings; WW collets are also known as Webster-Whitcolm, 8mm, or watchmakers collets. They come in 0.1mm steps from 0.3mm to 8.0mm. 0.05mm step sizes are available from 0.35 to around 0.95 mm for work requiring it. Collets are also available in fractional sizes from some vendors. Cup collets are also available, a full set of these consists of 10 collets or so, each with 8 to 10 steps of 0.2mm each. These are used to hold gears and other round work. They are only available for round work, no hex or square collets available off the shelf. Collets less than 1.2mm can only close around 0.03mm without increased runout, collets from around 1.2 mm to 4.0 mm can close nearly 0.1mm, and those over 4.0 mm can close around 0.15mm to 0.2mm in the larger sizes. You can pass work up to around 5mm through the collet and hollow draw tube. The Taig headstock is sufficient for clock and larger watch work. If doing really really small stuff (balance staffs for ladies wrist- watches for example) you'll need a real jewelers 8mm lathe. These typically have double angle cone bearings at each end of the spindle, lapped to perfect fit. A jewelers lathe with the bearings set up correctly will have well less than 0.0001 TIR. I have several 8 mm lathes, including one of the Taigs set up with a WW headstock. If you do a lot of work in small sizes they are wonderful. They are also expensive, my 8mm collet box is probably around the most expensive item per cubic inch in the shop other than the occasional very high end small clock or pocketwatch that is in for work. Plan on spending 10 to 15 dollars per collet for good condition used or new Starett (not that Starrett of measurement fame - different company). If the default Taig collets are not sufficient for your needs: For most model engineering sorts of work, I'd lean towards using the ER16 adapter on a standard Taig. Far more range per collet, far fewer collets, and even if you buy name brand rather than happy joy luck reeducation camp collets still far less expensive. ER16 collets from ETM are specified to have 0.0005 TIR two inches from the collet at the rated size IIRC. If you need to go small, but not to the the scale that a jewels lathe is needed, and ER16 doesn't go small enough, then WW collets may meet your needs. Just to be fully set up will require shopping the watch marts and online vendors/ebay. To have a set that covers 0.3 to 8.0 mm plus some common fractional sizes plan on spending $1000 or more to get the collets and headstock. You may luck out and find a good sized set at a good price, it's almost always cheaper than individual prices. Cheers, Stan ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "Steve Blackmore" stevex~xxpilotltd.net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 5:51 pm ((PST)) Smallest standard ER16 collet is 0.5mm (0.0197 inch) and will close to 0 (or near enough as doesn't matter). How much smaller would you want? ;) Steve Blackmore ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:20 pm ((PST)) Hi Steve: My oops, for some reason I was thinking 40 thou was the smallest this series would close... Thanks for straightening that one out. Cheers, Stan ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "leeharrysouth" EDAVIS93x~xxComcast.Net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:29 pm ((PST)) Stan and Tony thanks for all the input. I have never looked into the machine requirements for watch repair. It is without question an expensive venture. I have never done any clock work but I did notice that Dean has been pecking away at one on his site. His clock did spur my interest. In the case of clocks would ER 16 collets be ok or should one go to a WW set up? leeharrysouth ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:37 pm ((PST)) I made my clock without having access to either ER or WW collets...just Taig ones. I believe ER16 would do just fine. Of course, you don't have to have the ER16 spindle -- there is now an ER16 chuck that fits the standard Taig nose; there are also 3rd party ER collet chucks for backplate fixing that can be adapted for use on the Taig lathe. Regards, Tony ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "leeharrysouth" EDAVIS93x~xxComcast.Net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:16 pm ((PST)) Thanks Tony. A clock sure looks like an interesting project. It seems at times that I am like a kid in a candy store as to how many projects I have in hand. Yes, I have finished many but I think maybe many will be ongoing for years to come. I guess all that matters is that one continues to learn and have fun. leeharrysouth ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 3:55 pm ((PST)) Greetings. Thanks for the kind words. ER-16 collets would be fine for most any clock that would be a suitable first or second clock. In fact, they would be fine for just about anything other than small crystal regulators, Vienna regulators, or other evil wicked tiny pivotted clocks. Sorry, just finished the third crystal regulator in the last month; they are a bear to repivot. Did a few cuckoos to loosen up once this one was on the test stand! Clocks were made long before collets existed. You have a number of options, all perfectly usable: Turn the arbors between centers. You will probably want to make a few female centers to help. This is the traditional way, just updated to use a lathe rather than "turns". Most folks tend to ignore between center turning, but it is accurate, and allows work to be remounted without losing center. Turn the arbors from standard dimension stock, using the standard Taig collets. As the wheels (gears) mount on hubs that are made to fit the arbor, you can fiddle your dimensions a bit before you get so far out of sorts that you make parts too weak or so large that they interfere with each other :-) The Taig collets are nice because they are 1) cheap, 2) accurate enough, and 3) allow you to unmount and remount work repeatable without the hassle of drive dogs and flags. My other Taig is a standard spindle, and I still use the Taig collets frequently. I don't in any way disparage the Taig collets. They are a great value for the money. Use a four jaw chuck, or even a three jaw if it runs (or can be made to run) true enough for the task. And last and not entirely in jest: Use pin vises and hardwood filing blocks, and cut the pivots by hand. Real old school, but sometimes you do what you have to do... Have fun! Stan ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "Steve Blackmore" stevex~xxpilotltd.net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:08 pm ((PST)) Stan wrote: > Turn the arbors between centers. For certain jobs it's the only way to go. I made several small turbine shafts for Wren Turbines several years ago, they had to be reversed in the lathe as there was a right hand and left hand 6x1mm thread on opposite ends. They had to be perfectly concentric, the working speed is 150k rpm. They were tested to 300k !! Just to add to the fun, they were made of EN24 steel, a bitch to get a nice finish on. Steve Blackmore ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "Dean" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:53 pm ((PST)) Lee, besides all the other collets you can use for a clock, if you're lacking collets all together, you can make up simple split collets to work in your three jaw chuck. http://tinyurl.com/yg7oac6 The picture above shows one in a Taig collet, but it does the same thing in the three jaw. (Look close at the bottom of the brass piece and you can see the split.) You make them in place, so even if your three jaw is off a couple of thou, the collet will be true. Unless you are making a pretty small clock, these will work, but they take a little time. They're pretty easy to get along with if your pivots are not much smaller than 1/16" dia. Sometimes you can only use one once because they don't always go back into the chuck exactly the same, and will indicate off center, but they are really cheap to make if time vs money is a consideration. If you decide to build a clock, find an old beater first and take it apart. You'll learn a lot. If it has a spring drive, ask here first before you take the plates apart so you don't get hurt. I play around at clock work, and I'm not a real clock repairman, but there are some members here that are. Dean ------- Re: WW headstock with WW spindle Posted by: "leeharrysouth" EDAVIS93x~xxComcast.Net Date: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:56 pm ((PST)) Thanks for all the info. This clock stuff seems really interesting. I have the standard taig lathe and headstock. As noted by Tony I can use an ER adapter on my standard lathe. I also have a taig mill with the ER headstock so guess I have what I need to get a project going. Just need to get a few others out of the way first. In my mind that is what makes the machining hobby so great. There seems to be no end to the many directions one can take with it. leeharrysouth ------- Re: top slide [taigtools] Posted by: "pe3hmp" pe3hmpx~xxhotmail.com Date: Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:46 am ((PST)) Russell G wrote: > I wanted to ask if any of ya'll have encountered the looseness in the optional attachment topslide compound...I'm referring to the weird looking t-slot that locks it to the carriage..no matter how tight I try to get the lock there is still a noticeable "rocking" motion..,.it's small but it does screw things up...I was thinking of maybe a tab kinda like on the screwless (HA!) vise, the hold downs on each side...they'd have to be pretty small though... < Use a piece of paper in between it; that helps and make an extra piece of aluminum that you can lock to the side of the top slide Mark ------- Re: top slide Posted by: "Forrest A" atkinonx~xxhotmail.com Date: Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:56 am ((PST)) I bought my compound slide over 20 years ago but I'll bet you have the same issues I had. Clean up the burs on the pinching mech. Also place some 20lb copy paper between the compound and cross slide. Also make sure the gib is adjusted properly. In use take light cuts. The compound is not meant for heavy cuts. I recommend getting the independent four jaw over the self centering chuck... The self centering chuck is not as versatile, has fewer work holding capabilities. With the independent 4 jaw chuck, and a dial or Last Word style of indicator, you can perfectly center anything that the chuck can hold. FBA ------- Re: top slide Posted by: "Rick Kernell" rickk1x~xxcableone.net Date: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:08 am ((PST)) Russell, I had the same problems with mine so I modified it to take two set screws. It takes a little longer to mount, but it is really stable. It became the platform for the powered compound that I made. If you go to Nick's blog, I think that you can find the photos there. Rick Kernell ------- Re: top slide Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:46 am ((PST)) http://cartertools.blogspot.com/2009/07/rick-kernells-compound-mod.html or use a 2nd clamp: http://www.mechanicalphilosopher.com/derk65.jpg See our homepage at www.cartertools.com/nfhome.html ------- Re: top slide Posted by: "Lewis hein" lheinx~xxvcn.com Date: Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:02 pm ((PST)) You don't even need a dial indicator to center work in the four jaw independent chuck. It really helps to number the jaws. Just touch the tip of a toolbit to the work, note the reading on the cross slide dial, back off the toolbit, turn the spindle 180 degrees, touch the work with the tool bit, note the reading on the dial, move the jaws to bring the work closer to center, check again with the cross slide, and so on until that pair of jaws is centered. Repeat with the other pair. If you need to chuck several pieces of the same size, loosen two jaws at 90 degrees to each other, switch pieces, then tighten the two jaws you loosened. ------- Re: top slide Posted by: "Forrest A" atkinonx~xxhotmail.com Date: Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:57 pm ((PST)) Some of us are losing our sight as we get older. Using a dial indicator, I find is less stress on the eyes... FBA ------- Flycutting on Taig Lathe [taigtools] Posted by: "Johnny" EDAVIS93x~xxComcast.Net Date: Thu May 13, 2010 4:11 pm ((PDT)) I have never used my lathe for flycutting. Normaly used mill in past. Looking at Rudy's projects I can see where flycutting on lathe could speed up some jobs and may in fact offer a better product. With a standard taig flycutter, or one attached to a face plate, how large of an area can be flycut with the 1.750 travel of the taig cross slide? Can the cross slide be centered on the flycutter, start from center and therefore double the 1.750 area that may be flycut? Would the impact of the cutter swinging down on top of work if started at center be too much strain? Thanks ------- Re: Flycutting on Taig Lathe Posted by: "johnny" jfalkenhamx~xxyahoo.ca Date: Thu May 13, 2010 5:05 pm ((PDT)) I have a blank Arbor here and as well concerned if a fly cutter will produce too much chatter or stress on the machine. Been chipping away on brass with a chuck mounted endmill 5/16 and can make nice cuts on small stuff, but a fly cutter would be nice to have for facing. ------- Re: Flycutting on Taig Lathe Posted by: "Lewis hein" lheinx~xxvcn.com Date: Fri May 14, 2010 3:38 pm ((PDT)) Hi. There should not be any problem flycutting on a taig lathe. I just have a milling attachment for mine and I use a flycutter on it regularly. If you lock all the gibs that you aren't using, then you will probably get a better finish. Also, locking the carriage gib is necessary or it will tend to move away from the headstock. Lewis Hein ------- Re: Lathe crossfeed dial Questions [taigtools] Posted by: "larrysx~xxteamlarry.com" Date: Sat May 22, 2010 8:57 pm ((PDT)) "Mike Nicewonger" twmasterx~xxtwmaster.com wrote: > On the current model micro lathe does the hand wheel dial allow for > zero setting? Doesn't seem to. But the same dials are on your mill, and they do. > Is it marked in 50 divisions? Assuming mine is current enough......Yep. > What is the diameter of the dial? 1.25" ------- Re: Lathe crossfeed dial Questions Posted by: "pe3hmp" pe3hmpx~xxhotmail.com Date: Sat May 22, 2010 11:24 pm ((PDT)) No it does not have a zero set, you can move the piece of round wire but I would not call that a proper zero set, but if you buy a 10 bucks digital caliper you can use that way better. Mark ------- Re: Lathe crossfeed dial Questions Posted by: "walnotr" walnotrx~xxhotmail.com Date: Sat May 22, 2010 11:19 pm ((PDT)) Here is an article on how to do it on the old style. I imagine something similar could be done for the ball bearing dials but I haven't given it any thought. http://www.cartertools.com/Taig%20Dials.html Steve C. ------- Re: Lathe crossfeed dial Questions Posted by: "Lewis hein" lheinx~xxvcn.com Date: Mon May 24, 2010 11:58 am ((PDT)) >>> I'm pretty sure the current version does zero set. I need to know. >> I Don't think so... not unless they have changed since August 2007 >> when I got my lathe. > Then why the difference in the two sets of dials shown on the parts > diagrams on Nick's site? I would think that that would be because a few years ago Taig changed the design of the crossfeed dial to a smoother rotating one with a ball bearing and longer leadscrew for more crossfeed travel. I have that design on my lathe and it is not resettable. Lewis Hein ------- Re: Taig lathe history? [taigtools] Posted by: "Clint" kiheimanx~xxq.com Date: Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:34 am ((PDT)) Here is a link with some details on Taig history. http://aule.ganoksin.com/blogs/2010/03/25/my-pilgrimage-to-taig-tools/ Regards, Clint ------- Re: Taig lathe history? Posted by: "frxdyx~xxaol.com" Date: Thu Jun 10, 2010 11:37 am ((PDT)) "Taig" is the name because the owner's grandson / nephew / very young relative had trouble pronouncing "Craig".... it came out "Taig". It stuck and that's how Taig got its name. :) ------- Taig needle bearing center and chatter [taigtools] Posted by: "Jon" jonx~xxwatsonstudios.com Date: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:23 pm ((PDT)) Has anyone had trouble with the Taig needle bearing center? I just got one and tried it out. It was horrible! I was getting really bad chatter and didn't know where it was coming from. Everything was tight, the chucks are trued up. I used a center drill for the center. I was taking a very small (couple thou's) off 1.125 round stock aluminum and it was just squeaking & chattering. I went back to the stock dead center and low & behold, no chatter, it was smooth as silk cutting long curly hairs and all. I noticed that there was a slight amount of play in the needle bearing center and I'm assuming that's what made the difference. Are there any other live centers that work well with the Taig? ------- Re: Taig needle bearing center and chatter Posted by: "pe3hmp" pe3hmpx~xxhotmail.com Date: Sun Jun 27, 2010 12:16 am ((PDT)) Make your own one: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taigtools/photos/album/428743419/p ic/410785124/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&count=20&dir=asc The only thing I still want to change is to make some kind of spring so it keeps more pressure on the point. mark ------- Re: Taig needle bearing center and chatter Posted by: "Stuart" scl_electronicsx~xxatt.net Date: Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:13 am ((PDT)) I have been using mine without a problem. I used the live center to make titanium valve-stem for my airgun! I find for high loads, retract the point further into the body of the live center! ------- Re: Taig needle bearing center and chatter Posted by: "Dean" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jun 27, 2010 3:48 pm ((PDT)) Hi Jon; It could be that you, (and others) aren't using it properly. It's supposed to be fully compressed in use. In other words, push it firmly against the center hole in the end of the work piece until the spring inside it is compressed. Then lock the tailstock ram. These work excellent when set up properly. I've done a lot of work with one. Dean ------- Re: Taig needle bearing center and chatter Posted by: "Pete & Pam Boorum" smallifex~xxmyfairpoint.net Date: Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:44 am ((PDT)) I use Taig's live center to turn small wooden spindles with a duplicator. Have made a brass collar that attaches to the point of the center with a set screw and has a cone shaped cup on the working end to hold and self- center the work. Using this at a fairly high speed with my DC motor there is little chatter. You can only compress the spring so far because you do not want to bow the wood which may only be .187" to .125" square and perhaps 2.5" to 3" long. By using a fine feed adjuster on the duplicator cutter we have successfully used this method in teaching classes to novices. The Taig works well at this because the tailstock assembly is stable and has an accurate fit to the bed so the cup center stays lined up from part to part! Regards, Pete http://www.smallerthanlife.com ------- NOTE TO FILE: The danger mentioned in the next message applies to every brand of lathe that has a screw-on chuck. These same chucks can present a danger if a lathe is ever run in reverse. ------- Don't let your Taig Lathe bite you [taigtools] Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Mon Nov 29, 2010 3:00 pm ((PST)) The first time this happened, about 14 years back, it scared me, but no damage. This time, I forgot my old lesson and I got bit. I fired up the Taig with a four jaw chuck mounted and the work in and centered. What I didn't do was tighten the chuck tightly on the spindle. I also didn't check the speed. I hit the switch and I was off to the races. Too fast dummy. I turned it off and the motor stopped, but the chuck didn't. It dropped onto the ways and one of the screws put a good size half moon divot in the center of the bed. The chuck came off spindle and bed before I could move and I caught it square in the chest. Off my chest and back onto the way and motor, this time eating up the back edge of the way. I was able to clean the high spots off the way with a fine file. The bruise will go away in a week or so. I was lucky. The damage to the lathe was minimal and the damage to me wasn't bad, but 4" higher and I would have had a mouth full of chuck without the benefits of a heavy flannel shirt to cushion the hit. Tighten the chuck and check the speed before starting the little guy. Its bite is worse than its bark. Don ------- [taigtools] Re: Replacing lathe headstock bearings with tapered roller/angular c Posted by: "David Underwood" dave.underwoodx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:23 am ((PST)) > I'm interested in replacing my headstock bearings with angular contact bearings. Being sealed doesn't matter to me, I actually like getting in there to do maintenance. I'd make up some shields to keep stuff out. Does anyone know of a bearing that would work? < They're 6203 bearings, probably the most common bearing in use and available at any industrial supply company. Regarding precision, bearings are available in multiple grades and can be fairly expensive, should you opt for high precision. I have heard that SKF bearings tend to be "best" at the lower end of the scale. When the Chinese bearings that came in my headstock get noisy, that's what I intend to use as a replacement. Dave ------- Re: Replacing lathe headstock bearings with tapered roller/angular c Posted by: "pe3hmp" pe3hmpx~xxhotmail.com Date: Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:11 am ((PST)) I did some reaseach on the taig lathe bearings and it seemed that SKF 6203-2Z (made in italy) is not the bearing that you should use; taig sells ORS 6203 2RDD C3 bearings (made in turkey). Mark ------- Re: Replacing lathe headstock bearings with tapered roller/angular c Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Sun Dec 12, 2010 11:11 am ((PST)) The preload adjustment isn't really a seat of the pants adjustment because as you found, things get tight really quick at one point. You should set up an indicator and measure end play. Make a very slight adjustment and measure again. When you get to the point of no movement, back off slightly and then approach again with much smaller adjustments. As soon as there is no movement, you are there. Too tight causes accelerated wear, greatly accelerated wear. You can ruin an overloaded bearing in just a few hours of use. I would use the bearings Taig uses. My old Taig has been in service for probably over 20 years (I bought it used some 17 years ago). And I've faced a 6" disk and turned 3 ˝" stainless on it. Granted I don't use it every day, but it gets it share of use and the bearings are still OK. The bead and cross slide are wearing, but the spindle is still strong. Don ------- Small collet holder for the lathe [taigtools] Posted by: "bitlerisvjx~xxhotmail.com" Date: Fri Aug 5, 2011 8:40 am ((PDT)) Hi Taig folks. I love using my Taig lathe for my Model Railroad work, but have come to realize that it is somewhat lacking for very small turnings. Trying to get in really close with the 3 jaw or 4 jaw is pretty dangerous and can be really nasty to fingers as well as other areas. I saw something that generated some thought. One of the folks on one of my modeling lists made an FOnly lathe. This is a home made setup using wood forms to allow a Dremel Moto tool to be mounted in a way to use it as a lathe. I was wondering if there are any attachments made to allow the use of a Dremel Moto tool type collet holder or a Dremel type of chuck? I do have the Taig set of collets and have made some special collets as well. But, these do not suit themselves very well to chuck very small diameter items, such as 1/16" or smaller. I wonder if anyone has investigated or made something for this use using one of the blank arbors? Thanks and regards, Vic Bitleris ------- Re: Small collet holder for the lathe Posted by: "Ron Thompson" ronx~xxourcadguy.com Date: Fri Aug 5, 2011 8:52 am ((PDT)) You could upgrade to the new ER-16 spindle. ER collets offer a wide range and you can modify a blank if you need to. Ron Thompson On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA ------- Re: Small collet holder for the lathe Posted by: "Alex Wetmore" alexx~xxphred.org Date: Fri Aug 5, 2011 8:53 am ((PDT)) Have you tried using ER16 collets? They compress over a wider range than the Taig collets. You can buy a ER16 collet holder from Taig that works on the Taig-collet head. http://www.a2zcorp.us/store/ProductDetail.asp?Cguid={D0F92CFE-7E3B-425B -8C1B-980A2010EF3D}&ProductID=6119 The 1/16" collet should close down to about .6 -.8mm (around 1/32" or a bit smaller): http://www.a2zcorp.us/store/ProductDetail.asp?Cguid={D0F92CFE-7E3B-425B -8C1B-980A2010EF3D}&ProductID=1562 alex ------- Re: Small collet holder for the lathe Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Aug 5, 2011 3:58 pm ((PDT)) Yes -- the ER-16 collet adapter is perfect for your needs, I love mine. Don't buy the ER-16 spindle head. If you do, you won't be able to buy "off the shelf" lathe parts for 3/4 - 16. A lot of my favorite chucks and face plates are woodworking tools that I bought from Penn States Industries or other pen turning companies. ------- Re: Small collet holder for the lathe Posted by: "Forrest A" atkinonx~xxhotmail.com Date: Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:07 am ((PDT)) If you work with 1/8th and smaller the WW head stock works well. I have had a Taig with WW headstock for over ten years and use it a lot. It is however limited with a 0.315 through hole in the spindle and WW collets can get expensive (Sherline sells cheaper, good substitutes). If you use only a few different sizes it may be cheaper than you think. FBA ------- TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY [taigtools] Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 3:49 am ((PDT)) Hi to all. I have a Taig micro lathe II, the lathe is about 7 months old and I only use it for turning small bits for model engines mostly of brass and Aluminium. A while ago I noticed a small knocking noise from the lathe while parting off a piece of 1/2" Aluminium and eventually traced it to the head stock. The bearings or the spindle have developed a certain amount of radial or latteral play, I think I measured it about 0.03~0.05 mm of play. I have since changed the head stock. Does any one know if the old head stock can be repaired in any fashion as I have plans to use it either as an indexing head or as a tail stock for turning long pieces if the need arises. By the way I can't get the pulley off even after heating it up. Apparently there is a possibility that the set screw has dug into the spindle shaft and has raised a burr. Any help is very welcome. Regards, A.G ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "Lewis Hein" lheinx~xxvcn.com Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 5:40 am ((PDT)) If you tighten up the pre-load on the old headstock, It should be fine. Just out of curiosity, were you losing ridgidity from the bearing play? Lewis Hein Pens, plans and projects online at www.heinfamilyenterprises.com/ppp ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "Alex Wetmore" alexx~xxphred.org Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 10:46 am ((PDT)) From: alighazizadeh [alighazizadehx~xxaol.com] > Will you kindly point out how best to remove the spindle safely if all else fails please? I don't have a work shop as such and have very rudimentary equipment, Just a basic Chinese mill in fact besides the lathe. < Do you have an arbor press or a large bench vise? To remove the spindle you need to push it out. You can do this by removing the preload nuts, putting a large diameter pipe over the collet end, and pushing the other end in with a stub of solid material of the appropriate diameter. Drift the bearings out with a punch and dispose of them. Push new bearings back in using the vise or arbor press. You want to push on the outside of the bearing only so that you don't put any load on the balls or races. Push the spindle back into place doing the reverse of how you got it out. Be careful not to push on the section of the spindle that the collet rests in. Taig regular spindles aren't hardened and if you mar that area your collets won't be true anymore. I thread a collet nut on fully then push on the nut since that is a cheaper and easier piece to replace. There is a spacer that lives between the bearings; make sure that it is properly aligned. I'm pretty sure that the bearings are 6003 series. This is one of the most popular cartridge bearings in the world. You should double check however. It takes less time to do this than it took for me to write this email. alex ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "GordonR" blscopesx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 5:14 pm ((PDT)) I assume the problem you are experiencing is spindle chatter when machining difficult to machine materials or operations such as parting off. Ball bearing races, as used in the Taig spindle, are designed for radial loads and they all have lateral play regardless of the quality of the bearing. This is why the latest version of the Taig spindle has a very easy adjustment to remove this lateral play. I have owned two new Taig lathes in the last 3 - 4 years and they both required adjustment. My suggestions are as follows: 1. Ensure the screw that secures the spindle assembly to the headstock housing is tight. This screw is located on the bottom of the housing. 2. Set the lathe up for the machining operation that has caused problems in the past. Tighten the adjusting nut, on the spindle, a small amount and repeat the process. Repeat this operation until the machining function can be completed without chatter. Overtightening can cause premature bearing failure. I hope this helps. ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "ED MAISEY" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 8:58 pm ((PDT)) And if that doesn't cure the problem try Plasticine. I'm quite serious about that, it's not a joke Edmund ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "Lewis Hein" lheinx~xxvcn.com Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 6:24 pm ((PDT)) >However if it is the newer style (7 months old) You can probably just >tighten slightly the pre-load on the bearings. My Taig is 2 years old and has the pre-load nut. I also needed to adjust this. Pens, plans and projects online at www.heinfamilyenterprises.com/ppp ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 6:44 pm ((PDT)) Like Lewis, I have the nuts on my 2 year old head. I had some play issues when I was settling things in. I tightened the nuts until the issues disappeared. In doing so, I tightened about 1/10 turn too tight, and the head started to heat up -- I understand that is how you know it is too tight. ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "JERRY G" chieftoolmakerx~xxearthlink.net Date: Fri Nov 4, 2011 7:58 pm ((PDT)) Not a Taig owner (Sherline), but, in any bearing take up situation.... Place a DTI * to read the spindle. (Axially) Bring the pre-load/take up nut in until there is no discernible end play. Back off .0003"-.0004" to allow for expansion under heat and load. Excess heat can kill bearings.... Jerry G (Glickstein) * = Dial Test Indicator ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Sat Nov 5, 2011 7:41 am ((PDT)) Hi Will, I eventually managed to get the damn pulley off. The set screw had indeed dug in to the soft shaft and raised a burr. It needed a lot of heating up to loosen the pulley. I tightened the pre load nut by about 1/16th of a turn a then a little more and seems to have sorted things up. The run out on the spindle cone is not measurable now. I was using a 0.01 mm draper expert dti so things are looking up. Have not tested it yet and I am hoping that I didn't heat it up too much while I was getting the pulley off. My thanks to all who helped me with their advice. Best regards to all, A.G ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "Boman33" boman33x~xxvinland.com Date: Sat Nov 5, 2011 9:50 am ((PDT)) Remember to file a flat on the shaft for the setscrew so you will not have the same problem again. Bertho ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "JERRY G" chieftoolmakerx~xxearthlink.net Date: Sat Nov 5, 2011 3:42 pm ((PDT)) I like to prevent a recurrence by putting a second short set screw on top of the pulley set screw. Grind the front flat to prevent damage to the first set screw's socket. Jerry G (Glickstein) [later message] Let's start at the shaft. A side view of the flat that Bertho recommended ( good idea, BTW) In the pulley, a set screw, bearing on the flat, locking it in place. Now a shorter set screw in the pulley with a flat front bearing on the first set screw, preventing the first set screw from backing up from vibration, etc.... Commonly done in industry..... Does that help? Best Regards, Jerry G (Glickstein) ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "ED MAISEY" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Nov 6, 2011 12:07 am ((PDT)) I have just placed a brass plug under my set screw, simple, Hardinge have used the double set screw on their lathes I believe. Edmund ------- Re: TAIG LATHE HEAD STOCK BEARING PLAY Posted by: "Tony Wiese" tonyx~xxwiese62.fsnet.co.uk Date: Sun Nov 6, 2011 1:16 am ((PST)) Hi, You can also buy set screws with a brass or nylon tip in the end face, plus some have a nylon insert in the thread so that they lock in place (like a male version of a Nyloc nut) without using a second set screw. Cheers, Tony ------- Set screws... [taigtools] Posted by: "Mars Bonfire" mbonfirex~xxhotmail.com Date: Mon Nov 7, 2011 6:40 am ((PST)) Just to add a little trick on the set screws... I have at various times wanted a brass tipped set screw but not a very common item in my junk drawers. I found that the small dimple in the business end of a common steel set screw is perfect to start a drill hole. So, grab the set screw in a vise (don't mess the threads), drill a blind hole and silver solder in a small chunk of brass rod...voila, brass tipped set screw. Not for stainless steel set screws unless you have some fancy SS solder. ------- Re: Set screws... Posted by: "Pierre Coueffin" pcoueffinx~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Nov 7, 2011 3:29 pm ((PST)) I've never soldered one in. Usually I just press it with the vice. The brass will expand to a pretty tight fit. ------- Re: Set screws... Posted by: "Shawn Woolley" shawnwoolleyx~xxmac.com Date: Mon Nov 7, 2011 3:34 pm ((PST)) Same here. I make both set screws with brass insert as well as machine bolts with brass or aluminum inserts to hold stones, glass, and other found objects together in display frames as part of art pieces on a regular basis. I've never soldered one in though. Just a drop of superglue to hold them until the installation, then pressure and expansion hold them in place. ------- Nick Carter's Blog [taigtools] Posted by: "StlBill" stl.billx~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:04 am ((PST)) If you have not read Nick Carter's recent blog on using the Taig compound, it is a treat for both beginners and us older beginners. Nick goes back to basics. It was truly helpful! When I got my Taig lathe nearly 30 years ago, I used the compound rather often, mostly on aluminum and brass, with good results. Then I began having problems getting the compound firmly locked to the cross slide, to the point it was put aside and not touched for a dozen years or so. I tried most of the suggestions I could find but nothing seemed to work. When I read Nick's Blog on using the compound, I dug mine out of "storage" and tried again. If you have read the blog, Nick doesn't offer anything new or magical. It wasn't one thing I was doing wrong but several. I replaced the hex key bolt in the mount with a longer rod, threaded on one end and with a knurled knob on the other. I always thought that mod was cute and handy. I didn't realize how much better I could feel the mount tighten. Those smaller hex keys have a lot of spring in them. Most important, the mounting base of the compound and the cross slide need to be squeaky clean. If those two surfaces are clean and dry, the connection will be more secure. For even more security, slip a piece of paper between the compound and the cross slide and lock it down snugly. I have used copying paper, adding machine tape, thin receipts and old invoices with equal results. I made a template out of a scrap of plastic and cut out a small stack of paper inserts in only a few minutes. Lastly, I don't think the Taig compound was designed to handle a chunk of cast iron or high strength tempered steel. At least, not for me anyway. If you wish to exceed the envelope, I love reading about someone doing things with Forrest Daley's machine that he never dreamed of. But, be prepared with very sharp tools, light cuts and slow feeds, and lots of patience. Well done, Nick. Keep them coming! How about one on the basics of using that beautiful back tool cut-off post. I like it but seem to be fairly limited in my applications. What am I missing? Happy holidays. Bill ------- Re: Nick Carter's Blog Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:20 am ((PST)) Thanks Bill, I have a long list of topics I need to write about, waiting for the xmas rush to subside (our jewelry business is making us work long hours). I like the idea of talking about the back toolpost, will add it to the list. felicex~xxcasco.net is Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein. Learn more about us at http://www.nickandfelice.com ------- cross slide sticks... what am I doing wrong? [taigtools] Posted by: "morbid0000" marcox~xxmarco-borromei.com Date: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:25 am ((PST)) I have a Taig micro lathe II, bought 4-5 years ago and used maybe 10 hours per year. It's fully cleaned and oiled after each use and has never been subject to any misuse or accidental damage. In the last year, I've noticed the cross slide has begin to stick in place. Imagine you crank your slide [100-26] fully away from you until it comes off the threaded rod [100-17], where you can remove it from the carriage. Now thread it back on... from that point, mine only moves about 1.25 inches back along the threaded rod before it becomes extremely difficult to turn and finally stops. There are no chips or obstructions in the channel where the threaded rod sits. I've tried loosening the 2 screws on 100-27 and the 3 adjustment screws [100-19] to no effect. I removed the slide entirely, pulled out the cross slide nut [100-25] and threaded that onto the rod [100-17]... and it moves only a little more than an inch before I can't force it any further. There's no visible damage to the threads on either the rod or nut. What can I do to fix this? Should I replace the nut [100-25]? And the rod [100-17]? ------- Re: cross slide sticks... what am I doing wrong? Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:40 am ((PST)) Hi, Try and release the gibb fully first and see if you can move the cross slide all the way, if so then the gibbs need adjusting. Also fully clean the ways and the gibb dovetails from inside and out. The nut is another matter but if there is any problem with the nut and the cross slide it is probably to do with misalignment. A.G ------- Re: cross slide sticks... what am I doing wrong? Posted by: "Ron Thompson" ronx~xxourcadguy.com Date: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:50 am ((PST)) Sounds to me like it might be gummed up with dried oil. What do you oil it with? I'd try a good solvent. Ron Thompson On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA My hobby pages are here: http://www.plansandprojects.com/My%20Machines/ ------- Re: cross slide sticks... what am I doing wrong? Posted by: "ED MAISEY" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:22 pm ((PST)) Try turning the nut around 180 degrees; it might have been put in back to front. Edmund ------- What do you think is the best Hp for Taig lathe [taigtools] Posted by: "bobpickeringx~xxrocketmail.com" Date: Sat Mar 3, 2012 1:37 pm ((PST)) ------- Re: What do you think is the best Hp for Taig lathe Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Mar 3, 2012 4:32 pm ((PST)) This is America -- more is better... Honestly, 1/2 hp is plenty for most of what I do. I use the Penn States Industries variable speed conversion. The best part is saying "goodbye" to those terrible tiny Vee belts. I use XL toothed belts. A bit noisier, but I have never sworn at em. ------- Re: What do you think is the best Hp for Taig lathe Posted by: "pe3hmp" pe3hmpx~xxhotmail.com Date: Sat Mar 3, 2012 4:38 pm ((PST)) I do not mind those tiny Vee belts, if something happens or I want to take a too heavy cut, it slips. Mark ------- Re: What do you think is the best Hp for Taig lathe Posted by: "ED MAISEY" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Mar 3, 2012 4:42 pm ((PST)) Tiny belts eliminate stress elsewhere, Edmund ------- Re: What do you think is the best Hp for Taig lathe Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Sat Mar 3, 2012 7:54 pm ((PST)) Guessing the subject line is the message, I'll say 1/10 is far too wimpy for anything although Taig sold the lathe that way at one time. I have a 1/2 HP, it's plenty, probably more than plenty for this size lathe. I've got a nice 1/5 HP Boston motor with controller I want to try out on one of the Taigs, just haven't gotten around to it. Take care, Stan ------- Re: What do you think is the best Hp for Taig lathe Posted by: "Dean" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Mar 3, 2012 10:31 pm ((PST)) A 1/4 horsepower motor will be all that's needed for any job that will fit on the Taig lathe. More doesn't hurt, but adds nothing to the capability of the lathe. As far as the little V belts go, they will transmit as much power as the lathe can use. If the pulleys on the lathe and motor are lined up as they should be, those little belts last for ages. I have an honest 3500 hours on my lathe (at least!) and am only on my second belt. Dean ------- Re: What do you think is the best Hp for Taig lathe? Posted by: "James Eckman" ronin_engineerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Sun Mar 4, 2012 9:56 am ((PST)) I started out with a 1/12 (yes twelfth) HP motor many years ago, this is quite adequate for small turnings and bits. Also the motor price was right, free! I later upgraded to a 1/2 HP fixed speed motor and later to a Sherline motor. I still use the wimpy XL belts, these work well at all but the lowest RPM work and I prefer a slip once in a while to something more major. Jim ------- Re: Drilling a hole in carriage [taigtools] Posted by: "Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein" felicex~xxcasco.net Date: Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:28 am ((PDT)) On 3/14/2012 9:01 AM, brewbob90 wrote: > I'm considering drilling a hole, then tapping it to mount something > to the carriage. My plan is to place the carriage on the floor then > drill the hole with a hand drill. I have no drill press. Seem > reasonable? What type a steel is the carriage? I assume its some kind > of mild steel and shouldnt be a problem to drill. My plan is to place > the hole in a location so I can drill a thru hole then tap it 10-32. > Thanks The carriage is aluminum. It is hard anodized, so you do have to drill through the anodized layer - helps to break through with a drill you don't mind dulling and then switch to a sharp drill of the size you need, but it isn't that bad to drill through. felicex~xxcasco.net is Nicholas Carter and Felice Luftschein. Learn more about us at http://www.nickandfelice.com ------- Re: Drilling a hole in carriage Posted by: "J. mendoza" mndzbluex~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:03 pm ((PDT)) First punch a hole to start hole. Use cobalt drill bit. When you tap the threads place a nut of correct thread on tap. This nut will guide you to cut threads at 90 degrees to your plane. As you go in keep the nut moving so it doesn't tighten up on you and strip threads. ------- Re: Drilling a hole in carriage Posted by: "brewbob90" brewbobx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:10 pm ((PDT)) Success! I drilled the hole by hand and tapped it. Center punched then I used a center drill to start hole then finish drilling with bit. Piece of cake. I tried using the nut to help keep the tap in-line. Nut didn't spin and was pulling the threads out...so I removed the nut and tapped by hand. Was fine. Works great! ------- Re: Drilling a hole in carriage Posted by: "Lewis Hein" lheinx~xxvcn.com Date: Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:26 am ((PDT)) I've read a tip to use a leather washer under the nut to keep it from locking when you tap Lewis Hein Pens, plans and projects online at www.heinfamilyenterprises.com/ppp ------- Re: Drilling a hole in carriage Posted by: "Ken Cline" clinex~xxfrii.com Date: Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:31 pm ((PDT)) Next time, you could try a tapping block instead. LMS sells a fancy one http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2571 but a chunk of just about anything you have on hand can be used in a pinch: Chuck it up in your lathe, drill, counterbore, face and no more crooked taps! Here's a page I found with a drawing of a 5-hole tapping block (fits #0 - 1/4" taps) http://onehossshay.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/a-tapping-block-for-a-sher line-mill/ Double check the dimensions - I haven't. ------- Re: Drilling a hole in carriage Posted by: "WAM" ajawam2x~xxcomcast.net Date: Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:57 pm ((PDT)) I just got that tapping block - Nice!!! well made whoever did it. I had to tap a zillion holes in my LMS mill and it worked great. I really didn't want to disassemble the machine for the nth time and it was kinda required to have it assembled to fit all the brackets. The DRO mag heads are a bit picky on alignment Here's a pic: http://home.comcast.net/%7Eajawam3/swarf/DSCN2301B.jpg There were about 30 holes to mount all the hardware. The tapping block I had was a hobby one. I got the LMS one and it was obvious that it was much higher quality. WAM http://home.comcast.net/~ajawamnet http://home.comcast.net/~ajawamnet/marketturd.htm ------- Re: OEM Motor Good Enough? [taigtools] Posted by: "jerry kieffer" jlkiefferx~xxcharter.net Date: Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:52 am ((PDT)) "alighazizadeh" wrote: > if anything we should perhaps ask Taig the question as to why they do not at least offer a choice of either an AC induction motor of fixed speed or a Variable speed DC motor with load feed back, even the cheapy entry level Chinese lathes (Sieg C0, C1) have this feature. I do not read about Sherline users going on about their Thread mill, lawn mower, food processor and other types of motors and get into pointless heated arguments. Regards to All, A.G < A.G. You bring up a good point. I purchased my first Taig Lathe in the late 70`s early 80,s. Over the years I have asked Taig these very questions. In so many words the response was that company philosophy is to build a quality basic Lathe at the lowest possible cost. I currently own three Taig Lathes, one of the first models and two current models. My personal experience has been that the Taig Lathe is a very basic quality lathe at a reasonable price. Certainly far better than any of the asian Lathes of the same size or any size for that matter. By my hand, they have been most practical for basic cuts in the upper half of their capacity range. When used in this manner, I personally have seen no variable speed advantage over the factory supplied motor arrangement. If more advanced or complicated machining is desired, then you are far better off economically to spending an extra $170.00 for a Sherline Lathe. For that $170.00 you get a superb variable speed drive, Calibrated lead screws on all three axis, rotating headstock for taper duplication and a wide range of threading options for both straight and taper threading. In addition you also get a wider range of work holding options and accessories. I seldom use my Taig lathes for machining but find them well designed for Glass and optical glass work. (I understand the original design was for optical work.) For this type work, variable speed has been found to be a great advantage. As such, I have provided one of my current model Taigs with variable speed drive. While we all can occasionally come up with a $5.00 deal, they are simply seldom available to the average person when they need it. Variable speed drives must have absolute speed control and a high degree of torque through out the desired speed range or they are for all practical purposes worthless. Anyone who had ever used the early Sherline AC motor/ AC speed control will certainly understand this. Based on extensive electrical back ground, I went with a treadmill motor and control board for a couple of reasons. First, it provided the best speed and torque control at a reasonable price. Second, I stood the best chance of finding replacement components if and when required. And of course the US manufactured motors far out perform available chinese options. However, Treadmill setups are not without issues. They tend to provide more stable speed and torque control at higher RPM`s. To resolve this I simply machined a small "V" in the drive shaft of the motor to fit the small Taig belt. This allows the motor to run at higher RPM at slower lathe speeds providing greater torque and speed control. The original spindle pulley was retained in this setup. I will post photo`s of this setup under my name in the photo section. I chose to place the motor under the lathe since I was more comfortable with the lathe raised when using loupes for Optical work. The other two installation photo`s are self explanatory. Jerry Kieffer ------- A bit of trivia [taigtools] Posted by: "Edmund" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:50 pm ((PDT)) With the Taig lathe, I found with the rack and pinion assembly that turning the pinion handle to be very erratic and kind of rough. So I have got into the habit of, after completing a forward pass, I place my left hand on the saddle and with slight pressure push it rearward. I feel that doing this will help to preserve added wear taking place at the handle mechanism, and it certainly makes it much smoother. Of course I realize there are other alternatives, like the subject line states it's just trivia. But if someone likes the idea, what the heck, it's free. Edmund ------- Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion [taigtools] Posted by: "piecat2003" solarpiex~xxshaw.ca Date: Sat May 12, 2012 3:27 pm ((PDT)) I am a new member and live on Vancouver Island in Canada. Being a pensioner, I have time to spend! I recently installed a new rack and pinion on a new Taig lathe after checking the carrriage for free and smooth movement. With the r&p installed (everything meticulously cleaned and oiled), carriage movement near the tailstock is smooth with a tiny bit of backlash, but the nearer you get to the headstock, the tighter and "grindiier" the movement becomes. Any solutions? Piecat ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "ED MAISEY" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat May 12, 2012 3:55 pm ((PDT)) Piecat, personally I would invest $100.00 and install the Taig power feed, Edmund ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "Dean" deanofidx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat May 12, 2012 4:17 pm ((PDT)) First, check that the carriage actually will slide the full length of the lathe bed without the hand wheel pinion engaged. You can remove the small clip behind the pinion so the pinion can be pulled out a little, then push the carriage back and forth to feel for any tight spots. If you're sure that is not it, take out the rack and make sure there is not a small piece of metal or other debris under it near the headstock end. If there is something in that channel that the rack fits into, it will raise the rack and make it bind against the pinion near that point. Finally, you may have to adjust the pinion eccentric slightly to get it to travel smoothly along the entire length of the rack. These are normal adjustments for the lathe. If a person wants a power feed, get one, but the problem you describe does not indicate a need to spend $120 for that accessory. Tens of thousands of these lathes are working just fine without a power feed. ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Sun May 13, 2012 4:14 am ((PDT)) Hi, I sometimes have the same problem after I adjust the carraige gibs to take up the slack for parting operations. I then loosen the gibs to make sure that the carriage moves all the way and readjust to get a smooth movement. Most of the wear on the bed also occurs between mid way and up to the tip of the jaws for obvious reasons, so if you have removed the chuck the last 2 inches to the head stock may just be in virgin state and will bind with the gibs. The power feed for the Taig is a godsend and I bought the lathe preinstalled with one, but it all depends on your requirement and budget and it has nothing to do with the problem that you are experiencing. You may also wish to check the rack for critical alignment as an error of 0.1 mm would make the movement difficult. Regards, A.G ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "J. Todd Shultz" j.toddshultzx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun May 13, 2012 7:22 am ((PDT)) Piecat: Without being there I can not say for sure but I believe you have a common situation. The rack gear is held in place with one screw so it is quite easy for one end to be held in place a little tighter than the other. The simple solution is to just adjust the pinion so it has slightly more backlash. You should find that a little more backlash will not cause any operational problems and will allow for free travel of the carriage. If you wish to go further you can remove the rack gear and check the tray that it mounts in for anything that would keep the rack from seating properly and at the same time check the rack gear to make sure it is the same height at both ends. But again the simple solution is to just adjust the pinion so it has slightly more backlash. The other option is to install another screw at the other end of the rack. Let us know how the problem works out. Todd ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "GordonR" blscopesx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Sun May 13, 2012 7:40 am ((PDT)) I suspect the rack is not straight, with a "bow" in it upwards from the retaining screw towards the headstock end. This happened with two Taig lathes that I owned at one time. I straightened both racks and the problem disappeared. Hope this helps. ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "WAM" ajawam2x~xxcomcast.net Date: Sun May 13, 2012 5:30 am ((PDT)) An issue I recently ran into with my Taig was that the gib screw nubs were ground smaller than the gib notch and the ground down sections were slightly different sizes. The slot the saddle gibs are in is smaller than the 1/4-20 gib screws so the nub at the end has to clear this (around 195mils on mine). The brass gib itself has a recess the nub fits into. As the carriage moved up towards the head stock it would get tight - not every time though. I removed the pinion and moved the saddle by hand to see what was up. As I watched the brass gib, it would shift towards the tailstock as the saddle moved forward and got tight. I went to Lowes; they actually had the same set screws; I reassembled the lathe and turned down the ends to match the recess in the gib and to clear the gib slot. No more binding as I moved the saddle. ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "robert seddon" robert5721x~xxmac.com Date: Sun May 13, 2012 6:40 am ((PDT)) Sir: How did you hold the set screws to turn the nubs without damaging the threads on the set screws? I have a somewhat similar problem to tackle so I ask. Thanks, Robert Seddon ------- NOTE TO FILE: No one answered this question at the time, but typically we protect screw threads by wrapping them in a protective sheet of soft metal, or place shims like copper strips between the threads and the jaws of a chuck. Be very careful with such setups that the item is held securely, and wear protective eye and head gear as you should anyway. ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "piecat2003" solarpiex~xxshaw.ca Date: Sun May 13, 2012 9:44 am ((PDT)) I thank everyone who has responded with suggestions. I will strip everything down and start from scratch - checking for abnormalities all the way. Piecat ------- Re: Taig Lathe Rack and Pinion Posted by: "Steve Wan" stewanx~xxgmail.com Date: Sun May 13, 2012 9:56 am ((PDT)) Hi Piecat I suspect the bed is not parallel. Use Engineer's blue on the bed and run the carriage across. Those high points can be scraped away till you get a smooth runway. Steve_Singapore ------- Re: T Nuts from A2Z- Tapping head [taigtools] Posted by: "Don" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:12 am ((PDT)) "Lewis Hein" wrote: > I like the idea of a motor that has to be at a dead stop before going into reverse. My Taig is hooked up to a 2 speed motor, and I learned pretty quickly that it is a mighty bad idea to go from fast to slow speed on the fly. The motor acts as an induction brake, and the chuck wants to keep on spinning at the faster speed. If it isn't tight enough, it soon becomes time to get out of the way. < Lewis, tightening the chuck to the head stock was one of the early things I learned about the Taig. One of those things you learn after realizing you really needed to know. My first motor was a 3500 RPM 220V motor that when you turned it off, it just stopped, no coasting down. I had never run the lathe on high pulley settings and thought I should see how smooth it ran at full speed. Very smooth. And when I shut the motor off, like you, I discovered it was time to duck. The chuck seemed to defy gravity and just hovered above the cross slide, long enough that I started to grab for it but decided to get my hand out of the way. When it finally made the drop to the cross slide, the race was on. It was like a six rail shot on a pool table as it made the rounds of my garage. It has become ritual now to use a wrench on a jaw and the spindle wrench and really tighten the chuck down. Even at that, I wouldn't want to try a full speed reverse. However, with the ER collet spindle, there is very little inertia and a quick reverse, especially at threading speed would be very desirable. Don ------- Re: Motor choices for the Taig lathe [taigtools] Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Thu Sep 13, 2012 1:52 am ((PDT)) Hi Don, I have used the Sherline DC motor for both my Taig mill and Lathe and it does a superb job. This is because here in the UK there appears to be a total absence of suitable small DC motors for lathes, what is mostly available is the usual induction motors and the if you want a variable speed you'd have to opt for a small 3 phase motor with and inverter and speed control that would cost even more to buy. I believe that in the US there is a much wider choice available. The only caveat is that you need to somehow adapt the motor to the Taig. In my case I used the C1 to turn a small pulley for the Sherline motor from hard Aluminium and retained the Taig pulley and belt, some people have opted to bore the Sherline pulley to mount on a Taig head stock and retained the sherline belt that may in theory transmit more torque. Steve also wrote that he has a bit of problem turning steel on his Sherline. I have managed to turn case hardened arbors on my little Sherline lathe using an indexable carbide tool; the only problem is that it takes a lot longer to do the same thing than a proper large lathe due to the limited depth of cut but otherwise no problem. Good luck and enjoy your new lathe. Regards, A.G ------- Re: Activity??? [taigtools] [Use of Taig lathe riser blocks] Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:03 pm ((PDT)) Hi. Is there any reason why the Taig riser blocks could not be permanently left in place? I have already machined a block with two T slots to sit on top of the cross slide so the normal tool posts and the compound slide and so on could be mounted at the correct height. Are there any improvements or modifications that could be made to the riser blocks to increase the rigidity if that is at all required? Many thanks and regards, A.G ------- Re: Activity??? Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:57 pm ((PDT)) I have a Taig lathe mounted to a 1" thick block of aluminum. Yes - it is more rigid, but that isn't always a good thing. The Taig is designed to float. The floating doesn't affect the accuracy, but it also doesn't transmit the vibration to the table or from the table back to the tooling. I chose to make it rigid, so I could mount an X/Y table behind it, and do CNC lathe work. If it isn't mounted on both ends, the tool would wander away from the part. ------- Re: Activity??? Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:14 pm ((PDT)) There is no reason that you can't leave the blocks in place. Of course, the more the "lever-arm" is extended, the more the deflection. I stacked up a couple of riser blocks, and turned a model ship's wheel that was about 9 inches -- but I had to take my time. ------- Re: Activity??? Posted by: "Richard Hutchinson" richlee2029x~xxhotmail.com Date: Sun Oct 14, 2012 7:52 pm ((PDT)) I've had my blocks installed for almost 15 years now, and I was wondering why they put the head and tail-stocks off center from the bed? ------- Re: Activity??? Posted by: "ED MAISEY" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:05 pm ((PDT)) I haven't checked my spacers on the lathe, perhaps it's to compensate for the increase in height and allow extra movement of the cross slide and toolbit. I haven't explained that very well but think about it, Edmund ------- Re: Activity??? Posted by: "David Underwood" dave.underwoodx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:18 pm ((PDT)) Think of it this way: the point of using risers is to get the tip of the cutting tool further from the axis of rotation. Getting the headstock, tailstock and toolpost higher is part of the solution, but mostly to allow a larger workpiece clearance above the bed. The other part of the solution is to move the headstock and tailstock further toward the rear of the lathe bed and the toolpost further to the front of the cross slide. Does that make sense? Dave Underwood ------- Adjusting the height of the tail stock [taigtools] Posted by: "krt2" thousekx~xxcomcast.net Date: Wed Nov 21, 2012 7:33 pm ((PST)) When I first got my Taig lathe, I spent some time getting the tail stock lined up so that I could drill things on center. Over the past several projects, I've come to realize that, while it's close, my tail stock isn't perfectly aligned. Unfortunately, it's not a Y-axis issue. It's a Z-axis problem. My tail stock is too high and it lines up the drill chuck just a little above center. Maybe 0.015-0.020" or so. I'm not really sure, but I can tell it's high. Originally when I tried to align things, I decided the easiest thing would be to shim the head stock up a little. So I did that. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it as high as I needed to go. I could only get, maybe 0.005" or so (that was the thickest shim I could squeeze under it). This has worked OK for some time, but like I said, I'm really starting to notice the offset, and I'd like to get it fixed. Since I can't raise the head stock, it seems I have to lower the tail stock. I don't really see an easy way to do that. I could try to shave off 0.010" from from the place where the tail stock mounts to the main lathe bed, or I could take some off where it slides forward and back in the y direction. But neither of these seem like easy fixes. I don't even know how to begin doing this. Will I need to get a dovetail cutter and mill down a few mils? Or is there some easier way to do this? Thanks again for your helpful advice. Kim ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Steve Wan" stewanx~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:05 pm ((PST)) Hi Kim. Don't touch the headstock. Work on the tailstock base to get the proper height. I faced the same problem with my Sherline lathe when I replaced the aluminium tailstock with a Cowells cast iron type. I need to make a base to work on the bevel bed. I use shim to bring it up. Best you mill the tailstock base or better lapping it over a piece of sandpaper on a flat slab. Lapping is slow but the result is magnificient! Steve ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Shawn Woolley" shawnwoolleyx~xxmac.com Date: Wed Nov 21, 2012 9:52 pm ((PST)) I'd start by buying and trying a new tail stock it would be a lot easier and cheaper in the long run since it sounds like your headstock is right you might have a bad tail stock. I always swap interchangeable parts before I start grinding core parts. ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Ron Thompson" ronx~xxourcadguy.com Date: Wed Nov 21, 2012 11:48 pm ((PST)) I concur about working on the tailstock, or buying a new one. You should have complained to Taig when it was new. Depending on how old it is, they still may make it right. Now, let's discuss your terminology of the lathe nomenclature. The Z axis is always toward and away from the spindle on a lathe or a mill. The cross slide is the X axis on a lathe. There is no adjustable Y on a Taig lathe, but the height of your tailstock can be thought of as being in the Y direction. Good luck. Ron Thompson On the Beautiful Florida Space Coast, right beside the Kennedy Space Center, USA Think, Draw, Print. 3D printers ROCK! http://www.plansandprojects.com/My%20Machines/PrusaMendel2012-1/ http://www.plansandprojects.com My hobby pages are here: http://www.plansandprojects.com/My%20Machines/ Visit the castinghobby FAQ: http://castinghobbyfaq.bareboogerhost.com/ ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "thousekx~xxcomcast.net" Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:15 am ((PST)) Ron, Thanks for correcting my terminology. I always though Z was up-down. But in line with the spindle makes sense! I had everything rotated in two dimensions! Hopefully I didn't confuse anyone too much. It's good to learn the correct words for things! I appreciate the help, thanks! :) So, to correctly state my problem, I'm out of alignment in the Y-axis, with the tail stock being too high. Kim ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 1:44 am ((PST)) Hi Kim, You need to determine first if the tail stock ram moves parallel to the axis of the lathe, if it is parallel then the adjustment of the height could be achieved by shimming if not then you really need to investigate this as it may be related to a lot of things such as the ram guide may not have been bored true. In any case the suggestion of trying a second tailstock is worth a try. Depending on how much trouble you want to go through you could even reverse the bed and see if it makes a difference. By the way have you thoroughly cleaned the tail stock dovetails and slide and checked for swarf or burrs? You may also do the same for the headstock particularly the dovetails. Regards, A.G ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 2:32 am ((PST)) I would agree with that. Shimming the headstock to compensate for the tailstock being too high is a bad case of the tail(stock) wagging the dog IMHO. Messing with the headstock will potentially upset the accuracy of the whole machine, where the real problem lies with the tailstock. An alternative & potentially interesting strategy would be to make a new tailstock (or at least, a new top half) & bore it in situ - not the easiest procedure, but do-able and you would end up with a tailstock ram that was bang-on centre height. I suspect that this would be a simpler way to fix the problem in the long run than attempting to adjust the height of the existing tailstock - if you do that you run the risk of ending up with the ram not running parallel to the axis of the headstock. Regards, Tony ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "alighazizadeh" alighazizadehx~xxaol.com Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:41 am ((PST)) Hi Kim, If you wish to follow Tony's suggestion then you could either reverse the present tail stock to slide it to the left and bore the right hand side for the ram, this way you'd avoid having to machine a new tailstock and cut dovetails. You need to make allowances for the lever and all that of course. Regards, A.G ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Stan Stocker" skstockerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:57 am ((PST)) Greetings folks, While not magnificent, you could just make a new ram and bore it from the headstock. You could make it MT0 and use Sherline tailstock accessories, or you could just bore it to take a straight shank chuck adapter. This is a workaround, and has some downsides, but it would get things lined up with the minimal amount of fuss. Only real problem is that good chucks and JT0 to 1/4 inch straight shank adapters cost. If I've missed it please forgive me, but has it been verified that it is indeed the tailstock that is high, and not an offcenter ram threaded section or just a drill chuck that is way out of sorts? Best to all, Stan ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "ED MAISEY" holmes_ca_2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:11 pm ((PST)) No one has mentioned a finger DTI on the face plate and 360 around either the bore or tailstock quill. Edmund [and in another message] With all this do this do that, my decision would be to send it back; if it is out as he says then Taig needs to know, it's a concern to them if quality control are doing their job; they must have jigs and equipment to check tolerances, maybe a whole batch are scrap. ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Kim" thousekx~xxcomcast.net Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 10:45 pm ((PST)) I dunno. How fair is that to Taig? I've had the lathe for 18 months and have never found it lacking. Probably my ability to even notice this has improved over that time and now it's bothering me. Not sure it's caused me any issues up till now, but like I said, I'm noticing it now, and would like to get it fixed. I think it will improve my accuracy in the projects I do. If I'd addressed it right away, yeah, I can see that. But after 18 months? Maybe I'll check with my dealer and see what he says... Kim ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "GordonR" blscopesx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 4:52 pm ((PST)) If I was faced with this issue, the first thing I would do is to establish if there actually is a problem. Since the Taig lathe is not supplied with a headstock centre, I would chuck a small piece of metel in the three jaw chuck, face it but leave a small nub that comes to a sharp point. Move the tailstock to the headstock and advance the tailstock centre to the nub in the headstock. It should be readily apparent if there is missalignment. If the alignment is close, say a few thou, pinch a razor blade between the tailsock centre and the nub in the headstock. If they are in perfect alignment the razor blade will be absolutely vertical and horizontal. The deflection of the razor blade will indicate the direction of the missalignment. If all of the members of this group did this test, I suspect that none would be in perfect alignment. ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Shawn Woolley" shawnwoolleyx~xxmac.com Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:48 pm ((PST)) Neither of mine is perfect but there more than close enough for anything I'll be turning. It's a real blessing to be an artist/jeweler rather than a true machinist; as long as mine looks good and is close enough to not look when visually inspected off I'm pretty much good to go; if anyone is checking jewelry with a micrometer they need a mental health professional. ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Kim" thousekx~xxcomcast.net Date: Thu Nov 22, 2012 10:39 pm ((PST)) I did check that the ram is fairly level with the lathe bed. I used my (cheap-o) slide calipers to check the height of the ram from the bed at the front, fully extended, and at the back, fully retracted. And it's quite close, within my tolerances for measuring any way (within a few mils). It's not the chuck itself. I've got 3 different Jacobs chucks that all show a similar offset. Plus, the ram point is off itself even with no chuck. It's off whether it is fully retracted, or fully extended (guess this also shows that the ram is parallel to the bed). Not sure how to tell if it's the point/thread section of the ram that's at fault. Maybe if I try rotating it 180 degrees and see if the misalignment's the same? That's an interesting thought. I kinda doubt that's it, since I've had the ram in and out multiple times during my checking exercises. But it's possible I've gotten it in the same way every time I've checked. I'll have to look at that tomorrow if I get any shop time. Thanks for the thought on a fix for my issue. Kim ------- Re: Adjusting the height of the tail stock Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Fri Nov 23, 2012 5:25 am ((PST)) Errors in the height of the tailstock ram don't necessarily cause a problem -- if you are turning between centres, having the tailstock ram slightly above or below centre height has surprisingly little effect on the finished diameter (do the geometry!), and far less than the same offset in the horizontal plane. Regards, Tony ------- NOTE TO FILE: Of course there were several other comments that you can read if you want in the Yahoo archives. Certainly if you find a problem with a Taig or other product, do contact the manufacturer. Chances are they will help you quickly and satisfactorily. Sometimes a phone call instead of email will expedite help. And it's good to get to know the folks there. They may have other suggestions too. ------- NOTE TO FILE: A discussion started in Sat Mar 30, 2013 in the taigtools group regarding Taig backlash. You can find it here in the file called Sherline Mill Backlash, which despite the name, does contain backlash elimination tips for any mill or lathe. See the thread titled: Lathe Cross slide backlash [taigtools] ------- Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide [taigtools] Posted by: "semobill4114" semobill4114x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:14 pm ((PDT)) I was trying to take the tail stock apart to clean it. After removing the bolts and hardware, the cross slide would not budge. It is at least ten years old and has never been set over before. After I gave it some cautious whacks with a weighted plastic hammer it moved about an inch but that was all. I suspect that old lube and dirt has glued the parts together. I thought about carefully applying some heat might break the seal. But first, I wanted to check in and see if anyone else has had a similar problem. I am open to suggestions. Bill ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "roberts" robert5721x~xxmac.com Date: Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:27 pm ((PDT)) Try Kroil .. you can order it from Brownells gun supply .. best SH((*& ever for breaking stuff loose. Robert Seddon ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "Paul J. Ste. Marie" taigx~xxste-marie.org Date: Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:55 am ((PDT)) Echoing the other comments, squirt in WD-40 to dissolve the crud and clean out the ends with a toothbrush. If there is crud (and swarf, to be more specific) built up at the ends of the joint, you risk forcing it into the joint by hammering on it. That said, if you've already hammered it an inch, whatever damage there was to do is done. ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk Date: Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:19 am ((PDT)) Bill - My advice would be to adjust the tailstock so that it is exactly on-axis and then leave it alone - adjusting tailstocks (generally, not just the Taig) is a PIA and best avoided if at all possible - most of the time you want it to be absolutely on-axis. If you need to taper-turn then either use the topslide or adapt a boring head to serve as an adjustable offset tailstock centre. I did modify my tailstock so that it has micrometer offset adjustment, but apart from using the adjustment to align the tailsock after doing the mods mine has remained as I left it. Regards, Tony ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "James Eckman" ronin_engineerx~xxcomcast.net Date: Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:16 am ((PDT)) Or given the cost and the ease of changing the tailstock, buy a second one. Jim ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "LJG" yrralguthriex~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:21 am ((PDT)) Aluminum is a little "sticky" for want of a better term, and the tailstock on the Taig is bare aluminum. If two blocks of bare aluminum were bolted together and left for 10 years, they probably would be stuck together. I suspect your problem is just due to the natural properties of aluminum. That said, you don't really care, you just want them apart. A solvent may or may not penetrate. I would drop it in a container of WD40. (I buy it by the gallon.) Then I would make a hole in a piece of plywood to allow the "moveable" part to enter and put in in a vise and try to push the part out with a wooden dowel or just a flat piece of plywood. A six inch vise would get it part way out. The aluminum should not contact the vice. No vise big enough? I'd figure a way to use a little bottle jack and something heavy! And if it comes out I think there is a 50-50 chance it will be useable. ljg ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "Don" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com Date: Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:55 pm ((PDT)) I think the term is self welding. Clean aluminum pieces firmly pressed together will weld themselves together. That is how they make the refrigerator coils out of two flat sheets of aluminum. You might get the parts apart, but there will likely be some tearing of the "weld". If you want a tailstock you can adjust, pick up a new one from Nick and lube the dovetail prior to putting it in service. Don ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "Bill M" semobill4114x~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jun 24, 2013 6:40 pm ((PDT)) Thanks to everyone who responded. Good ideas all. Tony was right ("Don't move it! " ) or something like that. Don and Paul's suggestions that I might need a new one are reasonable and logical. That will probably be the smart thing to do. Thanks again. Bill ------- Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide UNSTUCK Posted by: "semobill4114" semobill4114x~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:22 am ((PDT)) At Nick Carter's suggestion, I applied some heat. I used a heat gun, not a torch. With a little work, the parts came loose. It was the steel pin that locks the cross slide that was the culprit. The grease had dried up (expected in 10 years!) and frozen it in place. The heat melted the grease sufficiently. I was able to easily remove the pin. I cannot see any damage. Thanks for your help. Bill ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "Lewis Hein" lheinx~xxvcn.com Date: Sat Jun 29, 2013 9:08 am ((PDT)) >I think the term is self welding. Clean aluminum pieces firmly pressed >together will weld themselves together My Zuiko 300 mm lens just did that to me a few weeks ago. I was out on a camping trip, and I noticed that the tripod collar locking screw was getting really stiff to turn. It was an aluminum screw in aluminum. It soon twisted off, but my Taig has since helped fix that. (I'll be discussing this in the next issue of my newsletter.) Lewis Pens, plans and projects online at www.heinfamilyenterprises.com/ppp ------- Re: Stuck lathe tail stock cross slide Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Jun 29, 2013 11:09 am ((PDT)) Lew, When dealing with threaded aluminum to aluminum, use silicone grease. I use clarinet cork grease. ------- taig cross slide [taigtools] Posted by: "dethrow2" dethrow2x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jul 7, 2013 9:55 pm ((PDT)) Hello all. I recently bought a used Taig on ebay and have since cleaned it up, now I have an issue that I am not quite sure how to tackle. The cross slide hangs on both ends. If I adjust the gib to the ends, it's too loose in the middle? Does that mean the bed is worn? Or should I re-lap the whole works? This is one of the older Taigs, with the cast cross slide. Any thoughts would be appreciated. thanks james ------- Re: taig cross slide Posted by: "Steve Wan" stewanx~xxgmail.com Date: Sun Jul 7, 2013 11:46 pm ((PDT)) Hi James Re-lap is a the best solution but in the long run uneven wears will happen again. My solution is to make 2 grub screws to hold the gib and 2 adjusting screws to snug the movements. Hence when I need to crank fast to location, I loosen the adjusting screws, play is not an issue here. When I need a snug feed while milling I tighten the adjusting screws to the pressure I need. The adjusting screws are made with a knurled nut and a lock nut for hand tighting. Just a matter of getting used to it :) This is my best solution for uneven wear. This method applies to manual milling operation only, not for cnc. Steve Wan ------- Power Feed Side Lathe Setup [TAIGTOOLS] Posted by: lauren.rezacx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 9:07 am ((PST)) I recently purchased a Taig lathe with a power feed slide. I am having trouble setting up the slide so it works smoothly with the manual crank. Can anyone point me to a video or document that with help with this issue? Thanks, Lauren ------- Re: Power Feed Side Lathe Setup Posted by: "Jake Horky" jacob.horkyx~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 9:27 am ((PST)) Maybe you already did this, but try giving the leadscrew a good cleaning. Mine gets very tough to crank if there's dirt or grime on the leadscrew. A metal flake in between a thread is like a brick wall. ------- Drilling Tailstock "wobble" [TAIGTOOLS] Posted by: edfredfred1x~xxfrontier.com karlh_1 Date: Fri Jun 27, 2014 7:15 pm ((PDT)) There is a noticeable wobble in my tailstock when I attempt to axial drill. The movement comes from the lever activated shaft and can be almost eliminated by tightening the shaft screw; but then I can't advance the chuck to drill the hole. (These are small holes, less than 1/4 inch, so a boring bar is pretty well out of the question.) I measured 14 thou variation about an inch beyond the chuck, but this was down to about .0003 when I tightened down the screw. (No name cheapo dial indicator marked to .001.) I got about the same results with my "Keith Brooks/ Dean Williams" extended dead center, with even less variation if I tightened down the nut and the screw. I could not find any variation measuring the diameter of the shaft of the dead center/ram from Taig. My idea is to put in 2 more screws - in line with the factory screw and along the axis of the spindle - close fit above the gap and threaded below the gap. This would allow me to adjust the gap/hole in the tail stock, not unlike the gib adjustments on the cross slide or saddle. Snug the new outer screws up as much as I can while still allowing the ram to slide, then using the center screw (the factory screw) to lock it down when I need to. Has anyone else tried this, or does anyone have any other ideas? Thanks! ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "Gerrit Visser" gerrit-mlx~xxpsgv.ca gerrit308 Date: Fri Jun 27, 2014 8:22 pm ((PDT)) First I would check the horizontal and vertical alignment of the TS to HS. Put a centre in each and line them up. Horizontal you can adjust on the TS. Vertical will need shimming under the HS (if TS is high) or vice versa. I had a vertical offset, and it snapped the tip off a very small centre dirill!!! And holes of course were tapered. Gerrit ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "David Robertson" david-machinesx~xxdavidrob.com Date: Fri Jun 27, 2014 8:28 pm ((PDT)) Perhaps not the suggestion you were wanting, but Miro 100 makes boring bars for holes less than .05 inches in diameter. There are probably other manufacturers also. Just Google Micro boring bars. They are not cheap. David ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "pe3hmp" pe3hmpx~xxhotmail.com Date: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:52 pm ((PDT)) https://www.mitsubishicarbide.com/mmc/en/product/pdf/b/b042g.pdf Mark ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "Ed Fred" edfredfred1x~xxfrontier.com karlh_1 Date: Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:42 am ((PDT)) I am glad for the information and for Marks link, but I am more interested in a bacon cheeseburger solution, not a filet mignon solution. I'm afraid the micro boring bars will have to go on my (way too big) wish list. kh ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "Will Schmit" anchornmx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:25 am ((PDT)) Ed, I use carbide end mills as boring bars. I typically buy 1/8" shank carbide tooling from Bits and Bits, ranging down to .005" tapered end mills. The flat ended 1/8" bits can be indexed to have one flute facing the user -- I use a CNC table to navigate the hole to be bored. I suppose it could be done with any size flat end bit -- this is just an example. ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "Larry" yrralguthriex~xxgmail.com Date: Sat Jun 28, 2014 2:57 pm ((PDT)) Bacon-Cheeseburger solution: If you cannot tighten the tail stock clamp enough so that the center will just slide with less than visible movement something is wrong with the clamp. I would take it apart and make sure that it is clean, put back together, tighten until it is resistant to movement and then if the play is still there I would contact Taigtools. Adding screws for more clamping area won't work since you still don't know where center is. They should fix it for free. My opinion ljg ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com campgems Date: Sat Jun 28, 2014 7:57 pm ((PDT)) I have a tailstock that I screwed up using it as a steady rest when turning a length of ˝ x10 acme thread rod. You learn a lot from your mistakes. I have since replaced the tail stock, but here was my plan for savaging my old one. I was going to use the same method I use to make boring bar tool post. I make a blank post and mount it on the cross slide, then with a drill mounted in the spindle, drill and then ream to fit the bar. This gives you a dead on center height to the spindle. My plan was this. Find a suitable thickness of aluminum to take up the gap in the lock groove in the tail stock. Lock it tight and then using a boring bar in the head stock and the tail stock ahead of the cross slide and adjusted to just move on the ways, re-bore the tailstock to a size you can press fit a bronze bushing in. Then re-bore the bushing to the ˝" size of the Taig ram. Add a couple pointed set screws in the tail stock to bushing just deep enough to prevent the bushing from turning, then use a hack saw to cut through the slit in the tail stock to split the bushing. You now have a bronze to steel bearing surface that you can lock or loosen for lateral movement as needed. The aluminum to steel mate was not a great idea, especially if you did something stupid like I did. This should give you a good slip fit for drilling, but a dead on fit for between centers work. Don ------- Re: Drilling Tailstock "wobble" Posted by: "Paul J. Ste. Marie" taigx~xxste-marie.org Date: Sun Jun 29, 2014 12:02 am ((PDT)) On 6/28/2014, 'Don Rogers' Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com wrote: > then use a hack saw to cut through the slit in the > tail stock to split the bushing. Hmm, after going to all of that trouble I'd make a split-dowel clamp instead of hacking up all that precision work. ------- New Taig driver [TAIGTOOLS] Posted by: "rhythm slave" rhythmslave300x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Nov 9, 2014 5:03 pm ((PST)) Hi, I am a miniaturist who hasn't used a real metal lathe since High School way too many years ago. I just received a Taig II 4500 from another miniaturist on the Right coast who was kind enough to mail it to me on the upper Left coast. It has the milling attachment, drilling tailstock, wood turning fence, jacobs chuck, auto center 4 jaw chuck, and some kind of indexing attachment that was attached to the milling tower. Only problem with it other than it has sat for the last 10 years and in need of cleaning and oiling is that the handle on the cross slide knob broke off during shipping. I see a number of posts on various sites showing a Sherline resettable version retrofitted to the Taig cross slide. Is this a difficult replacement or should I just get a new handle and knob for the Taig? Eager to create chips and coils! http://www.madnessinminiatures.blogspot.com Gary Graves ------- Re: New Taig driver Posted by: "Jeffrey Birt" birt_jx~xxsoigeneris.com jeff.birt Date: Mon Nov 10, 2014 6:33 am ((PST)) Take a look at: http://www.soigeneris.com/taig_lathe_parts-details.aspx (my website). I think what you are asking about is the part # 100-24? Several years ago the cross slide was improved so your lathe may differ in some respects. The circular clip, #100-20D, is used to mark your ‘zero’ on the dial, you slide it around so the open edge lines up with the correct spot on the dial. Click on the small parts diagram in the above link. It will pop open a large diagram, if you click on one of the part numbers it will take you to that parts page. You can compare the parts diagram with your lathe and see what might be needed. Jeff Birt Soigeneris.com ------- Re: New Taig driver Posted by: rhythmslave300x~xxyahoo.com rhythmslave300 Date: Tue Nov 11, 2014 10:44 am ((PST)) Thanks Jeffery, After consultation with Nick Carter I decided the easiest and relatively inexpensive solution would to be to just replace the whole screw assembly with a new one with the new knob and handle. I also found an easy fix to get a longer rotating dial handle somewhere in the forums here by sliding a piece of tubing over the stock handle and crimping it lightly in place with a tubing cutter. I ordered the part and while waiting will be cleaning off 10 years of inactivity. Gary ------- Re: New Taig driver Posted by: "rhythm slave" rhythmslave300x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:30 am ((PST)) The question was why didn't I just make a new handle for the old dial. Excellent question! I think it was mainly due to my shop space having to be broken down for a couple weeks due to some contractors trooping through on a daily basis carrying sheetrock and such. I will attempt it when I can get into the shop and get set back up. This way however I have a functioning lathe to play with to make a new knob. I know, chicken vs egg. Gary ------- NOTE TO FILE: The following solution is to a problem reported about using a boring bar in a Taig lathe when the initial drilled hole at 1/4" is too small to admit the Taig boring bar. One solution is to use a larger starting hole (larger drill bit with reduced shank to fit in 1/4" chuck) or find a smaller boring bar. Then there are Tony's home-made solutions. ------- Re: Boring on the lathe with a 1/4 drill chuck [TAIGTOOLS] Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk tonyjeffree Date: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:04 am ((PST)) I believe the point is that the standard Taig boring bar needs a starter hole that is larger than 1/4. I remember this problem from the dim & distant past when I tried to use their boring bar -- that was before I discovered carbide insert tooling and boring bars that required much smaller starter holes. My Taig boring bar remains pretty much unused these days. My solution at the time was to find a 1/2" capacity drill chuck that would fit the tailstock and use a bigger drill. There is a simpler hack: cut off a piece of 2 X 1 bar stock (anything will do) and drill it long-ways to accept a 10-32 bolt that will allow it to be bolted to the cross slide to form a tool holder. Mount a 3/8" (or whatever size you need) drill in the spindle chuck and use it to bore the tool holder precisely on axis. Cross drill and tap for a set screw -- wise to grind a flat on the drill to stop it spinning. You now have a tool holder exactly on-axis that will take the large drill; use it to drill the starter hole in your workpiece. The tool holder can of course be re-used as a boring bar holder for a larger boring bar if you need one. Regards, Tony ------- Re: Boring on the lathe with a 1/4 drill chuck Posted by: "Tony Jeffree" tonyx~xxjeffree.co.uk tonyjeffree Date: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:10 am ((PST)) Of course, there is no good reason why the starter hole has to be made with the part in the lathe. You can always: - Drill a pilot hole to the max capacity of the tailstock chuck that you have (1/4") - Remove the chuck from the lathe with the part still in the chuck - Transfer the chuck/part to your drill press (which hopefully has a bigger capacity) to open the pilot hole out to whatever you need - Return the chuck/workpiece to the lathe and start boring. Regards, Tony ------- Re: Boring on the lathe with a 1/4 drill chuck Posted by: fcgabbardx~xxyahoo.com fcgabbard Date: Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:26 am ((PST)) A couple of questions on this: I'm assuming that the Taig supplied boring bar is ground from a 1/4" HSS tool blank. Is it the cutting head of the boring bar that cannot fit into the 1/4" hole, or the shank? Is it the case that the boring bar head can create its own clearance? An example. If you drill a 1/4" hole in the part (.250), then use the boring bar to do a cut of .0625 on each side, increasing the hole as you go to .375 (3/8") it could be creating its own clearance as it advances the cut into the hole. Or is .0625 to much of a cut to bore with the setup? Or is it that the shank of the boring tool is where the clearance issue is? In which case I would assume the boring bar is only meant to bore to the depth that has been ground down, the unground shank never meaning to enter the bore. Or are these boring bars cast so that one end was bigger, so that when they are ground down to make the boring bar, the cutting edge is out further than the shank so that its cutting geometry will make plenty of clearance for the shank to enter the bore. Another possibility is if you have a 1/4" end mill, they can make excellent boring bars, and even if your only taking .02 per cut, it will be creating its own clearance of .04 on the initial cut, a little tight, and you have to have the end mill dead perfect straight so it doesn't rub on the hole on the back side as you advance it in. This is a great use for an end mill that has had one of its teeth chipped, making it useless for milling. Frank ------- Re: Boring on the lathe with a 1/4 drill chuck Posted by: hawk.voidx~xxyahoo.com hawk.void Date: Fri Feb 20, 2015 9:44 am ((PST)) It's the head itself. The round part of it is too large to clear a 1/4" round hole, it binds. There are lots of other options that have been brought up on the thread, simplest one probably to take the part to a drill press and enlarge the hole there first. I was just really surprised the lathe comes with a tool that can't be used as-is. So far I've ground my bit down with limited success -- I'm not getting too good of a surface quality, maybe I messed up the cutting edge or maybe for other reasons, but at least it's usable now. ------- Re: Boring on the lathe with a 1/4 drill chuck Posted by: "Ian Newman" ian_newx~xxyahoo.com ian_new Date: Sat Feb 21, 2015 1:13 am ((PST)) Hi Hawk.void, The boring tool supplied can be used "as is" -- just not the way you are trying to use it. If you are boring a deep hole and the tool head or shank will not fit in the initial drilled hole, I would suggest the following process: Starting with your drilled hole, using the boring tool, open out the bore to a diameter able to accommodate the tool shank but only to the depth allowed by the tool tip lead. Repeat this "skimming" until you have opened out the hole to the full depth of the bore. Now you can continue boring in full depth passes until you have reached the required bore diameter. Another issue that has not been raised is the fact that there are three different boring tool profiles, each intended for a different type of boring operation. You need to use the correct tool for the job. All the best, Ian ------- Re: Boring on the lathe with a 1/4 drill chuck Posted by: "Don Rogers" Donx~xxCampbell-Gemstones.com campgems Date: Sat Feb 21, 2015 12:50 pm ((PST)) OK gang, Sure wish I could delete my last post. [Last post not copied here.] I was under the assumption that Taig boring bar was of the round shank type, not the square shank. Most of that post doesn't apply. When I looked up the Taig tool bit set on Nicks site I found that he has a good link with photos of each of the tool bits and examples of their use. http://www.cartertools.com/toolbits.html Starting at picture #11 is the start of a boring task and #13 has a very pertinent note: "Beginning to bore. Make sure the pilot hole allows clearance for the side and bottom of the boring tool (no rubbing which can screw things up)" So, there are three solutions to Hank's problem, all of them have been posted. Bigger chuck, Stepped shank drills, grind your own tool from a blank. Don ------- Re: Boring on the lathe with a 1/4 drill chuck Posted by: "Paul J. Ste. Marie" taigx~xxste-marie.org pstemari Date: Wed Feb 25, 2015 9:04 pm ((PST)) On 2/21/2015 1:13 AM, Ian Newman ian_newx~xxyahoo.com [TAIGTOOLS] wrote: > Starting with your drilled hole, using the boring tool, open out the > bore to a diameter able to accommodate the tool shank but only to the > depth allowed by the tool tip lead. You can't do that with the stock boring tool, at least not readily. The radius of the head is about 0.25", and trying to cut anything smaller than will just result in rubbing. You could start at the 0.25" radius and try to plunge straight in, but that's going to give you a 0.125" width of cut (assuming the 1/4" hole) and the tool is going to chatter like mad. A reduced shank bit is the way to go here. If you get a good 3/8" or 1/2" hole you're in a much better place. Of course, once you do THAT, you might as well just get a chucking reamer, which will give much better results. Alternatively, get a blank tool bit and grind a suitably small boring bar. ------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ This is just one of some 80 files about machining and metalworking and useful workshop subjects that can be read at: http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------