# This Years Winter Project



## Kelly McLaughlin (Mar 12, 2020)

Hi Folks! This one has kept me busy for a while. built the bench in November and started on the lathe in December but only got a few days in there. I added some upgrades like the brass half nuts and the oil channels on the compound and cross slide that are lubed by ball oilers I have a couple of small details like a switch plate and the carriage wiper felts but pretty much there. The bench has a cam mechanism to lower it on to the levelers or raise it on the casters to move it around for cleaning or repositioning.


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## CalgaryPT (Mar 12, 2020)

So neat and tidy. Nice work.


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## Chicken lights (Mar 12, 2020)

Very nice workmanship.


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## YYCHM (Mar 12, 2020)

VERY VERY NICE!!!!  

What's the tin vessle in the background of the lathe image that looks like a still?


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## CalgaryPT (Mar 12, 2020)

If it is a still, I’m going to need a shop tour for a better  drink   look.


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## Kelly McLaughlin (Mar 12, 2020)

Settle down you two, it's nada still! It's a pressure washer fume hood...... I think hic : )


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## trlvn (Mar 13, 2020)

Looks awesome!  What are you using to power the lathe?  Is that a reversing switch on top?

Craig


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## Hruul (Mar 13, 2020)

Looks awesome!!  Where do you get the felt for the wipers from?  I am looking to replace the wipers on my lathe.


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## Kelly McLaughlin (Mar 13, 2020)

Hi Craig. It's a 3/4 hp 110 motor and yes thats a reversing switch, I'm having a face plate made because the supplied one had REV to the front and thats just wrong : ) They came with an on off but offered a reversing switch as an option. I think it should have been standard. It was disconnected on my Standard Modern and it made me crazy : ) so I made it function on mine some time ago and I wouldn't be without it. people seem to be leary of the threaded spindle but with reasonable care it isn't an issue.

I made the wipers from bulk felt I got from a fabric store along with the 1/2 inch felt wicks in the Headstock oilers, the rubber wipers that go in the same plate need to be modified, the way Atlas assembled them, at least the ones on this lathe, the rubber wiper blocks the oil port so the felt can't get any oil. Cut a small notch in the wiper directly below the port so the oil can travel to the felt. Don't over tighten them as well as it crushes the felt to the point it where it can't wick oil to the bed, as with so many things I found on this lathe the designers had some simple elegant solutions but in production things got messed up or the bean counters were responsible, I'll never know.


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## trlvn (Mar 13, 2020)

Did the reversing switch come with the lathe or did you buy it somewhere.  I'm toying with the idea of enabling my mill to run in reverse but it is a 1.5 HP motor.  I think there are suitably-rated drum switches but they seem to be pretty expensive.  Especially for a function that I think I'd only use infrequently.

Craig


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## Kelly McLaughlin (Mar 13, 2020)

Hi Craig! I got it from princess auto it's rated for 15A. I didn't want the vertical switch with the lever because of where i wanted to mount it. so I looked till I found this one, it is nicely made and was around 35.00.


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## trlvn (Mar 13, 2020)

Ah, appears you are using this one?

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/1-hp-electric-motor-reversing-switch/A-p8000790e

And rated for up to 230 volts @ 15 A for $35.  That is a possibility.

Thanks,

Craig in Oakville


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## PeterT (Mar 13, 2020)

Some nice ideas there, Kelly! I like your drawer system too, good utilization of space & swarf proof. I try to keep minimal tools in my chip tray area, things like chuck keys, wrenches for tool post etc. But the downside is everything else, especially measuring devices & tooling accessories is 'somewhere else' a few steps away. Under my lathe is basically dead air space. I keep looking at mechanics drawer toolboxes but they aren't exactly cheap & basically you have to work with whatever drawer sizes & unit dimensions they come in.

Similarly, my cheapo 1990 vintage Ikea cabinet bases under my work bench are seriously falling part. I guess they were never intended to carry 60 pounds of pliers & screwdrivers with the proverbial 1 hex key assembly insert. I went looking at some pre-fab cabinet bases/kits at big box stores & cabinet suppliers & was rather shocked at the cost of entry level units these days. But OTOH a sheet of plywood & building supplies seems to be on the same price trend & probably represents 1/2 the cost in material alone. I wont do anything till summertime but maybe a solution like yours is the way to go.


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## boatbuilder (Mar 13, 2020)

Great work. Lathe and bench look superb.


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## Kelly McLaughlin (Mar 13, 2020)

Hi Craig, yes thats correct. I wired it so forward was to the right and had a new switch plate made for it. 
Hi Peter! I adopted Tom Liptons' chuck key holder, a tube mounted on the headstock so it's not laying loose. The work surface, the top left drawer was to keep mic's drill bits etc away rom the rotating tool area during a job. Most of the ideas came from a need, I tend to work quickly and like things to be solid yet at hand. like the Indicator stand, there's a 1/8th plate on the shelf for the mag base so the indicators can't fall. There's a lengthy explanation in the Kijiji Ad which explains a lot of the mods if you're interested.


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## YYCHM (Mar 13, 2020)

What Kijiji Ad?


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## Kelly McLaughlin (Mar 13, 2020)

The one for my lathe : ) 

Ad ID 1492231153


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## YYCHM (Mar 13, 2020)

Kelly McLaughlin said:


> The one for my lathe : )
> 
> Ad ID 1492231153



https://www.kijiji.ca/v-power-tool/...m-bench/1492231153?sort=relevancyDesc&dc=true


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## Marc Moreau (Mar 13, 2020)

Kelly McLaughlin said:


> Hi Folks! This one has kept me busy for a while. built the bench in November and started on the lathe in December but only got a few days in there. I added some upgrades like the brass half nuts and the oil channels on the compound and cross slide that are lubed by ball oilers I have a couple of small details like a switch plate and the carriage wiper felts but pretty much there. The bench has a cam mechanism to lower it on to the levelers or raise it on the casters to move it around for cleaning or repositioning.


Very nice Good job


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## Janger (Mar 14, 2020)

The cam wheel lift is very interesting. I don't quite follow what the springs do? keep the wheels up off the floor when the feet are engaged? How are you keeping the cams from slipping on the shaft when lifting the wheels? Did you weld the lift bolt to the shaft? How hard is turning the nut to lift the wheels? Is the cam greased? Nice Kelly - really nice.


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## Kelly McLaughlin (Mar 14, 2020)

Thanks John. Holy Questions Batman : ) The springs just act as a return and keep the wheel assy from rattling when in the retracted position. So you are pushing agains the springs to deploy or lower the wheels they are just heavy enough to do the job. The cams are located on the shafts with countersunk 3/8 - 16 flat allen head bolts / screws. I used some 1 1/8 hex 12L14 to make 1/2 - 13 bolts that thread into the end of the shaft They have an index mark that is straight up for up and down for down. you always turn clockwise as they were RH thread. I made the wrench about 12 inches long and it's easy to use I doubt it requires 15 ft lbs to lift the assy which is around 650 lbs loaded. yes the cams have a light coating of synthetic grease. The wrench hangs on a pin on the RH end of the bench, I thought you could see it better in the ad but it's hard to see.  Here's a pic of the wrench in place. I've had the mechanism plan in the back of my mind for a number of years so I thought I'd try it on this. I'd use it again, it works well. I was surprised at what it cost though the materials were just under 200.00 so it's a bit pricey but I thought the novelty was worth it. : )


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