# ThirtyOne Driver's projects



## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 23, 2022)

Posts to the "Intros" forum and my 7 page thread keep bumping other new member's posts and I'd like to stop doing that.  My intent is to continue that thread here and keep my projects and the related questions in one spot.

Of course, I'm still a "Cambridge - machinist newb" so feel free to jump in and help me learn - I'll try to be as transparent as I can with my ideas and how I'm thinking about doing something that I'm not 100% confident about and hopefully experience and knowledge from the forum members will reduce mistakes/improve my efficiency.

Thank you to everyone for their assistance and support; it has a distinct impact on how quickly I'm learning, the costs of my tooling, and my ability to complete tasks.

Older thread:








						Cambridge - machinist newb
					

Another thing I missed dropping off the thread like I did....... There is no T-slot. Gunna have to re-read the whole thread I think.




					canadianhobbymetalworkers.com
				




My *to do* list:


ThirtyOneDriver said:


> This being buried on the fourth/fifth page of an intro is convenient for me - there could be other places to post it, but I'd rather not start any new threads.
> 
> Again, so very thankful to have found this group of people - I've needed someone(s) to bounce ideas off of, to share my success and share my fails with.  If you haven't caught on yet - staying focused is a challenge for me, I'm either struggling or super super engaged to the point where I'm forgetting to eat and the back injury makes it really hard to get in the state of 'hyper focus'.
> I've been planning on building a shop to build racecars in for at least 24 years and am finally getting to do it - that also means I have 24 years of ideas/plans/goals to work through.  I've written all of these out for myself previously and it's been cool to see how accurate some of the accomplishments have been a few years later having completely forgotten that I had previously planned/researched (the lathe an milling machine I bought were the same ones I hypothetically decided on in 2017).
> ...


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## Susquatch (Jan 23, 2022)

I think it's a great idea to move your content so as not to interfere with other new members intros. Many new users are not familiar with forums let alone this one. 

I really really like the pin based template maker - very cool use of pins for custom fitting parts. Commonly used for 2D, but there are lots of 3D applications too.

Ok, I think I get the idea of what you want to do. But I'm still not convinced that this is best done on a lathe. 

I know your job timing often puts constraints on your time. But it seems to me that some kind of adjustable 3D articulating pipe holder would be like manna from heaven for your needs. But I've never seen one. In other words, i think you need to design and fabricate a custom fixture of your own.

I'm also guessing that the biggest problem with such a fixture is the need to hold long pipes......


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## Chicken lights (Jan 23, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> I think it's a great idea to move your content so as not to interfere with other new members intros. Many new users are not familiar with forums let alone this one.
> 
> I really really like the pin based template maker - very cool use of pins for custom fitting parts. Commonly used for 2D, but there are lots of 3D applications too.
> 
> ...


https://www.baileigh.com/metalworking/notchers/tube-pipe-notchers
Baleigh has a few notchers 

https://www.eastwood.com/professional-tubing-notcher.html
Eastwood does too 

From what little I know of cage work, it’s fussy work.


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## Susquatch (Jan 23, 2022)

Excellent find @Chicken lights !  Lotta choices! Some are so new that they are still patented.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 23, 2022)

Thanks for pointing those out @Chicken lights - I actually sold the style that Eastwood copied after I used my mill and annular cutter for the first time.  The next "jump" for me would be to get something like this from Baileigh (or Mittler Bros, or, or, or) https://www.baileigh.com/pipe-notcher-tn-300.

I wouldn't have thought of calling tube notching for cages "fussy" but you're right, that's exactly what it is.  One needs patience, but the mill/annular cutter setup made it so much easier.  Until then, I had decided to get all my tubes CNC bent and notched by a local company because the traditional bi-metal hole saws don't last very long whenever notches need to made that aren't 90°.  My consumable cost for the hole saws was about the same as outsourcing.

The mill/annular cutter make having a manual machine in the shop essential; the decision making and weighing the value of going to/getting a second CNC milling machine is complicated and has many layers.  Affording it isn't a big deal, BUT that money comes directly out of my racing/race car budget so it could create a delay in when I complete the car/what level/class/division I can afford on the car building side and therefore the level of competition or my ability to be competitive.  It just gives me a lot to think about when making choices.


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## Susquatch (Jan 23, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> Thanks for pointing those out @Chicken lights - I actually sold the style that Eastwood copied after I used my mill and annular cutter for the first time.  The next "jump" for me would be to get something like this from Baileigh (or Mittler Bros, or, or, or) https://www.baileigh.com/pipe-notcher-tn-300.
> 
> I wouldn't have thought of calling tube notching for cages "fussy" but you're right, that's exactly what it is.  One needs patience, but the mill/annular cutter setup made it so much easier.  Until then, I had decided to get all my tubes CNC bent and notched by a local company because the traditional bi-metal hole saws don't last very long whenever notches need to made that aren't 90°.  My consumable cost for the hole saws was about the same as outsourcing.
> 
> The mill/annular cutter make having a manual machine in the shop essential; the decision making and weighing the value of going to/getting a second CNC milling machine is complicated and has many layers.  Affording it isn't a big deal, BUT that money comes directly out of my racing/race car budget so it could create a delay in when I complete the car/what level/class/division I can afford on the car building side and therefore the level of competition or my ability to be competitive.  It just gives me a lot to think about when making choices.



Now I see why you might be thinking lathe. 

But just flip that machine 90 degrees counter clockwise and it's a mill. Now add a vise that rotates like that one and you are "off to the races" with 3500 still in your pocket! 

So the trick is to find or make that vise and hope it doesn't cost 3500 bucks!


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 23, 2022)

Homemade "helicoil" to repair a blind hole that had a broken bolt and then an extractor broken off inside of it.  This is a friend's ice racing car (like $500 junker) - he can only work on it at my place on the weekends and he needs to have it up in Minden next weekend.

*Good enough for the girls I date... *sometimes you can't be perfect.


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## Susquatch (Jan 23, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> Homemade "helicoil" to repair a blind hole that had a broken bolt and then an extractor broken off inside of it.



Wow!  I'm impressed! Not sure I would have tackled that one! 

For bolts and extractors that get broken off in a blind hole, nothing beats edm. But that's not always an available choice.


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## Six O Two (Jan 24, 2022)

Is there a reason you don't want to keep using the mill for notching?

In the custom bicycle world, most folks notch their (thin wall cro-moly) tubes in their mill using holesaws mounted on ridgid arbors. the tubes are held in tubing blocks or adjustable tubing blocks which are held in vise on the mill. A digital angle finder is used to figure out the angle. That way, you can keep the mill head at 90deg. Though with your small mill, you might run out of z-axis room.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 25, 2022)

The tubing blocks/adjustable tubing blocks are the ticket Marco - I wasn't aware they existed but now that I see them those are what I need to build/buy at some point soon.  I had a visitor in the shop today that warned me that once I trammed my mill head that I wouldn't likely want to use the tilt mechanism unless it was really needed.  The z-axis space is 15" when the mill head is fully raised.





There was a bunch of learning done today - I got a really good run through on the lathe and have a game plan for some short-term improvements.  Because I have a CX709"x", I went to do a demonstration of how the motor doesn't like to be turned at 1650 rpm (highest of the 12 possible speeds) and the first time the lathe did it's typical thing where the motor does this "bucking" thing... and then I let it warm-up on 800 rpm for a minute or two and went back to 1650 and it spun up fine.

I came across an American Army publication that answers many of my newb questions - I wish I had seen it earlier.  https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/tc9_524.pdf

There were several tools that showed up on the front door step this evening; lathe boring bar turning tool holders w/ carbide inserts, 3/8" HSS tool bit set, universal indicator holder, thread pitch gauge set, feeler gauge set, lathe tool holder w/ the round carbide insert, and some other small stuff.  I'm excited to try the HSS tools out.


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## Six O Two (Jan 26, 2022)

Six O Two said:


> ...Though with your small mill, you might run out of z-axis room.



I could have been clearer there. You _might _run out of room if you need to make a cut at a very acute angle, or if there's a lot of tubes already coming together above or below where you want to notch. Sometimes you need a long arbor to reach past obstacles, which also eats up z height. Otherwise, you've got plenty of room.



ThirtyOneDriver said:


> now that I see them those are what I need to build/buy at some point soon.


I've made some, and they're a super fun little project. But having said that (and without remembering what their Canadian shipping is like), the Paragon Machine Works ones are super affordable.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 27, 2022)

Propane is being hooked up so I'll have heat in the shop soon.

Lathe is getting some attention - trying to give a good clean (partially disassembled), change the oil to hydraulic and flush the oilers(?) of 75w90 w/ *Way* oil that's been provided to me (much appreciated to the forum member that helped out).

I'm following (what I can grasp) the VFD conversation - it's peaked my curiosity as a future method to increase motor capability/size/power for my machines/open up the possibility of buying 3ph machinery - it would be nice to replace my NEMA 66(?) motor on my drill press because the drill press was intended for wood working and I do metal work (and therefore, it turns too many RPM) - the CX611 milling machine "replaces" the drill press but something w/ less setup required and is friendlier for my friends to use while they're over working on stuff is also has benefits.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 27, 2022)

Also designed a rough version of a "stand" or base for the lathe last night w/ room to install an older Gray tool box (similar to the Craftsman in the pic) that I have kicking around.  I didn't set my tool boxes up for all of the machining tools that have started flowing into the shop.

*And then, I measured where the lathe center height would be... *there's not enough room for that tool box under the lathe...   I saw others use the intermediate/middle boxes and I think I will likely need to follow suit.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 27, 2022)

I'm thinking of putting two of these under the lathe instead - rough planning puts the Lathe Center Height at about 38".  I think that should be fine as I've been building my workbenches for 38-43" for more than a decade.  





*CX709"x" progress *- performed the oil change using Universal Tractor Fluid which definitely is thinner than what was in the machine. It took me a bit to figure out where the drain plug was and I'm wishing I had some sort of spout to help get the oil from the drain plug outside of the end cover and into a drain pain. Taking into consideration someone else's comment on their oil sight needing some improvement, cleaned it up and removed a little plastic divider thing that was inside of it. 

Without the 3-jaw chuck installed, the motor could turn the spindle at 1650 rpm but it took a little effort to get going - fluid being warmed up also helped a touch.  When I installed the 3-jaw the motor stumbled and did it's bucking thing until the breaker tripped.  I reran it in a lower speed for a couple of minutes and re-attempted to run it at 1650 rpm... it ran... it took a noticeable amount of effort to spin up the spindle to speed.  I'll continue to work around it but can see potential issues if I need to turn more than 850 rpm/there's load from the tool/work.

*The motor is lacking power/torque.*


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## YotaBota (Jan 27, 2022)

If you kept the big toolbox on wheels you could build a wood platform 5"-6" high and still open the bottom drawers. This should get you closer to the center height and the wood also insulates you from the concrete floor.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 27, 2022)

@YotaBota - I think it'd still be too high w/o wheels and on the ground (my goal is to have threaded feet so I can use them to level the stand) - the toolbox that I have (there's two other narrower ones that I could also use, or sell) is 37 1/2" tall so the center height of the lathe would still be 53" high.  I think I'll put this larger one that I have under a different work bench that I plan on building.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 28, 2022)

QCTP is installed although there will be some modifications and improvements made in the near future - thanks for the help.

Way oil on the ways instead of 75w90 works WAY MUCH BETTERER!  *grammar mistakes are on purpose, that's how much of an improvement it is*


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## Tom O (Jan 28, 2022)

My turn https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08D52916N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1


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## Susquatch (Jan 28, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> *CX709"x" progress *- performed the oil change using Universal Tractor Fluid which definitely is thinner than what was in the machine. It took me a bit to figure out where the drain plug was and I'm wishing I had some sort of spout to help get the oil from the drain plug outside of the end cover and into a drain pain. Taking into consideration someone else's comment on their oil sight needing some improvement, cleaned it up and removed a little plastic divider thing that was inside of it.
> 
> Without the 3-jaw chuck installed, the motor could turn the spindle at 1650 rpm but it took a little effort to get going - fluid being warmed up also helped a touch. When I installed the 3-jaw the motor stumbled and did it's bucking thing until the breaker tripped. I reran it in a lower speed for a couple of minutes and re-attempted to run it at 1650 rpm... it ran... it took a noticeable amount of effort to spin up the spindle to speed. I'll continue to work around it but can see potential issues if I need to turn more than 850 rpm/there's load from the tool/work.
> 
> *The motor is lacking power/torque.*



This is a big disappointment. I had high hopes for the lighter oil. 

It might be worth letting it run a while to give the lighter oil a chance to find its way into all the bearings and sleeves. 

But all in all, I am coming to the view that BB built those lathes with inadequate motors for the high speeds. Such a shame. 

But not the end of the world. It's still a really nice lathe for the money they wanted for them. On the surface, it looks like they work just fine on the lower speed range. I mostly use lower speeds myself anyway. And who knows, maybe when your shop warms up it will be better. 

I'm also guessing that it's only a matter of time before someone does the due diligence and comes up with the ideal motor replacement.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Jan 28, 2022)

@Tom O - do you have the same lathe?  Which QCTP are you going to use?  I have a BXA on mine but an AXA would likely work a lot better.

With the shop heat on now @Susquatch , and spinning the lathe at 800 rpm for a couple of minutes, I can get the lathe to run at 1650.  I should take a video of how long it takes to get "wound" up; it's not like 5 minutes or anything, but it is a noticeable amount of time.


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## Tom O (Jan 29, 2022)

I’ll put it on the Microcut 1440 I got the CXA size because I have 3/4“ and 1” tooling and like usual I’ll have to fit the anchor plate.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 1, 2022)

The ice racing car is finally out of the shop and I now have my third bay back - I need to do some major shuffling of things around while I have the space.

Next big goal is to build the stand for the lathe.  Unfortunately, I missed the sale on the tool boxes I was originally planning for so I need to amend my plans slightly/do without tool storage for the time being.

What's "too high" for a lathe center height?  48"... 50"?  I'm 5'11" (71") and don't enjoy being stooped over.  Feed handles are ~10" below the lathe center height.  Standing straight up w/ my elbow bent at 90°, my hand is at a 39" height.


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## thestelster (Feb 1, 2022)

My lathe centerline height is 46" off the cement floor.  But I made a wooden platform, (for height, but also for comfort, anti-fatigue) for me to sand on which is about 4.5" tall.  This height works pretty well for me, I'm 5'7".  With a slight bend at the waist I can look directly down onto the tool bit.  So make sure you take a platform in consideration before you make your lathe stand.


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## Susquatch (Feb 1, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> I'm thinking of putting two of these under the lathe instead - rough planning puts the Lathe Center Height at about 38". I think that should be fine as I've been building my workbenches for 38-43" for more than a decade.


I'm not sure that is a good idea. To use it to its best, the lathe needs to levelled and aligned. Putting it on tool chests may not be a very solid way to do that. I guess it would depend on how rigid the tool chests are and of course you would have to take the wheels off.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 2, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> I'm not sure that is a good idea. To use it to its best, the lathe needs to levelled and aligned. Putting it on tool chests may not be a very solid way to do that. I guess it would depend on how rigid the tool chests are and of course you would have to take the wheels off.


Definitely would take the wheels off... the tool boxes would slide into a 2" x 2" x 0.100" frame that will be built to support and level the lathe (leveling feet).  With the intent of putting the lathe and milling machine side-by-side, the extra machining related tools would have somewhere to go.  I currently have three tool boxes too many on the shop floor and any of them (+ the 2x2 frame to support the lathe, the 2x2 frame to support the toolbox(es), and space for levelling feet) would put the lathe center height just too high. 

I think there's a Kitchener member that did similar to what I would like to do - I've got to run so I won't be able to look for his post until late this morning.


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## Susquatch (Feb 2, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> Definitely would take the wheels off... the tool boxes would slide into a 2" x 2" x 0.100" frame that will be built to support and level the lathe (leveling feet).  With the intent of putting the lathe and milling machine side-by-side, the extra machining related tools would have somewhere to go.  I currently have three tool boxes too many on the shop floor and any of them (+ the 2x2 frame to support the lathe, the 2x2 frame to support the toolbox(es), and space for levelling feet) would put the lathe center height just too high.
> 
> I think there's a Kitchener member that did similar to what I would like to do - I've got to run so I won't be able to look for his post until late this morning.



I dunno how your lathe is levelled. Best to read your manual or get input from a machinist who owns that same lathe or a similar one. 

Mine has 6 levelling feet one on each outboard corner of the lathe itself and two at the joint between the head and the bed. It's these two center levelling feet that get forgotten or improperly adjusted. 

While some may disagree, I believe the levelling process is much more about aligning the spindle with the bed and making sure that the bed is not twisted than it is about actual levelling. For most lathes, this requires three pairs of levelling feet and a very meticulous alignment process.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 2, 2022)

Similar to this one... but add-in a center set of feet/support.

My lathe sits directly on the Busy Bee stands; the stands have spots to put levelling feet in but I haven't done it yet.  

The planning process around this project is aimed at the tool storage portion of the solution although I intend on taking steps to ensure that the lathe can be levelled/aligned (as part of the process/planning) when it's installed.

(photo courtesy of @SomeGuy and his project)


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 2, 2022)

Considering these - the Craftsman is only 12" deep but I could build a frame/stand large enough to put a pair side-by-side; the Mastercraft is wide enough that I wouldn't do that. Craftsman is taller (27.xx" vs. 21.xx").

The flip up tops would be removed at the hinge and what would be used as the top tool storage area would be open to access (I would place the tool box in the bench lower than the top crossmember).


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## Susquatch (Feb 2, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> My lathe sits directly on the Busy Bee stands; the stands have spots to put levelling feet in but I haven't done it yet.



I downloaded the manual for your lathe and had a good look.

It appears that there is no convenient way to align the spindle with the bed. About all you can do is take any twist out. I suppose if you tested it and found that it was way out you could use shims.

In any event, the bed appears to be a one piece affair with just four bolts to tie it down to the stand - one at each corner.

As long as your stand is stiff and sturdy it will probably be better that the original stand.

Can you take your chip tray off and use it with your new stand?


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## SomeGuy (Feb 2, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> Similar to this one... but add-in a center set of feet/support.
> 
> My lathe sits directly on the Busy Bee stands; the stands have spots to put levelling feet in but I haven't done it yet.
> 
> ...



I highly doubt a center support would have done anything with my stand. I haven't done the math, but I suspect you could sit a few thousand pounds dead center on this thing with almost zero deflection. 

When it comes to leveling, I've leveled the stand itself in space but the second step would be shims under the 6 bolts that hold the lathe to the top to get it bang on accurate.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 2, 2022)

Yes @Susquatch the chip tray can be removed and reused on the "new" stand.

Didn't intend on saying your stand needed the center legs @SomeGuy - I was just referencing the build and what my plan was.

I'm off to Lowes to pick up a couple of tool boxes before I lose out on another sale...


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## Susquatch (Feb 2, 2022)

SomeGuy said:


> I highly doubt a center support would have done anything with my stand. I haven't done the math, but I suspect you could sit a few thousand pounds dead center on this thing with almost zero deflection.
> 
> When it comes to leveling, I've leveled the stand itself in space but the second step would be shims under the 6 bolts that hold the lathe to the top to get it bang on accurate.



Frankly, I think you would be shocked to discover how much several thousand pounds would distort your lathe and your stand...... 

That said, I doubt your lathe will ever see several thousand pounds. At most a hundred pounds or so. 

We tend to think of big steel or cast iron things as though they are the rock of Gibraltar. But they obey the simple laws of science just like everything else. Any force, no matter how small, will distort any metal, no matter how big, to some degree. It isn't if, it's only how much. For most applications it isn't enough to worry about!

I'm not inclined to worry about @ThirtyOneDriver s lathe given that there is no practical way to align it anyway. 

If yours has 6 Bolts, and you do any significant precision work, it might be worth doing though. If nothing else, it would be good to know how much it is out (if any).


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## PeterT (Feb 2, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> I downloaded the manual for your lathe and had a good look.
> It appears that there is no convenient way to align the spindle with the bed. About all you can do is take any twist out. I suppose if you tested it and found that it was way out you could use shims.



I cant say for sure but this topic arises a lot. The CX709 manual doesn't make reference to headstock adjustability, but that could be a function of the document shortcomings, not the machine. Most of the Asian lathes with attached headstocks have set screws or similar to set the HS casting yaw & thus spindle alignment to bed. That's supposed to be dialed in when it leaves the factory., but nothing saying it cant go out of adjustment. Sometimes the adjusting screws are omitted on the documents, sometimes they just show as a spec of fly sh*t with no reference. Best to have a look at the machine. You'll typically find them in the most inaccessible locations LOL. Beware - loosening & breathing on them is enough to displace the spindle. And before commencing you need to have an appropriate test bar to see what you are doing. And yes, a tiny headstock/spindle misalignment typically trumps lathe bed twist by a long shot, so this needs to be verified first. If your HS is pointing out 1-deg & the bed is compensate twisted  in 1-deg, you now have 2 competing issues instead of zero. For machines with integrally cast headstock/lathe bed, this HS adjustment option isn't available, which is probably where most of the well intended but incorrect advice comes from. In that case, adjusting lathe twist (loosely called levelling) is the only card to play. Levelling is a bad term in this application. There is little harm running a lathe slightly non-level. Twist is another matter.


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## SomeGuy (Feb 2, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> Frankly, I think you would be shocked to discover how much several thousand pounds would distort your lathe and your stand......
> 
> That said, I doubt your lathe will ever see several thousand pounds. At most a hundred pounds or so.
> 
> ...



There's no doubt it would move things, heck, there was bounce when I was carrying the 24 foot long sticks of 2" tube I used...but as a structure, it's stiff. 

Just using some simple deflection calculators, a couple thousand pounds on center point should only deflect about 15 thou, but that's not taking into account any of the structure (I have some triangulation in the back for instance) so it's likely less.

With a 500lb hobby machine, there's diminishing returns in trying to make an insane structure. If I had gone thicker tube or another cross piece or filled the tubes with concrete, would I get a better finished part or would it be easier to make? Probably not, the lathe itself (spindle bearings, tool post deflection, how flat the ways are, etc.) would play a bigger role.


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## Susquatch (Feb 2, 2022)

SomeGuy said:


> There's no doubt it would move things, heck, there was bounce when I was carrying the 24 foot long sticks of 2" tube I used...but as a structure, it's stiff.
> 
> Just using some simple deflection calculators, a couple thousand pounds on center point should only deflect about 15 thou, but that's not taking into account any of the structure (I have some triangulation in the back for instance) so it's likely less.
> 
> With a 500lb hobby machine, there's diminishing returns in trying to make an insane structure. If I had gone thicker tube or another cross piece or filled the tubes with concrete, would I get a better finished part or would it be easier to make? Probably not, the lathe itself (spindle bearings, tool post deflection, how flat the ways are, etc.) would play a bigger role.



That sounds more reasonable to me. Except I wouldn't call 15 thou "only 15 thou". LOL! 

I totally agree with your value proposition. It's just not worth going crazy over.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 2, 2022)

Speaking of value... those Craftsman toolboxes I picked up for $140 ea aren't anything to write home about, but I think they'll get the job done.

@PeterT - I'll try to take a better look when I have a chance... IIRC the CX709 manual references the source company in the first para. - hopefully I can turn that into a better set of instructions and if not I'll have more questions (I'll try to have photos when I ask them).


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## Susquatch (Feb 2, 2022)

ThirtyOneDriver said:


> IIRC the CX709 manual references the source company in the first para. - hopefully I can turn that into a better set of instructions and if not I'll have more questions (I'll try to have photos when I ask them).



Yup, top of page 3 says:

"*BL330E  PRECISION  GEAR HEAD  LATHE As  part  of  the growing line of metalworking equipment,  we  are  proud  to offer the BL330E  Metal Lathe. The  name guarantees  ANHUI PAN-SINO. By following the instructions and procedures laid out in this owner’s manual, you will receive years of excellent service  and satisfaction. The BL330E is a professional tool and like  all power tools, proper care and safety procedures should be  adhered to*."

Since the manual directly calls out the lathe maker, I'm not sure you will find better instructions elsewhere. These are probably the makers own instructions. But worth a shot anyway!


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 2, 2022)

I went through a bunch of different instructions for it and you're correct @Susquatch, those are the "best" ones although I think that BB dropped a couple of pages off the back that are helpful (diagrams and parts lists for tail stock among other things).  The closest thing I could find to adjusting the headstock was this little blurb.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 7, 2022)

*Welding*
Carry over from the *Classifieds* where I was contemplating selling my Precision TIG 225 (Lincoln Electric, almost everything in my shop related to welding is LE due to a past relationship w/ the company) (https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.c...precision-tig-welding-machine.4654/post-65795).

I need a MIG - I'm returning my long-term loaners (a pair of the retail 180 MIG) to their owners.  The 180C, 256 and 260 are on my short list; I'm heavily favouring the 260 but haven't made a decision/commitment yet.

*Machining*
I got some practice on both machines.  There's a chance that I have previously bent the spindle and will be trying the tramming/squaring methods previously discussed here when I have a chance to sit down and give that my full attention/concentration.  When I do that, I'll need to figure out if I created a problem in the past when something jammed really violently (before I was a member of this group, when I was first 'trying' things) or if the table is truly not square to the head.

How'd I get that notion?  The end mill I was using this past weekend seemed to have a shake/imbalance to it - both the end mill and the collet were new, unused and I know I jammed the machine hard enough that I already had concerns.  I'll have someone with more experience look at it when they have an opportunity to confirm my suspicions/diagnosis.

*Projects Overall*
With the absence of the ice-racing car, I've been focusing on organization, cleaning and other housekeeping.  I've completed small projects that develop/freshen skills while using materials I already have and create 'homes' for tools and objects.  The machining stuff has been transferred into the Craftsman tool boxes I bought last week, I repaired a MIG 180T (new control board, freshened everything up and got it ready to return to my Dad, so... tip-top shape), freshened the other 180T and packed it up for my buddy (as well as his 175 Squarewave he brought by for practice/lessons), diagnosed a bad bottle of Argon and switched it out, relocated and freshened my 225 TIG, built some brackets... etc. etc. etc.  Now that I have heat, it's been easier to put in more hours even if they're not fully productive hours.  "Piddling" still gets stuff put away and better organized.
*Current short list: *lathe center height reference gauge (@Susquatch designated project), lathe QCTP mounting bolt, 2"x2" frame/stand for lathe and Craftsman tool boxes, much more "piddling" ... text that just came in may prioritize moving my chassis jig and whatever I need to modify on it to facilitate that... sounds like my chassis is ready to be delivered.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Feb 7, 2022)

Had a hand determining if I bent the spindle today and the dial indicator result determined that the spindle is straight.

Set-up and tried the english wheel in the late afternoon (small Craftex one) and found it pretty interesting.  The setup I have may be good enough for fenders that I've been bead rolling, piecing together, and hammer and dolly forming in the past.

Before anyone picks on the craftsmanship of certain parts of that car - the owner did a bunch of work before giving up on it and dropping it off and I wasn't going to redo certain parts of it.  Also, keep in mind that the body/fender is likely to look good only until the driver hits his first car... this guy typically does that before the green flag flies.


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## ThirtyOneDriver (Apr 28, 2022)

I've been hiding from the internet since about Valentine's Day - may start accessing this more often again.


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## Tecnico (Apr 29, 2022)

Hey, you're back.  I was starting to wonder if you had gotten a black flag!

D


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