Harbor Freight 7x12 Mini-Lathe

[EdK]

It's starting to look like a lathe again. First chips should be tomorrow.

Ed

   

[Highpower]

Lose the socket head cap screws on the crank handles and replace them with button head hex drive screws. Your knuckles can thank me later.  

[EdK]

(06-13-2021, 08:10 AM)Highpower Wrote: Lose the socket head cap screws on the crank handles and replace them with button head hex drive screws. Your knuckles can thank me later.  

Yup, on my list.

Ed

[EdK]

First chips have been produced. It's going to take some getting used to after having a 14x40 lathe.  

Ed

   

[Vinny]

Holy crap! Ed's machine's dirty! It's been swarfed!

[EdK]

(06-13-2021, 07:15 PM)Vinny Wrote: Holy crap!  Ed's machine's dirty!  It's been swarfed!

I thought of cleaning it up before I took the picture but then there would have been no proof that I actually used it.

Ed

[Highpower]

(06-13-2021, 07:15 PM)Vinny Wrote: Holy crap!  Ed's machine's dirty!  It's been swarfed!

I'll bet it didn't stay that way for long though.

Ed, how did the headstock / tailstock alignment check out? I seem to remember having to scrape the v-way of the headstock on mine a little because it was out of line with the bed by a couple of thousandths.

[EdK]

(06-13-2021, 10:56 PM)Highpower Wrote:

(06-13-2021, 07:15 PM)Vinny Wrote: Holy crap!  Ed's machine's dirty!  It's been swarfed!

I'll bet it didn't stay that way for long though.  

Ed, how did the headstock / tailstock alignment check out? I seem to remember having to scrape the v-way of the headstock on mine a little because it was out of line with the bed by a couple of thousandths.

Considering I had taken apart the tailstock to clean it, when I reassembled it I put a dead center in the headstock and tailstock to see how close they were aligned, I couldn't believe how close they where so I left well enough alone.

It sure is nice to be making chips again.

Ed

[EdK]

I have to cut some M10-1.5 threads in some 1215 steel for a new QCTP mounting stud. I bought a 1ft piece of 10mm stock from McMaster and was going to cheat and use a die to cut the threads but I couldn't find one at a cost I was willing to pay. So I decided to bite the bullet and cut the threads using my mini lathe. I set up the gears for the 1.5 thread and powered on the lathe. It made too much noise for my liking so I investigated the source and found two gears rubbing. I needed to make a spacer to make some room between them to prevent the rubbing. I had a 1/4" oversize flat washer that was the perfect OD and thickness, I just needed to enlarge the ID to 12mm.

I filed some round notches on the washer so I could screw it down to a piece of wood for drilling it out. Worked good. Then I filed a square notch in the ID for the key.

Put it together and no more noise and the spacer also fixed the alignment issue with the mating gear. But then I noticed the screw holding the gears on was coming loose. I tried re-tightening it and running it again but same problem. WTF!

The screw needs to be able to be tightened right up to the end of the shaft the gears mount to and when I added the spacer it pushed the gear out slightly past the end of the shaft. So I needed to make another spacer. I found an oversized #4 flat washer that was the perfect OD and thickness. I just needed to drill out the ID so the screw could pass through it. Got that done and now I can tighten the screw to the end of the shaft and it stays tight.

All ready to cut some M10 threads after lunch.  

Ed

Gears rubbing and gear offset:

         

Spacer work:

         

   

Gear rubbing and offset fixed:

         

Shaft end spacer (prior to being drilled out):