Setting Up The Mini Lathe Cross Slide. Episode 11.

[@TigerCarpenter]

Very well explained with details. Great video! My saddle was travelling at an angle of 1-2 degrees, therefore faced round stock was like a flat cone. Adjustment of gib couldn't fix it, so I had to file the left reference dovetail of the saddle to be 90 degrees to ways, and parallel to the chuck face. It took me many hours of filing, reassembling, testing, filing again. I could see I was going in the right direction but didn't want to overshoot. It works beautifully now. I'm now making cross slide angle lock, using large cylindrical dovetail, which would be pushed up by 2 external bolts, hence ne need to slidre it all the way back to adjust and lock the angle.

[@bitsindustries9848]

Brother, how had I not stumbled across any of your videos in the past? Yet YT autoplay took me randomly from Slipknot "All out life" to this video.. And I just so happened to be engaged in an all out war with my MX-600A at the time. And I must admit, it was kicking me in the dick! A massive thanks for taking the time to share these adjustments. You have reassured me, and many others I'd assume, that with a little patience, carrying out these steps which seem logical, though horribly tedious, will actually be worth the effort. Great work mate. You have a new sub👍

[@TheAussieShed]

Thats a crackup, shows how crazy the algorithm is. I'm a bit of a Slipknot Fan to. I guess it thinks we would watch the same stuff. Cheers Mate.

[@charlesbowen3944]

Great video as always you gotta love fine Chinese craftsmanship

[@TheAussieShed]

Very True, Cheers Mate.

[@wgh011]

Hiya from the UK, superb review/show how and fix of this lathe. Its got the potential to be a superb lathe and with these fixes and upgrades it realises its full potential....... all be it with your massive time and input. I now have the lathe I wanted at a price I could afford, very accurate (0.01) and fitting in the space I have. Fantastic work 'mate' no pun. Best on here, keep us all updated....... Maybe fitting a rpm readout? Mine doesn't have one.. Cheers

[@johnwettroth4060]

I've watched this whole series. I really enjoyed it all- love the accent. I guess this is all the care that goes into a Hardinge at the factory and why they cost what they do. There is something very satisfying about putting work and good observations into something and make it really great. My only question is it hard enough that it's stable and stays perfect. Great work.

[@TheAussieShed]

G'day John, I guess time will tell. It has been getting a fair bit of use in the Aussie Shed making bits & pieces for the various projects. So far..... very happy with it. Cheers Mate.

[@HansFormerlyTraffer]

Dude, you are awesome. My lathe is coming apart and going to get rebuilt correctly.

[@عبدالمجيد-ث7ع]

Thank you for your videos

[@TheAussieShed]

Cheers Mate.

[@aros007z]

Great tutorial, thanks very much mate!

[@DavidKutzler]

Brilliant! When I watch your videos, I keep hearing a voice in my head that says, "He makes it look so easy. Maybe I should tear down my lathe and rebuild it too."

[@TheAussieShed]

Great to hear David, being a Lefty its a nice change from hearing how awkward I look doing stuff. Cheers Mate.

[@gangleweed]

Hey mate.….absolutely love your approach and in depth reasoning to the problems you come across...….seeing as you have made such a good job of the converted drill press that is now a mill.....can you PLEASE stop constantly calling it a drill press or mill drill.....it's now a mill in it's own right and deserves to be called one.

[@numberkruncherr]

Keep calling it the Kangaroo Mill, I think that's a brilliant name.

[@250-25x]

Hey, when lapping the smaller items I make a clamp for the sawsall and let it do the work in minutes! Great info man! G>

[@TheAussieShed]

Hi Gerry, the sawsall,,,,,,,, thats an awesome idea. what a Ripper. Cheers Mate.

[@cri8tor]

Please consider recording and posting a short video on how you do that. Cheers

[@chadr00]

Thanks for taking the time to post your work on the mini lathe. Should the holes on the gib be flat bottom or a normal drill taper? I assume the taper on the screw should have the same taper? Need to redo mine because they also are not aligned to the holes.

[@TheAussieShed]

G'day Chad, A taper works well as it keeps the Gibs located. Cheers mate.

[@marekmarko2274]

This is the best review ever! Lol

[@gvet47]

If you had to lower the rack since the apron is lower what will happen to the half nut fit to the lead screw? I see a lot of video to improve these small lathes but so many have a mill and even a full size lathe to do the work needed. I ask myself why did they get the small lathe other than to play with. 🤔

[@TheAussieShed]

G'day Mate, I think it will be okay. Before I stripped it down I noticed that engaging the half nut actually was bending the lead screw up. I think I mentioned it in the original tear down video. Anyhow I will find out soon as I am close to re-mounting the lead screw. Cheers.

[@johanandersson9287]

Thanks again for a great series! Just a few small questions: -Given that your bed, saddle and all ways now is smooth - will you scrape them for oil bearing ability? 2nd:- Will you be checking crosslide perpedicularity when fitting the headstock (and how was yours aligned to the bed to begin with? - mine was off 0,15 mm in 115 mm run , i.e. HS left corner should hence GO BACK 0,075mm, and the chuck corner COME OUT the same amount - w/o tilting the HS backwards thru shimmin' the dovetail... Delicate OP) Cheers - DIYSwede

[@TheAussieShed]

Hi Johan, yes definitely. As it goes back together everything will be checked & re-checked, particularly once the headstock goes on. Up to this point I have been dealing with all the components on an individual basis, attempting to minimise potential problems when the final fit up happens. I'm sure at that point there will be further corrections needed. 0.15mm over 115, not a small amount. These Mini lathes are the Gift that keeps giving lol. I took very few measurements before the dis-assembly as it was quite obvious there were so many issues. I basically took it out of the box, put power to it for about 10 seconds, sighed in disgust & tore it to pieces. Cheers Mate.

[@timothyosborne8285]

I would have thought you would remove metal from the top of your carriage casting, instead of dropping your rack down with shims after you machined and dropped the top slide. Just to keep the lead screw alignment with the half nut at the same height. Did you notice any trouble with alignment later? Or maybe it wasn't aligned in the first place from the factory?

[@ausshot83]

great video mate its a shame you have to rebuild something that's brand new

[@TheAussieShed]

G'Day Mate, Very True that. On a positive note, I did go into this with a fair idea of what it would take to bring it up to scratch. Glutton for punishment I guess. Cheers.

[@anikidwolfy]

all part of the fun, its a hobby machine, also gives you a project that builds skill but is not impossible for new guys, The aussie Shed videos has convinced me to buy 1 instead of a more expensive model

[@TheBsavage]

You did this with lapping compound. That seems logical to me, but I've heard people usually do this with a reference plate and ultra fine sandpaper. They aren't "screws," they're bolts. I know, I know, engineers disagree. Well, screw them. I am an engineer and I say they're bolts. Screws have course threads and are inserted into other materials. Bolts have matching machined receivers, like nuts, or tapped holes.

[@NavinBetamax]

Greetings and Best Wishes from India !

[@TheAussieShed]

Thanks Navin

[@jafinch78]

Neat to see India turning out the vertical milling attachments and selling on eBay that can be mounted to an adapter in place of the compound to perform milling on these mini-lathes once tightened up in tolerances. Figured wait until after the holiday over there and maybe next months budget to invest in so I don't have only the angle plate clamp, or vise, limited axis method using the adapter plate as Steve Jordan demonstrated/does.

[@TheAussieShed]

Sounds Interesting, do you have a link you can post up. Cheers.

[@jafinch78]

@@TheAussieShed Yes, definitely. Here are the following links. Below is the eBay link for the Vertical Milling Attachment I'm thinking to invest in, though I see others come up at a better price in India with a larger vice. When writing to inquire to ATOZ, I found they'll include their 60mm vice at about the same price as those selling the 88mm vice combo: www.ebay.com/itm/Swivel-Vertical-Slide-125-x-100mm-Tool-Post-Milling-Lathe-Machine-PREMIUM-ATOZ/264137190423 Steve Jordan's videos regarding the adapter plate and an extended carriage lock: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKGroX9tjr-KoZo kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKaTZ2qmftp4laM kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYWoaaqsl7uAp7s This is his first carriage extension video (looks similar to yours): kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqfGYWCHic-Jqc0 He also did a lock upgrade for the compound: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKbKl62vmpJ1ldE This is the angle plate I purchased: www.ebay.com/itm/Slotted-Angle-Plate-webbed-End-6x5x4-1-2-high-tensil-cast-iron-accur-ground/163617257825 I also bought a ER32 Collet Chuck with 19piece collet set for the end mills. www.ebay.com/itm/Bearing-Steel-ER-32-Collet-Chuck-3901-5032-Compact-Lathe-Tight-Tolerance-80mm/233023722297 www.ebay.com/itm/19Pcs-ER32-Precision-Spring-Collet-Set-For-CNC-Milling-Lathe-Tool-Workholding-AA/273838709602

[@TheAussieShed]

Thanks heaps for that, I'll look into those Milling Attachments when the time comes, Cheers.

[@badjuju6563]

Great work on theChina mini lathe "Kit"?

[@TheAussieShed]

A kit she definitely is & a poorly manufactured one at that. Kind of like a Kinder Surprise, only in steel & without the Chocolate .

[@crazyfeller5704]

Thanks for sharing. I too have one of these gems...right out of the box, total machined junk. So bad, I have yet to use it for anything more but to establish just how badly it is fitted. I am planning to go through it and do some work as time permits. My go to source for what I planned was www.toolsandmods.com/lathe/mini-lathe-saddle I always thought it would be great to see a you tube or other presentation on the lapping process, instead of reading along and viewing pictures at tools and mods. Thank you for taking the time to go through your process. Very similar, and well presented documentation of your journey. Cannot thank you enough. Btw, I think I need a mill.....darn, have to get one of those as well just to fix the lathe. Good excuse to the Mrs......

[@TheAussieShed]

Thanks Mate.

[@swanvalleymachineshop]

I think they make them like that so all their parts fit no matter how out of wack they are ! I have a small chinese mill & the quill fits like a cock in a shirt sleeve ! Cheers .

[@TheAussieShed]

I reckon you've nailed it Max. They also seem to have a total lack of knowledge of how the thing they are assembling is meant to function.

[@bustednuckles2]

G'day Mate, Great video! This should be required viewing for anyone who buy's one of these damn things. I started watching your videos last week, subscribed immediately and now find myself waiting for new ones. I belong to a Mini Lathe chat group on Yahoo an someone posted a link to you the other day. I'm sure you are getting more views than you realize. Of course some know it all immediately cried foul about you lapping the bed and then it went down hill from there. I personally think that you are taking the right approach here. Mis-aligned parts, holes drilled wrong, shit fasteners, warped parts, all this combined can't be addressed by scraping the bed ways. I haven't even used mine in months and have only done some basic modifications to it. The tail stock clamping bolt was bent so when you tried to tighten it, the thing pulled away from center an eighth of an inch. I tried to copy Steve Jordan's cross slide mod with the studs and brass plates and have yet to finish that properly. I may follow your lead and tear the thing completely down and go at it as you have done. I'm liking your cross slide mods a lot. Like I said, great video, informative, concise and with great shots of what the problem areas are and how you are going about it. Now get back to it we are waiting on the next installment!!

[@TheAussieShed]

Hi Phil, thanks for the support. Much appreciated.

[@trevorsmith6219]

Allowing the cross slide to come out further will upset your gib pressures which should be even in and out.

[@mikeford5106]

These things really are a piece of crap as delivered !