Cato
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- Location
- Birmingham, UK
I had a little time today to have a quick nose at the end float in both axis of the cross slide. The top slide seems to have play in the threads within the bronze tube. So whilst you can adjust the end float out at the the scale 'nut' behind the handle end float remains at the threads. Presumably it's a matter of replacing the tube? Unlikely to be available so one will have to be made.
The bottom slide seems fine in the threads, but runs out of adjustment on the scale 'nut'. i.e. you can't tighten the nut enough to remove the end float which appears to be within the housing. You can see in these two photos that there's about (didn't measure it) 0.5 mm of play there.
The gibs don't have any discernible play in them, and neither does anything else on the cross slide or anywhere else on the lathe. Which makes the amount of play/wear at these two points a bit odd to me. Abuse? Not sure how that would create this. A cataclysmic kick back? Possible I suppose but there's not damage elsewhere. Maybe it's a cross slide from another machine? Possible I guess, but it does look to belong in terms of paint, witness marks etc. Whatever the cause I guess it's either find a more serviceable cross slide, use the capstan from the other lathe, or get searching for a threaded tube/have one made.
The bottom slide seems fine in the threads, but runs out of adjustment on the scale 'nut'. i.e. you can't tighten the nut enough to remove the end float which appears to be within the housing. You can see in these two photos that there's about (didn't measure it) 0.5 mm of play there.
The gibs don't have any discernible play in them, and neither does anything else on the cross slide or anywhere else on the lathe. Which makes the amount of play/wear at these two points a bit odd to me. Abuse? Not sure how that would create this. A cataclysmic kick back? Possible I suppose but there's not damage elsewhere. Maybe it's a cross slide from another machine? Possible I guess, but it does look to belong in terms of paint, witness marks etc. Whatever the cause I guess it's either find a more serviceable cross slide, use the capstan from the other lathe, or get searching for a threaded tube/have one made.