Talk to me about lathes....

[Aesgarth]

Hi.

I currently have a small hobbymat lathe, it looks a lot like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1122...3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D1132582196573
But cost a lot less, possibly for a reason.. there's play in everything, and as a result I'm struggling to get anywhere using it - probably not helped by the fact i don't know what I'm doing. i'm looking to replace it but i don't know where to look.

 

[Aesgarth]

That should read repair or replace, although I'm leaning towards replace.

Also any suggestions for courses or reading material to help me learn to use it properly and get the most out of it would be appreciated.

 

[cumbriasteve]

One of our members has I think the same lathe as you and the work he turns out is exceptional.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/hobbymat-lathe-and-milling-machine-modifications.58888/

 

[Mee]

Most things can be adjusted so look for the small adjusting screws and adjust them, also make sure the wear strips are installed.

 

[daleyd]

Most things can be adjusted so look for the small adjusting screws and adjust them, also make sure the wear strips are installed.

That is about the single most generic post I've ever read.

 

[Keith 66]

This book is what you need, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amateurs-Lathe-Lawrence-H-Sparey/dp/0852422881,
Dam good book it covers everything you are ever likely to do & then some.
If your lathe is sloppy, poorly built & or out of adjustment it wont be capable of good work. Regarding adjustment a lathe has one side of its saddle and cross slide fixed & the opposite side has an adjustable section called a gib strip, there will be 4 or more tiny allen screws with locknuts along this side, slacken the locknuts & screw the allen screws in evenly until the movement of the slide is smooth & free of play, then do the locknuts up without turning the adjustment screws. Sounds easy but can take ages to get it spot on!
If the play is in the operating screws & their nuts or leadscrew there aint a lot you can do except replace them.
Forums are full of tales of how to make new far eastern lathes accurate. You may be lucky & get a good one but personally i would buy British!

 

[optima21]

when you say "play in everything" its all about adjusting it to get it to work for you. I'll add to this thread over the weekend. some of my ramblings and thoughts might help (or hinder) you.

£500 for a Hobbymat? they were only £400 when they were new.

 

[dobbslc]

Make sure the tool bit is bolted down tight and the tool holder as well.
Is the tool tip dead on centre? If it's not you'll get loads of grief. The tool has to be sharp or you're in for trouble.
The gib strips need carefully setting up, tighten untill you feel a tiny bit of drag and then back off a tiny tiy amount so everything moves smoothly, oil the slides as running them dry won't help.
Whet exactly is the trouble with it?

 

[optima21]

If you have play in the slides this is how I adjust mine.

the lathe saddle has 3 screws to adjust it (looking from the back of the lathe) the two cap head screws near the edges are the clamping screws and the one in the middle is a forcing screw (I dont have this bolt on mine). loosen both clamping bolts and tighten the front one (nearest the headstock) while turning the leadscrew by hand, as soon as there is a slight increase in effort to turn the hand wheel thats about the right setting. you can also check by rocking the saddle up and down using cross slide as there should be virtually no movement. for normal use thats how I have mine and the rear clamping screw is used if I need to lock saddle in place.

the cross slide and top slide have gib strips to take up slack in the dovetail slides (as be seen in the picture above) and is adjusted using screws (I use grub screws on mine) and a clamping screw). make sure the gib strip is in the correct place, there should be a recess in it that the clamping screw sits in and the face of the gib strip that contacts the dovetail should be smooth. the adjusting screws should all be loose to start with. with the cross slide in the middle of tighten one of the adjusting screws (near the middle of the saddle) while rotating the handwheel. as soon as you can feel any increase in effort to turn the handwheel stop as the adjustment should be correct. do this for the other adjusting screws but move the slide backwards or forwards to that the screw you are adjusting is near to the middle of the saddle. the cap head screw on mine is used to lock the top slide or cross slide in place

the tailstock has a clamping and forcing screw like the saddle but on mine I just use the clamping screw. its the screw at the front (nearest the headstock). it should be loose to move the tailstock and tightened to lock it in place

one modification worth doing is to fit thrust bearing at the end of the spindles as they make the handwheels easier to turn and stop them binding. its an easy job to do an you need to bore a recess on each face of the round bit below. the one on the cross slide and top slide are the same, so you can swap them so the order to do them might be

1) do the topslide one first, remove it from the slide and clamp the slide in place, and just use the leadscrew to move the saddle along the length of the lathe.
2) machine the disc with the recesses
3) swap the disc that you have just machined with the one on the cross slide and re-assembe the cross slide
4) machine the second disc with the recess
5) re-assemble the top slide with the second disc.
6) lock the saddle in place and remove the disc from the plate where the hand wheel for the leadscrew is.
7) machine the recess in this, it only needs one and that needs to be on the face where the hand wheel goes. you can use the topslide to move the boring tool along the axis of the lathe.
8)re-assemble the leadscrew handwheel

you should have a lathe where the handwheels dont bind anymore (dont forget to do the handweel for the tailstock too.

the thrust bearings for the topslide, crosslide and tailstock are all 8mm bore and you'll need 6 of them. the one for the leadcrew is 12mm (from memory, but I havn't checked)

I have about 0.25mm backlash in the thread on my cross slide, this isn't an issue even though the handwheel is free to rotate to take up the slack. if the cross slide gib strip is set up correctly it should have enough grip to stop the cross slide moving backwards and forwards on its own.

I dont use a topslide on my lathe as I found the handwheel fiddly to use and also without it I found that it does remove a fair about of play. also because of the standard toolholder,if you tighten it too much,it causes the the topslide to distort, so you need to have that with the gib strip set loose or it will bind.

as has been said earlier it all needs to be well oiled, you can get slideway oil cheaply enough

and completely off topic, but there are a couple of hobbymat milling machines on ebay at the minute,and they normally only appear once or twice a year. might be of interest if someone is after a "toy" milling machine to play with. not sure how much the prices will go for though, but I guess you wont get one of £70

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302151364608

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112221062230

 

[daleyd]

If you have play in the slides this is how I adjust mine.

the lathe saddle has 3 screws to adjust it (looking from the back of the lathe) the two cap head screws near the edges are the clamping screws and the one in the middle is a forcing screw (I dont have this bolt on mine). loosen both clamping bolts and tighten the front one (nearest the headstock) while turning the leadscrew by hand, as soon as there is a slight increase in effort to turn the hand wheel thats about the right setting. you can also check by rocking the saddle up and down using cross slide as there should be virtually no movement. for normal use thats how I have mine and the rear clamping screw is used if I need to lock saddle in place.

View attachment 96527

the cross slide and top slide have gib strips to take up slack in the dovetail slides (as be seen in the picture above) and is adjusted using screws (I use grub screws on mine) and a clamping screw). make sure the gib strip is in the correct place, there should be a recess in it that the clamping screw sits in and the face of the gib strip that contacts the dovetail should be smooth. the adjusting screws should all be loose to start with. with the cross slide in the middle of tighten one of the adjusting screws (near the middle of the saddle) while rotating the handwheel. as soon as you can feel any increase in effort to turn the handwheel stop as the adjustment should be correct. do this for the other adjusting screws but move the slide backwards or forwards to that the screw you are adjusting is near to the middle of the saddle. the cap head screw on mine is used to lock the top slide or cross slide in place


View attachment 96528

the tailstock has a clamping and forcing screw like the saddle but on mine I just use the clamping screw. its the screw at the front (nearest the headstock). it should be loose to move the tailstock and tightened to lock it in place

View attachment 96529

one modification worth doing is to fit thrust bearing at the end of the spindles as they make the handwheels easier to turn and stop them binding. its an easy job to do an you need to bore a recess on each face of the round bit below. the one on the cross slide and top slide are the same, so you can swap them so the order to do them might be

1) do the topslide one first, remove it from the slide and clamp the slide in place, and just use the leadscrew to move the saddle along the length of the lathe.
2) machine the disc with the recesses
3) swap the disc that you have just machined with the one on the cross slide and re-assembe the cross slide
4) machine the second disc with the recess
5) re-assemble the top slide with the second disc.
6) lock the saddle in place and remove the disc from the plate where the hand wheel for the leadscrew is.
7) machine the recess in this, it only needs one and that needs to be on the face where the hand wheel goes. you can use the topslide to move the boring tool along the axis of the lathe.
8)re-assemble the leadscrew handwheel

you should have a lathe where the handwheels dont bind anymore (dont forget to do the handweel for the tailstock too.


View attachment 96530

the thrust bearings for the topslide, crosslide and tailstock are all 8mm bore and you'll need 6 of them. the one for the leadcrew is 12mm (from memory, but I havn't checked)

I have about 0.25mm backlash in the thread on my cross slide, this isn't an issue even though the handwheel is free to rotate to take up the slack. if the cross slide gib strip is set up correctly it should have enough grip to stop the cross slide moving backwards and forwards on its own.

I dont use a topslide on my lathe as I found the handwheel fiddly to use and also without it I found that it does remove a fair about of play. also because of the standard toolholder,if you tighten it too much,it causes the the topslide to distort, so you need to have that with the gib strip set loose or it will bind.

as has been said earlier it all needs to be well oiled, you can get slideway oil cheaply enough

and completely off topic, but there are a couple of hobbymat milling machines on ebay at the minute,and they normally only appear once or twice a year. might be of interest if someone is after a "toy" milling machine to play with. not sure how much the prices will go for though, but I guess you wont get one of £70

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302151364608

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112221062230

In your opinion what would be a decent price for those mills? I'm fairly close to the cheaper one but wouldn't have a clue really what they normally go for?

 

[optima21]

I would expect it to be in the range £300 to £500, but thats a guess, the column and head alone normally go for between £200 and £300.

 

[daleyd]

I would expect it to be in the range £300 to £500, but thats a guess, the column and head alone normally go for between £200 and £300.

That's great, thanks for the info. I'll be keeping an eye on those !

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Shame things like that first link are so far away, but I'd expect the price to shoot up as auction end approaches.

@daleyd Good luck if you go for it.

 

[daleyd]

Shame things like that first link are so far away, but I'd expect the price to shoot up as auction end approaches.

@daleyd Good luck if you go for it.

Cheers mate - I could do without spending any more money but if the price is right ..... god I hope my wife never sees this!!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

^^ Are you owed an extra Crimble present?

 

[daleyd]

^^ Are you owed an extra Crimble present?

Santa may be bringing divorce papers if I buy the mill!!!

 

[optima21]

for some reason the cheap one has had the lever on the quill feed cut off or removed. it easy to replace though, and Im not sure why anyone would want to do it. they only have 40mm quill travel, but it may be because its accidently been locked in place, so making it so the quill doesn't work.

the photo below is mine and shows the clamping screw (cap head screw) on the quill, its on the left hand side of the picture below the yellow body.

also shown in that piccy is the er20 collet chuck I use. you may be limited with the tooling available as the taper of the quill is 1MT, but with an er20 collet chuck you can hold cutters upto 13mm shank, if it comes without a collet chuck. the er20 chuck is a better option that the standard collet chuck too in my opinion. there was an optional chuck that was bolted to the nose of the spindle but I never had one of them.

the gearbox is a pain to use, the drive is by dog clutches in the gearbox and they they very rarely line up so you may need to rotate the chuck while trying to engage the gears,but they do line up eventually, just dont force them.

the table on them is 450mm x160mm. the travel on the x axis is 290mm, the y axis is 129mm and the z axis is 250mm, so that are small compared to most milling machines arround.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Just looked again at that mill - in the first pic does it look like the pillar is bent [head appears off the vertical], or d'you reckon it's just the pic perspective??

 

[optima21]

the heads can be rotated from the vertical as shown on this one

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Well, @daleyd's been saved earache from SWMBO - the listing has been removed but to 'an error in listing'........