Vertical slide for milling on lathe

[Van_Denton]

anyone here use one of these or do you all just have lovely nice mills? Are they worth it?

 

[Hood]

I think @Richard. uses one on his ML10.

They are a compromise but if it is all you have and you take things easy you can do good work with them.

 

[Richard.]

Yep I have one. As hood said above. Used within its limits they are usable things.
I've used mine outside of its limits on a few occasions and it's still done what I required of it. Small parts and light cuts it's a nice accurate tool.

 

[brightspark]

u just get a bad neck squinting sideways to see the job

 

[Richard.]

u just get a bad neck squinting sideways to see the job

Your not wrong there. It's awkward trying to see round the other side of the tool.

 

[Fergus]

I use one on my ML7, not very rigid and a bit of a mare to get square. I find it useful when I'm turning plastics and composites but it struggles with metals.

 

[brightspark]

.

I use one on my ML7, not very rigid and a bit of a mare to get square. I find it useful when I'm turning plastics and composites but it struggles with metals.

getting it square is easyput the face plate on and run the slide up against it when parallel bolt it down

 

[roofman]

Ideal to put a flat on something,run a key slot in a small shaft,things along these lines and imho a very usefull addition to any workshop without a mill

 

[Richard.]

I use one on my ML7, not very rigid and a bit of a mare to get square. I find it useful when I'm turning plastics and composites but it struggles with metals.

I don't find it struggles with metals at all. I skimmed all my lathe tools down in it with carbide cutters and they were mega hard. Took a bit of figuring out but once I got my speeds in order it was cutting them just fine.

 

[RichardM]

If you don't have a mill or access to one they are well worth buying.

Remember to cut so the piece does not get dragged into the tool and keep your gib strips tight to reduce play to a minimun

 

[Richard.]

If you don't have a mill or access to one they are well worth buying.

Remember to cut so the piece does not get dragged into the tool and keep your gib strips tight to reduce play to a minimun

Dead right. You must lock the slides that ain't in use or it doesn't work.

 

[brightspark]

there's only a lock on the saddle

 

[Richard.]

there's only a lock on the saddle

My cross slide and vertical slide both have a small screw to lock them.

 

[Van_Denton]

Thanks guys, I do plan on getting a mill but the funds just arnt there at the mo so this seems like a nice stop gap. Im really loving my lathe and do like the idea of expanding its usefulness.

 

[Kram]

I used mine a lot. You need a vice aswell because clamping work vertically is a pita.

 

[Van_Denton]

Got one, just need to get a small vice for it. I didn't realise how small it was! So all my vices are too big.

Had to make a little attachment block, it's a little too tall so I need to machine it down on the vertical slide..... Oh wait.

 

[Van_Denton]

Ok so getting closer.
I got a job lot of milling cutters which I think are clarkson autolocks. So how do i then mount them into the lathe? What do people generally do? Should i get a r8 collet and chuck and then mount into the 3 jaw?

w

 

[Seadog]

At a push, and for small diameter cutters, you can get away with a 3-jaw, but it is far from ideal. I made an ER32 collet chuck for mine (Boxford). Alternatively, if you can find a cheap Clarkson chuck with a good selection of collets, and which fits your spindle, then that would be the obvious way forward.

 

[slimjim]

That is a big box of cutters,

Me I would get a Mt3 or whatever your lathe is adapter with a drawbarto use either ER32 collets, or some other collet system

 

[Van_Denton]

thanks, I was looking into a collet system for my lathe.
So not using the Clarkson autolock system and just using a normal collet system will be OK?

Anyone have a pic of their setup?