Got me a lathe!

[DanClarke]

For clarity, it's not the t-link that's a bit suspect (yet) it is the 2 composite belts. Motor to layshaft and pulley system to final drive.
I will measure the existing ones and see what's what, I was hoping for a "the modern equivalents are...." that's all.
Thanks everyone. :-D

 

[Agroshield]

Pardon our interruption...

Do you have experience or reports of how the off-brand (copy) compares with the genuine article?

The lathes page makes the point that they sell the Nu-T-link orignal, perhaps to put their price into context. The £60 per metre above is again based on the branded item.

As we have discussed here before, given the duty-cycle and lightness-of-use of typical hobby-machinist work, maybe the copy item is more economically astute.

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

OK, here is a picture or two of what's on there.
You can see that the stamped numbers are not all perfectly aligned (e.g. 23,24,25) where 24 is out of line with the numbers either side of it.
The backplate itself is very nicely contoured and well finished.
The spring-loaded plunger cone has to be held in by the thumbscrew (of course).

View attachment 433003View attachment 433004

I really miss this option on my lathe. I need to figure out how to do this with the required precision.

 

[Seadog]

Do you have experience or reports of how the off-brand (copy) compares with the genuine article?

The lathes page makes the point that they sell the Nu-T-link orignal, perhaps to put their price into context. The £60 per metre above is again based on the branded item.

As we have discussed here before, given the duty-cycle and lightness-of-use of typical hobby-machinist work, maybe the copy item is more economically astute.

No, I bought genuine Nu-T-Link in 2013 and it's still going strong.
A word about tensioning. The information sheet suggests 9 links removel for the Boxford, which i did, but it's a hell of a struggle.

 

[Stupoty]

No, I checked it seems to just be a random misalignment. 48 is not similarly offset, nor is 71.
I'm still trying to find my way around it all. I know it's old, old, old but by golly it feels so solid.
Seems to be some backlash in the compound slide, but I can live with these minor issues.

Oh, and I wimped out on the motor rejig (utter cowardice).
A local motor rewind/repair company has offered to do the "Y" "▲" conversion for c.£45.
No angry pixies and no fried eyeballs, simples! :-D

Thats a bargain

Get them a beer or two when you pick it up

Stu

 

[DanClarke]

Thats a bargain

Get them a beer or two when you pick it up

Stu

I am hoping they will have it done next week. A beer is always a good thank-you.

 

[DanClarke]

I got 2 new V-belts from my fave supplier <£16 all in.
The T-link looks ok.
I bought an AXA machifit QCTP and 6 tool holders.
I am hoping to re-present the VFD controls onto a remote control-box on the front of the lathe.
Does anyone know the potentiometer required for the speed control (i.e. it replicates the one inside the VFD)?

 

[Seadog]

Normally 5-10kΩ

 

[DanClarke]

Normally 5-10kΩ

Thanks! :-D

 

[RichardM]

Have a look in your vfd manual, pinouts / pot size should be shown in it. As @Seadog says usually 5 - 10K linear.

 

[DanClarke]

'smee again.
I've got 2 of these travelling steadies.

Mine are exactly like this except for being a different colour. Amazed to see them at £180 ea. on e-bay.
I cannot see why anyone would need more than 1 myself.
But.... for the life of me I cannot see any way in which this can be attached to the saddle. Those cut-out slots don't match anything on the saddle.
I cannot find any holes for bolts or machined protrusions on the saddle ,a m I missing a 3rd element that interfaces the two?
Can anyone shed any light on where/how they attach (preferably with a close-up picture for the dull-witted like me?
Thanks in advance.

Dan.

 

[Agroshield]

But.... for the life of me I cannot see any way in which this can be attached to the saddle.

See here:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/boxford/page4.html

 

[Seadog]

3/8" whit. bolts in the side of the saddle.

 

[DanClarke]

Ohhh... ruddy hell, I was looking on t'other side.
Idiot!

 

[Agroshield]

I was looking on t'other side.

Note that the factory setup is shown being used with a lantern toolpost - where the centre of the tool bit is roughly the centre of the securing bolt or T-slot in the compound slide.

If you use a more modern QC toolpost, the tool bit centre line will not be in this position. That can make aligning the tool's cutting edge with the fingers of the steady a challenge.

What I am saying is mock it up and see if there is likely to be a problem before the day you actually need to use it in anger.

 

[6ply]

Do you have experience or reports of how the off-brand (copy) compares with the genuine article?

The lathes page makes the point that they sell the Nu-T-link orignal, perhaps to put their price into context. The £60 per metre above is again based on the branded item.

As we have discussed here before, given the duty-cycle and lightness-of-use of typical hobby-machinist work, maybe the copy item is more economically astute.

£110 for a belt is expensive.

I have used the twist lock stuff (probably a Chinese import, but I'm not sure) and it worked absolutely fine at a fraction of the price! That's on 2 lathes, a table saw and milling machine.

 

[DanClarke]

Yesterday (Saturday) the Machifit AXA wedge style Quick Change toolpost that I ordered for the new lathe arrived.

Shock-Horror! This thing is a beast, the baseplate is 12mm thick and 63mm square with the post screwed into it.
The T-slot on the Boxford is only about 40mm wide so I cut 2 x 12mm strips off the base so it was of a width that would fit.

But No! The T-Slot in the Boxford cross-slide can only take an item only 7mm thick.

This is where having 2 lathes is a boon. I put the tool post and the base in the Mini-lathe centred it up and took the require material of the bottom side and off the toolpost itself; it all now fits snug as anything.

Motor re-jig is almost done and the guy said I can probably collect it tomorrow (Monday).

I started jury-rigging the VFD and discovered the external (X1..X6) control ports are all c.12v to ground/common so the momentary 220v switches I bought are all overkill. LOL

I ordered some much smaller one's (12mm) instead of 22mm and they will be here tomorrow.

I may just connect the VFD and motor and forget all the fancy stuff initially so I can try this lathe out (never seen it working) and then rework it after that.

So excited, I'm like a dog with two dicks.

 

[E T]

Shock-Horror! This thing is a beast, the baseplate is 12mm thick and 63mm square with the post screwed into it.
The T-slot on the Boxford is only about 40mm wide so I cut 2 x 12mm strips off the base so it was of a width that would fit.

But No! The T-Slot in the Boxford cross-slide can only take an item only 7mm thick.

This is where having 2 lathes is a boon. I put the tool post and the base in the Mini-lathe centred it up and took the require material of the bottom side and off the toolpost itself; it all now fits snug as anything.

That baseplate is the T-nut but has to be milled to the correct dimensions.
I hope you didn't take any material of the toolpost itself like you state above.

 

[E T]

This is the T-nut I milled for my qctp.

 

[DanClarke]

That baseplate is the T-nut but has to be milled to the correct dimensions.
I hope you didn't take any material of the toolpost itself like you state above.

No. my poor wording. The QCTP is unscathed. The 12mm baseplate and bolt around which the QCTP revolves is the only thing that has been altered.
T-Nut it is then.