Here's another way to make a mini lathe a little more stable:
I think these come with Grizzly mini lathes but not with others.
Regards,
Chris Wood
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________________________________
From: 7x12minilathe@...
[mailto:7x12minilathe@...] On Behalf Of Jim
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 8:20 AM
To: 7x12minilathe@...
Subject: Re: [7x12minilathe] Re: homier (Lathe Stability)
I too struggled with my Cummins 7X12 rocking back and forth, but I
wasn't quite ready to bolt it to my bench. Instead, I bought an Oak
stair tread from Home Depot and bolted the lathe to that. I counterbored
the holes on the underside of the stair tread just deep enough for the
bolt heads to end up below the surface. I laid out the holes by using
the hole pattern from the chip pan. I aligned the back of the chip pan
with the back of the stair tread, so the lathe ends up offset toward the
rear edge of the stair tread. I aligned the front edge of the stair
tread with the edge of my workbench, and I clamped the board to the
bench with a pair of cheap c-clamps, also from Home Depot. The lathe is
very solid as a result, but still relatively portable.
Jim
born4something <ajs@... <mailto:ajs%40ecoustics.com.au> >
wrote:
--- In 7x12minilathe@...
<mailto:7x12minilathe%40yahoogroups.com> , "markzemanek"
<markzemanek@...> wrote:
and my lathe is bolted to my bench for stability.
On the subject of stability, I don't recommend the Sieg setup. My
manual said it was preferred to bolt to the bench but they also
supplied rubber feet and bolts for free standing. The free standing
config was a rocking horse. Far too narrow a footprint on the bench.
My very first mod was to install two 220mm lengths of 2"x1" box
section steel as spreaders. I drilled through them to match the chip
tray, then enlarged the lower holes a little bigger than the
supplied screw heads. That allows the original bolts to secure the
box section to the casting through the tray. I bought four new nuts
and bolts to secure the supplied feet near the ends of the box
section. A quick spray of aerosol zinc primer and black paint before
assembly made it look original and the local rubber store even had
the black plastic plugs to tap into the ends of the box section. So
it all looks very original yet it's so rock solid. I'd gain nothing
by bolting it to the bench. When not in use I heave the machine
towards the back of the bench and reclaim the real estate.
John
PS: LMS stock folted spreader bars with a similar purpose. Not as
rugged and I wanted instant stability - not a mail ordered wait
before I could make chips.
