I'm getting ready to mod my cross slide along the lines shown here:
At the same time I'd like to add a ball bearing to the cross slide
shaft.
After looking at the whole project I noted that Gordon Scott's mod
moves the cross slide travel about an inch toward the operator but
doesn't seem to actually increase the travel.
The cross slide lead screw has extra threads which would allow
additional travel once the material is milled away but this would, of
course, require a longer lead screw shaft by an inch or so on the
knob end.
My current plan is to make an extension and bolt it onto the existing
shaft by using a much longer screw to hold the knob in place. This
extension will hold the ball bearing to lock the inner race to the
shaft and a complete new part will be fabricated to hold the outside
race of the bearing such that the original leadscrew will be only a
few mils farther forward than at present (this so the flange on the
shaft won't bind against the end of the carriage).
Has anyone done a similar mod? I've found a description of a BB
added to the cross slide on a 9x20 but haven't found this for the 7x.
This is a more extensive (pun intended) mod to my lathe than any
attempted previously so any advice gratefully accepted.
John
