In addition to the brass, aluminum, and nylon hammer ends I use oak and pine glued to a simple hex bolt. the wooden ones are a great alternative as they have more mass than nylon and yet arent as likely to damage the surface as brass on finished pieces. Im a gunsmith so it may be a very specialist tool but Im throwing it out there for any who may find it useful.
To protect work from lathe chuck jaws try aluminium self adhesive tape also called purging tape,available from welding suppliers,it is very accurate on thickness so should not cause any more trouble than usual in a 3 jaw. I first used this when machining some parts for a camera lens. Set up , now use it on everything couple of layers is sufficient.
Quinn, I looked up Quinns word of the day , And now I will use it in a sentence.... She practiced her( Alchemy) In her shop turning ordinary metal into precision parts .... Viewer tip I use hanging file cabinet folders to store , Emery cloth . crocus cloth and all the grids 120.220, 400. Staples sells little plastic file box's for hanging folders . so i can move the whole box from job to job , This is the first video in my Saturday night Blondie hacks Marathon , ( because the world is closed ) so thank you for taking the time to make these videos. Pete M
Cheap will do in a pinch, however, a great lesson for a creative learning curve. Blondie, amazing teacher with personality that allows for students to retain! GOOD STUFF!!
Great ideas. Finally someone who understands the psychological damage that working on British cars can do. To stop chips from my mill I use cardboard wings, about 18" tall, cut to fitted under and behind and to the side that catch all the chips. I protected them with gaffe tape and renew when necessary. Cheap, simple and very effective. Will be making the front guards like the ones you have. Great vids.
Solid tool post for the win! One thing nobody ever seems to mention is the reason for using the compound for single-point threading: it's to reduce chatter caused by the high cutting forces involved in taking a plunge cut with a form tool. But you know what else reduces chatter? Rigidity. I can cut almost as coarse using a plunge cut with my solid toolpost as I could using the compound, and I get the DRO telling me how deep I've gone as a bonus.
For the Cross Slide Knobs and the Tool Post Knobs, I just bored them out then ran a cap screw through them into the original holes. Now when I turn them the outer shell, formerly the solid knob, turns in my hand. It's a quick and easy mod that stays on the knobs and I don't need a slip pipe or something else. Love the mods you made. My lathe is a 3 in 1 Multipurpose Machine Model 44142 by Central Machinery in China, (Harbor Freight). It's basically the same machine as a Grizzly G7929. Thanks for the fun videos, I enjoy them when you post them. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
Owner of a "cheap import lathe" here - would love to hear more about gib adjustment and tips. I 100% agree, the compound is the source of most of the lack of rigidity. Locking it would be great, but single-point threading is mostly what I do. I think this topic could be a whole video - if someone with the relevant expertise and experience (hit-hint, nudge-nudge) had the time and inclination. Love the videos - please keep them coming!
One tip that i learnt when doing my apprenticship on Mills and Lathes. One for the Lathe, this depends on your own machine, is to remove any levers next to the half nut lever. It was a common problem when concentrating on the work and need to engage one of the levers you could accidently go for the wrong one. So when setting up your turning operations keep in mind what out of the two or three levers you will need, then remove the other(s). In time with experiance with the machine you could always put the levers back on all the time.
If you CAN'T remove one or more of the others, change the texture or shape of them, (or both). Your hand & brain will quickly learn the difference. I sustained a brain injury 17 years ago, and am very prone to these kinds of mistakes, so I have been forced to learn ways to accomodate my tendencies, and multiples methods for making mistakes.
@@georgedennison3338 My wide was always mixing up the gas tank door re;ease lever with the trunk hood release lever so I stuck a piece of velcro to one and she thanks me every time she uses it.
I'm glad I've found people on RUclips that teach others by their videos on how to do things. I have a small shop in my basement and made things from metals for my motorcycle. One thing I did find is how to heat treat metal parts using a small charcoal grill and used a fan to force air up through the vent on the bottom, then quench the parts in used motor oil (turns them black and makes them rust proof), let them cool then put them in the oven at 200 degrees for about half an hour to finish the process. I have a bench top drill press, a bench grinder and other tools. I may be looking into getting a Harbor Freight small lathe. I do like to watch what you do as I can always learn something.
I have good results using a stainless wire brush and/or compressed air to clean metal chips off magnets in my shop. Stuff like my magnetic coolant thingies, magnetic enclosure door stickies, and magnetic welding squares. I don't suppose a stainless brush would be great on acrylic but compressed air may suffice.
She is absolutely amazing. I have learned so much from her direct and clear approach. I particularly love her snipes towards the British "depending on how British you are" and " like a British car". Sad that she might not know that the best of British tomfoolery is not displayed on the likes of RUclips. They don't have the time for it.😊
Hey blondie hacks. Dan from port colborne Ontario Canada. New to this but just acquired a lathe and mill in my hot rod / race car shop and must say your videos are my daily go to. Keep up the good work! Love the channel
When I was young and stupid (as opposed too old and stupid now) I messed with Triumps, MGs, and the odd Cooper. So, the "...built like a British car..." was right in my wheel house. Never forget that Lucas electronics were the heart-of-darkness also...
As someone who has spent 15 of the last 20 years working on British cars, we share that bond. Time to place another order for a jar of Lucas magic smoke...
I also feel your pain, I had a TR6. I thought the ladies would like it, but it only drew older men, who had had one in their youth. In my waning years, I now have an older SL500, not sure it's an improvement.
@@Blondihacks You must have the patience of a saint! Fifteen years of Brit madness, wow. The worst I ever had was a four door Austin American...think it was a '66 model. It used fifty weight oil for the engine and shared it with the automatic transmission! I bought it from a buddy to help him out in '74. Then I tried to drive it from Sacramento over Donner's Pass to Reno. It ran out of power at altitude and couldn't climb the last thousand or so feet to the pass. Had to push it through the median and coast to a lower altitude to start it.
Lucas, inventor of the dark emitting lamp, and the intermittent wiper. However they learn that from Magnetti Marelli, as anybody who ever owned an Italian made vehicle can attest to as well. My father with his Alfa had a tool kit in the car, which included amongst them a special handbrake adjuster tool a half meter long on each part, as the adjusters were buried half way down the firewall, and he was not keen on the typical Alfa owner solution of either, not park on inclines, or carry 2 bricks with. Also the vehicle that he took from the dealership brand new to Corrosolve, to basically drown the inside of every panel. Only slowed the rust down a little.
After watching a few Adam Booth Abom76 uploads I discovered having interest in machining.. Now I did discover your channel a few days ago and do really appreciate the way you teach and how creative you are to solve practical...and theoretical problems. Very clear and professional uploads..Thx Quinn.
Hi Quinn. Not sure that it is easy but I added a low voltage relay electrical interlock, no volt release switch and low voltage table travel limit switching to my mill table power feed. A lot safer to use here in the UK than it was. Stopping the mill spindle now stops the table drive and it has to be reset to restart. Restoration of electricity after a failure no longer results in the table starting to move until it has been reset. Finally the table travel limit switches now run on 24 volts AC instead of the potentially lethal UK mains electricity voltage of 230 Volt AC. BobUK.
2:30 - i ended up taking a long M5 screw, some spare bearings, and a couple spacers to make a permanent slip handle for all my slide knobs. All things that most shops will have in abundance, especially if they have 3D printers (i used gt2 belt idlers for the bearings, they work nice and give it a futurey look!)
The shop-made, low-profile, hex wrench that you demonstrated at 1:12 is the same solution that I came to for my rotary table. My 4-inch rotary table was too small to mount some parts, so I made a fixture plate to mount on top of my rotary table out of a six-inch round, half-inch aluminum plate and mounted it to the rotary table. The only problem was that the fixture plate covered the two M6, hex-head cap screws that are used to lock the table. I had to use a needle nose pliers to lock/unlock the rotary table, but it was really inconvenient. I made a very similar low-profile hex wrench that I now leave in place to lock the table. Replacing the lever-style, table-locking screws on your mill with brass knobs is an excellent idea that I'll adopt. I've had to replace two of these handles already on my mill breaking one and bending another.
I know most of your tips were mechanical in nature. A good thing to do with a lathe is have a designated place for T handle. Wire a limit switch so the lathe can not be powered up while T handle is not in its safe location. Then tether a cable so the t handle can be used but not leave the machine. I've done this for machines at work as well for machine s at home. Just added safety and organization.
Had some issues with a quick change tool post purchased from my mini lathe's manufacturer. Just received some stock a week ago to make a spacer to replace the compound and finally make the new tool post useful. Great suggestions!
If you need to keep the compound on, then at least modify the anchor to use 4 t-nuts instead of just 2. Those darned things just love to rock back and forth about that fulcrum point. Tip: where the spacer meets the cross slide surface design in a tripod feature to it. That way it's much easier to assure a solid connection to the C.S. Also, I milled mine with integral rails to fit the t-slots. But that tripod feature made a world of difference for me. Before I had a heck of a time with chatter that I don't have anymore. It's also much easier to dial in to size when you don't have the slop to deal with. Surface finish is much better too. Seriously I can't think of a single downside.
Hi Quinn, thanks for the inspiration! I made a carriage lock very similar to yours with one exception. I drilled and tapped the cap head screw, and drilled through the end of the Allen key, and then placed the lock handle in place and fitted it permanently with a countersunk screw. As I have a DRO fitted, I could only use 90 degree movement of the handle, but it was more than enough. I fitted a stop to the handle so that it could not come back too far and foul the tailstock. Perfect!
I would totally agree with you on the compound rest removal. If you need to chamfer the the ends of parts you could grind a couple of dedicate tool bits. It dawned on me today just how small your mill is. I am used to a 6 inch Kurt vise.
16:14 - would a GearWrench work here - providing the number of splines will allow it to fit on a square shaft. Quick note: I needed a set of OE spanners to tighten/loosen the gland nuts on Amphenol eco|mate connectors and various 'high end' spanners weren't going to leave much change out of $50; I got 2 cheapie OE/ring spanners for $20 and cut them in half, and painted them with the resistor colour code: red - 22 mm, yellow 24 mm. Hence, no thought required, just pick up the tool. Side effect: the 24 mm ring spanner end fits the rotation nut on my Back Saver crane on my box trailer. Good job on your videos!
One thing I noticed on your Lathe that happened on mine too was the Spindle guard disappeared! Even more strangely the fixing screws were left untouched. One of those unsolvable mysteries I guess. On a more serious note, one of the first things I did on my Lathe was to install an emergency kick switch. I had to get an electrician friend of mine to wire it in, but its one of those just in case mods. If I did have a lapse of concentration and my Lathe did try and have my hand off, I'd need to reach over the spindle to hit the kill switch. Not ideal. Some might say its over kill but since Im alone in my machine shop, you gotta have your own back.
hey Blondy i got the same mill and i found that a twelve point 7/16 ratcheting box wrench fits perfect on that nut and is way handier than a socket wrench.
Excellent video as ever, thank you. Regarding the access under your lathe for drain plugs and cleaning, you could consider a set of raising blocks between the lathe feet and the main chip tray. I have 1.5 inch blocks under my Myford and they make things so much easier. Cheers, Toby
on you slide lock, with the cute hex wrench. Use your dremel and machine an O-ring groove in the hex. That will stop it falling out. perhaps. I have a small workshop as well, and a huge industrial compressor. THAT lives under the house and the air line comes through the wall. I ran a switched electrical line out to it, and using a double pole single throw switch, control a light in the workshop to remind me that the compressor is ON. Gets very old, to hear the compressor kick in at 0-dark:30 and its winter, with the grass all sparkly with water crystals.
I hope I was one of the people who you took notice of about using two chuck keys. I sing your praises a lot with my lathe friends, we are all impressed.
@@davidwillard7334 Not sure where the misunderstanding is, but I'm talking about a four-jaw independent chuck.. Then having a DTI on the work you can very easily get it running to zero. I found that when I rotated the chuck if I was tired that I moved the single key in the wrong direction.
Hello Quinn, personnally I use my M fuel 12 volts Milwaukee ratchet for the draw bar and I love it, really faster than the key that come with the milling, a lotvof saving time when changing tools 😉
Great tips as always. I discover things on my lathe I didn't know I had like what the tapped hole between the gib screws on my lathe's cross slide is for. But I also discover things my lathe doesn't have like a carriage lock or a compound lock. The compound is separate though, so I only install it when needed.
When I was in grad school I had my first close encounter with a milling machine in the Physics Department. They had some kind of clever alignment buttons. They were cylindrical mushrooms turned from steel. The small diameter was sized to fit into the table slots and the large diameter was large enough to sit on the surface of the table. If you have to mount your work to the table rather than a vice you would drop two of them into a table slot and butt the work against them. That starts you out with the work mostly parallel with the slot as long as the diameters match and the two sections are concentric.
Those anti-spill paint pottles that they use in preschools are good for cutting compound, I keep Rapid-Tap and a small acid brush in one. I took one of the handles off my Emco Compact 8 compound. I have a small square of 4mm rubber sheet I put under the mill spindle when taking bits out of the collet so they don't do the kiss of death on the table. I have 150mm rules stuck to both lathe and mill with magnets so I don't have to go looking for the one I forgot to put back in my apron. The digital display on my Chinese DRO has bright green digits with very little contrast forcing me to squint to see them. I taped translucent green plastic over the display and they are now perfectly legible.
Been working on some of these mods myself, got some great ideas here, thanks! Carrage lock, I put an alen head screw in the hole with some locktite. Still there.
I bought a quick change toolpost like yours and love it. Drove me mad initially as handle was in wrong position for loading back tool. I redrilled and tapped for a better position for handle a few degrees clockwise. Wonderful now. Chrs
On my small mill at home and both big mills at work I have sheet metal trays that cover the tables on both sides of the vise. They just have a wooden key screwed to the bottom that locates them to the center table slot. They catch a lot of swarf and keep the table slots from being filled up by it. Clean up is easy, just pop them off and dump in the trash.
Very few individuals know this process, just bought a new Lathe. On the "ways" I will flaking the surfaces for oil tention. The cross slide will move a lot easier.
I learned machining on a 90’s vintage Milltronics CNC with flood coolant and 120” (yes, 10 feet) of X axis travel. Being an open machine, chips and coolant went EVERYWHERE. I tried all manner of plexiglass shields, but what wound up working the best was building a simple frame out of electrical conduit and hanging cheap shower curtains.
Re: "Who is Don?" There should be a contest for most outrageous 'English' label on a machine. My lathe, "Flame Hardened Bedwats." Keep up the good work. Nice prsentations.
@@keithprocter141 are you sure that's not a "Nanodrop"? www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/spectroscopy-elemental-isotope-analysis/molecular-spectroscopy/ultraviolet-visible-visible-spectrophotometry-uv-vis-vis/uv-vis-vis-instruments/nanodrop-microvolume-spectrophotometers.html
9/16" will be a little loose on the 14mm vise. The speed wrench is an excellent project to learn some of the functions on your dro: circle hole pattern and angle hole function.
If you want to file a 120 degree corner for a hexagonal hole accurately (sort of), then clamp 2 equilateral triangle files together. Presto-chango 120 degrees!
Solid toolpost is the best thing you can do. I've got a mini lathe and every tapper that i need i make with form tools. Way faster and the big boost of rigidity is priceless. Try to make one, you won't regret it :)
I would like to see that happen also. That dinky little compound drives me crazy.Especially because it's on a 7X10. The handle is constantly in my way for the tail stock.
@@bustednuckles2 I've got 7x12 and it was a big problem also. If you want to make simple toolpost and get some parts for milling attachement you can take a look on this video: ruclips.net/video/3xmEnJDaaQE/видео.html Its not the best but i show my milling attachement and solid toolpost. After some extra mods you will be able to do this: ruclips.net/video/1z7WctFry9U/видео.html You should try to make it for yourself :)
@Phil Do a Google images search for 'allen nuts'. Ignore all the shiny bits, and look for the black oxide cylindrical looking things. I just got a QC tool post, and the first thing I did was replace the nut & washer on the hold down bolt with a Torrington (thrust) bearing and an allen nut. Torringtons are great to put behind nuts used to tighten something when you don't want the something to move as you tighten the locking nut. You may need or want the Torrington on the compound lock, but an allen nut will give you a durable connection point to loosen/tighten instead of the handle, when a stud is involved. If the handle has an integrated bolt, replace with a stud, and use an allen nut. They are great to keep around a shop, the row of knurling at the top is sufficient, (they are case hardened), to press fit them into soft materials which won't hold threads, but you need a threaded hole. Hope that helps. I have a Sherline lathe, which is even smaller than the 7 x 10, you REALLY have to figure out space savers with a Sherline! GeoD
The Victorian engineer in me expected to see more brass. I heartily approve of The One Wrench to rule them all. Companies should design things with this concept.
Enjoyed. a couple of ideas, #1 replace gib adjuster screws with set screws, just long enough to still have lock nut. # 2 cut slots in mill chip guard and install two large head bolts in threaded holes in the end of vice. Remove magnets. Great ideas and easy to watch. My Honda car jack instructions say place jack under neath. Where's the neath Keep um coming.
Only change is to plasti dip it so it fits more comfortably. A bright colour as well, so it is easy to spot when it inevitably drops into that big pile of assorted swarf in a bin as you lean over. Before dipping hit it with some 80 grit paper to rough it up, and wash in acetone to get it oil free, so the dip has the best chance of holding. If you can do powder coat then a couple of dips in powder will work as well, and will be a lot harder wearing, but all I have is plasti dip, so that is what I use.
Get the quote right - it is from Tolkien, and reads "One ring (spanner) to rule them all, one ring (spanner) to find them, One ring (spanner) to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
on that cross-slide lock... I made up a little brass pin for the end of the lock screw, so that it's a brass surface clamping the surfaces; it takes a tad more torque on the clamping screw, but pretty much guarantees no damage to the way. The brass pin also allows for a bit of 'drag' adjustment on the cross slide. Maybe one could put some kind of tiny 'spring between the brass pin and the adjusting screw, a really tiny belleville washer? Just a thought (or two) Thanks for your work on your channel!
@@sierraspecialtyauto7049 The dimples are really just to keep the gibb itself from sliding out of place. They are not necessary (or even useful) for every screw.
Great video and lots of good ideas. One thing I do is paint the number of teeth on the side of my change gears using a white paint marking pen. Change gears are usually stamped with the number or have the number cast on them but sometimes the numbers are small and hard to read so using the white paint makes them easy to identify when setting up a gear train to my older eyes.
The most effective mod I made to my Chinese lathe was to add a rear parting off tool holder. I have to reverse the spindle to use it but it totally transformed the parting off performance. Without a saw to cut large diameter bar, parting it off didn't work but the rear tool holder was a magic solution. Also for the Miller a chip guard made from a 2 litre pop (soda) bottle was effective. I just cut a curved line in a piece of plywood and then used wood screws to screw the two pieces back together sandwiching the edge of the piece of clear plastic cut from the bottle. The plywood just sits on top of the vice. I added two wooden guides to the bottom so it snugly slots onto the vice.
I used one of the chuck backplate from littlemachineshop to make a faceplate mini pallet hybrid for my lathe. And, more of a repair, I reamed out the tailstock to 2mt from the 1/2" hole a previous owner had butchered into it. My lathe is a craftsman 109.21280 by the way
Gday Quinn, some really great ideas there, I’ve been toying with the idea of taking the compound of my lathe but have had my butt into gear and done it yet, I really like the idea of the chip guards on the mill, that’s something I think I’ll definitely do, there a great mess maker, thanks for all the great tips, take care stay safe , Matty
Wow Okay...maybe I was not paying attention to that segment so much after the nice and quiet pen caps but your ARC welding almost made me have to clean my chip tray!
Two chuck keys for 4 jaw adjustment makes life so much easier. Being able to adjust and then tighten from both sides cuts down the number of last minute small adjustments. I have used this method for the last 4 - 5 years having arrived at it by logic.
I have started using a strong magnet inside a tough zip lock bag down in the chip tray. It picks up some (not all of the chips) and keeps them from bouncing around underneath. I grab the bag, peel it off the magnet and the crud drops away easily. Obviously no good for non ferrous.
I second the notion of making a spider. I've realized that I needed one for a long time and just recently got around to making one. Also, I modified the hard stop that mounts on the bed way to accept a long travel dial indicator. Since I have no DRO on the lathe this allows me to move the carriage precisely.
That's a LOT of hardware for cross slide and compound gibb adjusters. Correct length set screws with thin jam nuts will certainly do the job and probably give the clearance you need for a square head carriage lock bolt with corresponding flat wrench.
Fit a length of silicone rubber sheet from the lathe saddle on the chuck side covering the lathe ways and the lead screw. This will stop swarf dropping between the lathe ways and on the lead screw. Use a quarter of an inch thickness silicone sheet it will stay straight and as you work closer to the chuck it will flex and slide under the rear of the chuck fitted one on my 20 X 10 lathe from new twenty years ago has worked perfectly ever since. A mod definitely worth doing.
The nice brass knob that you made gave me the idea that I should take a 3/4-1" hex soft bolt, turn the body down to the correct dia then thread to make the same thing. Nothing about my hands or the rest of me is pretty for that matter so the hex will give my older hand something more to grip.
Aside from your tech expertise, I appreciate your articulate speech and complete sentence structure.
I loved the comment, "True, but that doesn't make me wrong." Wisdom of the ages there. Absolutely words to live by. Nailed it.
Quinn: "Quinn, you're crazy."
Also Quinn: "True, but that doesn't make me wrong."
Love that!
No BS, just facts and useful information for machine works.. I like this chick
And this chick likes your comment! 😀
Thanks!
In addition to the brass, aluminum, and nylon hammer ends I use oak and pine glued to a simple hex bolt. the wooden ones are a great alternative as they have more mass than nylon and yet arent as likely to damage the surface as brass on finished pieces. Im a gunsmith so it may be a very specialist tool but Im throwing it out there for any who may find it useful.
and if you do make a brass hammer, you can turn a ball shape on one end so that it can cut out paper gaskets by whacking the paper over a metal hole.
To protect work from lathe chuck jaws try aluminium self adhesive tape also called purging tape,available from welding suppliers,it is very accurate on thickness so should not cause any more trouble than usual in a 3 jaw. I first used this when machining some parts for a camera lens. Set up , now use it on everything couple of layers is sufficient.
That’s a great idea!
Quinn, I looked up Quinns word of the day , And now I will use it in a sentence.... She practiced her( Alchemy) In her shop turning ordinary metal into precision parts .... Viewer tip I use hanging file cabinet folders to store , Emery cloth . crocus cloth and all the grids 120.220, 400. Staples sells little plastic file box's for hanging folders . so i can move the whole box from job to job , This is the first video in my Saturday night Blondie hacks Marathon , ( because the world is closed ) so thank you for taking the time to make these videos. Pete M
Hey, that’s a great idea! Hanging folders. Gotta remember that.
@@Blondihacks Either way is much better than all grits jammed together on a shelf including bits and pieces torn off ... :-)
Cheap will do in a pinch, however, a great lesson for a creative learning curve. Blondie, amazing teacher with personality that allows for students to retain! GOOD STUFF!!
Loved the reference to change gear alchemy.
Sneeze guards on the mill, perfect timing.
Great ideas. Finally someone who understands the psychological damage that working on British cars can do. To stop chips from my mill I use cardboard wings, about 18" tall, cut to fitted under and behind and to the side that catch all the chips. I protected them with gaffe tape and renew when necessary. Cheap, simple and very effective. Will be making the front guards like the ones you have. Great vids.
We'd love to see you make a new Tappy-tapper, Quinn.
I absolutely agree
When she mentioned making a nylon head, I pictured a X-headed hammer with Alum, Brass, Nylon and Lead all on the same handle!
@@seanrodden6151 2 ends, 4 heads. Why not or Y-knot?
Nylon on one end, lead on the other
Also, if the rpm on either your lathe or mill is too slow, you can speed it up by simply painting it red.
Also with stickers. On cars they are like 10hp a piece, not sure how it scales to hobby machines.
Rgb led’s also do the trick nicely
If your speed readout is digital double the number of teeth in the encoder instant 2X speed increase
Ferrari red will do it!
Don't forget to chrome parts for power increase.
Cleanest recipe box in a shop I've ever seen! (NICE!)
A recipe for smoothing your work?
Solid tool post for the win! One thing nobody ever seems to mention is the reason for using the compound for single-point threading: it's to reduce chatter caused by the high cutting forces involved in taking a plunge cut with a form tool. But you know what else reduces chatter? Rigidity. I can cut almost as coarse using a plunge cut with my solid toolpost as I could using the compound, and I get the DRO telling me how deep I've gone as a bonus.
For the Cross Slide Knobs and the Tool Post Knobs, I just bored them out then ran a cap screw through them into the original holes. Now when I turn them the outer shell, formerly the solid knob, turns in my hand. It's a quick and easy mod that stays on the knobs and I don't need a slip pipe or something else. Love the mods you made. My lathe is a 3 in 1 Multipurpose Machine Model 44142 by Central Machinery in China, (Harbor Freight). It's basically the same machine as a Grizzly G7929. Thanks for the fun videos, I enjoy them when you post them. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
Love the hand gestures, makes a information packed video much more entertaining
“Labels” is the best idea… I cannot believe that I never thought about this!
Thanks!!
Owner of a "cheap import lathe" here - would love to hear more about gib adjustment and tips. I 100% agree, the compound is the source of most of the lack of rigidity. Locking it would be great, but single-point threading is mostly what I do. I think this topic could be a whole video - if someone with the relevant expertise and experience (hit-hint, nudge-nudge) had the time and inclination.
Love the videos - please keep them coming!
Steve Jordan’s channel is worth watching, he’s always making things for small lathes
I stopped watching him once he became a Banggood shill.
One tip that i learnt when doing my apprenticship on Mills and Lathes. One for the Lathe, this depends on your own machine, is to remove any levers next to the half nut lever. It was a common problem when concentrating on the work and need to engage one of the levers you could accidently go for the wrong one. So when setting up your turning operations keep in mind what out of the two or three levers you will need, then remove the other(s). In time with experiance with the machine you could always put the levers back on all the time.
Great tip!
If you CAN'T remove one or more of the others, change the texture or shape of them, (or both). Your hand & brain will quickly learn the difference.
I sustained a brain injury 17 years ago, and am very prone to these kinds of mistakes, so I have been forced to learn ways to accomodate my tendencies, and multiples methods for making mistakes.
@@georgedennison3338 My wide was always mixing up the gas tank door re;ease lever with the trunk hood release lever so I stuck a piece of velcro to one and she thanks me every time she uses it.
I'm glad I've found people on RUclips that teach others by their videos on how to do things. I have a small shop in my basement and made things from metals for my motorcycle. One thing I did find is how to heat treat metal parts using a small charcoal grill and used a fan to force air up through the vent on the bottom, then quench the parts in used motor oil (turns them black and makes them rust proof), let them cool then put them in the oven at 200 degrees for about half an hour to finish the process. I have a bench top drill press, a bench grinder and other tools. I may be looking into getting a Harbor Freight small lathe. I do like to watch what you do as I can always learn something.
I have good results using a stainless wire brush and/or compressed air to clean metal chips off magnets in my shop. Stuff like my magnetic coolant thingies, magnetic enclosure door stickies, and magnetic welding squares. I don't suppose a stainless brush would be great on acrylic but compressed air may suffice.
She is absolutely amazing. I have learned so much from her direct and clear approach. I particularly love her snipes towards the British "depending on how British you are" and " like a British car". Sad that she might not know that the best of British tomfoolery is not displayed on the likes of RUclips. They don't have the time for it.😊
Don't forget Bob's your uncle😂
Hey blondie hacks. Dan from port colborne Ontario Canada. New to this but just acquired a lathe and mill in my hot rod / race car shop and must say your videos are my daily go to. Keep up the good work! Love the channel
When I was young and stupid (as opposed too old and stupid now) I messed with Triumps, MGs, and the odd Cooper. So, the "...built like a British car..." was right in my wheel house. Never forget that Lucas electronics were the heart-of-darkness also...
As someone who has spent 15 of the last 20 years working on British cars, we share that bond. Time to place another order for a jar of Lucas magic smoke...
Why do the Brits drink their beverages at room temperature? Their refrigerators are made by Lucas Electrics.
I also feel your pain, I had a TR6. I thought the ladies would like it, but it only drew older men, who had had one in their youth. In my waning years, I now have an older SL500, not sure it's an improvement.
@@Blondihacks You must have the patience of a saint! Fifteen years of Brit madness, wow. The worst I ever had was a four door Austin American...think it was a '66 model. It used fifty weight oil for the engine and shared it with the automatic transmission! I bought it from a buddy to help him out in '74. Then I tried to drive it from Sacramento over Donner's Pass to Reno. It ran out of power at altitude and couldn't climb the last thousand or so feet to the pass. Had to push it through the median and coast to a lower altitude to start it.
Lucas, inventor of the dark emitting lamp, and the intermittent wiper. However they learn that from Magnetti Marelli, as anybody who ever owned an Italian made vehicle can attest to as well. My father with his Alfa had a tool kit in the car, which included amongst them a special handbrake adjuster tool a half meter long on each part, as the adjusters were buried half way down the firewall, and he was not keen on the typical Alfa owner solution of either, not park on inclines, or carry 2 bricks with. Also the vehicle that he took from the dealership brand new to Corrosolve, to basically drown the inside of every panel. Only slowed the rust down a little.
After watching a few Adam Booth Abom76 uploads I discovered having interest in machining.. Now I did discover your channel a few days ago and do really appreciate the way you teach and how creative you are to solve practical...and theoretical problems. Very clear and professional uploads..Thx Quinn.
Hi Quinn. Not sure that it is easy but I added a low voltage relay electrical interlock, no volt release switch and low voltage table travel limit switching to my mill table power feed. A lot safer to use here in the UK than it was. Stopping the mill spindle now stops the table drive and it has to be reset to restart. Restoration of electricity after a failure no longer results in the table starting to move until it has been reset. Finally the table travel limit switches now run on 24 volts AC instead of the potentially lethal UK mains electricity voltage of 230 Volt AC. BobUK.
Great video for early Sunday. Any day. Thanks for sharing.
2:30 - i ended up taking a long M5 screw, some spare bearings, and a couple spacers to make a permanent slip handle for all my slide knobs. All things that most shops will have in abundance, especially if they have 3D printers (i used gt2 belt idlers for the bearings, they work nice and give it a futurey look!)
The shop-made, low-profile, hex wrench that you demonstrated at 1:12 is the same solution that I came to for my rotary table. My 4-inch rotary table was too small to mount some parts, so I made a fixture plate to mount on top of my rotary table out of a six-inch round, half-inch aluminum plate and mounted it to the rotary table.
The only problem was that the fixture plate covered the two M6, hex-head cap screws that are used to lock the table. I had to use a needle nose pliers to lock/unlock the rotary table, but it was really inconvenient. I made a very similar low-profile hex wrench that I now leave in place to lock the table.
Replacing the lever-style, table-locking screws on your mill with brass knobs is an excellent idea that I'll adopt. I've had to replace two of these handles already on my mill breaking one and bending another.
I know most of your tips were mechanical in nature. A good thing to do with a lathe is have a designated place for T handle. Wire a limit switch so the lathe can not be powered up while T handle is not in its safe location. Then tether a cable so the t handle can be used but not leave the machine. I've done this for machines at work as well for machine s at home. Just added safety and organization.
This is gold. I'm learning more here in each minute than I did back in the day (1975) at the machinists ATS!
BTW I'm an electrician.
Had some issues with a quick change tool post purchased from my mini lathe's manufacturer. Just received some stock a week ago to make a spacer to replace the compound and finally make the new tool post useful. Great suggestions!
If you need to keep the compound on, then at least modify the anchor to use 4 t-nuts instead of just 2. Those darned things just love to rock back and forth about that fulcrum point. Tip: where the spacer meets the cross slide surface design in a tripod feature to it. That way it's much easier to assure a solid connection to the C.S. Also, I milled mine with integral rails to fit the t-slots. But that tripod feature made a world of difference for me. Before I had a heck of a time with chatter that I don't have anymore. It's also much easier to dial in to size when you don't have the slop to deal with. Surface finish is much better too. Seriously I can't think of a single downside.
Excellent video! I look forward to your content every week.
Always good to see great mods to aid other travelers...Thanks Quinn.
That is an awesome apron
Hi Quinn, thanks for the inspiration! I made a carriage lock very similar to yours with one exception. I drilled and tapped the cap head screw, and drilled through the end of the Allen key, and then placed the lock handle in place and fitted it permanently with a countersunk screw. As I have a DRO fitted, I could only use 90 degree movement of the handle, but it was more than enough. I fitted a stop to the handle so that it could not come back too far and foul the tailstock. Perfect!
I would totally agree with you on the compound rest removal. If you need to chamfer the the ends of parts you could grind a couple of dedicate tool bits. It dawned on me today just how small your mill is. I am used to a 6 inch Kurt vise.
Yah, most people don’t grok how small it is, based on the comments people make about how I should be climb cutting more. 🤣😂
@@Blondihacks absolutely you have to work with the limits of your machine and adapt, which you are extremely good at.
16:14 - would a GearWrench work here - providing the number of splines will allow it to fit on a square shaft. Quick note: I needed a set of OE spanners to tighten/loosen the gland nuts on Amphenol eco|mate connectors and various 'high end' spanners weren't going to leave much change out of $50; I got 2 cheapie OE/ring spanners for $20 and cut them in half, and painted them with the resistor colour code: red - 22 mm, yellow 24 mm. Hence, no thought required, just pick up the tool. Side effect: the 24 mm ring spanner end fits the rotation nut on my Back Saver crane on my box trailer. Good job on your videos!
I'm not a machinist but I love these videos. :D
Great tips Quinn. Like the small speed handle. Thanks for the info
One thing I noticed on your Lathe that happened on mine too was the Spindle guard disappeared! Even more strangely the fixing screws were left untouched.
One of those unsolvable mysteries I guess.
On a more serious note, one of the first things I did on my Lathe was to install an emergency kick switch. I had to get an electrician friend of mine to wire it in, but its one of those just in case mods. If I did have a lapse of concentration and my Lathe did try and have my hand off, I'd need to reach over the spindle to hit the kill switch. Not ideal.
Some might say its over kill but since Im alone in my machine shop, you gotta have your own back.
hey Blondy i got the same mill and i found that a twelve point 7/16 ratcheting box wrench fits perfect on that nut and is way handier than a socket wrench.
Loved the three-jaw-copper sequence. Very TOT-esque .
Excellent video as ever, thank you. Regarding the access under your lathe for drain plugs and cleaning, you could consider a set of raising blocks between the lathe feet and the main chip tray. I have 1.5 inch blocks under my Myford and they make things so much easier. Cheers, Toby
53 years of machining and still learning new tricks. Loved your drawbar ratchet but added a knurled thumb roller to expedite on/off motions.
One wrench to rule them all! Good idea Quinn.
on you slide lock, with the cute hex wrench. Use your dremel and machine an O-ring groove in the hex. That will stop it falling out. perhaps.
I have a small workshop as well, and a huge industrial compressor. THAT lives under the house and the air line comes through the wall. I ran a switched electrical line out to it, and using a double pole single throw switch, control a light in the workshop to remind me that the compressor is ON. Gets very old, to hear the compressor kick in at 0-dark:30 and its winter, with the grass all sparkly with water crystals.
Thanks for the response. Makes me feel less isolated and useless in lock down
I hope I was one of the people who you took notice of about using two chuck keys. I sing your praises a lot with my lathe friends, we are all impressed.
Yes, I believe so! 😀
@@davidwillard7334 Not sure where the misunderstanding is, but I'm talking about a four-jaw independent chuck.. Then having a DTI on the work you can very easily get it running to zero. I found that when I rotated the chuck if I was tired that I moved the single key in the wrong direction.
@@davidwillard7334 ?
Thanks for sharing Quinn. Appreciate the content but enjoy Your sense of humor.
Hello Quinn, personnally I use my M fuel 12 volts Milwaukee ratchet for the draw bar and I love it, really faster than the key that come with the milling, a lotvof saving time when changing tools 😉
Great collection of stuff! Thanks!!
Great tips as always. I discover things on my lathe I didn't know I had like what the tapped hole between the gib screws on my lathe's cross slide is for. But I also discover things my lathe doesn't have like a carriage lock or a compound lock. The compound is separate though, so I only install it when needed.
Thanks for the ebay link for the 4" mill vise speed handle. I enjoy your videos. Keep 'em coming.
Several presenters have made some sort of chuck key holder but on reflection putting it in your safety apron is a natural.
Great tips there, thanks Quinn.
You can get longer Allan set screws and replace the Gibbs setscrews which will make the shorter and out of your way.
When I was in grad school I had my first close encounter with a milling machine in the Physics Department. They had some kind of clever alignment buttons. They were cylindrical mushrooms turned from steel. The small diameter was sized to fit into the table slots and the large diameter was large enough to sit on the surface of the table. If you have to mount your work to the table rather than a vice you would drop two of them into a table slot and butt the work against them. That starts you out with the work mostly parallel with the slot as long as the diameters match and the two sections are concentric.
Those anti-spill paint pottles that they use in preschools are good for cutting compound, I keep Rapid-Tap and a small acid brush in one. I took one of the handles off my Emco Compact 8 compound. I have a small square of 4mm rubber sheet I put under the mill spindle when taking bits out of the collet so they don't do the kiss of death on the table. I have 150mm rules stuck to both lathe and mill with magnets so I don't have to go looking for the one I forgot to put back in my apron. The digital display on my Chinese DRO has bright green digits with very little contrast forcing me to squint to see them. I taped translucent green plastic over the display and they are now perfectly legible.
I really like the idea of a standardized bolt head for handling QCTP, hold-downs on the mill, and in my case, tailstock adjustment. That's fantastic.
Great tips! thanks
Been working on some of these mods myself, got some great ideas here, thanks! Carrage lock, I put an alen head screw in the hole with some locktite. Still there.
Love the idea of tape over the magnets - so simple (why didn’t I think of that🤔)
Thank you, Ms. Hacks.
I bought a quick change toolpost like yours and love it. Drove me mad initially as handle was in wrong position for loading back tool. I redrilled and tapped for a better position for handle a few degrees clockwise. Wonderful now. Chrs
On my small mill at home and both big mills at work I have sheet metal trays that cover the tables on both sides of the vise. They just have a wooden key screwed to the bottom that locates them to the center table slot. They catch a lot of swarf and keep the table slots from being filled up by it. Clean up is easy, just pop them off and dump in the trash.
Great idea! mill table guards are on my todo list
Very few individuals know this process, just bought a new Lathe. On the "ways" I will flaking the surfaces for oil tention. The cross slide will move a lot easier.
I learned machining on a 90’s vintage Milltronics CNC with flood coolant and 120” (yes, 10 feet) of X axis travel.
Being an open machine, chips and coolant went EVERYWHERE.
I tried all manner of plexiglass shields, but what wound up working the best was building a simple frame out of electrical conduit and hanging cheap shower curtains.
Good to know! 10’!!!
Re: "Who is Don?" There should be a contest for most outrageous 'English' label on a machine. My lathe, "Flame Hardened Bedwats." Keep up the good work. Nice prsentations.
What do you get when you cross a bedwat with a wombat?
A 'wom' bed of course
It wasn't on a machine, but the one label that still cracks me up is the way a store clerk abbreviated "assorted razors".... think about it.
I have a "Millimg" machine, according to the label.
@@keithprocter141 are you sure that's not a "Nanodrop"? www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/industrial/spectroscopy-elemental-isotope-analysis/molecular-spectroscopy/ultraviolet-visible-visible-spectrophotometry-uv-vis-vis/uv-vis-vis-instruments/nanodrop-microvolume-spectrophotometers.html
I use mini corrugated roof sheet cut down for the sides and back. Very flexible - so long as you have the ridges going vertically!!
9/16" will be a little loose on the 14mm vise. The speed wrench is an excellent project to learn some of the functions on your dro: circle hole pattern and angle hole function.
If you want to file a 120 degree corner for a hexagonal hole accurately (sort of), then clamp 2 equilateral triangle files together. Presto-chango 120 degrees!
Great mod video. You mentioned having problems cleaning the chips off the magnets. Use a stainless steel wire brush and just brush them off.
I always learn from your videos! Thanks!
Solid toolpost is the best thing you can do. I've got a mini lathe and every tapper that i need i make with form tools. Way faster and the big boost of rigidity is priceless.
Try to make one, you won't regret it :)
I would like to see that happen also. That dinky little compound drives me crazy.Especially because it's on a 7X10. The handle is constantly in my way for the tail stock.
@@bustednuckles2 I've got 7x12 and it was a big problem also. If you want to make simple toolpost and get some parts for milling attachement you can take a look on this video:
ruclips.net/video/3xmEnJDaaQE/видео.html
Its not the best but i show my milling attachement and solid toolpost.
After some extra mods you will be able to do this:
ruclips.net/video/1z7WctFry9U/видео.html
You should try to make it for yourself :)
@Phil
Do a Google images search for 'allen nuts'. Ignore all the shiny bits, and look for the black oxide cylindrical looking things.
I just got a QC tool post, and the first thing I did was replace the nut & washer on the hold down bolt with a Torrington (thrust) bearing and an allen nut. Torringtons are great to put behind nuts used to tighten something when you don't want the something to move as you tighten the locking nut.
You may need or want the Torrington on the compound lock, but an allen nut will give you a durable connection point to loosen/tighten instead of the handle, when a stud is involved. If the handle has an integrated bolt, replace with a stud, and use an allen nut.
They are great to keep around a shop, the row of knurling at the top is sufficient, (they are case hardened), to press fit them into soft materials which won't hold threads, but you need a threaded hole.
Hope that helps. I have a Sherline lathe, which is even smaller than the 7 x 10, you REALLY have to figure out space savers with a Sherline!
GeoD
The Victorian engineer in me expected to see more brass.
I heartily approve of The One Wrench to rule them all.
Companies should design things with this concept.
Ha Ha! Yes, I want to know who “Don” is! Almost fell out of my chair! Thanks Quinn!
I love your humor and your videos! Thanks!
How about "Khaaaaaan!" ruclips.net/video/wRnSnfiUI54/видео.html
Enjoyed. a couple of ideas, #1 replace gib adjuster screws with set screws, just long enough to still have lock nut. # 2 cut slots in mill chip guard and install two large head bolts in threaded holes in the end of vice. Remove magnets. Great ideas and easy to watch. My Honda car jack instructions say place jack under neath. Where's the neath
Keep um coming.
wales
Great tips !! Thanks, Cliff
ONE WRENCH TO RULE THEM ALL!!!!
That's what was going through my mind at that point, too.
There can be only one!
Only change is to plasti dip it so it fits more comfortably. A bright colour as well, so it is easy to spot when it inevitably drops into that big pile of assorted swarf in a bin as you lean over. Before dipping hit it with some 80 grit paper to rough it up, and wash in acetone to get it oil free, so the dip has the best chance of holding. If you can do powder coat then a couple of dips in powder will work as well, and will be a lot harder wearing, but all I have is plasti dip, so that is what I use.
Get the quote right - it is from Tolkien, and reads "One ring (spanner) to rule them all, one ring (spanner) to find them, One ring (spanner) to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
@@criggie This is a friendly place and nobody said anything wrong. Why the hostility?
on that cross-slide lock... I made up a little brass pin for the end of the lock screw, so that it's a brass surface clamping the surfaces; it takes a tad more torque on the clamping screw, but pretty much guarantees no damage to the way. The brass pin also allows for a bit of 'drag' adjustment on the cross slide. Maybe one could put some kind of tiny 'spring between the brass pin and the adjusting screw, a really tiny belleville washer? Just a thought (or two) Thanks for your work on your channel!
In my case the lock is pressing on the gib so nothing is actually sliding. That’s a great tip though!
@@sierraspecialtyauto7049 The dimples are really just to keep the gibb itself from sliding out of place. They are not necessary (or even useful) for every screw.
Great video and lots of good ideas. One thing I do is paint the number of teeth on the side of my change gears using a white paint marking pen. Change gears are usually stamped with the number or have the number cast on them but sometimes the numbers are small and hard to read so using the white paint makes them easy to identify when setting up a gear train to my older eyes.
The most effective mod I made to my Chinese lathe was to add a rear parting off tool holder. I have to reverse the spindle to use it but it totally transformed the parting off performance. Without a saw to cut large diameter bar, parting it off didn't work but the rear tool holder was a magic solution. Also for the Miller a chip guard made from a 2 litre pop (soda) bottle was effective. I just cut a curved line in a piece of plywood and then used wood screws to screw the two pieces back together sandwiching the edge of the piece of clear plastic cut from the bottle. The plywood just sits on top of the vice. I added two wooden guides to the bottom so it snugly slots onto the vice.
I used one of the chuck backplate from littlemachineshop to make a faceplate mini pallet hybrid for my lathe. And, more of a repair, I reamed out the tailstock to 2mt from the 1/2" hole a previous owner had butchered into it. My lathe is a craftsman 109.21280 by the way
Gday Quinn, some really great ideas there, I’ve been toying with the idea of taking the compound of my lathe but have had my butt into gear and done it yet, I really like the idea of the chip guards on the mill, that’s something I think I’ll definitely do, there a great mess maker, thanks for all the great tips, take care stay safe , Matty
Wow Okay...maybe I was not paying attention to that segment so much after the nice and quiet pen caps but your ARC welding almost made me have to clean my chip tray!
As usual good content well presented with a degree of humour keep them coming. Bloody cheek about the British built car though ( tongue in cheek!)
Hi Quinn,
If you brush the chips quickly with brush they do come off easily.
I just bought a newer edition of this lathe, and the oil plugs are in the same place, but the saddle plug is a hex bolt instead of an Allen bolt.
Loved it.. I already did fee bits.. still working on some
I have a similar machine, I use a low power battery powered impact drill on the drawbar to save time.
Two chuck keys for 4 jaw adjustment makes life so much easier. Being able to adjust and then tighten from both sides cuts down the number of last minute small adjustments. I have used this method for the last 4 - 5 years having arrived at it by logic.
I have started using a strong magnet inside a tough zip lock bag down in the chip tray. It picks up some (not all of the chips) and keeps them from bouncing around underneath. I grab the bag, peel it off the magnet and the crud drops away easily. Obviously no good for non ferrous.
Love the hints and tips! Would really enjoy the machinist's hammer project; hope you can do that soon!
I second the notion of making a spider. I've realized that I needed one for a long time and just recently got around to making one. Also, I modified the hard stop that mounts on the bed way to accept a long travel dial indicator. Since I have no DRO on the lathe this allows me to move the carriage precisely.
That's a LOT of hardware for cross slide and compound gibb adjusters. Correct length set screws with thin jam nuts will certainly do the job and probably give the clearance you need for a square head carriage lock bolt with corresponding flat wrench.
Fit a length of silicone rubber sheet from the lathe saddle on the chuck side covering the lathe ways and the lead screw. This will stop swarf dropping between the lathe ways and on the lead screw. Use a quarter of an inch thickness silicone sheet it will stay straight and as you work closer to the chuck it will flex and slide under the rear of the chuck fitted one on my 20 X 10 lathe from new twenty years ago has worked perfectly ever since. A mod definitely worth doing.
The nice brass knob that you made gave me the idea that I should take a 3/4-1" hex soft bolt, turn the body down to the correct dia then thread to make the same thing. Nothing about my hands or the rest of me is pretty for that matter so the hex will give my older hand something more to grip.