Member postings for David Watson 3

A quick update regarding the motor problems. I took the rear brush out of the motor and there is a lot material left on it so I didnt take the other one out being harder to get at. As suggested I cleaned the stator whilst the brush was out.

As part of my next project I have been cleaning up some 2" round bar. I didnt try in the high gear and used my origional turning tool with no trouble. This must prove it must have been the arbor I was turning down must have been some odd material.or the wrong tool for the job.

It is DCMT 07 carbide insert that came with the tool. I bought it to machine a relief for threads against a face. In that respect it works well but maybe for longer cuts I will stick to my normal turning tool.
If the quick change tool post comes to being I have more chance of getting the tool on centre hight without resorting to shims.

The tools that came with the lathe are a mix of 6 &8 mm all with carbide replaceable inserts. I also have some of my own carbide insert tools and odd tool steel home ground tools. With this mix setting them on centre hight is always a challenge.

Along time ago I bought a Yellow Hammer, I think hat was the brand name and it was yellow in colour and quite heavy. It came with a set of detachable inserts. It has a brass, steel, aluminum and nylon screw on inserts.

My late father still had it and I now use the nylon head to release the draw bar on mill.

As per my other post regarding motor problems I didnt buy my Mini Lathe personally I inherited it. I had given up model engineering and sold my very worn Myford ML4.

My father bought the Mini Lathe after having a Rivet 608 for his clock making and gave the Rivet to his friends son. I didnt think he did much with the Mini Lathe but it has been used and the gib strip under the back of the saddle has been replaced with a piece of flat bar. Apart from that it as it was delivered.

When I retired and having more time I treated myself to a WM 14 Milling machine and am making more use of the lathe making minor improvements. My next project will be a quick change tool post as per ideas from Youtube videos.

If I hadnt inherited the lathe I might have considered buying something from the likes of Warco. A brand new lathe at the price of a second hand one that you dont know its history is always worth a thought.

Thanks for youre thoughts Samuel,

I try and be careful about the material I use for my projects considering the limits of the mini lathe. The lathes I have worked with in the past had varied from a Harrison, Boxford and an ML4 Myford. They all had there limits of cut but unknown materials were always going to be an issue.

This time I was reducing a 1" shank on a MT2 arbor to thread it 5/16 x 32 to use in the tailstock. The tool I was using was a new one with a diamond shaped insert. I swapped back to my normal tool yesterday and it seemed to help.

I tried another MT2 arbor with the same results but turning the same size free cutting mild steel didnt cause any problems using the new tool and insert. Maybe I was too trusting thinking the arbors would turn as per mild steel.

Once the current project is finished I am going to move the lathe and look into this problem further. I need to get to the back of the saddle at the same time to sort out another issue I inherited. Why do problems always come mid way through a project.

Thanks for the thoughts Dave. I am sure the problem is not mechanical because it managed the same cut in the lower gear.
The noises were not mechanical. Thinking about this it was a buzzing noise from low down at the back were the motor is. I have since found a picture of the motor and it looks like one of the brushes is fairly easy to get at so I might check that next.

I inherited my late fathers Mini Lathe bought by him from Warco in 2005 and it has served me well within its limits for my model engineering projects until recently.

Whilst taking a 10thou cut in mild steel the motor stalled and made some strange noises. I tried a new insert and different speeds but the only way to overcome this problem was to engage the lower speed.

Thinking this could a problem with the brushes I contacted Warco to confirm they stock the brushes. Has any one had this problem and can confirm my thoughts.

Thanks Phil, I did wounder if I could get away with one grade of silver solder. Maybe a mid heat range. It would keep things simple. I am ok with silver soldering but havnt tackled a boiler before. The Clayton boiler looks easier than a loco boiler, thats one of reasons for building the Clayton.

Apart from the Alex Farmer book on boiler building are there any other books on the subject worth reading.

I am gathering a stock list to build the boiler for my Clayton. I only need 3/8 tube and foundation ring. That is normal stock from the likes of Blackgates or Mac Models.. The boiler came to me as a nearly full kit for the rest.

The sliver solder is dependent on pricing, cup alloys. being favourite. I know its been a while since any one has built a Clayton boiler but can any one give me an idea how much they needed. I presume I would need to use two different silver solders to allow me to build he boiler in stages.

After a morning of sorting the tailstock I found some strange things. The screws at the back of the head were well painted in,not helped by being deeply recessed and slotted. There was no locking bolt underneath and there was a bush in the hole for the main clamp bolt preventing any side ways movement.

I removed the bush and replaced the lock bolt. The two screws at the back had to go back in untill I get some better screws. To get enough movement to move the tailstock side ways I milled out the hole for the main clamp bolt.

After reading the advice I realised I dont have a centre for the headstock, I have a MT2 live and rotating centre but no MT3 for the headstock. I made a live centre in the three jaw chuck to mount a bar between centres and ran a gauge along the bar. I found an error of five thou at the tailstock end.This accounts for the error I had.After lunch I will try turning between centres again.

After adjusting the tailstock the marks on the back are nearer but not quite in line. I wounder if the tailstock has been messed with when my father owned the lathe or is this the way it was delivered. I dont think it had been used much, I saw it in three workshops before I inherited it.

I still find the Mini Lathe meets all my needs. They cant be all bad considering how many there are out there. As I said my last lathe was a cross between an ML 2/4 and very worn out.

Thanks folks. I centre drilled the end of the stock before I started turning and it appeared to be in the centre. I always thought there was a problem with the tailstock . At the back of the tailstock there is a label with lines on it and a mark on the tailstock. These show the tailstock being about 1/2" out of line. with any of the marks. I always thought the markings.were wrong, it cant be that far out I hope.

The lathe has had a lot of moves before I took it over and there are signs of it may have been dropped or something dropped on to it. I will take the tailstock off tomorrow and give it a good clean before I start. The screws at the back of the tailstock stock are covered in paint. To make life easier I may swap these to cap headed bolts.

I will update with a progress report after a day of tinkering tomorrow.

I hope I am note repeating anything already covered. Having more time in the workshop recently I have found a problem with the Warco Mini Lathe I inherited a few years ago from my late father. I know its only a Mini Lathe but it has a lot of plus points compared to my old ML2/4.

I have always struggled to turn material true. Today I turned a piece of mild steel 1.5" long in the three jaw chuck and supported with a centre in the tail stock..The cut was plus 8 thou at the chuck end.

Could this error be adjusted out by re-aligning the tail stock.

Thanks folks. I haven’t heard of JB tools. They have the screws and inserts individually so that will save me buying a box of inserts. Once again thanks for the prompt replies.

When I inherited the mini lathe from my father there were a set of lathe tools with it and a box of TCMT Inserts. I am about to order some more inserts and spare screws, one tool has always had the insert and screw missing.
The tool for the screws is marked T6. All the screws I can find are T8. Has any one purchased these screws and were from.
I may upgrade to some bigger tools for the lathe. What size do other Mini lathe owners use as a matter of interest.

As much as I wanted to visit Warco and ARC to help me make the right choice Warco are just too far for a day out. I thought they might have been at the Midlands Model Engineering Show but they have said they wont have a stand there. I am going to call into ARC first.

The Mini Mill I have seen in use on You Tube seems to need things altering to make it more workable but I would be thinking of DRO,s any way so it would really only be the gas strut mod. The lower cost is tempting, enabling more spending money for setting up.

Is there is any one on the forum with a WM14 nearer to the top corner of Lincolnshire willing to let me have a look at there milling machine.

I am out of the Country for all of November and most of December so I will check things out before I go and then make a choice when I come back.

I didnt expect the amount of replies this fast, thanks folks. The idea of a mill with DRO,s was to be able to expand my choice, making a metric mill easier to use.. I am about to re-fit the workshop to get rid of an old cupboard and make more bench space so I will plan that around what I buy. I will read Ron Ladens thread as mentioned by Ketan. A trip to ARC is my next move. Straight down the A46 Anything North of the M25 is a bonus. My father bought the Warco Mini Lathe because he was living in the area at the time. Also Ketan being a Forum user is a useful contact.

I have just added another couple of factors into this research for a milling machine, size. The WM14 will fit in my workshop as it is now but if I would have to shuffle things around to fit the Siege or WM16. As Ketan pointed out the SX2.7 is more in line with a bigger lathe motor size and spindle taper in line with the SC4. The matter of DRO,s is seemed a good idea at the time. I now start to think are they really something I need.?.

Hi Ian, Thanks for youre promt reply. One of reasons for thinking of the WM14 was the choice of a metric or imperial machine. The Siege is metric only as far as I can tell. I can manage metric thinking but the projects in hand or in future will have imperial sizes on the drawings. I heard the coments about size vers cost before. This size of Mill seems to fit with the size of the Mini Lathe. Another fact in this thinking being location of suppliers. ARC Euro Trade are about an hour from me but Warco are a full day away at least. More thinking required maybe.

I am in the research stage of buying a milling machine. The choices are down to the Sieg Sx2.7 or the Warco WM14. Warco are offering the WM 14 with DRO,s fitted Is this something worth considering when buying a first milling machine. I have a Warco Mini Lathe I inherited that has done all I have asked of it so far.

Thanks for the feedback folks. I admit I didnt think to check the face plate before trying to use it as it was still in its packing. I agree the chucks look to have been made to a better standard .In the past I have found face plates have usually been dumped in a cupboard and rarely used. I have cleaned up a rusty Harrison face plate once and then spent a day cleaning the lathe and re-grinding the tool before using the face plate.Less haste more checking come to mind.