grayson cross slide

hi all dunno if this is in the correct section

as you will know (well some will know) im restoring a old grayson lathe

im needing a new cross slide,i know that they aint any spares for this lathe the

cross slide that i have a couple of tee slots have been damaged before i got this lathe,and wondering if a myford ml7 cross slide will fit (i know some parts from ml7 will fit on this grayson)

i have thought about making a new cross slide,do i make it out off steel or cast iron or has anyone got a scrapped grayson in the uk

Dave

Cast iron is the usual material, but steel would be a reasonable alternative. If you've access to a milling machine then you can chew it out of solid. Fabricating it from a number of steel sections screwed together is a method used by a number of DIY lathe builders in the past.

Short Myford cross- slides are sometimes available when users fit long ones instead, but I've no idea if they will fit the Grayson.

My Grayson has what appears to be a Myford cross slide fitted. I haven't studied it in great detail to evaluate exactly how it was done.

Would it be possible to machine away the damaged parts of the T slots and fit steel repair pieces with screws, I'v done repair work on (a very much bigger) lathe.

Ian S C

Would it be possible to machine away the damaged parts of the T slots and fit steel repair pieces with screws, I'v done repair work on (a very much bigger) lathe.

Ian S C

i think its far too damaged to be repaired

Looks like you could skim the whole top off, leaving just the vertical 'upstands' of the tee-slots, then add plates.

Martin Cleeve [I think it was] did an article in Model Engineer, decades ago; fabricated a complete slide.

MichaelG.

Space your T-slots to match your topslide mounting if you have one. Think about whether you are better off making a copy of the original, one in an old style, or perhaps one with the lengthways slots of the modern 240 style lathes. Put in more gib screws than original as they are always a bit overspaced and don't forget an additional hole for a locking screw.