Topslide vice for Boxford lathe

I'm looking at ways of work holding on the topslide of my old Boxford CSB. For occasional light duty milling in ally or acetal. I need a machine vice for my pillar drill (lightweight DIY job nothing serious) so my thoughts are to buy one big enough to hold the work pieces for small milling jobs on the lathe too. I know I'll need a means to attach it to the top slide in place of the compound/taper slide. So presumably a suitable adapter with either an angle plate or flat plate with the appropriate tapped fixing holes. I did read a thread about making one but I don't have either the facilities or skill to do so. Can anybody suggest a reasonable cheaper alternative to a vertical slide (which is probably more than I want to pay for a few small jobs)? I don't mind workarounds to avoid the need for vertical adjustment.

Finally, is it possible to remove the compound slide without removing the topslide or apron (and if so how)?

Edited By Sam Spoons on 05/06/2020 22:15:04

Edited By Sam Spoons on 05/06/2020 22:38:54

You should be able to find a suitable milling adaptor on Ebay. A Myford one will also do with a little modification. It is really the best solution. You could at a pinch use a small vice attached to an angle plate but is not a good solution as you will probably need vertical adjustment. The compound is removed by undoing the 2 set screws in the cross slide.. They are set at an angle to each other. Once removed just pull the compound upwards to remove it.

regards

Edited By Oldiron on 05/06/2020 22:50:56

Thanks, I thought the two set screws would be the answer but loosening them off a lot didn't get me there, will go further tomorrow. My lathe is an ex school job and has lain idle for 20 years after a similar time of hard usage so there are plenty of bits that don't work as they should.

I'll look into vertical slides then, what mods do the Myford ones need to work on a Boxford?

There is a small piece of metal rod under each screw. Remove the screw and Get some thin oil in there.

I used a Myford VS when I first got my Boxford. I attached it using tee-nuts in the same way it would be attached to a Myford, but my Boxford has a tee-slotted cross-slide, which isn't universal. The Boxford VS has the tapered spigot so it drops in as a direct replacement for the top-slide. If you don't have a slotted cross-slide, adding a home-made spigot to the Myford VS might be the way to go.

The Boxford VS, sometimes referred to as the milling attachment, is a considerably better job than the Myford, and comes with an integral vice as well as a table, which can also each be attached to the cross-slide. Might be worth looking for a used one, although they tend to be a bit spendy.

Clive

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 06/06/2020 09:27:34

There's a used Boxford Vertical Slide on feebay just now, the starting price of £575 is indeed a bit spendy for my needs

My top slide does no have a tee slot but I had wondered if anybody makes a vertical adapter for the compound slide?

Edited By Sam Spoons on 06/06/2020 10:02:59

A big enough vice to be useful on a pillar drill will likely be too big for milling on the lathe - you would be amazed. Also without some form of vertical slide it would be incredibly difficult - either you will be using large cutters to cover the area or making continual changes to packing and find it hard to get a uniform surface. You might consider the Hobbymat route - use an angle plate to mount the top slide vertical and adapt a small vice (or tee-slotted work table) to fit the slide.

That compound slide on Ebay is a very rare type, probably priced accordingly. This is the more common type that I was referring to, although they won't go cheap. Quite a bit more detail on Lathes.co.uk website.

I have a Myford vertical slide that came with my Boxford lathe, which I still haven't managed to fit to it. They are a bit flimsy looking but would probably suit your needs. Another place to look would be China, maybe something for the Chinese mini-lathes could be adapted to fit? You can also buy milling tables for pillar drills, again they're a bit flimsy but would probably do the job in ally and plastic. My brother bought one but he's yet to use it so I can't really comment on its effectiveness.

Clive, Thanks will look into it, that was pretty much what I visualised when I first started thinking about the job.

John, My pillar drill is a very small B&Q special with a ½" chuck so really doesn't need a large vice. I have mentioned before when I introduced myself I am not a model maker or 'proper' engineer and the Boxford is my only bit of 'serious' machinery but I very much appreciate the advice I'm getting on here thanks.

Edited By Sam Spoons on 06/06/2020 11:46:53

I'm thinking that the job I need to do with a mill is pretty low precision, a 46 x 17 x 20mm tenon on the end of a piece of 50mm derlin. It would be nice to do a 'proper job' and mill it nice and smooth and pretty but a hacksaw and some patience will get me a result.

I'd still like a VS though for other jobs so still looking. It would be simple if the Boxford had tee slots on the cross slide but it doesn't.... Does anybody sell an adapter plate with the circular dovetail tenon that fixes the top slide to the cross slide?

Edited By Sam Spoons on 08/06/2020 21:47:20

Bumping this and adding an ask for recommendations for a budget collet chuck suitable for holding small and med (3mm to 10 or 12mm end mills in the spindle of my Boxford, i.e. MT3? Or better still has anybody upgraded from a cheap collet chuck and has the old one cluttering up the workshop?

Extra question, would it be drilling and tapping the plain side of my QCTP to attach a vertical slide be an option, or will the it a, be too hard and/r b, just a daft idea? I realise it won't be as rigid as a proper job but I'll only be working with plastic, aluminium or brass and only small jobs?

For one job I want to do, a slot in 16mm round aluminium I've realised I can hold the workpiece in a toolholder, any reason why this wouldn't work?

Edited By Sam Spoons on 11/06/2020 18:00:09

Edited By Sam Spoons on 11/06/2020 18:01:48