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Vertical Slide

modify or adapt?

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russell13/08/2009 06:08:18
142 forum posts
Hello all
 
I have acquired a vertical slide which i intend to mount on my Drummond (B type) lathe, for (very) light milling duty. (i've read lots about limitations of milling in the lathe, but its that or nothing for the time being).
 
My quandary is that the slide has a boss on its base, obviously intended to mount onto a specific type of cross-slide. (also two additional mounting holes)  My cross-slide has t-slots, so i either have to cut off the boss (and probably drill another mounting hole), or build some sort of spacer/adaptor which will lift the crossslide probably 15mm or even more.  
 
the adaptor idea seems not so good, because it will lift the mass of the slide higher, and i am already worried enough about rigidity.  But is cutting the boss off the vertical slide sacrilege? If i get a bigger lather one day, will i regret doing it?
 
thanks for any thoughts.
russell
(ps, i am a raw beginner )
 
 
AndyP13/08/2009 15:31:01
189 forum posts
30 photos
If the boss is a sort of truncated cone about 1 3/8" diameter and standing up 9/16" then you may have a Boxford, or South Bend? slide which are about as rare as hen's teeth. Worth selling it and buying a more suitable one - you would have change for sure!
 
Andy
Jim Whetren13/08/2009 18:50:19
50 forum posts
1 photos
Hello Russell,
 
You say your proposed adaptor willl lift the Cross slide, I presume you mean the new Vertical slide?
 
If this is the case, don't worry about it. If Andy is right and you have a slide as he describes; go for the adaptor plate idea and preserve the original. The bonus is if you replicate how it was locked onto the original cross slide, you have the advantage of being able to swivel it.
 
If on the other hand it is just a plain boss, carefully cut it off and keep it somewhere safe. If you then need to revert, just clean up the mating faces and screw it back on.
 
I was given a Myford Fixed steady which had a square boss to locate between the bed shears of the Myford. To use it on a Prazimat it needed raising to centre height, so the boss was cut off to fit an adaptor plate and a new clamp plate.
 
This has been a total success in use, but should I wish to pass it on to a Myford user, then with the boss restored it would be almost as good as an original.
 
I hope this is of some help.
Regards
Jim
Circlip13/08/2009 19:44:33
1723 forum posts
My Boxford vertical was modified before I got it, the previous owner converted it to fit the tee slots on my Austrian Lathe, but it was done in a way that a suitable adapter could be remade.
 
  Regards  Ian.
russell13/08/2009 23:44:14
142 forum posts
thanks all; its at home, and i am at work,  but i think it is a straight collar. the previous owner had made an adaptor to make the collar diameter larger.  ( his lathe was much bigger than mine!)
 
i'll have a careful look and see if i can find a clue to its origins. hadn't thought about the possibility of re-attaching a cut-off boss, but i'll see if that could be done. in any event,  i see that a boss could be replaced relatively simply, so i guess i needn't be to worried.
 
regards
 
russell
 
(ps, i am in Australia, i don't think either boxford or southbend are very common around here, but maybe there is an Oz clone?)
 
 
 
AndyP14/08/2009 10:59:41
189 forum posts
30 photos
Hercus, Sheraton and Purcell all did clones of the "9 inch" Southbend in Oz. The Hercus being the most common - all gleaned from this excellent site.
 
Cheers, Andy
russell14/08/2009 14:51:43
142 forum posts
thanks Andy,  i didnt realise how common they were. (and tony's site is fantastic, isnt it)
 
anyway, having just -had another look at my slide. The boss is 25mm dia, (5/8 high) and there is a hole either side, 92mm total  width (centre-centre)
 
 
o    O    o 
 
i guess if i cut the boss off, i'd just need to drill and tap the casting to re-attach it or something similar.
 
(the adapator that came with it is about 1 3/8 dia, and i could convince myself it is very slightly coned; maybe it was adapted to a hercus or similar, but obviously not original)
 
 
 
John Exley06/02/2011 12:03:17
10 forum posts
I have a sieg c1 lathe and wondered what would be the best vertical milling slide to use with
it.
 
John 

Edited By John Exley on 06/02/2011 12:05:28

John Exley06/02/2011 12:05:47
10 forum posts

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