Could this tailstock stand to lose a few pounds?

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

I have a generic 12×36 Chinese lathe (think Chester Crusader, but Axi equivalent) which is generally working OK for me, but there are some design flaws. What is bugging me most at the mo is the tailstock – the casting has a 'square-ended' design which means that quill has to be at least half extended to reach over the cross slide.

JS wrote about this general problem a while back in his Bodger's Lodge series, where he showed a mod to his TOS tailstock which involved cutting a lump out of the leading edge of the casting. Just wondering if anyone's done this mod on a a 12×36? I just weighed the tailstock – it's around 18kg, but I'd willingly trade some of that solidity for the extra rigidity of getting closer to the work.

Rob.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Rob,

Also did some mods to my generic Chinese machine which I posted somewhere which included fitting a lever feed as well which addressed these issues without chopping the casting about.

Flying around the country for the next 3 days so can't hunt the post out.

No doubt one of the resident Google Childs will manage it though.

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Rob, there's a description of JS tailstock lever mod here I did the same mod to my Warco GH1330

And here is the bodgers lodge mod of the TOS tailstock

graeme

Edited By Graeme W on 22/07/2016 07:56:04

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If you look at the way JS added a square block at the back to support the modified fee arrangement could you not add an inch or so at the front to give the overhang some other make have?

[Robin GrahamParticipant @robingraham42208]

Thanks for the link to homeshopmachinist Graeme – I assume that's the mod John was referring to in his reply. I think I could and should do that – it would certainly help. I haven't got kit for broaching an internal keyway, but where there's a will…

Bazyle, thanks for the idea of putting an extension on the front – hadn't thought of that. It would entail either a longer screw or some mods at the back end I think. Need to think on't! Apart from the issue of reach over the cross slide (which is about 6.5 inches with the DRO scale) I get frustrated by the top slide handwheel bashing into the tailstock. OK, I can realign the topslide, but I'd rather not have to. My little (Austrian) bench lathe has an asymmetric tailstock casting which allows for this, but on this thing it's just a big square lump.

[Author]

Posts