New toy: Setting up Colchester Student lathe

[Jonathan]

...10W40 oil acts like a SAE10 oil at 25degC, and a SAE40 oil at 65degC...

How hot should the headstock get - not 65°C? At the moment it's a little warm, but not excessively.

Engine oils also have a lot more additives and detergents (with the exception of the more specialist SAE oils aimed at small engines/classic engines), which there is a possibility may cause issues with some seal types, and the detergents can dislodge drit/grime that would otherwise be sitting causing no problems.

I've searched on other forums and it looks like other people have used it. Some of the additives might be beneficial...

I'll get the hydraulic oils for £13.71 off eBay to be safe. It doesn't say in the manual how much is required, but I should think 5L of each is plenty.

[Jonathan]

First useful parts I've made on the lathe:



Socket spanner for the toolpost, I made the socket ages ago with the rotary table on milling machine before I converted it to CNC. It happened to fit the toolpost nut

Second is two small pins for my rc car, 2.8mm diameter - 45mm long. I have not got an MT3-2 adapter so can't use my centres yet so had to do it unsupported. It worked fine though. One of them is stainless steel by accident! They hold the wishbones on - the original is just a simple bar that keeps falling out.

[m_c]

Biggest issue with soluble oils is them going off, but I've never had any problems with my milling machine and I've never changed the coolant since getting it several years ago.

Provided you lube the lathe with slideway oil, any coolant left on the bed will evaporate the water out before anything happens to the metal.
Only place I ever get rust on the milling machine is in any chips that have been left lying for a while, which is more likely to be caused by the dampness in the shed rather the coolant. The same applies to the bandsaw, which never sees any oil.

[Jonathan]

That's encouraging, thanks. I have a dehumidifier in the workshop so that should help evaporate the water quickly. Do you think the coolant I linked to is a good, choice / what did you use?

There are so many to choose from:

http://www.toolbox.co.uk/rocol-roc51...ign=GoogleBase

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/C..._and_oils.html

http://www.ccw-tools.com/prodtype.as...story=category

[m_c]

I think I got mine from Chronos at the time, but can't be entirely sure.
General criteria I went for was it was wet, and cooled things!

[Jonathan]

I think I got mine from Chronos at the time, but can't be entirely sure.
General criteria I went for was it was wet, and cooled things!

:rofl: Probably this one then:

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/5...luble-Oil.html

[Web Goblin]

Jonathan,
I hpe your are havng more fun with your new toy than I am with mine. My "new" Blomqvist is cutting at a taper. I spent a while last night setting up the tool holder ang cross slide with a dti guage so that it is at 90 degress to the chuck and it is still cutting a bit off. I have bored out a hole with the apron stationary while using the cross slide compound rest. Still not sure why it is tapering. It could be that the headstock is slightly off centre. I will need to check this later.

Ian

[Jonathan]

Jonathan,
I hpe your are havng more fun with your new toy than I am with mine.

I've not actually made anything wit it yet - I'm trying to think of something!

My "new" Blomqvist is cutting at a taper. I spent a while last night setting up the tool holder ang cross slide with a dti ... It could be that the headstock is slightly off centre.

When cutting parallel I always use the apron handle for the final pass. If you use the apron does it cut parallel, if not it must be the headstock.

Where are you putting the dti to test the top slide since the side of it might not actually be exactly parallel to the direction of motion? How far off is it? If it's only a very slight taper using the apron handle it could be that the bed is twisted.

I've not checked the headstock on mine yet.

[M250cnc]

When cutting parallel I always use the apron handle for the final pass. If you use the apron does it cut parallel, if not it must be the headstock.

Where are you putting the dti to test the top slide since the side of it might not actually be exactly parallel to the direction of motion? How far off is it? If it's only a very slight taper using the apron handle it could be that the bed is twisted.

I've not checked the headstock on mine yet.

The compound slide should only be used FOR cutting tapers, everything else you should use the saddle/apron

The only way to test is with a test bar that fits in the spindle taper and use a dti any other method you will be bringing other factors into the equation by making test cuts "Tool Deflection, Materiel Deflection ETC"

The only part that needs to run true is the cross slide to the spindle axis.

Phil

[Jonathan]

The only way to test is with a test bar that fits in the spindle taper and use a dti any other method you will be bringing other factors into the equation by making test cuts "Tool Deflection, Materiel Deflection ETC"

That's interesting, and seems logical, however in the manual for my lathe it says to test it by cutting.