Which quick change tool post set for this lathe?

Sheldon 10 x 56 XL (large spindle hole) lathe. What size quick change do I need from enco for this lathe?

Will this one fit??????? This one is axa (series 100)

formatting link
This one is bxa (series 200)
formatting link
What is the difference between these two? Size? I've seen the axa tool posts and they strike me as being on the smallish side. What is most appropriate, and how do I know they will fit in the above lathe?

Secondly, I would like to bore and knurl when I receive this set. It is not clear to me if the set includes the boring bar itself and the knurl tool/knurls themselves? If not, what ones to I order that will fit this tool post set?

Thanks Darrin

Reply to
wrace
Loading thread data ...

AXA (100) is for "up to 12 inch", BXA (200) is for "10 to 15 inch", and yes the difference is size (and because of that, stiffness). The Enco/PhaseII sets come with knurls but no boring bars.

Even though this is not an Aloris post, we can "cheat" and use their documentation. Their catalog at

formatting link
over 16M due to all the color photos) has a section on recommended posts for common lathes. They suggest the AXA size for your 10" Sheldon.

I have a BXA on my 14" lathe, and still get a fair amount of chatter, but to be fair I believe a lot of this is coming from my crossslide and compound. The Aloris document suggests CXA as being appropriate for this lathe, and I agree on a size basis if nothing else--I had to add a 1/4" spacer under mine to get 1/2" bits to adjust on center. Other than that, I'm very happy with it, I've never even installed the lantern toolpost I got with the lathe. :)

HTH, --Glenn Lyford

Reply to
glyford

Oh, almost forgot: Looks like the #4 holder in AXA will take a 3/4" boring bar, or 1/2" with the adapter sleeve (could be 5/8?). The #2 holder will take any size round boring bar up to 1/2". In a pinch, you can even use a drill bit with the flutes appropriately angled. --Glenn Lyford

Reply to
glyford

I have the same machine. I have a an AXA size and find it to be "right". I tried a BXA size from my other machine, and while it fit, it was big enough to seem to be "in the way" much of the time. I bought the AXA set from this place:

formatting link
They had the wedge type for about the same price as everyone else has the piston style for. They gave me free shipping, because they offered it on their ebay page, and I asked for it. No connection, just a satisfied customer.

My 2 cents...

Hope that helps, Al A.

Reply to
Al A.

My Sheldon 11x44 uses the AXA size just fine. It would fit the 10 as it also fits the 9 (prior posts).

The B is larger by far. One is square bottom that must fit on your compound. A B size is to large very likely.

The other is height - the range for a tool carrier to hit center - best fit on the A. The B is much higher.

Bigger isn't better - often won't fit at all ! Measure and look at the dimensions on the page - catalog page not the special full item view page.

Martin

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member

wrace wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Thanks guys.

The catalog says, "may need to machine t-nut". I don't see any dimensions for the t-nut specifically, and even if there were I doubt it would make much difference with this old lathe. I guess what I'm getting at is I suspect I will need to modify the t-nut to fit this lathe?

If that's the case, I don't have a mill, and I don't have a 4 jaw chuck for this lathe. Can I rig a way to "machine" the t-nut with just a three jaw?? How about grind or file the nut?

Thanks

Reply to
wrace

That's a very safe assumption.

One way around butchering the t-nut until you come up with a way to do the job properly is to cut out a rectangle from a piece of stock that'll fit in the wide part of the t and fasten a stud to that. One complication is that I think the AXA uses an unusual stud size (9/16 UNF?). I used a 1/2" stud welded into a piece of flat stock when I mounted my used AXA until I got around to making a proper t-nut and stud.

Ned Simmons

Reply to
Ned Simmons

If it's just length and width, a grinder or a belt sander will work fine. If it's too thick, it becomes a little harder. I used a 4-jaw for that part, before I had a mill. I guess you could thin it on a belt sander, but it's difficult to keep the thickness uniform. Still, it's not a precision thing, and if you destroy it, it's a simple matter to make a new one from scrap.

Reply to
Rex B

I used a hacksaw and a file. Works fine. --Glenn Lyford

Reply to
glyford

The T-nut is basically a flat, T-shaped plate that fits into the slot of your compound rest. The nut should be a reasonably close fit to that slot (e.g., a few hundreths of an inch -- but it isn't too critical). It should be as thick as possible. That is, the full height of the T-slot on the compound with a couple of hundreth's play. Also, make one that is the full size of the slot, when seen from above. The idea of making it as big as you can is for increased holding power, increased stiffness, and decreased likelyhood that it will move while working. None of these dimensions are critical. I don't see how a four-jaw chuck would help you at all -- unless you intended to make the nut round, which would greatly reduce its strength. If you were to be satisfied with this reduced holding power of a round nut, then make a new one directly on the lathe. You don't need a four-jaw. This is a good excuse to buy a milling vice for your lathe. If you're going to do it by hand, I suggest a hack-saw (or, if you have one, a metal-cutting band saw) for the rough work and then finish off by hand with a file. I wouldn't use a grinder or a belt sander, much too messy and too sloppy. Filing by hand may seem laborious, but it really doesn't take all that long.

Boris

Reply to
Boris Beizer

I had to mill mine the T bar that fits the compound is just over sided on purpose.

Find a shop in town or a friend. Is there a club to join ? - might be handy.

Martin

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member

wrace wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

According to wrace :

It is likely to be just a rectangular slab of steel, with a hole drilled and tapped in it to accept the bolt which secures the toolpst to the compound. The dimensions are simply large enough to allow it to be fit to any lathe for which the given toolpost is a reasonable fit.

And you'll need to measure the dimensions of the T-slot in your own compound to determine what size to make the T-nut into.

That is correct. For some commonly available lathes, it is possible to spend a little more and buy a T-nut properly sized for your lathe.

A good file, and a good bench vise should be sufficient, if somewhat slow.

What kind of grinder did you have in mind? An angle grinder? That might do, with a file to square up the shoulders of the T-nut. It will need to be about the full thickness from the top of the compound to the bottom of the T-slot (minus a bit to allow it to be easily slid into place and removed at need). The width at the bottom should be a bit smaller than the width of the bottom of the T-slot, and the width of the top should be a bit smaller than the width of the top of the T-slot. The shoulders should be so placed that the top of the T-nut can't quite be drawn up to contact the toolpost before the shoulders firmly hit the tops of the bottom slot.

I think that a bench grinder would not be a good choice for the job.

Good Luck, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

I bought a 100-series Phase II set on the $89 Enco deal, to fit my 9" Logan. The T-nut plate was too large in every dimension. Fixed that in the lathe. Here's what I did:

1 Chucked Tp stud into 3-jaw with plate attached, faced off to needed thickness. 2 Reversed plate to face off top portion so it would extend to just below the surface of the compound. 3 As I had no milling capability, I then turned the step into a rounded boss to fit the narrower top portion of the compound slot. 4 Scribed lines for width of lower portion, ground sides to fit the width of the lower slot. 5 Installed toopost.

Not ideal, but it's worked fine for several years now.

2 Chucked plate
Reply to
Rex B

True, not ideal, but a fair compromise. Not as bad as a fully round nut and almost as strong as a "proper" fully rectangular nut. I 'd change it though, as follows:

4 Scribed lines for width of lower portion, cut sidesoff with hacksaw to fit the width of the lower slot and filed to a nice finish.

I just don't like to use grinders for anything but sharpening tools or if available, for high-precision finishing. Grinders just aren't for hogging metal off.

Boris

Reply to
Boris Beizer

Well, to be perfectly accurate, I think I used a belt/disc sander rather than a grinder. Whatever, it's worked well enough that I have not replaced it, though I now have a milling machine as well as a lathe milling attachment.

Reply to
Rex B

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.