I have a 9" Southbend lathe, which doesn't have a T-Slotted cross slide. I keep thinking about fitting one (they are widely available as the Boxford sized ones fit). Things like being able to mount a rear tool post, easily mount special toolholders, easily use a tool height gauge, etc, etc seem apealing -plus so many "special" setups can be done. So the question to people with this luxury is whether it's as good as it seems, and if it's worth the expense (about £120 I think).
Regards
Kevin
I would think so. Having scratched my head on jobs with a lathe that didn't have a boring table, I find it hard to think of not having one. Whether it will prove worth it to you is going to depend on whether you are likely to use a rear mounted tool post, for parting off... or a vertical slide for milling, or ever do boring of a long hole on a relatively thin piece of work. If you get one and you later decide that it wasn't worth it, you can always flog it to someone else :-)
Mark Rand RTFM
I think it's essential, for, although you may not have done so yet, there will come a time when you want to bore a large hole using a boring bar mounted between centres and the workpiece clamped to the T-slotted cross-slide.
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