# BV20 Lathe T Slots



## Omnimill (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm finding the lack of T Slots on the cross slide of my BV20M Lathe (Axminster Tools) quite limiting. Has anyone attempted to add T slots to theirs?

Vic.


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## Omnimill (Nov 3, 2009)

Hhm, 75 views and no comments ... would it help if I said 8X14 Lathe instead? :big:


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## Artie (Nov 3, 2009)

Probably not.... ;D Im guessing noones tried it.... my imagination tells me it could be done without too much stress... but a bit of cutter modification...good luck...

Rob


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## Omnimill (Nov 3, 2009)

I've already got a few T Slot cutters Rob but only used them in Aluminium to date. I'm thinking it may be safer to try and get a spare cross slide to work on ...

Vic.


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## Stan (Nov 3, 2009)

I have no idea what the cross slide on your lathe is like (Aminster pictures don't show the back of the cross slide) but most small lathes don't have enough meat to cut T slots. Some lathes were made with cross slides that had T slots but these cross slides were made very different than a standard one which was just made to hold the compound. You will have to remove the cross slide to measure the thickness of the metal in the area where you want to put T slots and determine if there is enough metal to work with.


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## Omnimill (Nov 3, 2009)

Thanks Stan. It had occurred to be about the lack of size - my cross slide is 9" X 4 1/4" X 1" but other (similar sized) lathes have tee slots so maybe there is enough "meat" provided I don't make the slots too large? Hard to tell without seeing a similar size machine that has them.

Vic.


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## Jasonb (Nov 3, 2009)

You will be better off with a piece of 12" plate drilled and counterbored in the four corners and tap matching holes into your cross slide then bolt it down with socket cap screws.

You can then tap a grid of holes at 25mm cts into the plate to suit your hold down studs & clamps say M10.

Only down side is it reduces the height over the cross slide when milling but just 4 tapped holes will not weaken the casting.

Jason


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## Stan (Nov 3, 2009)

Vic: Your 1" thickness I presume is on the edge, but what is the thickness in the center where you want to put the T slots. If it is uniform shape, as at the front, then the center is about 1/2" thick. That is probably sufficient for shallow slots at 90° to the cross slide. You just don't want to weaken the cross slide to the point where it could fail.


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## doubleboost (Nov 3, 2009)

Hi
I used to use the same lathe .
I bolted a pice of 3/4 plate to the top of the x slide then drilled and tapped holes as required.
The best modification you can do on this machine is to half the spindle speeds by putting a larger pulley wheel on the belt drive.
People laugh at these machines but i turned out some good results far in exess of the lathes clamed limits
Regards
John


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## Omnimill (Nov 3, 2009)

Thanks for the thoughts guys, Drilling and tapping a few holes or adding a plate was option "C" or "D". 

As for speed reduction, that was the very first thing I did on my lathe John! I made a smaller pulley for the motor and got the speed down from it's lowest quoted of 170 down to 100 RPM. Second job was thread cutting (my first time) and the thread chart on the machine was wrong! :'(

Thanks again,

Vic.


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## Majorstrain (Nov 3, 2009)

Hmmm, are you up for a challange? :idea:
might be a bit of work but what about fabricating a new cross slide with a bit more meat and putting your t-slots in that. 

Time for me to run and duck for cover now. :hDe:

We have a policy here at work, If you suggest it, you do it. :big: so I wasn't here - you never saw me - I don't exist.

Cheers
Phil


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## Omnimill (Nov 4, 2009)

I did consider that Phil, but only for about .01 of a second - too much work!

Vic.


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