Compound slide problems.

[wm460]

I was turning a 60 degree taper.
When I started turning the slide it was quite stiff then it loosen up and I noticed some sideways movement of the slide then saw that the gib had come loose, I stopped the lathe and as I wound the slid back a small rod come out from the Compound slide. The rod is 3mm dia and 9mm long ( they maybe some sort of bearings).

I Had a look at the instruction manual which told me sweet bugger all. So looked up Frank Hoose http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_lathe/Start/start.htm.
I decided to take the slide off and as I lifted it off, there in the metal shaving I saw another little rod.
The gib which was quite rusty has a slot milled across it.
Would this be where the rods fit?

 

[websterz]

Did you buy the lathe new? My 7x12 had no such groove in the gibs. It sounds like it may have been an aftermarket modification to keep the setscrews from chewing up the back side of the gibs. Do you see any screw marks on the rods?

 

[ksouers]

This is a 9x20 (or a variant) right?

Mine has the slot across the gib, too. This is to keep the gib from sliding out. The little pins go between the gib adjusting screws and the gib, the screw pressing the pin into the gib to tighten it up. The slot falls where one of these pins is located.

Did you do any adjusting anywhere on the machine when you got it? Just wondering why everything got loose and came apart. They are not ready-to-run right out of the box. They do need some tuning up before you use it.

Try Steve Bedair's web site. He has lots of helpful info on mods and tune ups for the 9x20.
http://bedair.org/9x20.html

 

[tornitore45]

You would do good to grind the pins at 30 degree angle to press the jib with a surface rather than a point.