Santa came early

[mogogear]

Probably missed this some where up stream in this thread or another... where did you purchase your C4 from?

Nice by the way and admirable clean up job on limited time with the Red Goooo

 

[Tin Falcon]

Kluge get yerself one of these

then you can build one of these

Tin

 

[ksouers]

Steve,
Thanks again. Many things to consider when upgrading, eh?

Do you plan to tear it down for inspection? It'll be interesting to see if they've improved their cleaning and preparation, as well.


Kevin

 

[georgeseal]

Mo,
Let me post on Steves behalf.
He lives just down the street from Travers.
We went there the other day and everyone knew him by name.
They wouldn't allow me in the break room but I will bet his coffee cup is on a hook there.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each & all

 

[Kludge]

Kludge get yerself one of these

That's the CNC version of the C0 I'm looking at. Pretty, isn't it.

then you can build one of these

Hmmm ... maybe a 1.5x3" lathe made by a 4x5 lathe. Well, I do like small.

Best regards,

Kludge

 

[Cedge]

George...
Dunno about my name, but they sure know my credit card....(grin) They do love to see me coming in the door because they know I'm toting that piece of plastic.

Ksouer...

Yes... we all seem to have our own limits, requirements and criteria to deal with. It wasn't that I would have turned down a few accessories, but I barely factored the idea into the equation since I was already looking past them to the various mods I'd want to do.

You just gave a perfect intro to what I will be posting soon. I've been lifting covers and peeking into the innards of the lathe already. I am pleased to report that I've not found any sand or casting debris in any of them. The red grease coating was limited to the externals. I did note that the lathe was shipped without lubrication on the drive train, but that was quickly remedied.

Mo...
As noted by George, (who claims he's here to visit me) I'm located very near a Travers Tool Showroom/Warehouse. I can often justify a local purchase which is a tad more expensive than Ebay, because there is no shipping cost.... or waiting time.


The auto cross feed got a quick testing last night and I'm more than pleased. If it cuts everything as silky smooth as it did the small piece of brass I'd chucked, this one will be a real winner. I'm also going to like the course and fine auto feeds on the longitudinal axis. One is for roughing and one for getting a down and dirty fine finish. I can't wait to adapt the independent power feed. Then I'll see just how sweet things really are.

Tomorrow, I'll begin looking into fitting the 5 inch chuck and how I want to mount the DROs and the lead screw power feed. I don't think I'll need to extend the cross slide travel, but it didn't take long to see that while it can be done, it's limited to about an additional .500 - .750 inches due to the cross feed drive configuration.

Other items like a rear tool post and a carriage lock are ideas niggling around in the dim recesses of my few remaining gray cells. There is a lot more room to try them out on this lathe.

Steve

 

[Cedge]

After a day of car shopping I finally got the chance to do some bonding with this new toy. The red plague is gone and all the screws have been tightened. The gibs have all been snugged up and everything is lubricated. The tail stock was checked for alignment and found to be almost dead on. Adjusted it a bit and it was time to make some test cuts.

Brass was no problem and the lathe never varied in RPM up to .100 doc. Finish was beautifully smooth with no banding as sometimes happened with my7 x14.

Steel came off smoking and blue down to a DOC of about .100. Still no bogging of the motor. RPM at 370 and it never wavered.

Grabbed what I thought was oil hardening drill rod (silver steel) and chucked it up. I decided to get aggressive and see where the motor would begin to grunt. I began the cut at .100 and cranked it in as the cut progressed. At .250 DOC I chickened out, but the motor never acted like it knew there was metal in the machine. Rock solid on 370 RPM and it's still just chillin' along. I stopped the lathe to have look a the cut and noticed something. The metal was marked S.S. for stainless steel.

Stainless has always been something I avoided on the little C2 lathe. It chattered to beat the band and usually work hardened before I got much of a cut. There in front of me was a stick of stainless that had just been reduced in diameter by a full .500 inches in just one cut. To say I'm a happy camper is an understatement.

I began to play with light cuts and was able to hold a .0005 DOC (measurable) down the length of the work piece. That would never happen without standing on top of the dials on the C2. This one did it with no effort under fine power feed. I then shot the dial for a cut of approximately .00025 and watched in amazement as a nice even but very tiny curl came sliding off the work piece. Doubtful I'll ever try to work that tight, but it's nice to know at least the machine isn't afraid of it.

This lathe is going to be a whole new experience. I've got some "adjusting" to do to my muscle memory and between my ears to get used to the new controls, but even that will be fun if the metal keeps turning out like it did tonight.

Don't take it all wrong. I'm still a big fan of the gutsy little 7x14 lathe and am sorely tempted to keep it for second operation work. Learning to machine on the smaller lathe gave me a whole set of skills, some of which were simply adapting to the limits and quirks that are innate to these small machines. They are still a great little machine to learn on, if for no other reason than their forgiving nature and easy access to parts and tooling.

Steve

 

[flint]

Any Update on how the new lathe has been working?
I have been looking at this as a possible purchase.

 

[Cedge]

Flint
At the moment I'm adding a couple of mods to the system, so I've had it down for a bit. So far I've upgraded it to a 5 inch chuck which was pretty painless other than ordering an adapter. I also bought an OXA type quick change tool post from Little Machine Shop while at Cabin Fever and have to make a new stud for the tool post in order to mount it.

The other mod that is slowing things down a bit is the installation of an independent power feed on the main lead screw. I have the drive mounted but still have to add the controller. I will be putting the controls in the Lathe's control box when the new power feed controller board arrives from Grizzly.

I've had the chance to crawl over a lot of the lathe's real estate and have yet to find anything that has disappointed me. I put a long stick of 1.125 aluminum in the chuck and supported it with a center in the tail stock. I engaged the stock lead screw power feed and made several long passes. Then I measured the cut with a micrometer. Total taper was less than .0015 over 10 inches. The only adjustment I'd made was to make sure the tail stock was centered, using the infamous 6 inch ruler trick.

I'm quite happy with things so far. It makes heavy cuts without straining and finish cuts I'd have killed for on the 7x14. Add in the fact that flex is far far less than the 7x14 and it should be capable of doing nearly everything I'll ask of it.

Negatives?.... Little Machine Shop (nor anyone else) doesn't have a lot for the lathe and seem to still be feeling their way with it. That will should soon begin to improve, according to Chris.

Steve

 

[flint]

Thanks for the reply,
I have been drooling over this one for some time now, and as I am likely to have difficulty convincing my wife that I need (well need is a strong word) both a lathe and a mill...so, any thoughts on the Milling head for the lathe. It sounds Like it is an x1 which I would think might be a little small for the lathe. On the other hand it would be "one machine".

 

[Cedge]

Flint
I got to see the C6 with the mill adaptation, which is the same as on the C4. If a 3 in 1 machine is all you have room for, it's probably an "okay" set up. That being said, you'll find yourself working in a tiny work envelope. I have an X2 mill here and it was a bit confining, but an excellent machine to learn on. Those who own the X1's seem to like them, so I'm not about to say "dont go there".

There are a couple of things the C4 could use that do not come with it. One is a thread dial, the other is a reversing tumbler, both related to threading ops. Both can be worked around, but complex threading like multi start threads are not available in the stock configuration. I'm sure someone will solve both items as the lathe finds more users.

Steve

 

[Philjoe5]

Great review Steve. Thanks for the information,

Cheers,
Phil

 

[flint]

Thanks again. I believe I am a ways away from complex threading....maybe by the time I'm ready there will be an option.

 

[Maryak]

but complex threading like multi start threads are not available in the stock configuration. I'm sure someone will solve both items as the lathe finds more users.

Maybe a piece of chalk or some nail polish and we're half way there - Cheap but effective. : ;D

Best Regards
Bob

 

[steamer]

Cedge,

Can't jump a few teeth to cut multiples?

Dave

 

[Cedge]

See?... I told you someone would find a solution...(grin)

Steve

 

[mklotz]

If you mount the compound so its axis is parallel to the spindle axis then, after cutting the first thread of a multiple, you can simply use the compound to move the tool over by the thread pitch and cut another thread.

 

[BobWarfield]

No thread dial?

What an odd omission on an otherwise fine looking lathe.

I assume you'll eventually wind up fabricating one as part of the overall "Cedgification" of the lathe?

Cheers,

BW

 

[Cedge]

Bob
Keeping in mind I've not done any single point thread cutting, the little lathe has an instant reverse feature which apparently allows the lead screw to remain engaged during threading. I've already begun cogitating a thread dial mod, but it's still pretty low on the list.

Getting the power feed completed and the QCTP installed are at the top of things at the moment. (note to self.... order replacement controller today). Also need to order a scale for the DRO install. The "Cedgification" is never ending....Feel the Force, Luke...LOL

Steve

 

[mklotz]

It's been said before but keep in mind that if you decide to fabricate a thread dial, you do not need to do a precision job of matching the gear to the lead screw.

The dial has no load on it so wear is pretty much a non-issue. The only real requirement is that it stay in "mesh" with the lead screw. Similarly, backlash isn't an issue since the dial only operates in a single direction while in use. In fact, I read somewhere of someone who made one by inserting small pins into the circumference of a brass annulus, a la the wooden gears once seen on waterwheel driven grain mills.

Brass (or even, gasp, plastic) will work fine; there's no need to make it from steel. Typically, the number of teeth is four times the pitch of the leadscrew, e.g., 32 teeth for an 8 tpi LS so that the dial makes one revolution for a four inch movement of the carriage.