Model Forum / General / Models / May 2008

Once I'd completed my Nemett 4 stroke,  modifications to the lathe became
evident.

www.btinternet.com/~steve.withnell/lathe/tailstock.JPG

a) Moving the tailstock  not only required a spanner,  but the nut needed
unscrewing a couple of turns,  then by applying thumb pressure in the right
place,  the tailstock would then deign to slide up and down.  Real PiA.
Quite a few articles on adding camlocks,  one using bits of bike and another
by David Rulezman
(http://www.rulezman.com/rulezman_workshop_2/tailstock_camlock.html ) which
has a really nice camlock mod.  Reading David's article the problem with the
tailstock (and no doubt a number of other chinese lathes) is that the
drawbar appears to be a chinese version of a coachbolt and the clamp a old
clog iron.  By making a bespoke drawbar,  converting the clog iron to a
respectable clamping plate,  the tailstock will slide freely and lock down
tight in less than half a turn of the nut,  which makes a lever possible and
the spanner ( and thumb) redundant.

b) Trying to focus on drilling the workpiece whilst counting turns on the
handwheel finally came to a head when I was trying to drill a 0.7mm hole
17.5mm deep in a brass rod.  I got it right first time,  so tailstock DRO
was added,  now I can focus on the cutting not the counting.

Both mods should be directly applicable to most chinese tailstocks they all
look remarkably similar.

PS: Where can I get Sieg Red and Warco Green?   I should really paint the
add ons.

Steve