A new small project: Crosslide for the Boley

[J Tiers]

So, in between sessions of rearranging things and putting away stuff, I checked the little 4 way post. It will need to be raised slightly to put it on-center for toolbits. I never bothered to look at it much as I did not have a slide to hold it.

I also found out that it is all-metric (no surprise). It is set up to use 3mm tool blanks (which I have none of), so the 1/8" I have will not fit the slots. I can mill them to fix that, and can still use 3mm if I do that.. Also, there are not enough screws. Turns out it is set up for M2.2 x 0.45 screws. "Almost" a #2-56, but no cigar. Naturally, I have no dies for that size, I only have M2.5 x 0.45.

So, some stuff to get, and things to do before I can use the 4-way. I can use one of the lantern toolposts any time, though

[ptauser]

This could be a Wolf Jahn slide (see Tony's site) The giveaway is the steel feed screw support tubes, which are usually brass. I have an identical one, unmarked except fpr numbers 77, and without your extra threaded holes. Mine operates in the old fasioned cack-handed way where turning the handle clockwise moves the tool backwards, otherwise a nice tool.

[J Tiers]

This one is clockwise to advance in, CCW to back out.

It does look like a Wolf-Jahn, though. Not like all of them, and no one of the pictures is identical. But each general feature seems the same in at least one pic, even though others may be different in the particular picture.

Looking at it more, I think it is indeed a Wolf-Jahn. Thanks. I'd never have discovered that, as I had already decided not to go through all the possibles looking for it......🙂

[J Tiers]

So, this evening I went down and scrounged through my collection of end mills, and found exactly what I needed.... A number of 3/16" shank x 0.100 end mills. Just the thing needed to cut the slots a little taller on the tiny 4 way.

So, I opened them up by 15 thou, which lets the 1/8" HSS tool blanks fit in perfectly, with just enough wiggle room. The refurbished Benchmaster was extremely cooperative, moving just when I wanted, and how much I wanted, and all 4 slots are now able to take either 3mm or 1/8" tools. Since I have at least 10 completely unground sticks of 1/8", that seemed reasonable.

Of course, I had to try it out. So, I made a very ugly spacer out of a washer, ground a simple cutting edge on the end of a stick of 1/8" HSS, and did some cutting. I found out several things.

1) The 4 way is actually indexable... it has 4 indents, and a ball with spring to index it. It does not have any way to reliably relate the indexing base to the compound, so if I want to use that feature, I will have to add a means to hold the index plate.

2) My estimated 1.2mm spacer (I did measure, but it is hard to get a good measurement) really needs to be about 1.35mm, based on the size of tit it leaves on the part when facing. I figured it was wrong, which is why I didn't bother to make a nice spacer. If I use 3mm ever, I'll need to make a different spacer for those.

3) The lathe behaved well enough cutting the piece of gummy scrap that I tried it on, but it really likes decent material much better. However, it did not seem to chatter or do anything obnoxious.

4) I need to immediately make a 3mm wrench for the square heads of the clamp screws of the 4-way. I have nothing but pliers to turn them with now, which is clumsy, unsuitable, and likely to damage them long term. I have no 3mm wrenches, and they are not overly common.

A good view of the lathe headstock, with a fuzzy view of the work and the tool in the toolpost. I need to find a DSLR so I can get things focused on properly *.


The little 4-way mounted with the crummy and too-thin spacer in place under it. You are correct, I could cut the stick of HSS in half or maybe even thirds, and I have not.


A view of the 4-way, showing the indexing provisions. If I want to use that (don't know that I need to, though), I will have to attach an alignment block to the bottom piece which will fit the t-slot.



* I am aware of the technique of letting the camera focus on what it wants to, and then moving it enough to put the focus on the part you want to see clearly. However, this camera does not have a good enough display to show me if I have done that correctly until I download the pics much later.

I also do not have aperture control on this, just "shutter" timing, so stopping it way down to improve depth of field is not possible.

[J Tiers]

So, I tried my 1.35mm spacer, and it was not enough. Odd, since I got the number to add from the size of the "tit".

But, this evening, after getting to a stopping point on fabricating some instrumentation for a friend of mine, I dug around until I found a 1.5mm thick washer. That seemed to be the size needed, and when tried, it resulted in the desired full cutoff with essentially zero "tit" left.

Looks like I have the system set up now, and I just need do make a wrench, make some additional screws (need that M2.2 x 0.45 die) and grind the tools I want.

[J Tiers]

I added a task.

That ugly 1970s base that is seen in post 10 has been bugging me. I have a LOT of accessories for this thing, and no good place where they go. So I looked again at the base, noticed that it is hollow, and decided that it was screaming for a couple of drawers in it. So that is another sub-project that just got added to the list.

There will be one wide one to the right, and a narrow one to the left, which will probably be used to hold various items of spindle tooling. The setup is based on the fact that the "foot" of the lathe needs space , and that divides the base into two unequal sections.

As part of this, the base will need a bottom plate. Right now there is nothing for the drawers to rest on but whatever the lathe and base is sitting on. I'm planning on a piece of 3/8" or so plywood, which will also work for the drawer sides and back. I have 1/4" for the drawer bottom.

If you think I must be doing this to avoid doing more cleanup, you are partly right..... I'm burned out on cleanup for the moment and want to do something "real". But, it also will legitimately bring stuff that is currently stored elsewhere out of the space it is taking up in the bench drawers, and put it with the lathe that uses it. Then, stuff that is usually laying on the benchtop, or elsewhere, will go in the freed-up drawer space.

[Dave C]

Good Job Jerry. I'm not into those tiny machines but do like to see some good restoring work being done.

[J Tiers]

Thanks.

Tonight I made some progress.

The base, cut out for the drawers



The cut out pieces that will be the fronts (the ones cut from the base), trimmed for clearance, and rabbeted for the bottom and sides



The larger drawer, pieces fitted together, but not actually assembled.



I still need to cut the sides of the smaller drawer, and do the assembly. A vertical mill sure does do a great job as a router, which is how I did the rabbets for the fronts.

I also cut a piece to be the bottom of the base, since there was no bottom originally. There has to be something for the drawers to sit on and be supported by other than whatever the base is set on.

I begin to see the problem yet again.... Project expansion. This will actually move the shop cleanup ahead by providing space for various attachments etc for the Boley so not that bad.

But it is a bit like the issue when you paint a room and then your wife says that the couch does not go with the new color, and needs to be re-covered, or replaced (of course the new color is great and has to stay). No sooner do I get a part for the Boley that I will likely use more, than I find I "just gotta" have things more organized, so I can find the stuff that goes with it.

To be fair, as I was gathering together the stuff that goes with the Boley, I found a dog driver plate and dog that I did not recall that I had. And I found two slightly different adapters for centers etc, (same taper, different depth) plus found some tools that do not fit either adapter, nor any other adapter or holder I have. So there is already some benefit.

As for "those tiny machines", I normally don't have much work for the little Boley. Most everything goes on the 10" Logan. But I do sometimes need to make small parts. I have collets for the Boley from nearly 1/4" (6mm) down to 0.1mm (about 4 thou !! ). So most any size I need at the low end I am likely to have (I am missing some sizes, and have duplicates of others, all WW collets). I also have one larger "step collet". Still working on finding a faceplate and other items, but I'm not in a big hurry there as of yet..

[J Tiers]

And, tonight's progress.

I still need to stain the edges of the bottom piece, put on handles, and glue in the felt to the drawers, but they are done, they fit, and I could put it back together now if I needed to. They are not particularly pretty, but they are functional and should do what I need.

The Japanese saw is my new favorite hand tool. Not only does it cut faster, and cleaner, it also seems to be easier to use very accurately. I do most woodwork with hand tools, although I do have an RAS if I need to use it, and I prefer to cut rabbets with one of the mills.





I also want to move the lathe back on the base an inch or so. An inch is all I can get without shortening the belt more than I want to. The issue is that the crosslide sticks over the front of the base, which I find undesirable. I might find it undesirable if I moved it back too far, also. Don't know what my limits are.

[Noitoen]

You mounted the small drawer's front the wrong way

[Bob Engelhardt]

I can see that you're having fun 😀

A suggestion: the drawers should have guides ... the drawers that I have without slides or guides are always getting crooked & jammed. The guides can just be strips glued to the base.

[J Tiers]

You mounted the small drawer's front the wrong way

Actually, yes, I do have it upside down based on the holes that were drilled for some plates that may have been stops to hold the thing at the edge of a table originally. Small problem, affects nothing, but mildly annoying. Marked it out wrong when cutting the rabbets. The only real indication is the holes.

The 1970's era color scheme is so ugly I am surprised anyone saw that. The entire thing is offensive to the eye.....

I can see that you're having fun 😀

A suggestion: the drawers should have guides ... the drawers that I have without slides or guides are always getting crooked & jammed. The guides can just be strips glued to the base.

They already have guides. I could not do one down the middle, as in normal drawers, but I did put them down the sides. And, yes, I did basically just glue them down.

Fun? Well, sort of....I'm not any kind of expert as a woodworker. And it's just another part of the general re-organization of the shop. There have been shelves put up, boxes established and labeled so that I can actually find what I have, things moved around, and items identified to leave the building. No walls moved yet. That may occur later.

I'll finish up the base this morning, most likely..

[Noitoen]

Wasn't the color nor the holes. it was the wood veins

[Noitoen]

Some cupboard doors that I made on my campervan

[J Tiers]

Wasn't the color nor the holes. it was the wood veins

That's plastic..... just like the orange stuff. No matter, it works. Never set up to be a cabinetmaker. Would be OK if the plastic did not have exaggerated fake wood grain.

Your doors look good