Mini Lathe User`s Guide
Contents
1. sssssssssesscsssessssseeseee 10 Power Feed Level o deceat ui DUR iva EXEREPEEDEL EUR RR ACER QUERER EE RE nee 10 Carriage Hand Wheel i 2 ase beo kao ka due EEERC E ERuFEE ERE RERERARRERA EFRREVA VM UEEE 10 Cross Slide Feed Handle ieiunare raid bre be e Obabieki p apex Fiera baee 10 Compound Rest Feed Handle eeeeeeeeeeeeee eene eene 11 Compound Rest Rotation sies ena Ear RR RM RES ERRER PYRRRRRTDAR FERMER RE VE Res 11 Tailstoek LOCK i c 11 Tailstock Quill Hand Wheel leis ese sasrae heo Ep En xa Y RE PEDE RR ea nnda dd 11 Tailstock Quill Locking Lever eeeeeeeeee eene nnn 11 AdyisEmelibs eccoizexexeuctsr iai tUppO die liba aa CER EE EEEE AEA a EE E E 12 8c 1 o Pr Pe 12 Cross SUGES GIDS uices Quo ur ee Don Orkn dins Fux eas oa E URP GEN RE Kor n E KD Kd 12 POSS SUIS INI icc eine H 13 Compound Rest GIDS isses oedn PRA seaanws ealemaut eee ohaeeeeadiaues taceasaonenreeauys 13 Apron POSIEIQU suisse o xrdet PE RER PER E PEPIECEEREE DERE MEE AN RERER KEEN NN MEE TREE EAM ER 13 Half NUES eT M 14 Lead Screw Mounting sui sxuun ek hr Raa Ex ERR ER ER AR DN OR E TERRAE REDE LO E RR 14 Driye DOU TT 14 DEBRA LION cineca meus wale aun eons sestu E EEE DOLa uc RAN EORR RN EEEE 15 Lubricating the Transmission Gears cceeseseeeeeeee ene 17 Changing Chuck JaWS eswexesiie ana ad beri oe UE ER EEUU EIE UE ALAS ME UE2. 2 Disconnect the apron by removing the two socket head cap screws through the front of the carriage 3 Slide the apron to the right and off the lead screw 4 Loosen all the fasteners on both retainers Snug the socket head cap screws so the carriage can move but without play Snug the setscrews Do not over tighten or you might break the retainers While holding the setscrews from turning tighten the lock nuts Replace the apron Replace the right lead screw mounting bracket Ol Oo CON OO Cross Slide Gibs A gib is a strip of metal placed between the bearing surface of two machine parts to ensure a precision fit and provide adjustment for wear The mini lathe has gibs in several places including the cross slide To adjust the cross slide gibs Loosen the three lock nuts on the side of the cross slide Slightly loosen all three setscrews on the side of the cross slide Snug each setscrew equally This will lock the cross slide in position Loosen each setscrew 1 8 turn to allow the cross slide to move While holding the setscrews from turning tighten the lock nuts Test by turning the handle Loosen or tighten all the setscrews the same amount until the cross slide moves freely but without play in the dovetail Ov Ui WYN 12 Cross Slide Nut The cross slide nut is adjustable to remove free play from the cross slide feed handle The three screws in the top of the cross slide adjus
3. The 3 jaw scroll chuck that comes with the mini lathe provides a quick way to clamp round and hexagonal work fairly accurately A 4 jaw independent chuck provides several advantages over a 3 jaw scroll chuck It can hold square or rectangular work as well as round Work can be centered more accurately because you adjust each jaw independently It can hold larger work than the same size 3 jaw chuck You can offset work in a 4 jaw chuck by clamping it off center 32 LittleMachineShop com part number 1175 3 inch 4 Jaw chuck Each jaw is independently adjustable and reversible This set includes a chuck key reversible jaws four M6x35 mounting studs and four hardened M6 nuts It also includes a template to help you drill the mounting holes if your spindle has only three holes The through bore of this chuck is 7 8 The chuck can hold work up to 80 mm 3 15 in diameter Faceplate A faceplate allows you to mount work that can t be held in a chuck You can bolt odd shaped workpieces to the faceplate LittleMachineShop com part number 1199 jJ Faceplate for the Mini Lathe The faceplate b AEN is 6 25 in diameter and has 8 slots for c J N mounting work n L Y MW B Qu V gt ki j y Say 0 Centers and Dogs A live center goes in the tailstock and is used to support the end of a long work piece it rotates with the workpiece A dead center goes in the spindle and supports work being turned between two cen
4. Grinding lathe tool bits is a bit of an art It takes some practice to get good at it You need to create a cutting edge that is sharp extends out so that the cutting edge and not the side of the tool contacts the work but that still has enough support to maintain sufficient strength to cut metal Before diving in there are some terms you need to understand The illustration below shows these terms First notice that there are two cutting edges on the tool bit There is a cutting edge on the end of the tool bit called the front cutting edge There is also a 18 cutting edge on the side of the tool Between these cutting edges is a rounded section of cutting edge called the nose Side cutting edge angle EN V bes radius Front cutting edge angle Side rake Back rake d f Side Front relief relief lap Side Cutting Edge The side cutting edge does most of the cutting As the too bit moves along the work piece the side cutting edge removes most of the material Front Cutting Edge The front cutting edge cuts when the tool is advanced into the work Nose The nose is a critical part of the cutting edge because it produces the surface finish of the work piece Side Rake The side rake produces the side cutting edge that cuts into the work piece Side Relief Side relief provides clearance for the side cutting edge Without side relief the side of the tool bit would hit the work piece and not allo
5. are on a hollow shaft that comes off easily when the retaining socket head cap screw is removed Then you can use an arbor press to remove the gears from the hollow shaft Be careful that you do not lose the key Gear position D has a spacer behind the gear When you only use three gears put the spacer on outside the gear so the gear will align with the gear in position B In the change gear chart many of the combinations have Any in column B This means that you can use a gear with any number of teeth in position B It is an idler and does not affect the overall gear ratio Use a gear that makes it easy to properly engage the gears For these combinations you can use any gear for position C this gear acts only as a spacer and does not engage the other gears To change the gears 1 Using a 4 mm hex wrench remove the change gear cover 2 Using 4 mm and 5 mm hex wrenches remove all three retaining socket head cap screws from the ends of the shafts 3 Use a 10 mm end wrench to loosen the nut that is on the back end of the shaft in position B C This allows the B C shaft to move in the adjustment slot 4 Use a 14 mm end wrench to loosen the nut on the arc below and behind the gear in position D This allows the entire bracket on which the B C shaft mounts to swing down 5 Remove all the gears 6 If you will be using three gears remove the spacer behind the D position gear from the end of the lead screw Be careful that you
6. do not lose the key 7 Replace the gears with the gears shown in the chart for the threads per inch that you want to cut 8 If you will be using three gears replace the spacer outside the D position gear on the end of the lead screw Be sure to insert the key 9 f you are using three gears place any gear in position C to act as a spacer 10 Replace the three retaining socket head cap screws from the ends of the shafts Snug but do not tighten until the gear train is adjusted 11 Move the B C shaft until all the gears are properly engaged 26 12 Use a 14 mm end wrench to tighten the nut on the arc below and behind the gear in position D 13 Use a 10 mm end wrench to tighten the nut that is on the back end of the shaft in position B C 14 Using 4 mm and 5 mm hex wrenches tighten the three retaining socket head cap screws on the ends of the shafts 15 Using a 4 mm hex wrench replace the change gear cover Threading Dial When cutting screw threads on a lathe you must make multiple cutting passes to cut the threads to full depth The threading dial helps you align the cutting tool with the emerging thread before you start a cutting pass The gear on the bottom of the threading dial s shaft engages the lead screw The dial turns when the half nuts are not engaged with the lead screw When the half nuts are engaged the carriage moves and the threading dial stops turning The gear on the threading dial has 16 te
7. or plastic protractor that s on the side of the compound rest on some lathes Tailstock Lock Nut The tailstock is locked into position on the ways by the tailstock lock nut Use a 15 mm wrench to tighten the tailstock lock nut Tailstock Quill Hand Wheel The tailstock quill hand wheel moves the tailstock quill in and out Most mini lathes have rather poor graduations on the top of the quill that show how far it is extended Retract the tailstock quill all the way to remove tools from the taper in the tailstock quill Tailstock Quill Locking Lever The tailstock quill locking lever keeps the tailstock quill from moving Use the tailstock quill locking lever to lock the tailstock quill in position when you are 11 turning between centers Turn the lever clockwise to lock the tailstock quill and counterclockwise to unlock the tailstock quill Adjustments Keeping your lathe in adjustment is an ongoing process You should check all the following adjustments when you set up your lathe and then periodically as you use your lathe Carriage The carriage is held on the ways by two adjustable retaining plates that are bolted to the bottom of the carriage There are several fasteners in the carriage retainers The socket head cap screws are used to adjust the position of the retainers The setscrews and lock nuts lock the adjustments in place To adjust the carriage retainers 1 Remove the right lead screw mounting bracket
8. to disengage the half nuts The carriage stops NOTE Be sure to move the power feed forward neutral reverse lever to the neutral position when you have completed the turning operation Facing Facing is cutting on the end or face of the work piece 22 To face a work piece 1 9 10 11 Put a tool bit in the tool holder and adjust the cutting edge to center height Angle the tool so that the side cutting edge forms an acute angle with the face of the work piece Move the carriage to the right so that the tool bit is past the right end of the work piece Ensure that the power feed forward neutral reverse lever is in the neutral position Push down on the power feed lever until the half nuts engage You might have to move the carriage slightly so the half nuts will engage Turn the lathe on Adjust the speed to an appropriate speed for the material and diameter you are working on The LittleMachineShop com Web site has a calculator to help you determine appropriate cutting speeds Using the compound rest feed handle slowly advance the tool bit into the work until it just touches the surface of the work piece Move the cross slide back so that the tool bit is clear of the diameter of the work piece Using the compound rest feed handle advance the tool bit about 0 005 Using the cross slide feed handle advance the cross slide slowly As the tool bit meets the work piec
9. LittleMachineSh p fom The premier source of parts and accessories for mini lathes and mini mills Mini Lathe User s Guide from LittleMachineShop com Copyright 2002 LittleMachineShop com All rights reserved Some photos Copyright 2002 Frank J Hoose Jr All rights reserved Frank J Hoose Jr of Mini Lathe com took many of the photographs in this document Be sure to visit the Mini Lathe com Web site which has a wealth of information about the mini lathe LittleMachineShop com http www littlemachineshop com 396 W Washington Blvd 500 Pasadena CA 91103 800 981 9663 info littlemachineshop com Contents VERO CUCTION MC Tcr 5 Specifications ere 5 Safety COMSIGEr ALONG cu 5 dus ce eaneexeuadinurenceweenseaWnwesuiaa nen yeunenceess tomer FUROR 5 gii Tr eri 6 doi c 6 Rear VIEW Mec TTD 7 BASIC ACCeSSOL T8 coerer dvo u kv E VPE VUIBESEKEECEE RERFOUA ER VPPRUPE V RDK EFAXYEE EEES 7 a un M 7 MOUNTING Your Lathe coss cies cosvseei 9 Daxlas EiC Ope gie x obe Y ER OnP xU Ua CRT eisene 7 Operating Controls 2 2245 work dap AEEERAEI REEF UbEFREERERARRRREEREUR A EERREEEER EDU RR REA 8 Motor Controls iu oec KEEPER DERE DAD ICR UR DROVE Vd VISCERR E iul d bu E E a da 8 High Low Speed Shifter ssssssssesserssresesosecseresroseseeecsersereeeseee 9 Power Feed Forward Neutral Reverse Lever
10. UU VOX Ed 17 Grinding TOOL Bits eres v c EEEE 18 Grinding Tool Bits ou eve kar ek Erw x ew EROEENQOEE RM Ex LR ER EP ERR RA REA RENE VE p 20 Grind the Front Relief uierseixexszi sible OW Ux PUEDE Oe a i E ees 20 Grind the Left Side Relief ccc ccc ccc cece cece cece eee eee hehe ea 20 Grind the Top Rak viscvsssvetsccdiess osa ek rk vecncessacdedeseduessesbone ens 20 Round th NOoSG site oci ene i orbc e d ier e aoc EVe lr Er VE OU EA RAE MT RE 20 Adjusting Tool Bit MEIN tc onse pe iria der Y HE ch nA VERE MY RH ERR E DERA 20 TURING disekoeustselesURitQve ve ERR RYE REUEPEREE RP ER E ERE REEF ERE Rh EE 21 Manat TUNIS wAaratgccwa diocese itae ew aa cd aate EE a s Ro Ua dw aM dar 21 Turning with Power Feed 5 5 oed rope rore irb dr bor rh Ra E ERA ERERE E RE 22 aj rea 22 TURNING Angles iu eyiiwe dole PEEL REI d ee E EUR oe d ETUR SM ER xe ER 23 Iur unppe aai 24 Change Gans eierne eye euer uera PERF RREKUPECEMe RIA VER ERE KR a RUM PROV tube ETE 24 Threading DIS o iiescedcas de oorr Pa SA Ree REESE Dicks aa e oU MEER CERE 27 Loo go 28 COMPpPOUNG Angles iuo oco cor ir UEA Lar eth eure adi aa VETE E PEE UE 28 Setting the Cutting Tool cuore eoa Ere ELE vhs PR UPEDeY Ve Eb dbHEEU UD 29 Threading PrOCess iii dees ix o etr rena rara Ee FERRE Ke P ER Lon En RE ERE 30 COMMON ACCESSONMES crus iid Ex euro Leat Ye de
11. a side cutting angle The side cutting edge can be parallel to the side of the tool blank Grind the Top Rake The top of the tool bit is ground at an angle that combines the back rake and the side rake The side rake is most important because the side cutting edge does most of the work For cutting steel and aluminum the side rake should be about 12 and the back rake should be about 8 For cutting brass the rake angles should be much less or even 0 Round the Nose A small nose radius allows you to turn into tight corners A large nose radius produces better surface finishes Create a nose radius that is appropriate for the tool bit you are creating Adjusting Tool Bit Height The cutting edge of the tool bit should almost always be set to the center height of the lathe spindle 20 There are several methods for checking the height of the tool bit Perhaps the simplest way is to place a thin strip of metal such as a steel rule or feeler gage between the work piece and the point of the tool bit If the height is correct the strip of metal will be held vertical If the top is leaning toward you the tool bit is too low If the top is leaning away from you the tool bit is too high Using the standard tool post you adjust the tool bit height using shims under the tool bit You can get an economical set of shims about the right size at any auto parts store Purchase a set of feeler gages and remove the pivot pin The easy
12. ad screw bracket Move the carriage as far to the left as possible Engage the half nuts on the lead screw Tighten the bracket mounting socket head cap screws Tighten the locking nut on the change gear adjuster Replace the change gear cover ON DO oO DRA Drive Belt The drive belt needs to be aligned correctly or it will wear on one side or the other 14 To 1 adjust the drive belt Unplug the power cord 2 Remove the motor cover from the back of the lathe 3 Remove the change gear cover 4 Remove the control box from the front of the lathe but do not disconnect any wires 5 Loosen all the lock nuts on the front of the lathe 6 Back off the top and bottom set screws a couple turns 7 Make sure that nothing will get into the change gear drive 8 Make sure the control box is in a safe but accessible position 9 Plug in the power cord 10 Reach around to the back of the lathe and hold the motor 11 Turn the motor on at slow speed 12 While the motor is running move the motor to a position where the belt has sufficient tension and does not rub either side of the pulley 13 Tighten the nuts on the two studs that are aligned horizontally 14 Snug the setscrews that are aligned vertically 15 Turn off the motor 16 Tighten the lock nuts 17 Replace the control box 18 Replace the change gear cover 19 Replace the motor cover Lubrication We recommend the use of two lubricants on
13. al Hold the cross slide feed handle and rotate the graduated dial Threading Process It takes several passes to cut a thread to full depth You must follow the correct procedure during each pass to ensure the thread is cut correctly Use the power feed forward neutral reverse lever to engage the lead screw drive The carriage should move from right to left toward the head stock to cut right hand threads or from left to right away from the head stock to cut left hand threads For each pass in cutting threads 1 Move the carriage to the beginning of the cut 2 Advance the cross slide to the initial position For the first pass you are already there For additional passes advance it 2 complete turns to the 0 mark 3 Advance the compound rest to move the tool bit into the work For the first pass this should be only 0 001 For additional passes it should be 0 005 to 0 010 4 Start the lathe Run it at the lowest speed that develops sufficient torque to make the cut 5 When the threading dial reaches an appropriate mark engage the half nuts Note that you must be right on the mark The half nuts will also engage half way between each mark but this will ruin your thread 6 When the tool reaches the end of the thread disengage the half nuts 7 Back off the cross slide exactly 2 turns After you have made the first pass which should leave just a spiral mark on the work piece use a thread gage to check that you are
14. ck key for the 3 jaw chuck e Outside jaws for the 3 jaw chuck e Change gears 30 35 40 2 45 50 55 57 60 and 65 teeth e Hex wrenches 3 4 5 and 6 mm e Open end wrenches 8 x 10 mm and 14 x 17 mm Cleaning Your lathe will arrive coated with grease to protect it from corrosion during shipment Follow this procedure to remove the grease 1 Wipe most of the grease off with rags or paper towels 2 Clean the surfaces with mineral spirits paint thinner 3 Coat the surfaces with oil See the lubrication section for specific recommendations for lubricants Mounting Your Lathe All mini lathes come with rubber feet that attach to the same holes used to secure the lathe for shipping If you want your lathe to be portable simply install these feet Note If your lathe didn t come with them adding chip tray braces LittleMachineShop com part number 1328 spreads the feet by several inches and makes the lathe much steadier You can also bolt your lathe to your workbench The following diagram shows the holes required The wider bolt pattern is for the 7x12 lathe while the narrower bolt pattern is for the 7x10 lathe 18 7 475 mm 14 8 375 mm 00 38 8 mm 2 8 72 mm Pa Mount the lathe to the workbench with 6 mm bolts The bolts should be about 10 mm longer than the thickness of the workbench Use fender washers on the underside of wooden benches to prevent the bolt heads from pulling through Op
15. cutting the correct number of threads per inch Use a nut or the matching part to tell when you are done cutting the thread Common Accessories You will soon find that the purchase of a lathe is just an initial step There are many tools and accessories that you will need to get full use from your lathe As you might expect LittleMachineShop com carries a full selection of accessories Following are some common accessories used with the mini lathe a small sampling of the complete LittleMachineShop com line Cut Off Tool Holder Cutting off or parting is a common procedure on a lathe Once you have turned a piece on the end of a rod you use a cut off tool to part the work from the rod Cut off tools come in various widths from about 0 040 wide to much 30 wider than can be used with a mini lathe But most cut off blades are tall This means that they will not fit in the tool post that comes with the mini lathe The cut off tool holder shown below fits in the standard tool post and holds a 12 tall cut off blade LittleMachineShop com part number 1551 This cut off tool holder fits in the standard 4 way tool post and most other tool posts and holds 1 2 tall cut off blades Quick Change Tool Post The standard mini lathe tool post has positions for up to four tools While this is useful the standard mini lathe tool post does not have the capability to hold boring bars or cut off tools without an adapter of some s
16. e it starts cutting Continue advancing the cross slide until the tool bit reaches the center Turning Angles There are several methods of turning angles or tapers For large angles of short length such as a chamfer turn the compound rest to the angle you want Advance the tool across the work with the compound rest and advance the tool into the work with the cross slide or the Carriage You can use the same method for small angles usually called tapers of a length less than the compound rest travel For longer tapers the work is usually placed between centers with the tail center offset from the centerline of the lathe 23 Chamfer Taper Threading Much of the mechanism of your lathe is provided to allow you to cut threads Your lathe can cut a broad range of thread pitches In fact with the standard change gears you can cut many more thread pitches than those shown on the table on the lathe Change Gears The series of gears that drive the lead screw are called change gears because you change them to turn different thread pitches There are 4 positions for the change gears commonly called A B C and D A This is the top change gear position When you received your lathe it had a 20 tooth metal gear in this position B Gear positions B and C are on the same shaft between positions A and D Position B is the inside gear on this shaft When you received your lathe it had an 80 tooth plastic gear in t
17. e a flat that is 1 8 of the thread pitch gt po d f Compound Angle Set the compound rest at a 29 5 angle from a line perpendicular to the axis of the lathe This allows you to advance the tool with the compound rest At this angle the tool cuts only on the left side of the thread form This helps prevent chatter that might result from cutting the entire V form of the thread at once It is best to use an accurate protractor when setting the compound rest The protractor on the lathe is not accurate enough 28 Setting the Cutting Tool Even though the compound rest is set at an angle to the work piece the thread cutting tool must be set square to the work piece A center gage makes this setting possible A center gage has several V shaped cutouts They can be used to check the tool bit as you grind it and to check the angle of the tool with respect to the work piece To align the tool bit to the work 1 Ensure that the point of the tool bit is set at the center height of the lathe 2 Place the center gage between the point of the tool bit and the work piece Leave enough room so that the center gage can be moved back and forth so you can check each side of the tool bit separately 3 Align the tool bit to the sides of the V shaped cutout in the side of the center gage 4 Secure the tool bit in position 29 5 Advance the tool bit until the point just makes contact with the work piece 6 Zero the cross slide di
18. e the stepped side is designed to fit inside of hollow work pieces and hold by an bec outward force In many cases however these jaws are used to clamp on the outside ae Tae of smaller objects using the long straight Ap side A 17 The second set of jaws is called the outside jaws because the stepped side of these jaws is designed to clamp on the outside of we larger objects Because of the construction of a 3 jaw chuck each of the three jaws in a set is different You will find a number in the groove in the side of each jaw that identifies its position in the set To install a set of chuck jaws 1 Place the three jaws in numeric order on the bench 2 Slide jaw number 1 into the slot in the chuck that has the serial number stamped in it 3 Press the jaw into the slot with one hand and with the other hand turn the chuck key to open the chuck 4 You will feel the jaw move out in the slot as you turn Stop turning right after the jaw clicks inward in the slot 5 Turn the chuck key to close the chuck about 1 4 turn to engage jaw 1 6 Slide jaw 2 into the next slot counterclockwise from jaw 1 when you are looking toward the headstock 7 Slide jaw 3 into the open slot 8 While pressing jaws 2 and 3 into the slots turn the chuck key to close the chuck Grinding Tool Bits When you purchase a new lathe tool bit it might have an angle on the end but it is not properly sharpened for turning
19. ed for turning and threading For turning the change gear train is configured with 20 tooth gears in positions A and C and 80 tooth gears in positions B and D This is the way the lathe comes from the factory and is how you should reset it after threading If you haven t changed the gearing this is the way your lathe is configured To turn with power feed 1 Puta tool bit in the tool holder and adjust the cutting edge to center height 2 Angle the tool so that the front cutting edge forms an acute angle with the axis of the work piece as shown in the illustration above 3 Move the carriage so that the tool bit is near the right end of the work piece 4 Move the power feed forward neutral reverse lever to the forward position 5 Turn the lathe on Adjust the speed to an appropriate speed for the material and diameter you are working on The LittleMachineShop com Web site has a calculator to help you determine appropriate cutting speeds 6 Using the cross slide feed handle slowly advance the tool bit into the work until it just touches the surface of the work piece 7 Move the carriage to the right so that the tool bit is past the end of the work piece 8 Using the cross slide feed handle advance the tool bit about 0 010 9 Push down on the power feed lever until the half nuts engage As the tool bit meets the work piece it starts cutting 10 When the carriage has moved as far as you want raise the power feed lever
20. efore each use e Clean swarf from the lathe from top down after each use Motor Brushes The motor brushes can be replaced without removing the motor Follow these steps 1 Unplug the power cord 2 Unscrew the motor brush retainer from the front side of the motor through the hole in the frame of the lathe Replace the front motor brush Replace the front motor brush retainer Remove the motor cover from the back of the lathe Unscrew the motor brush retainer from the back of the motor Replace the back motor brush Replace the back motor brush retainer Replace the motor cover G9 MN DE d ced 35
21. erating Controls There are several controls used to operate the lathe Become familiar with them before you use the lathe Motor Controls AT i RSE AAN Y o 15x i E y 2500 FORWARD 1 Speed control 2 Forward off reverse switch 3 Power switch There are several versions of the control panel on the mini lathe but they all include the same controls In some cases the power switch is a big red emergency switch and in some cases it is a rocker switch The big red emergency switch latches in the off position when you press the big red button To turn the switch on slide the big red button in the direction of the arrow The big red button will swing up to the on position The power switch interrupts the input power to the speed control circuit board The forward off reverse switch switches the polarity of the speed control circuit board output power between the speed control circuit board and the motor You control the motor speed by adjusting a potentiometer that provides the speed setting value to the speed control circuit board On some lathes there is a safety switch on the speed control potentiometer that forces you to return the control to minimum speed when starting the lathe CAUTION Always turn the speed control to the minimum speed position before starting the lathe Starting the lathe with the speed control set to a higher speed can damage the speed control circuit board To power up the lat
22. est Travel 55 mm 2 17 Spindle Speed 100 2500 RPM 100 2500 RPM Automatic Feed Rate 0 1 mm Revolution 0 004 Revolution Screw Threads 0 4 2 0 mm in 10 steps 12 52 TPI in 18 steps Safety Considerations Always use common sense when using a power tool Review the safety instructions that came with your lathe Besides the general safety rules for any power tool the following are specific considerations for the mini lathe e Your mini lathe is just that a mini or small lathe Don t attempt jobs that are beyond its capacity e Check the work piece after you place it in the chuck or other work holding device Be sure it is secure before turning on the lathe e Don t wear loose clothing or jewelry when operating the lathe Features Front View Metal Lathe 400W Headstock Motor controls 3 jaw chuck Bed ways Carriage Tool post Cross slide Compound rest Compound rest feed handle 10 Tailstock quill 11 Tailstock quill locking lever 8 910 11 12 13 12 Tailstock 13 Tailstock quill hand wheel 14 Change gear cover 15 Lead screw 16 Carriage hand wheel 17 Apron 18 Cross slide feed handle 19 Threading dial 20 Power feed lever 21 Tailstock lock nut Rear View 1 High low speed shifter 2 Power feed forward neutral reverse lever Basic Accessories The following accessories come with most mini lathes Some mini lathes come with additional accessories e Chu
23. eth and the lead screw has 16 threads per inch so each revolution of the threading dial represents one inch of motion of the carriage Each of the eight divisions on the dial represents 1 8 of motion If you are cutting 16 threads per inch you can engage the half nuts when the threading dial is on any line Since a line represents 1 8 of travel it will always align with a thread groove If you are cutting 13 threads per inch you must only engage the half nuts when the threading dial is at 1 Since 13 and 16 have no common factors but 1 you must only engage the half nuts at even inch increments of motion The following table shows where you can engage the half nuts for various threads per inch Threads Dial Threads Dial per inch divisions per inch divisions 12 1 3 5 7 14 1 5 13 1 16 Any 27 Threads Dial Threads Dial per inch divisions per inch divisions 18 1 5 32 Any 19 1 36 1 3 5 7 20 1 3 5 7 38 1 5 22 1 5 40 Any 24 Any 44 1 3 5 7 26 1 5 48 Any 28 1 3 5 7 52 1 3 5 7 Tool Bit For threading the tool bit is ground to the profile of the thread For most threads this is a point with a 60 included angle The front of the tool should have about 10 of relief No back rake is used The left side should have about 8 of relief and the right side should have about 10 of relief The tip of the tool should hav
24. he 1 Turn the speed control to the minimum speed position 2 Place the forward off reverse switch in the off position 3 Turn on the power switch To start the lathe 1 Ensure that the speed control is set to the minimum speed position 2 Move the forward off reverse switch to the appropriate position 3 Advance the speed control to the desired speed To stop the lathe 1 Turn the speed control to the minimum speed position 2 Move the forward off reverse switch to the off position 3 If you want to power down the lathe press the big red switch or the rocker switch to turn off the power High Low Speed Shifter The high low speed shifter is on the back of the headstock It selects the spindle speed range Low speed range 50 1100 RPM High speed range 50 2500 RPM Minimum speed varies Never move this lever when the lathe is turning You might need to turn the spindle slightly by hand as you move the high low speed shifter Power Feed Forward Neutral Reverse Lever The power feed forward neutral reverse lever controls the direction of rotation of the lead screw When this lever is in the forward or top position the lead screw moves the carriage toward the headstock When this lever is in the reverse or bottom position the lead screw moves the carriage away from the headstock In the center or neutral position the lead screw is disengaged and does not turn There is a strong spring
25. his position C Gear positions B and C are on the same shaft between positions A and C Position C is the outside gear on this shaft When you received your lathe it had a 20 tooth metal gear in this position D Position D is the end of the lead screw When you received your lathe it had an 80 tooth plastic gear in this position 24 Changing these gears varies the speed that the lead screw turns in relation to the speed that the spindle turns This allows you to cut threads with different numbers of threads per inch The following table shows the gears to use for various common threads per inch Threads A B C D per inch 12 40 Any Any 30 13 40 65 60 30 14 40 Any Any 35 16 40 Any Any 40 18 40 Any Any 45 19 40 50 60 57 20 40 Any Any 50 22 40 Any Any 55 24 40 Any Any 60 25 Threads A B C D per inch 26 40 Any Any 65 28 20 Any Any 35 32 20 Any Any 40 36 20 Any Any 45 38 20 50 60 57 40 20 Any Any 50 44 20 Any Any 55 48 20 Any Any 60 52 20 Any Any 65 For normal turning use the following gears A B C D 20 80 20 80 The change gears are commonly tight on the shaft when new You might need to use a screwdriver behind them to pry them off Gear positions B and C
26. in this lever Pull out firmly on the end of the lever while moving it NOTE In many cases the detents for this control are not well formed and in some cases are not in the correct position If your power feed will not stay engaged or if it does not disengage properly inspect the detents in the back of the headstock and move or enlarge them with a center punch Power Feed Lever The power feed lever locks the half nuts around the lead screw which engages the power feed The power feed is engaged when this lever is down and disengaged when this lever is up Carriage Hand Wheel The carriage hand wheel moves the carriage toward or away from the headstock depending on which way it is turned Use this hand wheel to position the carriage Because this hand wheel moves the carriage quickly it is not easy to use this hand wheel to move the carriage while you are turning You cannot turn this hand wheel when the automatic feed is engaged Cross Slide Feed Handle The cross slide feed handle moves the cross slide across the ways Use this handle to advance the tool into the work and for facing cuts The dial on this handle indicates the relative position of the cross slide The graduated dial can be repositioned for convenience On some lathes there are 40 divisions on the dial On these lathes each turn of the handle advances the cross slide 1 mm or approximately 0 040 The distance is actually 0 03937 an error of a
27. little less than 2 Other lathes have 50 graduations on the dial On these lathes each turn of the handle advances the cross slide 0 050 10 Compound Rest Feed Handle The compound rest feed handle advances or retracts the compound rest Use this handle to advance the tool into the work The dial on this handle indicates the relative position of the cross slide The graduated dial can be repositioned for convenience On some lathes there are 40 divisions on the dial On these lathes each turn of the handle advances the compound rest 1 mm or approximately 0 040 The distance is actually 0 03937 an error of a little less than 2 Other lathes have 50 graduations on the dial On these lathes each turn of the handle advances the compound rest 0 050 Compound Rest Rotation The compound rest rotates on the cross slide and you can position it at any angle Position the compound rest so it moves parallel to the ways to make precise facing cuts Position the compound rest at 29 5 degrees for cutting standard threads To change the angle of the compound rest 1 Using the compound rest feed handle retract the compound rest until the locking socket head cap screws are exposed 2 Loosen the two socket head cap screws 3 Turn the compound rest to the desired angle 4 Tighten the two socket head cap screws NOTE Use a protractor between the compound rest and the cross slide Don t depend on the die cast
28. ort Quick change tool posts provide several advantages They provide an easy way to adjust the height of the tool bit They provide a quick way to change from one tool to the other They provide a way to hold several different kinds of tools usually including turning tools cut off blades and boring bars And they are indexable meaning that you can remove a tool and when you replace it it returns to the same position with no adjustment necessary LittleMachineShop com part number 1672 This is a very high quality quick change tool post for the mini lathe It holds tools up to 3 8 shank The set includes e Tool post e Turning tool holder e Turning and boring tool holder e Boring bar holder e Multi tool holder e Cut off tool holder 31 Indexable Turning Tools Indexable turning tools usually come in a set of five tools providing a range of cutting angles These tools use indexable inserts usually made from carbide but sometimes from high speed steel They are called indexable because you can change an insert and the new insert will take the exact position of the insert it replaces You can resume work with no further adjustments Indexable inserts are pre sharpened LittleMachineShop com part number 1669 This set of indexable turning tools includes 5 tools AR AL BR BL TE wrenches and extra screws It comes ina fitted case The letters designate the angles of the cutting edge 4 Jaw Chuck
29. secure the apron to the carriage They are at the front edge of the carriage 2 Engage the half nuts on the lead screw 3 Tighten the two socket head cap screws 13 Half Nuts There are two adjustments for the half nuts The half nut gibs take the play out of the half nuts The half nut closing limit stops the half nuts from closing too tightly on the lead screw To adjust the half nut gibs e Tighten the three setscrews in the back edge of the apron to remove play from the half nuts To adjust the half nut limit 1 Loosen the lock nut on the bottom of the half nuts 2 Adjust the setscrew until the half nuts close without binding on the lead screw 3 While holding the setscrew from turning tighten the lock nut Lead Screw Mounting The brackets that mount the lead screw can move slightly to ensure that the lead screw does not bind in the half nuts To adjust the right lead screw mounting bracket Remove the tailstock by sliding it off the end of the ways Loosen the two mounting socket head cap screws on the right bracket Move the carriage as far to the right as possible Engage the half nuts on the lead screw Tighten the bracket mounting socket head cap screws Replace the tailstock OouKR WYN To adjust the left lead screw mounting bracket 1 Remove the change gear cover 2 Loosen the locking nut on the change gear adjuster 3 Loosen the two mounting socket head cap screws on the left le
30. ss slide feed Grease Yearly screw Compound rest Grease Yearly feed screw Lead screw Grease Yearly Also lube change gears as you use drive gears and them bushings Transmission Grease Yearly See procedure below for lubricating gears the transmission gears without removing the headstock Carriage hand Grease Yearly wheel drive gears 16 Location Lubricant Frequency Notes Tailstock quill Grease Yearly and screw The spindle and countershaft bearings are deep groove ball bearings that are shielded and do not require additional lubrication Lubricating the Transmission Gears You can lubricate the transmission gears without removing the headstock by using a spray can of lithium grease To lubricate the transmission gears 1 Unplug the power cord 2 Remove the control box from the front of the lathe but do not disconnect any wires 3 Remove the screw or screws holding the ground wires to the front of the headstock 4 Insert the lithium grease can s spray tube into one of the open holes 5 Spray the grease while rotating the chuck by hand 6 Shift the high low speed shifter to the opposite position 7 Spray the grease while rotating the chuck by hand 8 Reconnect the ground wires 9 Replace the control box 10 Plug in the power cord Changing Chuck Jaws 3 Jaw lathe chucks come with two sets of jaws The normal set is called the inside jaws becaus
31. t ete CE ecu se Eae Er LR EE edu Enea 30 Cut Off Tool Holder 1er tao o retra Puky Eee Cer phy Dana 30 Quick Change TOOL POSE see e yen x oe ati ee EAR Net OD CO EUR ee aes 31 Indexable Turning To0ls i2 eben perio EET Rar Eta tree EEUU ERR ER ER ERA 32 A Jaw CHUCK ses 32 Faceplate Sistah cei nrun aa inte niade tie aE EEE E T i aeaaaee 33 Centers and DOIS io eaer e AE E E wakes E E GERE EAA 33 Steady Rest and Follower Rest nsssssssssesscsssessesssesscsssesseseeessees 34 MairiteriariCe iiie ceci d ir erae erter EE EE AE EET E ETE AE EU ei 34 S pp ae tna TEETE E EE TE E EE EA 35 isialgdisigua mper kiari oe n a i a a 35 Introduction This user s guide covers the 7x10 and 7x12 mini lathes that are sold by Grizzly Industrial Harbor Freight Tools Homier Mobile Merchants Micro Mark Northern Tool amp Equipment Enco and Wholesale Tool These lathes are made in China in several different factories but to a similar set of plans The general operating principles covered in this document are common to all of them Specifications The following specifications are common to these lathes Metric Lathes Inch Lathes Swing over bed 180 mm 7 Between Centers 200 mm 300 mm 7 9 11 8 Spindle Taper 3 Morse taper 3 Morse taper Tailstock taper 2 Morse taper 2 Morse taper Spindle Bore 20 mm 0 79 Cross Slide Travel 65 mm 2 56 Compound R
32. t the cross slide nut The two outer screws tip the nut off horizontal to reduce the endplay in the threads The center screw locks the adjustment in place To adjust the cross slide nut 1 Loosen all three screws 2 Back the cross slide all the way away from the center of the lathe until it just contacts the dial Tighten the center screw until the feed handle becomes hard to turn Loosen the center screw until the feed handle just turns freely Tighten the near screw until the feed handle becomes hard to turn Loosen the near screw until the feed handle just turns freely Snug but do not tighten the far screw N Oo oF KR W Compound Rest Gibs The compound rest also incorporates a gib for adjustment To adjust the compound rest gibs Loosen the three lock nuts on the side of the compound rest Slightly loosen all three setscrews on the side of the compound rest Snug each setscrew equally This will lock the compound rest in position Loosen each setscrew 1 8 turn to allow the compound rest to move While holding the setscrews from turning tighten the lock nuts Test by turning the handle Loosen or tighten all the setscrews the same amount until the compound rest moves freely but without play in the dovetail OU WYN Apron Position The apron is adjustable to center the half nuts horizontally on the lead screw To adjust the apron position 1 Loosen the two socket head cap screws that
33. ters A lathe dog is used to drive work being turned between centers 33 _ sf The live center is LittleMachineShop com part number 1189 It has a 2 Morse taper shank This center fits the tailstock of the mini lathe The dead center is LittleMachineShop com part number 1188 It has a 3 Morse taper shank This center fits the headstock of the mini lathe The center has a 60 degree included point angle The lathe dog is LittleMachineShop com part number 1149 This lathe dog has a capacity of just over 3 8 Steady Rest and Follower Rest Steady and follower rests support small diameter work that would otherwise flex too much A steady rest mounts in a fixed position on the ways of the lathe A follower rest mounts on the carriage and moves with the cutting tool providing support where it is needed The steady rest is LittleMachineShop com part number 1197 The steady rest can support work up to 1 5 in diameter The follower rest is LittleMachineShop com part number 1198 Maintenance Maintenance of the mini lathe is simple but important Regular maintenance will keep your mini lathe working like new for many years 34 Cleaning The maintenance you perform most often is cleaning Keeping swarf chips shavings and debris off of wearing surfaces is the most important thing you can do to prolong the life of your mini lathe e Use a 1 paintbrush to remove swarf from the ways as you work e Clean the lead screw b
34. w the cutting edge to penetrate the work piece Back Rake The back rake produces the front cutting edge that cuts into the work piece 19 Front Relief Front relieve provides clearance for the front cutting edge Without front relief the front of the tool bit would hit the work piece and not allow the cutting edge to penetrate the work piece How to Grind Tool Bits Use a bench grinder to sharpen your tool bits Even an inexpensive bench grinder can do a good job grinding lathe tool bits In some cases you might want to purchase a higher quality fine grit wheel Keep a small cup of water near your grinder Grinding generates heat which can cause two problems The tool bit will become too hot to hold Overheating can also affect the heat treatment of the tool bit leaving the cutting edge soft Use a protractor to measure the angles They are not super critical but you should try to stay within one degree of the recommendations Grind the Front Relief The first step in creating a tool bit is to grind the front relief For most work a relief angle of 10 works well While you are grinding the front relief you are also creating the front cutting edge angle Make this angle about 10 also so that the corner formed by the front cutting edge and the side cutting edge is less than 90 Grind the Left Side Relief Form the left side relief next Again create about a 10 angle You don t need to form
35. way to adjust the tool bit height is to get a quick change tool post Virtually all quick change tool posts incorporate a mechanism for easily adjusting the tool bit height Turning The most common use of a lathe is turning down the diameter of a work piece Manual Turning Follow these steps to turn the outside diameter of a work piece To turn manually 1 Puta tool bit in the tool holder and adjust the cutting edge to center height 2 Angle the tool so that the front cutting edge forms an acute angle with the axis of the work piece as shown in the illustration below 3 Move the carriage so that the tool bit is near the right end of the work piece 4 Turn the lathe on Adjust the speed to an appropriate speed for the material and diameter you are working on The LittleMachineShop com Web site has a calculator to help you determine appropriate cutting speeds 5 Using the cross slide feed handle slowly advance the tool bit into the work until it just touches the surface of the work piece 21 6 Move the carriage to the right so that the tool bit is past the end of the work piece 7 Using the cross slide feed handle advance the tool bit about 0 010 8 Using the carriage hand wheel move the carriage slowly to the left As the tool bit meets the work piece it starts cutting Turning with Power Feed The mini lathe incorporates a power carriage feed that can move the carriage either direction This same power feed is us
36. your lathe Where oil is required we recommend Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil Mobil 1 far exceeds the lubrication needs of the mini lathe and maintains a good surface film between applications Where grease is required we recommend Lubriplate 630 AA lithium white grease Lithium grease is a plastic friendly grease that is easy to find and easy to use 15 The following points on your lathe require lubrication Location Lubricant Frequency Notes Lathe ways Oil Daily Apply oil to both the front and back ways on both sides of the carriage Move the carriage back and forth to spread the oil Lead screw Oil Daily Clean swarf chips shavings and threads debris daily Compound rest Oil Daily Advance the compound rest to the dovetail extent of its normal travel Apply oil to the end of the gib and the ends of the dovetails Retract the compound rest Cross slide Oil Daily Advance the cross slide to the dovetail extent of its travel Apply oil to the end of the gib and the ends of the dovetails Retract the cross slide Lead screw Oil Weekly There is an oil fitting on the top of bushings each one Remove the change gear cover to lubricate the left bushing Other machined Oil Weekly Oil lubricates and prevents surfaces corrosion Chuck Oil Monthly Disassemble clean and lubricate Wrap with a paper towel secure with an elastic band and run lathe to sling out excess oil Cro
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