MadModder

The Shop => Tools => Topic started by: GrahamC on December 07, 2009, 07:55:53 PM

Title: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: GrahamC on December 07, 2009, 07:55:53 PM
I have a rather generic Asian lathe of 10 inch swing (5 inch in UK money), marketed in Canada by Busy Bee tools

http://busybeetools.ca/cgi-bin/picture10?NTITEM=B2227L

The chuck is held on 3 M8 socket head cap screws, similar to several other brands of lathes. There is little room between the spindle and headstock and required the use of a sawed off hex wrench, much twisting, fussing and cursing and about 15 minutes of time to effect a chuck change.

This made changing chucks too much of a chore and I tended not to change them very often.

I fussed for a bit and a fix came to me while I was sitting on the throne - seems I do a lot thinking (and stinkin') and while sitting on the throne and solve a lot of little problems too!

What I came up with was a replacement for the M8 socket head cap screws that I can turn in and out by hand only needing a wrench to snug up or loosen off. Made from 1/2" 12L14 leaded steel (could be made from any similar size i.e. 12mm). Took all of a bout an hour to make the three needed, threading done on the lathe and still on the original parts made over two years ago. I can now effect a chuck change in under 5 minutes, wrench needed only to loosen to snug up - the remainder screwing in or out easily done with two fingers.

The pictures show all. One photo shows the three replacement bolts along side one of the original cap screws and it's hex wrench. The second photo shows the replacement bolts in situ on the lathe holding the chuck in place.


Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: tinkerer on December 07, 2009, 08:21:47 PM
Nice fix. Thankfully my previous owner did that.
Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: AdeV on December 07, 2009, 08:31:41 PM
Nice work  :thumbup:

Quote
I fussed for a bit and a fix came to me while I was sitting on the throne - seems I do a lot thinking (and stinkin') and while sitting on the throne and solve a lot of little problems too!

I used to get all my best ideas when I was smoking a fag (erm, for our colonial cousins, that does not mean shooting a gay man... :D), but since I quit the throne has to do instead.
Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: websterz on December 07, 2009, 08:49:19 PM
Gawwwwleeeee...y'all shore do talk funny...  :lol:
Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: dsquire on December 07, 2009, 08:56:11 PM


eh, eh



Cheers  :beer:

Don
Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: bogstandard on December 08, 2009, 05:46:49 AM
Graham,

That idea is so simple, but cures the problem totally.

You should eat a lot of curries and spend a lot longer on the crapper, if that is all it takes to come up with a solution like that.

Nice one  :clap: :clap:


Bogs
Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: Bernd on December 08, 2009, 09:45:59 AM
Nice one Graham.

I've done the same, sitting on the throne and thinking. Only thing is I sometimes fall asleep and loose a good idea.  :lol:  :lol:  :ddb:  :ddb:

Bernd
Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: crabsign69 on January 09, 2010, 09:44:22 PM

this is what i made for mine a sliver of brass and a cut off allen wrench pressed together and it works great
still need the allen wrench to get it tight but it works good  :headbang:



(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/tig56/P1010872.jpg)
Title: Re: Turning a chore into and easy task.
Post by: GrahamC on January 17, 2010, 08:51:16 PM
Now that is another neat solution.

cheers, Graham