Call out to owners of smaller machines or those just starting out

[Ian Paterson]

Hi Everyone,

I haven't heard much from folks with smaller, cheaper machines, or those who are just starting out, but I know there are a few of you out there.  Over the past couple of years, I've been working within some fairly tight time and budget constraints, so I readily identify with those who must come up with economical and resourceful solutions to problems.

Does anyone have smaller project or machine mod photos to share? ...Or perhaps some "MacGyver moments"?

To get things started, here are some photos of the tapered saddle gibs I made from scrap for my Chinese 7x12 mini lathe a couple of years ago.

Regards,
Ian

[Admin]

Nice work Ian! I bet those made the machine a pleasure to use!

[Ian Paterson]

Yes, it's definitely an improvement, but it also revealed imperfections in the bed that were previously unnoticed. The surface that the tapered brass gib bears against isn't perfectly parallel with the top of the bed, so the carriage gets a bit tight if you adjust the gib near the chuck, then roll the carriage towards the tailstock. One day I'll try to fix it by sanding, or maybe I'll rig up some kind of Dremel grinding jig.

Ian