Cross slide tool/mounting plate for the Boxford

[raynerd]

In my attempt to bore between centres - http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=4150.0  .....  I have come across the issue that my Boxford does not have a T-slotted cross slide so I`m going to struggle holding the work onto the saddle/cross slide. I know I posted these same images on that thread but I found Boxford did produce a boring table:





The bottom is the same round dove tailed attachment that the compound slide uses:






I figured if I could turn up a similar spigot and bolt it to a plate it would lock down tight just like the compound slide.

So not many pics but all straight farward. I turned the spigot by making a form tool as I realised the angle wasn`t critical, it just had to be angled so that the grub screws pull down on the taper. So here is the spigot sitting on the plate and I also turned a small approx 0.5mm register on the bottom of the plate to locate the spigot.



Spigot sat in register:


Bolted in place and profile of spigot:


...and locked into position, very firm and certainly won`t move!


Now I just need to decide how to finish the top. I did consider T-slotting it but I`d have to buy a suitable endmill which will cost. I think perhaps the best way will be to drill and tap in a 1" square grid ?
Any suggestions? - the plate is 3.75" x 8"

Chris

[raynerd]

I know there has been no interest with this but it has worked out much better than expected and I think it is going to be perfect for the job in hand and potentially future uses. I'll update anyway  

I decided to tap M10 as this is thread on my clamping kit. There are also 4 M6 holes at the extreme corners, I don`t know why, I just thought that they may be useful!  I wish now I had started nearer the edge with the M10 holes but never mind. . Here is the plate mounted





I just had to clamp something down to test it out  


Now I can hopefully use it in boring between centres to hold my work down to the cross slide.

[John Stevenson]

Nice job, very functional.

John S.

[ieezitin]

Craynerd.

I know how you feel about some things that get posted and not a lot of replies, I for one am interested but I never had any ideas to give you hence my silence, but like most people I sometimes  just don’t think to reply with an encouraging post. We have 1600 odd members now more should contribute on the cheering mode including myself.
 I still am watching the thread with interest to see how you solve the problem, you sir are doing an excellent job.  Everyone else take note!!!!!!!!


God bless   Anthony

[Ray]

Craynerd,

   Looks great.  Will be a very useful accessory.

ironman  (Ray)

[Bogstandard]

A job well done there.

You will always find on short posts, as yours is, that the applause comes at the end.

I have the same sort of problem as yourself, but unlike yourself, my cross slide has a flat top, but not thick enough to cut slots into.

Eventually, I will be making a bolt on jobbie that will convert it to a t-slot slide.

I just need to come across a slab of cast iron or EN1a big enough to do it.

Maybe the fairies have left me a piece at the bottom of the garden.


Bogs

[fluxcored]

Exactly what I'm busy doing myself. I got as far as truing up the edges of the plate as best as I could by hand with a file and I turned the spigot sometime in December.

Still need to drill and tap all the holes.

Mine is'nt going to look as good as yours though!!

[raynerd]

 , sorry, I wasn`t egging for any replies... honest   

Cheers guys. Yes seems like it will be functional and cost no-where near the £140 I have seen the boxford sized t-slotted cross slides sell for. John, I`d have loved to use a cast iron plate but couldn`t justify the extra cost - all this stuff I had in. I just hope that it survives but for the expected little use it gets, it should surfice. Worse case is I can always make a new top plate.
Also just wanted to thank Rob for the help he gave me on this one as well as the bore setting device - cheers mate.

Thanks again.

Chris

[DavidA]

Here's something similar I made a while back.  Its from a section of an old  steel gear.  About 7 x 4 x 1.5 inch.
It's clamped down via the slots along the edges.
As it is quite square it can be used on it's face or on it's side.
Comes in handy sometimes.

Dave.

[NickG]

I guess I'll need a similar thing on the harrison at some point as that doesn't have a slotted cross slide either. The only lathe I've had that did was the myford.

Yours should do the trick, I've never tried boring anything between centres but it makes sense so will be watching to see how you get on.

Nick

[raynerd]

Nice work David! Yours certainly looks more heavy duty made out of steel!!
Just curious, what jobs have you come across where you have used it?  I needed something to do this boring between centres so I put a little more time in something that I can use for a long time but in reality, I can`t think of many other times I`d use it. Not that that is an issue, it cost me vertually nothing and will hopefully do the job, but it would be nice to think of ideas or potential future uses for mine.

Chris

[NickG]

Chris, probably not very common but if you want to cut an arc into metal for say mounting  a cylinder of some sort on it. The one that initially sprang to mind was the bit under the smoke box on a loco but not sure wheter you'd have the height. Probably not! Maybe if you're fabricating  a cylinder for an engine like your 10v or something.

[DavidA]

Chris,

Go to admit I haven't used mine on the lathe yet. Haven't needed to as I have T slots. I initially made it because the top of the cross slide is a (relatively) long way from the centre height. So I wanted to have a solid bed at a more appropriate height.  The material was there and so were the big machines to make it on. So I made it in advance of any future need.
 But I have used it a few times on the drilling machine to hold awkward shaped bits where I had to use multiple hold - down points and wedges to stop the job moving about.

Yours looks as if it should serve you well when you need it.

Dave.

[madjackghengis]

Hi Chris, you've made a decision which should fulfill your need which was less costly than my own, but the only reason such things don't get much use is either the lack of imagination or the addition of machines which do the job.  What you have there should serve you well for a long time to come and can be far handier than just the basics, with a vivid imagination.  An angle plate and stock to shim up work makes your lathe a vertical mill as well as a horizontal boring mill.  Even having finally gotten a full sized vertical mill, I still use my slotted cross slides and wouldn't part with either of them.  I don't even use the original cross slide since I put on a slotted one with a hole for an atlas top slide, which I did because it sat lower than the original Logan and gives me more room to work with. mad jack

[Chuck in E. TN]

Anyone done something like this for a Chinese 7x?

Chuck in E. TN

[sbwhart]

Nice Job with the plate Chris

One little mod you could consider to make it easer to use is screw a straight edge along the edges, clock the plate up square and you can use them to help get your work square.

I did something similar for the jig plate I made for my mill.



Stew

[raynerd]

I like that idea a lot Stew!

Just curious, what do you use yours for on the mill - why not just clamp straight down to the bed?

Chris

[sbwhart]

It saves your mill bed, you can use it with side clamps to grip larger bit of plate, you can leave set up on it remove from the mill do another job and put the original set up back on, it useful for clamping other bits of kit on that would be difficult on the mill table.

In shorts lots

Stew

[raynerd]

is yours steel or aluminium? I might consider this. I`m just looking at the picture, is the plate slotted around the sides and then clamped down to the table from there?  My thoughts are that I could slot my table and use the same one by removing the spigot

Chris

Chris

[sbwhart]

Chris its aluminum

Its slotted around the side so that the clamps don't get in the way, I left the under side plain so I can turn it over and drill holes in it as and where I want them.

If you cut into them its an easy job just to clean it up again.

Stew

[madjackghengis]

Wow Stew, that is sharp   I've got a small 4 by 4 inch plate I made when I was using my drill press for a mill, but your's is serious, and exactly what I need to do.  I've got around the need several times in the past weeks, but this posting is sufficient to get me with a piece of plate on my mill and get it fixed up like I need it.  That set of threaded holes for sides is a great idea too, my last job was squared up by eye, it was only for looks, but it could have been done easily from your idea much better.  Thanks for the idea mad jack

[Chuck in E. TN]

For the US folks, where would you get a piece of CI to make something like this from? I'm talking for a 7x SEIG, and 5x7x3/4" or so.

Chuck in E. TN

[Bogstandard]

I've just solved my problem, second item down, T-slotted 5"x4" plate.

http://rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/NEW_LINES_TO_RDGTOOLS.html

It will bolt straight onto the flat area of my saddle. For this price, it isn't worth me getting off my a**e and making one.


Bogs

[raynerd]

FFS Why the hell didn`t I see that ... I spent £18 on aluminium plate there last week before building this... I could have had one!

Still... I enjoyed making mine 

[andyf]

I bought this for £10 from a second-hand stall at the Harrogate show last May. It looks unused, and was labelled as a milling table for a Unimat. 80x125x12mm, and my cross-slide is 80mm wide, so it will bolt on nicely once I have a job which requires it.



Andy