AWW FUDGE! Busted my TH42 compound slide!

great white

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Was parting off a piece of 3/4 mild steel rod. Just as I was thinking I don't like the looks of the chips, the parting blade dives under the rod and the tool post actually tilts!

What the......?!?!?!

Slammed the quick stop as fast as I could, but it was already too late:

fr_4540_size880.jpg

fr_4543_size880.jpg


:eek:

and then:

:frown:

Yep, snapped clean off. No idea why, everything was set right. Centered to work (if anything, it was a couple thou high), perpendicular to the work,, sharp tooling, coumpounf back over the crossslide and fully supported, tool stickout minimized, everytihg locked down, lots of oil, etc, etc.

Started off cutting fine, then the chips went kind of "gummy" looking and right at the instant I thought "don't like that, pull it back out", it decided to take the nose dive.

:mad:

I did everything right that I can think of, I'm half guessing there was something in the steel (ie: inclusion of something) that contributed to this debacle. Whatever, it's a cold hard fact now.

:mad: ->:oops:->:rolleyes:->:frown:

I cruise ebay, nothing used for a 10". Only thing there is a new steel one at almost $280 (Cdn, exchange and shipping makes everything nuts here).

So it looks like these are my options: wait for used to show up and pay waaay too much for it, buy something new for equally crazy money, or maybe see if I can buy a bit of tooling and make one myself.

Making one may be possible, but it's got to be on the outside of my capabilities. I've got a collet for the spindle that I use for small jobs and I've got the milling attachment. The ebay pictures of the "new" one don't look that complicated:

2.jpg3.jpgs-l1600.jpg

Of the top of my head, I'll need a dovetail cutter and a T-slot cutter. The rest just looks like drills and end mills, which I already have. But again; whether I can manage that on my TH42 is the question. I'm sure I can build it, it's just a matter of getting it accurate enough....

Good news is I can finish the project for my tractor shift linkage without the lathe. Bad news is I need it to finish building the drive section for my Argo 8x8.

Any advice on how to go with getting/building a new compound?

Sheesh, one step forward, two steps back.....
 
Last edited:
Tubalcain, mrpete, has a video series of him making one for an atlas, I believe. He goes through the process very clearly. You should have a look at that, it should be very similiar.
 
Dang, thats sucks. Sorry man! You can certainly make a new one. Good luck!
 
That's awful.
What about E-bay?
I see used lathe components all the time.
Good luck.
 
Totally not making fun of you, but I found it amusing to see your post from yesterday about parting on this lathe and this one about 5 lines apart on the "Whats new" list.

Hope you get it fixed up quick.
 
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