Tailstock T Nut for 6x14 import mini lathe

[KentRigby]

My Sieg C3 mini lathe needs an upgraded T nut on the tailstock. The 'T nut' that came with it is really just a thin plate of threaded steel. I have been trying to find a t nut to fit or one slightly oversized that I can grind down to sze. The existing plate is 1 7/16 inches square, the slot in the bed is 15/16 and the ways are 5/16 inch thick. I believe it has a 3/8" bolt but I am unsure of the thread pitch I'd just mill one, but i don't own a mill.
Any help finding a t nut will be greatly appreciated.

 

[markba633csi]

So what you have now is just a flat piece with a threaded hole, and you want a T-shaped piece with threaded hole instead?
What about using the lathe itself to make it? What material? Aluminum or steel?
People have been using lathes to do small milling jobs for generations- you just need a cutter and a way of mounting the workpiece
Of course, you would also need a drill and tap of the appropriate size.
This is how you build a tool collection- one project at a time. Economical? Heck no. Fun and rewarding? Heck yes

 

[KentRigby]

So what you have now is just a flat piece with a threaded hole, and you want a T-shaped piece with threaded hole instead?
What about using the lathe itself to make it?

Yes, I want a proper t nut. I'm not sure how I could make that part on a lathe.

 

[SouthernChap]

Yes, I want a proper t nut. I'm not sure how I could make that part on a lathe.

You'd get a collet chuck (ER32 maybe) and some suitable collets. That would enable you to hold a milling tool in the spindle (don't put an endmill or the like in your lathe chuck, endmills have hardened shafts and that won't play well with the hardened lathe chuck's jaws).

Ideally, you'd then get a vertical milling attachment which you'd mount to your cross slide. You'd mount your workpiece on the milling attachment and use the cross slide and milling attachment to move it and mill out your T-Slot shape with the endmill held in your collet chuck.

I guess you could use an angle plate in place of the milling attachment but every time you'd finished a horizontal pass across the workpiece, I think you'd have to reset your workpiece vertically to make the next pass. That seems like a royal pain in the arse and make mistakes more likely. You'd almost certainly have to make multiple passes as deep milling cuts in steel on mini-lathes aren't a good idea.

That said, if you have a bandsaw that can be setup vertically you could do most of the material removal using that and then do the last few, finishing cuts with the workpiece on an angle plate.

Or, you could go old-skool with a hacksaw instead of a bandsaw but only if you like hacksawing?!

 

[mmcmdl]

Can you draw up what you need ?

 

[darkzero]

Yes, I want a proper t nut. I'm not sure how I could make that part on a lathe.

You certainly could make one on a lathe (without a milling attachment). When we think t-nut we think rectangular or square shape, but it doesn't have to be, round will work too.

Pics borrowed from the net


Or you can make the diameter oversized, then cut the sides off.

 

[savarin]

I just screwed 2 lengths of flat bar onto each side of the thick steel plate converting it to a "T" nut

This is actually for my steady rest but I did exactly the same for the tailstock except only one fixing hole was required

 

[KentRigby]

You'd get a collet chuck (ER32 maybe) and some suitable collets. That would enable you to hold a milling tool in the spindle (don't put an endmill or the like in your lathe chuck, endmills have hardened shafts and that won't play well with the hardened lathe chuck's jaws).

Ideally, you'd then get a vertical milling attachment which you'd mount to your cross slide. You'd mount your workpiece on the milling attachment and use the cross slide and milling attachment to move it and mill out your T-Slot shape with the endmill held in your collet chuck.

I guess you could use an angle plate in place of the milling attachment but every time you'd finished a horizontal pass across the workpiece, I think you'd have to reset your workpiece vertically to make the next pass. That seems like a royal pain in the arse and make mistakes more likely. You'd almost certainly have to make multiple passes as deep milling cuts in steel on mini-lathes aren't a good idea.

That said, if you have a bandsaw that can be setup vertically you could do most of the material removal using that and then do the last few, finishing cuts with the workpiece on an angle plate.

Or, you could go old-skool with a hacksaw instead of a bandsaw but only if you like hacksawing?!

Thanks for the suggestions. I might go the hacksaw route as it seems like the simplest solution. I was hoping I could get something off the shelf, but if not, a hacksaw, drill and tap will do the trick (slowly).

 

[CraigH]

I assume you mean the clamping plate for the tailstock to bed.

It can be made in many different ways - you will not find a ready made piece. Just a heavier longer piece of steel plate will work fine. But if you want something more "T" like, just construct it of two pieces of steel screwed together. No machining required.

 

[KentRigby]

I assume you mean the clamping plate for the tailstock to bed.

It can be made in many different ways - you will not find a ready made piece. Just a heavier longer piece of steel plate will work fine. But if you want something more "T" like, just construct it of two pieces of steel screwed together. No machining required.

I considered screwing two pieces together, that's definitely an option.