Great video. I have a G0602 and I have been thinking about extending my tailstock. before adding a DRO. Nice video and still going and it is May 2022. May God Bless you in everything you do because you have blessed me with this video. Thanks
Great Job. Good to see there are still people like you with a lost skill/art to inspire others. I Was inspired by someone like you at an early age and it change my life drastically. Thank You
Thank you very much sir! A comment like this not only honors me, but inspires me as well. Thank you for that! Warm regards from Greece Dimitris (AKA Jimmy)
I started recently to follow your videos (discovered by chance this channel) and man i'm breathless.... you are a lathe magician! really super nice works. Following with great interest in the hope one day i'll have a lathe too... i like this machines a lot. Thanks for beeing there for us. cheers
Thank you very much for your kind words, I really appreciate it!! I think that a lathe like mine is relatively easy to buy; I wish you to have it the soonest possible. As always, glad to share my work with all of you. Thanks again sir! Best wishes Jimmy
Stephen Deakin Thank you Stephen! Yes, I think that it worth for two reasons. First I learned something and second is, that when I will need to readjust the centers is going to be faster and accurate. Thanks again! All the best Jimmy
Great video this is one thing i wanted to do since a long time and every time I would need it i hate myself for not having made it already but now this video is a good sign to start today building a tailstock DRO i had one on my Minilathe and am missing it on my big lathe really hard 😉👍 the SINO DRO with glass scales gives me good accuracy but on the tailstock i can read the scale that's on it and I don't like them. I worked hours to align the tailstock at a very high level and now when I'm using my biggest test bar which is 700mm i am 0,01mm in hight and 0, 007mm at the side off center which is very good and the reason i don't touch the tailstock any more i made a special jig for setting the center off without moving the tailstock 😊😊😊 Thanx for the video 👍
Thanks for your comment Wolfi, I appreciate it!! One of my favorite mods for the lathe was the tailstock DRO; the only that didn't choose right was the caliper (cheap and consumes the battery fast!). So, since you are going to do the same choose a quality caliper, you would not regretted it! Cheers Jimmy
@@JimmysCanal my Mahr or Mitutoyo caliper seemed a little too much but choose a good one about 80eu it costed last year which has a big display its made for bringing it on a machine not hand use so i didn't had to cut off some parts. Bought it from www.wabeco-remscheid.de If a friend of mine which is very good at these things want to know how the caliper which he wants to buy is reading he opens it, not too fast, 5 times from 0, 00 to 100mm and back to 0.. If after 5 times doing that it still reads 0,00mm its good if not you know the reading error for ca. 500mm and have to decide if that's not to much...sometimes even cheap ones read well but you have to test it before working.... normal the more expensive the more out of 10 have 0,00 reading error over this way...
Hi, When I said 'choose a quality caliper', I didn't mean something like a Mahr or Mitutoyo. Insize: www.insize-eu.com/ or MIB: mib-messzeuge.de/ have quality measuring instruments, if you need a 150mm caliper the price should be somewhere about 35-45 Euros. I regret that I didn't bought a digital caliper (for my tailstock) from one of the above brands:( All the best Jimmy
Clickspring Thanks for your comment Chris! Yes they are, but since the manufacturer's have this tolerance as standard, the only thing that someone can do is, to tried to fix it somehow! I was surprised by the readings from the DTI, honestly I did expect to have a tailstock offset so close to 0,01mm! Thanks again! Cheers Jimmy
When measureing the tailstock base level off the cross slide I thought oh he must have checked the cross slide at some point before to know it ran level. 👍
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it! Yes, I took a few measurements of the cross slide having the lathe bed as reference point, but those wasn't as constant as I wanted. The reason for that I think was, the relatively thin benchtop (16mm melamine board) I had the lathe on and the not too flat lathe feet in conjuntion with the weight of the lathe itself. Anyway, I am satisfied with the end result! However, I find that's utopic to seek high precision from a lathe like this or other similar. All the best Jimmy
Well there you go again making things for space travel, by hand! I could tell by your MIB (Men in Black) DTI. Beautiful work my friend with your excellent artisanship! Thanks for the mention of my pages but you've taken it to the next level...now I have to tackle the digital read out and only hope to get an alignment that good! I think there should have been a bigger pile of broken fret blades though!! ~¿@ Thanks for sharing your great build with us! ~PJ
pjsalchemy Thank you PJ! your pages was a great help for me. I think that is time to put a digital scale onto your tailstock. Thanks again my friend! Till then... Jimmy
Jimmy, another great video, I will be checking my tail stock to see if I have any of those problemsso far I have only had to adjust the tail stock once but I did have to do some work on the lever stylelock that is on mine. Thanks
+Tom Bellus Thanks for your comment, Tom! I hope you not find problems in the tailstock as I had. I don't know what lathe you have, but if you think that I can help in something send a message. Thanks again. My best wishes for 2016 Jimmy
+Elton Bonomini Muito obrigado pelo seu comentário, Elton! Eu costumava Traduz Google para ler o seu comentário, mas como você provavelmente sabe que não pode dar uma tradução muito precisa. Eu não era capaz de compreender exatamente o que você quer dizer, desculpe! Se a sua fácil para você tentar escrevê-lo em Inglês, talvez então eu poderia ajudá-lo de uma forma se você olhar para alguma coisa. Te desejo o melhor Saudações da Grécia Jimmy
Really nice job! The only potential problem is those cheap calipers often eat batteries like they are going out of fashion as they don't fully shut down when you turn them off. The battery in my Mitutoyo calipers lasts maybe 18 months or so, the pair of Chinese cheapies I have maybe a month or two unless I remove the battery when I'm done with them.
Thank you very much! I have notice that my caliper eat the battery faster (in 2-3 months) when the level of moisture is above normal; in normal conditions a new battery holds 5 months and when its power starts to weaken it gives false measurements. Thanks again for the comment! All the best Jimmy
pierre beaudry Hi Pierre, Patience isn't always a virtue, but helps anyway. Having only a lathe I can't do a lot of things so, handwork is sometimes the only option. Anyway, I'm pretty happy with this mod! Thank you for the comment! All the best Jimmy
@ 24:41 You may want to verify the DTI pointer's weight does not affect the measured reading by testing it without pressing against the dead center. Granted it would probably be small, but you want be sure.
+ExtantFrodo2 Thank you for the comment! I reset the test indicator and test it again yesterday. I found a small variation, but it is impossible to get better readings because my DTI is accurate within 0.01mm. If I had a 0.001mm DTI the readings would be far more accurate. But again, I don't think that I could adjust the tailstock better and for or a hobby lathe ain't too bad. Thanks again All the best Jimmy
You may want to make some changes to the quick change tool holder on you lathe. The center of the holder is too low and you are not getting even pressure when clamped down. Make a longer stud and a spacer to raise the hub a little higher using a steel spacer. Make the stud long enough to allow for another spacer on the top of the tool post that will permit the nut to clear the adjusting screw. Also you may want to mill the nut to 13.6 mm across the flats. This will allow you to rotate the tool post without having to remove the whole thing. Hope this helps get the bugs out.
+martin coleman Hi, Thank you very much for the idea! A friend of mine did a similar mod. (he have the same lathe and QCTP). He put a spacer and raised the hub in a height that's allow him to use only 6-8mm toolbits without the need to adjust the thumbscrew of the holder and at the same time the holder is in the lower possition. So, this way the holder has full contact with the hub as also kept the original stud of the quadruple tool post. If you want follow this link:th-cam.com/video/Lty9OTKjoDk/w-d-xo.html it's a video I made about my quick change tool holder. I'm sure that you speak for experience, so I would like your opinion! Thanks again All the best for 2016 Jimmy
I find it weird that you'd indicate a dead center, when you could have indicated the morse taper... Great video!, I have a very similar machine I got last month, and been wanting to do the same DRO mod :D
Hi, Thank you very much for the comment!! I apologize for the late reply. The reason I indicate the center was that I wanted to see the deviation between the different extensions of the quill and my DTI doesn't has a probe long enough that it could reach at least an inch inside the quill's taper. A small piece of advice since you going to add a DRO on your lathe's quill, don't buy a cheap digital caliper like mine; first the beam is not very straight, second cheap calipers are affected by moisture giving false readings as well as they consume the battery fast! Thanks again for the comment. All the best Jimmy
@@JimmysCanal thanks for the tip, I plan on buying one of those calipers with solar cells, . in my experience all the 4" cheap calipers seem crappy, but that is no longer the case for a lot of the cheap 6" ones no idea why that is the case though, nothing an angle grinder can't fix...
Hi Mik, I think that is because most of the new brands of measuring instruments choosed to make contracts with the two or three (I'm not sure how many are exactly) reputable manufacturers in China for quality products in a very competitive market. One of these manufacturers is SHAHE: www.shahemeasuring.com/ www.ebay.com/usr/shahemeasuring0108 Now, if your lathe is similar in size with mine (180mm swing x 300mm length) the tailstock should be small too; so before buying a 6" caliper be sure that it can be mounted on it. I choose the 4" caliper because of the narrow width of the beam as well as it has small size display and doesn't protrude from the tailstock. All the best Jimmy
if its alright with you I would like to borrow your idea of that wood wedge you were using to do your file work. Very good idea.I have never seen that before
+Arock PCB It is important to say that the wood wedge it's not my idea. It's called bench pin and is standard in all jeweler's benches in the market: www.ottofrei.com/Store/Bench-Pins-Arm-Rests/ www.riogrande.com/category/tools-and-equipment/benches-and-bench-accessories you can always make your own if you like but the prices on the above links are nice, I think! Thanks again for your comments sir! Cheers Jimmy
Hi Jimmy, nice video. How did you mount this chuck on your lathe. Ik can only find 100mm 4-jaw independent chucks with 4 mounting holes. This lathe has 3 holes on the main shafts. I'm thinking of buying a 4-hole version and add 3 holes in it for my lathe. Do you think that is possible? The the chuck must be full metal on the back side. I can't find that information from suppliers of this chuck. I hope you have an answer for this. Thanks in advance. Regards, Rens
Hi Rens, Please forgive me for the late reply, but today received notification of your comment from YT. Thank you very much, I appreciate it! For the 4 jaw chuck I'm using a backplate that has 7 holes. The 4 are for cap screws to hold the chuck and the other 3 are for the studs that matching the 3 holes of the spindle. First of all you need to measure the diameter of the recess on the back of your chuck. Knowing the diameter will help you find what you need easier, usually most of the 100mm 4-jaw independent chucks (made in China) have 72mm back recess and usually have 4 adapting studs. You only need to find the backplate that matches with you spindle and chuck. Note that, it might need to turn a bit the plate so to match with the registration recess of your chuck. There is always possibility to find a 4 jaw chuck with 3 adapting studs, but you need to search a bit, perhaps on ebay. Anyway check out these sites for backplates and chucks: www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Chucks/Lathe-Chucks littlemachineshop.com/products/product_category.php?category=-1110836144 www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Lathes___Accessories.html www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/LATHE_CHUCKS_BACKPLATES_SOFT_JAWS.html Once again I apologize for my late reply. Thanks for your comment! Best regards from Greece Jimmy
Hello! I would like to congratulate the quality of the videos! Could you make a video explaining how to lubricate your mini lathe Optimum, including the quantity and type of oil! Best regards!
+Rodrigo Manzatto Hi Rodrigo, Thank you so much for your kind words! As for the video you asking, unfortunately I can't give you any promise right now. You see, I just moved to another house and I need time to set my shop again. I'll keep it in my mind though! Best regards from Greece Jimmy
+Miguel Castaneda Hi Miguel, Thanks for the comment! Although that the digital caliper I used is cheap, it still working without any problem. The only thing I did, was to change the included battery with a good quality new one! Cheers Jimmy
Rotating the indicator in a lathe chuck like you were doing at 24:20 is not a valid method due to the effect of gravity which makes the indicator droop and affects the reading top vs bottom. Doesn't matter between front and back but you can't do height like this.
Thank you very much for the comment and the tip! I need to make a taper and I must offset the tailstock to do it; your tip helps a lot. Thanks again! All the best Jimmy
Tips: Εαν θέλεις να κινείται λίγο ποιο λάσκα ίσιωσε ελάχιστα το σύρμα που σφηνώνει τον δρομέα, επίσης εάν ξαφνικά χάνει τις μετρήσεις και μετράει ότι νά ναι βάλε σελοτέιπ ανάμεσα στην πλακέτα και τον δρομέα.
Γεια σου Δημήτρη, Ζητώ συγγνώμη για την καθυστερημένη απάντηση! Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ για το tip, ευτυχώς δεν έχει πρόβλημα μέχρι στιγμής. Το μόνο που συμβαίνει είναι ότι όταν εξαντλείτε η μπαταρία μετρά τρελά, το έχω στο μυαλό μου και το προσέχω όμως κάθε φορά που κάνω χρήση. Ευχαριστώ πολύ και πάλι! Καλή συνεχεία. Φιλικά Δημήτρης
Καλησπέρα Δημήτρη, Ζητώ συγνώμη και πάλι για την καθυστερημένη απάντηση. Τσεκάρισε αυτά: www.organametrisis.gr/collections/paxymetra?constraint=0-100mm+0-01mm επίσης εδώ: www.mib-messzeuge.de/?lang=en πήγαινε στα προϊόντα και άνοιξε τον κατάλογο στη σελίδα 37. Τα συγκεκριμένα τα φέρνει ο Ραπτόπουλος στην Σπύρου Πάτση. Και οι δύο εταιρείες είναι αξιόπιστες. Ο Τριανταφύλλου ίσως να σου και κάποια έκπτωση.... Φιλικά Δημήτρης Υ.Γ. Αν θέλεις στείλε μου προσωπικό μήνυμα στο κανάλι με το email σου
Thank you for the comment and the question! The tool on the right side is the one I used to cut the aluminum piece, it's a jeweler's saw and it's called Fret saw: www.riogrande.com/category/tools-and-equipment/saw-blades-and-frames/saw-frames?c=f0aeb9c0-1a71-44ce-b43d-a7b80157fed3&pageNum=1 All the best Jimmy
Ciao come sei preciso una cortesia uso tanti materiali per annerire il metallo però vedo che ce di meglio mi daresti la marca che usi per annerire grazie ti seguo
Grazie mille per il commento! Per annerire ottone, rame e argento puoi usare una sostanza chimica chiamata Fegato di zolfo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_of_sulfur Se non riesci a trovare questo prodotto chimico, puoi trovare soluzioni di annerimento pronto all'uso nel negozio di gioielli, simili a questi: www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=brass+blackening+solution&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1311.R6.TR12.TRC2.A0.H1.Xpatina+.TRS0&_nkw= patinatura + fluido & _sacat = 0 Ora per l'acciaio annerito puoi seguire il processo a freddo usando la pistola Birchwood Casey blu: www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=birchwood+casey&_blrs=spell_check o qualsiasi altro soluzione simile che potresti trovare. Se vai al processo a caldo, il più sicuro da fare è il blu ruggine rosso. Il processo è descritto in questo bel video e come vedrai è facile e sicuro: th-cam.com/video/xmv58Z3RZ9c/w-d-xo.html Grazie ancora per il commento e il sub ovviamente! Saluti dalla Grecia Jimmy
@@JimmysCanal ok grazie molto gentile va dato così senza nessuna accortezza o ce un metodo per farlo venire bene o trovato il fegato di... questo va dato a freddo giusto Scusami se ti faccio perdere tempo
Ciao, A giudicare dal fegato di zolfo che ho (varie dimensioni del pezzo); se trovi, il suo aspetto probabilmente assomiglierà a quello che ho. Ora questi pezzi devono essere messi in acqua calda per dissolversi (il produttore deve avere un'etichetta con il rapporto acqua / peso della sostanza chimica), mentre la sostanza chimica calda è nella pentola in cui si immergono le parti per alcuni minuti. Dopo che l'ossidazione raggiunge il colore desiderato marrone o nero, si puliscono le parti con acqua fredda e poi si asciugano con un panno. Ora, se non riesci a trovare il fegato di zolfo, puoi usare qualsiasi soluzione ossidante già pronta; l'uso è semplice, basta mettere le parti pulite nell'ossidante e in pochi secondi saranno pronte, di solito tutte le soluzioni pronte all'uso potrebbero essere utilizzate a temperatura ambiente. Ti auguro il meglio Jimmy
Jimmy awesome video and great idea. I am thinking about buying a TU 2004V which i think is the next model to the D180x300. On the floor models, i have notice a a lot of play in the handles for the cross slide, compound, etc. Is this normal for these lathes?
+Craig Munday Hi Craig, Thanks for the comment! The only differences that TU 2004V model has from my lathe is that it can turn pieces up to 200mm and has a cam lock on the tailstock. The play on the handles is actually the backlash that the cross slide and top slide leadscrews has. You must not expect tight tolerances on the leadscrews on any of these small lathes. I think that is normal, after all we get what we pay! This is the link that I have put already in the description of this video: www.gadgetbuilder.com/Lathe_Align.html you will find many info about the accuracy of a small lathe similar to mine. I hope that this helps you a little? Thanks again! All the best Jimmy P.S. The main catalog of Optimum: www.optimum-machines.com/fileadmin/Kataloge/Optimum/Optimum_Katalog_15_GB.pdf
Jimmy, I really appreciate your videos. I am considering buying a near new Optimum 2506V at the moment, 12 months old & only about 3 - 5 hours use. In watching all your videos about the Optimum Lathe, I am worried because it seems they don’t have reverse lead screw selection for left hand threading standard, no powered cross feed, changes to QCTP, modifications to tail stock. As this would be my first Lathe, I doubt I would have the skills & experience to duplicate all the modifications you have made? Should I spend more $ and just buy a better brand / model where all these things come as standard from new & with warranty?
Hi Ian, Thank you very much for your comment and for asking my opinion! I think my friend that is way better if you buy something new with all the features that you need (if you can afford it of course) plus warranty, instead of spending time and money to modify the Optimum lathe. Think this: instead of spending money for any potential modification for the 2506V Optimum lathe, you can buy tooling for your brand new lathe (carbide tools, QCTP, a 4 jaw chuck and many other very useful tools) plus materials for exciting new learning projects. Check these lathes (Chinese of course): www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/303007-wm-250v-lathe.html www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/302996-wm280v-lathe.html www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/302934-wm-290-lathe.html or even better this lathe www.grizzly.com/products/12-x-36-Gunsmithing-Lathe-with-Stand/G4003G However there is another possibility that is exciting as well. You can buy an old used but quality lathe (made in US or Europe) and if you feel confident enough you can restore it. I'm sure that you can find plenty of restoring videos on TH-cam practically for any lathe brand. Wish you to choose the best. Thanks again for your comment! All the best Jimmy
JimmysCanal Thanks so much Jimmy, very much appreciated for the links & advice! The Optimum Lathe sold early this morning, so that option has evaporated but I can still buy that brand new here if I wanted to. Unfortunately here in Oz our options for US imported lathes like the Grizzly are very limited because we have a rather unique power supply situation of 240Volt AC single phase or 440Volt 3 phase supply, so US electric motors won’t work here & Grizzly won’t supply with electric engines to suit the Asia Pacific Power supply in use in Australia. So we are basically limited to very expensive European or very Old Australian makes, or of course the Chinese offerings! I wrote & asked Grizzly if they could sell me one of the Firearms/Gunsmiths lathes with either 240AC single phase or 440 3 phase engine & response was “ sorry, no can do”. Options for us are thus somewhat limited downunder compared to say the USA. Many accessories that are non electrical like quick change tool posts, & 4 jaw chucks etc are no problem from USA, so it’s not all bad. I have a retired fitter & turner in the family who could help me restore an old Lathe, but I have to be very careful as he has a heart pacemaker fitted & isn’t allowed to work with any strong electrical fields or welding etc. He can help me with advice & knowledge, but I have to make sure I don’t kill him in the workshop with anything might make function his pacemaker! For this reason buying new might be a safer option maybe!
Hi Ian, I apologize for the delayed answer, it was impossible for me to do it sooner. I had the impression that you live in US, that’s why I sent you the Grizzly link. I understand that power supply is very important, but there is always the option of using a VFD (variable frequency drive); and yes I know that is quite pricey if you go for a quality one. Taking into consideration what you said about restoring an old lathe or buying a brand new European (here in Greece a brand new European lathe has similar price with a small 10 year old apartment) you are unfortunately limited to the Chinese made lathes. I don't know what other brands you can find besides Optimum (Jet, Warco, Sieg, Weiss), but remember that all small Optimum lathes from TU 1503V to TU 2807V don't have all the features that you want. Things are getting interesting with the TU 3008 model as been the last bench lathe on Optimum's catalog: www.machines4u.com.au/view/advert/TU-3008G-Opti-Turn-Bench-Lathe-300-x-700mm-Turning-Capacity-Geared-Head-Stock-Enclosed-Gearbox/421698/ The next model on Optimum's catalog is the TH 3309 (I think that is similar with the Grizzly models G0776 and G0782), if you can afford buying this lathe, it will be a very nice choice! Cheers Jimmy
Hi, If you referring at 12:03 I used a brass wire brush to clean the file I was using (by that time I didn't had a file card cleaner). Although a brush made from brass wire is not the most effective way to clean a file! it can do the job, but only with coarse and medium files-of course the brush it will not last for long. Cheers Jimmy
Great video. I have a G0602 and I have been thinking about extending my tailstock. before adding a DRO. Nice video and still going and it is May 2022. May God Bless you in everything you do because you have blessed me with this video. Thanks
Thank you very much for the comment Joe, I really appreciate it!
Regards from Greece
Jimmy
Great Job. Good to see there are still people like you with a lost skill/art to inspire others. I Was inspired by someone like you at an early age and it change my life drastically. Thank You
Thank you very much sir! A comment like this not only honors me, but inspires me as well. Thank you for that!
Warm regards from Greece
Dimitris (AKA Jimmy)
P⁰
Accurate parts machining starts with accurate tools. If the task is worth doing, then its worth doing right. Very nice job. Cheers.
Rain Coast I agree to this! Now my minilathe is a little more accurate.
Thank you very much for your comment!
All the best
Jimmy
I started recently to follow your videos (discovered by chance this channel) and man i'm breathless.... you are a lathe magician! really super nice works. Following with great interest in the hope one day i'll have a lathe too... i like this machines a lot. Thanks for beeing there for us. cheers
Thank you very much for your kind words, I really appreciate it!! I think that a lathe like mine is relatively easy to buy; I wish you to have it the soonest possible.
As always, glad to share my work with all of you. Thanks again sir!
Best wishes
Jimmy
Excellent mod and as always superb workmanship. Definitely a keeper in my saved videos. Thank you
Temuba I appreciate the comment. Thank you very much!
All the best
Jimmy
Nice accurate alignment. Lot of work but worth the time taken.
Stephen Deakin Thank you Stephen! Yes, I think that it worth for two reasons. First I learned something and second is, that when I will need to readjust the centers is going to be faster and accurate.
Thanks again!
All the best
Jimmy
Great video this is one thing i wanted to do since a long time and every time I would need it i hate myself for not having made it already but now this video is a good sign to start today building a tailstock DRO i had one on my Minilathe and am missing it on my big lathe really hard 😉👍 the SINO DRO with glass scales gives me good accuracy but on the tailstock i can read the scale that's on it and I don't like them. I worked hours to align the tailstock at a very high level and now when I'm using my biggest test bar which is 700mm i am 0,01mm in hight and 0, 007mm at the side off center which is very good and the reason i don't touch the tailstock any more i made a special jig for setting the center off without moving the tailstock 😊😊😊
Thanx for the video 👍
Thanks for your comment Wolfi, I appreciate it!!
One of my favorite mods for the lathe was the tailstock DRO; the only that didn't choose right was the caliper (cheap and consumes the battery fast!). So, since you are going to do the same choose a quality caliper, you would not regretted it!
Cheers
Jimmy
@@JimmysCanal my Mahr or Mitutoyo caliper seemed a little too much but choose a good one about 80eu it costed last year which has a big display its made for bringing it on a machine not hand use so i didn't had to cut off some parts. Bought it from www.wabeco-remscheid.de
If a friend of mine which is very good at these things want to know how the caliper which he wants to buy is reading he opens it, not too fast, 5 times from 0, 00 to 100mm and back to 0.. If after 5 times doing that it still reads 0,00mm its good if not you know the reading error for ca. 500mm and have to decide if that's not to much...sometimes even cheap ones read well but you have to test it before working.... normal the more expensive the more out of 10 have 0,00 reading error over this way...
Hi,
When I said 'choose a quality caliper', I didn't mean something like a Mahr or Mitutoyo.
Insize: www.insize-eu.com/ or MIB: mib-messzeuge.de/ have quality measuring instruments, if you need a 150mm caliper the price should be somewhere about 35-45 Euros.
I regret that I didn't bought a digital caliper (for my tailstock) from one of the above brands:(
All the best
Jimmy
Terrific job Jimmy, the black finish makes it look like original manufacturer issue. Those tailstock errors are just maddening aren't they!
Clickspring Thanks for your comment Chris! Yes they are, but since the manufacturer's have this tolerance as standard, the only thing that someone can do is, to tried to fix it somehow! I was surprised by the readings from the DTI, honestly I did expect to have a tailstock offset so close to 0,01mm!
Thanks again!
Cheers
Jimmy
When measureing the tailstock base level off the cross slide I thought oh he must have checked the cross slide at some point before to know it ran level. 👍
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it!
Yes, I took a few measurements of the cross slide having the lathe bed as reference point, but those wasn't as constant as I wanted.
The reason for that I think was, the relatively thin benchtop (16mm melamine board) I had the lathe on and the not too flat lathe feet in conjuntion with the weight of the lathe itself. Anyway, I am satisfied with the end result!
However, I find that's utopic to seek high precision from a lathe like this or other similar.
All the best
Jimmy
Well there you go again making things for space travel, by hand! I could tell by your MIB (Men in Black) DTI. Beautiful work my friend with your excellent artisanship! Thanks for the mention of my pages but you've taken it to the next level...now I have to tackle the digital read out and only hope to get an alignment that good! I think there should have been a bigger pile of broken fret blades though!! ~¿@ Thanks for sharing your great build with us! ~PJ
pjsalchemy Thank you PJ! your pages was a great help for me. I think that is time to put a digital scale onto your tailstock.
Thanks again my friend!
Till then...
Jimmy
Another great educational project Jimmy....Keep up the good work....Ken
ken heppener Thank you very much Ken!
Wish you the best!!
Jimmy
Jimmy, another great video, I will be checking my tail stock to see if I have any of those problemsso far I have only had to adjust the tail stock once but I did have to do some work on the lever stylelock that is on mine. Thanks
+Tom Bellus
Thanks for your comment, Tom! I hope you not find problems in the tailstock as I had. I don't know what lathe you have, but if you think that I can help in something send a message.
Thanks again.
My best wishes for 2016
Jimmy
Tom Bellus ค ยา
O seu trabalho é perfeito, parabéns. Esse porta ferramentas eu ainda não achei aqui no Brasil!
+Elton Bonomini
Muito obrigado pelo seu comentário, Elton! Eu costumava Traduz Google para ler o seu comentário, mas como você provavelmente sabe que não pode dar uma tradução muito precisa. Eu não era capaz de compreender exatamente o que você quer dizer, desculpe!
Se a sua fácil para você tentar escrevê-lo em Inglês, talvez então eu poderia ajudá-lo de uma forma se você olhar para alguma coisa.
Te desejo o melhor
Saudações da Grécia
Jimmy
great bit of enginnering Jimmy. spot on
paul maddison
Hi Paul,
Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate it!
All the best
Jimmy
Absolutley beutiful work. You give me inspiration!
Charles Brewer
Hey Charles,
Thank you very much. Glad to hear that my project, gives you ideas!
Cheers
Jimmy
Really nice job! The only potential problem is those cheap calipers often eat batteries like they are going out of fashion as they don't fully shut down when you turn them off. The battery in my Mitutoyo calipers lasts maybe 18 months or so, the pair of Chinese cheapies I have maybe a month or two unless I remove the battery when I'm done with them.
Thank you very much! I have notice that my caliper eat the battery faster (in 2-3 months) when the level of moisture is above normal; in normal conditions a new battery holds 5 months and when its power starts to weaken it gives false measurements. Thanks again for the comment!
All the best
Jimmy
Hi Jimmy,
You are a patient man... ;-) But, it gives nice results.
Pierre
pierre beaudry
Hi Pierre,
Patience isn't always a virtue, but helps anyway. Having only a lathe I can't do a lot of things so, handwork is sometimes the only option. Anyway, I'm pretty happy with this mod!
Thank you for the comment!
All the best
Jimmy
Awesome work!
Thank you very much for the time to watch and your comment, I really appreciate it!
All the best
Jimmy
Συγχαρητήρια Δημήτρη! Είσαι χειρούργος!
Konstantinos Kalleris Ευχαριστώ πολύ Κωστή!
Φιλικά
Δημήτρης
Super boulot !!!!
Great job !!!!
Thank you very much!!
Cheers
Jimmy
@ 24:41 You may want to verify the DTI pointer's weight does not affect the measured reading by testing it without pressing against the dead center. Granted it would probably be small, but you want be sure.
+ExtantFrodo2
Thank you for the comment!
I reset the test indicator and test it again yesterday. I found a small variation, but it is impossible to get better readings because my DTI is accurate within 0.01mm. If I had a 0.001mm DTI the readings would be far more accurate. But again, I don't think that I could adjust the tailstock better and for or a hobby lathe ain't too bad.
Thanks again
All the best
Jimmy
You may want to make some changes to the quick change tool holder on you lathe. The center of the holder is too low and you are not getting even pressure when clamped down. Make a longer stud and a spacer to raise the hub a little higher using a steel spacer. Make the stud long enough to allow for another spacer on the top of the tool post that will permit the nut to clear the adjusting screw. Also you may want to mill the nut to 13.6 mm across the flats. This will allow you to rotate the tool post without having to remove the whole thing. Hope this helps get the bugs out.
+martin coleman
Hi,
Thank you very much for the idea! A friend of mine did a similar mod. (he have the same lathe and QCTP). He put a spacer and raised the hub in a height that's allow him to use only 6-8mm toolbits without the need to adjust the thumbscrew of the holder and at the same time the holder is in the lower possition. So, this way the holder has full contact with the hub as also kept the original stud of the quadruple tool post.
If you want follow this link:th-cam.com/video/Lty9OTKjoDk/w-d-xo.html
it's a video I made about my quick change tool holder.
I'm sure that you speak for experience, so I would like your opinion!
Thanks again
All the best for 2016
Jimmy
Nice work, Jimmy!
***** Hey Bob, thanks for your comment! It turned out good I think.
Cheers
Jimmy
well done.
Thank you very much, I appreciate your comment!
All the best
Jimmy
Nice work.
+brettwatty101
Thank you very much! Glad you like it.
Cheers
Jimmy
I find it weird that you'd indicate a dead center, when you could have indicated the morse taper... Great video!, I have a very similar machine I got last month, and been wanting to do the same DRO mod :D
Hi,
Thank you very much for the comment!! I apologize for the late reply.
The reason I indicate the center was that I wanted to see the deviation between the different extensions of the quill and my DTI doesn't has a probe long enough that it could reach at least an inch inside the quill's taper.
A small piece of advice since you going to add a DRO on your lathe's quill, don't buy a cheap digital caliper like mine; first the beam is not very straight, second cheap calipers are affected by moisture giving false readings as well as they consume the battery fast! Thanks again for the comment.
All the best
Jimmy
@@JimmysCanal thanks for the tip, I plan on buying one of those calipers with solar cells, . in my experience all the 4" cheap calipers seem crappy, but that is no longer the case for a lot of the cheap 6" ones no idea why that is the case though, nothing an angle grinder can't fix...
Hi Mik,
I think that is because most of the new brands of measuring instruments choosed to make contracts with the two or three (I'm not sure how many are exactly) reputable manufacturers in China for quality products in a very competitive market. One of these manufacturers is SHAHE: www.shahemeasuring.com/
www.ebay.com/usr/shahemeasuring0108
Now, if your lathe is similar in size with mine (180mm swing x 300mm length) the tailstock should be small too; so before buying a 6" caliper be sure that it can be mounted on it. I choose the 4" caliper because of the narrow width of the beam as well as it has small size display and doesn't protrude from the tailstock.
All the best
Jimmy
super travail
Merci pour votre commentaire monsieur, je l'apprécie!
Cordialement de la Grèce
Jimmy
nice vid and nice work. thanks for posting
+Arock PCB
Thank you very much! Glad to share.
All the best for 2016
Jimmy
if its alright with you I would like to borrow your idea of that wood wedge you were using to do your file work. Very good idea.I have never seen that before
+Arock PCB
It is important to say that the wood wedge it's not my idea. It's called bench pin and is standard in all jeweler's benches in the market: www.ottofrei.com/Store/Bench-Pins-Arm-Rests/ www.riogrande.com/category/tools-and-equipment/benches-and-bench-accessories
you can always make your own if you like but the prices on the above links are nice, I think!
Thanks again for your comments sir!
Cheers
Jimmy
thank you
+Arock PCB
It's a pleasure for me sir!
Hi Jimmy, nice video. How did you mount this chuck on your lathe. Ik can only find 100mm 4-jaw independent chucks with 4 mounting holes. This lathe has 3 holes on the main shafts. I'm thinking of buying a 4-hole version and add 3 holes in it for my lathe.
Do you think that is possible? The the chuck must be full metal on the back side. I can't find that information from suppliers of this chuck. I hope you have an answer for this. Thanks in advance. Regards, Rens
Hi Rens,
Please forgive me for the late reply, but today received notification of your comment from YT. Thank you very much, I appreciate it!
For the 4 jaw chuck I'm using a backplate that has 7 holes. The 4 are for cap screws to hold the chuck and the other 3 are for the studs that matching the 3 holes of the spindle. First of all you need to measure the diameter of the recess on the back of your chuck. Knowing the diameter will help you find what you need easier, usually most of the 100mm 4-jaw independent chucks (made in China) have 72mm back recess and usually have 4 adapting studs.
You only need to find the backplate that matches with you spindle and chuck. Note that, it might need to turn a bit the plate so to match with the registration recess of your chuck.
There is always possibility to find a 4 jaw chuck with 3 adapting studs, but you need to search a bit, perhaps on ebay. Anyway check out these sites for backplates and chucks: www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Chucks/Lathe-Chucks
littlemachineshop.com/products/product_category.php?category=-1110836144
www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/Lathes___Accessories.html
www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/LATHE_CHUCKS_BACKPLATES_SOFT_JAWS.html
Once again I apologize for my late reply. Thanks for your comment!
Best regards from Greece
Jimmy
Hello! I would like to congratulate the quality of the videos!
Could you make a video explaining how to lubricate your mini lathe Optimum, including the quantity and type of oil!
Best regards!
+Rodrigo Manzatto
Hi Rodrigo,
Thank you so much for your kind words! As for the video you asking, unfortunately I can't give you any promise right now. You see, I just moved to another house and I need time to set my shop again. I'll keep it in my mind though!
Best regards from Greece
Jimmy
Hello Jimmy!
I totally understand your situation, and I hope you succeed in your new home and your new shop!!
Best Regards from Brazil
Rodrigo
+Rodrigo Manzatto
Thanks for your understanding, Rodrigo! I'll be back soon with new videos.
All the best
Jimmy
nice improve...i buy these calipers swapmeet 3...5 $...so will try if not small loss
+Miguel Castaneda
Hi Miguel,
Thanks for the comment! Although that the digital caliper I used is cheap, it still working without any problem. The only thing I did, was to change the included battery with a good quality new one!
Cheers
Jimmy
^^ thank you for sharing a best idea thank you jimmy good work of pro
+kandalfus
Thank you very much for the comment! I'm always glad to share.
Cheers
Jimmy
Rotating the indicator in a lathe chuck like you were doing at 24:20 is not a valid method due to the effect of gravity which makes the indicator droop and affects the reading top vs bottom. Doesn't matter between front and back but you can't do height like this.
Thank you very much for the comment and the tip! I need to make a taper and I must offset the tailstock to do it; your tip helps a lot. Thanks again!
All the best
Jimmy
Clever.
Thanks!!
All the best
Jimmy
Tips: Εαν θέλεις να κινείται λίγο ποιο λάσκα ίσιωσε ελάχιστα το σύρμα που σφηνώνει τον δρομέα, επίσης εάν ξαφνικά χάνει τις μετρήσεις και μετράει ότι νά ναι βάλε σελοτέιπ ανάμεσα στην πλακέτα και τον δρομέα.
Γεια σου Δημήτρη,
Ζητώ συγγνώμη για την καθυστερημένη απάντηση! Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ για το tip, ευτυχώς δεν έχει πρόβλημα μέχρι στιγμής. Το μόνο που συμβαίνει είναι ότι όταν εξαντλείτε η μπαταρία μετρά τρελά, το έχω στο μυαλό μου και το προσέχω όμως κάθε φορά που κάνω χρήση. Ευχαριστώ πολύ και πάλι! Καλή συνεχεία.
Φιλικά
Δημήτρης
Προσπαθώ και εγώ να το χρησιμοποιήσω σαν dro αλλά δεν το εμπιστεύομαι καθόλου!
Καλησπέρα Δημήτρη,
Ζητώ συγνώμη και πάλι για την καθυστερημένη απάντηση. Τσεκάρισε αυτά: www.organametrisis.gr/collections/paxymetra?constraint=0-100mm+0-01mm επίσης εδώ: www.mib-messzeuge.de/?lang=en πήγαινε στα προϊόντα και άνοιξε τον κατάλογο στη σελίδα 37. Τα συγκεκριμένα τα φέρνει ο Ραπτόπουλος στην Σπύρου Πάτση. Και οι δύο εταιρείες είναι αξιόπιστες. Ο Τριανταφύλλου ίσως να σου και κάποια έκπτωση....
Φιλικά Δημήτρης
Υ.Γ. Αν θέλεις στείλε μου προσωπικό μήνυμα στο κανάλι με το email σου
Big Work!! Super :-)
Thank you very much, I really appreciate your comment!
All the best
Jimmy
Awesome! Im wonder how did you split/cut the piece like that on 11:27? What kind of tool is that on the right side? Thank you in advance.
Thank you for the comment and the question! The tool on the right side is the one I used to cut the aluminum piece, it's a jeweler's saw and it's called Fret saw: www.riogrande.com/category/tools-and-equipment/saw-blades-and-frames/saw-frames?c=f0aeb9c0-1a71-44ce-b43d-a7b80157fed3&pageNum=1
All the best
Jimmy
Nice!
Fred Miller Thank you Fred!
All the best
Jimmy
Ciao come sei preciso una cortesia uso tanti materiali per annerire il metallo però vedo che ce di meglio mi daresti la marca che usi per annerire grazie ti seguo
Grazie mille per il commento!
Per annerire ottone, rame e argento puoi usare una sostanza chimica chiamata Fegato di zolfo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_of_sulfur
Se non riesci a trovare questo prodotto chimico, puoi trovare soluzioni di annerimento pronto all'uso nel negozio di gioielli, simili a questi: www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=brass+blackening+solution&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1311.R6.TR12.TRC2.A0.H1.Xpatina+.TRS0&_nkw= patinatura + fluido & _sacat = 0
Ora per l'acciaio annerito puoi seguire il processo a freddo usando la pistola Birchwood Casey blu: www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=birchwood+casey&_blrs=spell_check o qualsiasi altro soluzione simile che potresti trovare.
Se vai al processo a caldo, il più sicuro da fare è il blu ruggine rosso. Il processo è descritto in questo bel video e come vedrai è facile e sicuro: th-cam.com/video/xmv58Z3RZ9c/w-d-xo.html
Grazie ancora per il commento e il sub ovviamente!
Saluti dalla Grecia
Jimmy
@@JimmysCanal ok grazie molto gentile va dato così senza nessuna accortezza o ce un metodo per farlo venire bene o trovato il fegato di... questo va dato a freddo giusto
Scusami se ti faccio perdere tempo
Ciao,
A giudicare dal fegato di zolfo che ho (varie dimensioni del pezzo); se trovi, il suo aspetto probabilmente assomiglierà a quello che ho. Ora questi pezzi devono essere messi in acqua calda per dissolversi (il produttore deve avere un'etichetta con il rapporto acqua / peso della sostanza chimica), mentre la sostanza chimica calda è nella pentola in cui si immergono le parti per alcuni minuti. Dopo che l'ossidazione raggiunge il colore desiderato marrone o nero, si puliscono le parti con acqua fredda e poi si asciugano con un panno.
Ora, se non riesci a trovare il fegato di zolfo, puoi usare qualsiasi soluzione ossidante già pronta; l'uso è semplice, basta mettere le parti pulite nell'ossidante e in pochi secondi saranno pronte, di solito tutte le soluzioni pronte all'uso potrebbero essere utilizzate a temperatura ambiente.
Ti auguro il meglio
Jimmy
Jimmy awesome video and great idea. I am thinking about buying a TU 2004V which i think is the next model to the D180x300.
On the floor models, i have notice a a lot of play in the handles for the cross slide, compound, etc. Is this normal for these lathes?
+Craig Munday
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the comment! The only differences that TU 2004V model has from my lathe is that it can turn pieces up to 200mm and has a cam lock on the tailstock. The play on the handles is actually the backlash that the cross slide and top slide leadscrews has. You must not expect tight tolerances on the leadscrews on any of these small lathes.
I think that is normal, after all we get what we pay!
This is the link that I have put already in the description of this video: www.gadgetbuilder.com/Lathe_Align.html
you will find many info about the accuracy of a small lathe similar to mine.
I hope that this helps you a little? Thanks again!
All the best
Jimmy
P.S. The main catalog of Optimum: www.optimum-machines.com/fileadmin/Kataloge/Optimum/Optimum_Katalog_15_GB.pdf
is that lathe is good? i'm planning to buy optimum TU 2004V ? thanks
Jimmy, I really appreciate your videos. I am considering buying a near new Optimum 2506V at the moment, 12 months old & only about 3 - 5 hours use.
In watching all your videos about the Optimum Lathe, I am worried because it seems they don’t have reverse lead screw selection for left hand threading standard, no powered cross feed, changes to QCTP, modifications to tail stock.
As this would be my first Lathe, I doubt I would have the skills & experience to duplicate all the modifications you have made?
Should I spend more $ and just buy a better brand / model where all these things come as standard from new & with warranty?
Hi Ian,
Thank you very much for your comment and for asking my opinion! I think my friend that is way better if you buy something new with all the features that you need (if you can afford it of course) plus warranty, instead of spending time and money to modify the Optimum lathe.
Think this: instead of spending money for any potential modification for the 2506V Optimum lathe, you can buy tooling for your brand new lathe (carbide tools, QCTP, a 4 jaw chuck and many other very useful tools) plus materials for exciting new learning projects.
Check these lathes (Chinese of course): www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/303007-wm-250v-lathe.html
www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/302996-wm280v-lathe.html
www.warco.co.uk/metal-lathes-metalworking-lathe-machine/302934-wm-290-lathe.html
or even better this lathe www.grizzly.com/products/12-x-36-Gunsmithing-Lathe-with-Stand/G4003G
However there is another possibility that is exciting as well. You can buy an old used but quality lathe (made in US or Europe) and if you feel confident enough you can restore it. I'm sure that you can find plenty of restoring videos on TH-cam practically for any lathe brand.
Wish you to choose the best. Thanks again for your comment!
All the best
Jimmy
JimmysCanal Thanks so much Jimmy, very much appreciated for the links & advice!
The Optimum Lathe sold early this morning, so that option has evaporated but I can still buy that brand new here if I wanted to.
Unfortunately here in Oz our options for US imported lathes like the Grizzly are very limited because we have a rather unique power supply situation of 240Volt AC single phase or 440Volt 3 phase supply, so US electric motors won’t work here & Grizzly won’t supply with electric engines to suit the Asia Pacific Power supply in use in Australia.
So we are basically limited to very expensive European or very Old Australian makes, or of course the Chinese offerings!
I wrote & asked Grizzly if they could sell me one of the Firearms/Gunsmiths lathes with either 240AC single phase or 440 3 phase engine & response was “ sorry, no can do”.
Options for us are thus somewhat limited downunder compared to say the USA.
Many accessories that are non electrical like quick change tool posts, & 4 jaw chucks etc are no problem from USA, so it’s not all bad.
I have a retired fitter & turner in the family who could help me restore an old Lathe, but I have to be very careful as he has a heart pacemaker fitted & isn’t allowed to work with any strong electrical fields or welding etc. He can help me with advice & knowledge, but I have to make sure I don’t kill him in the workshop with anything might make function his pacemaker!
For this reason buying new might be a safer option maybe!
Hi Ian,
I apologize for the delayed answer, it was impossible for me to do it sooner. I had the impression that you live in US, that’s why I sent you the Grizzly link.
I understand that power supply is very important, but there is always the option of using a VFD (variable frequency drive); and yes I know that is quite pricey if you go for a quality one.
Taking into consideration what you said about restoring an old lathe or buying a brand new European (here in Greece a brand new European lathe has similar price with a small 10 year old apartment) you are unfortunately limited to the Chinese made lathes. I don't know what other brands you can find besides Optimum (Jet, Warco, Sieg, Weiss), but remember that all small Optimum lathes from TU 1503V to TU 2807V don't have all the features that you want.
Things are getting interesting with the TU 3008 model as been the last bench lathe on Optimum's catalog: www.machines4u.com.au/view/advert/TU-3008G-Opti-Turn-Bench-Lathe-300-x-700mm-Turning-Capacity-Geared-Head-Stock-Enclosed-Gearbox/421698/
The next model on Optimum's catalog is the TH 3309 (I think that is similar with the Grizzly models G0776 and G0782), if you can afford buying this lathe, it will be a very nice choice!
Cheers
Jimmy
how to you keep the aluminum out of the file ?
Hi,
If you referring at 12:03 I used a brass wire brush to clean the file I was using (by that time I didn't had a file card cleaner). Although a brush made from brass wire is not the most effective way to clean a file! it can do the job, but only with coarse and medium files-of course the brush it will not last for long.
Cheers
Jimmy
hi jimmy I herd if you soke them in linseed oil before that it works
Hey Dan,
Thank you very much for the tip, I really appreciate it!!
Regards from Greece
Jimmy
anytime
tendo todas as ferramentas é facil quero ve vc fazer isso no machado .
+paulo ribeiro
Please forgive me, but I can't understand what you mean.
...η νευροχειρουργική έχει χάσει χάνοντας αυτό το ταλέντο!
+Δημήτρης
Γεια σου Δημήτρη,
Σε ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ. Καλό Πάσχα για σένα και την οικογένεια σου!
Φιλικά
Δημήτρης
Video
omg
+Stanislav Lucin
Thanks a lot!
Cheers
Jimmy