Thread: Cross slide scraping

Simon, Carbatec have small granite plates on special for $55.80 at the moment: Granite Surface Plate : CARBA-TEC I have one and love it.
Joe

Hi Stuart,
If your gong to go to the extent of scraping the dovetails and making sure they are true to the spindle, I think you would be better off starting with the saddle on the bed first.
It would be a real pain to do the scraping on the cross slide only to find out latter the carriage needs scraping to the bed.

Dave

Hi Joe,

It's been in the back of my mind to get one of those, even when not on special they are good buy. But at 300x230 I'm not sure if it would be large enough to use for parallel alignment with a base and DTI, I thought I may run out of room. The slightly larger 400x400 from tools online (although more expensive) may be a better option but then it too will run out of real-estate with larger jobs. What the hell I may as well buy a Carbatec one, It certainly won't be money wasted, handy for so many uses.

PS. Stuart, I would have thought that unless you have no plans on scraping the saddle then bed alignment should start at the bottom and work up. So once the saddle is aligned to the bed, you just have to make sure the cross slide is parallel and all will be looked after. Just my 2 cent worth!

Cheers,

Simon

I think if I answered that question I would get sued for defamation, even if it was true

OK OK it's got the better of me. I'm heading down to Springvale this morning to visit Carbatec and by their small granite plate!

Told the misses it's only a stop gap till I get a bigger one for my birthday (hint hint!)

Simon

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Talking about dovetails, would any sane person try and scrap the dovetail on the carriage while it was on the lathe?

Beckley23 did on his big Monarch. I suppose you kind of need to have it in situ to check alignment, at least for the first side.

Edit: Link to said Monarch thread on PM. The cross slide section starts about here.

Originally Posted by simonl

OK OK it's got the better of me. I'm heading down to Springvale this morning to visit Carbatec and by their small granite plate!

Told the misses it's only a stop gap till I get a bigger one for my birthday (hint hint!)

Simon

None in stock! Grrrrrr!

I thought I had better purchase one of the little plates also as a stop gap measure. Rang Carba-Tec to check availability and the price. I asked why the special on the plates had ended in the last 3 hours when it was advertised as ending on Monday and was told that the website had nothing to do with the Perth store. Strange setup.

BT

p.s. There is one on hold for me.

I've changed my mind. You could simply sit the saddle on the bed to check alignment with the spindle, and lift it off to work on it (minus apron of course). I guess Harry had his reasons for the way he did it (I'm not re-reading it all now to find out). Size maybe. But on a small lathe it shouldn't be an issue.

Hi Stuart,

Like I said earlier I have been looking at plates and suppliers. Can you tell me what accuracy or standard your plate is?

I'm trying to make head or tail out of two things:

Firstly. Does "AA" grade = "00" and "A" grade = "0"?
Grade "00" plates often have accuracy figures like "flatness to 2.5 or 3.0 microns"

Secondly, given the intended use, do I need a "00" or will a "0" grade be fine?

Also, thinking I might buy the tooling online plate which is 400 x 400. They are also out of stock for next two weeks. Who's buying up all this granite!?

Cheers

Simon

Thanks,

Simon

A purchase based on Joe's endorsement.

Could prove to be a worthwhile purchase. Light enough to take to the machine when the machine can't be taken to the plate. Might work on the Y and Z ways of the T and C grinder. I guess for 62 dollars a tenth tolerance is what you get.

I was surprised to find that it is made in Taiwan.

BT

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

A purchase based on Joe's endorsement.

Could prove to be a worthwhile purchase. Light enough to take to the machine when the machine can't be taken to the plate. Might work on the Y and Z ways of the T and C grinder. I guess for 62 dollars a tenth tolerance is what you get.

I was surprised to find that it is made in Taiwan.

BT

Hi,
I just had a look at them online. We don't have a cerbatec in Canberra any more, so i thought i'd see what freight would cost. I was rather shocked when the estimator came up with $75. Don't think i'll be getting one I was going to ask at the bearing shop the other day but forgot, i'll have to remember next time.

Ewan

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

A purchase based on Joe's endorsement.

Could prove to be a worthwhile purchase. Light enough to take to the machine when the machine can't be taken to the plate. Might work on the Y and Z ways of the T and C grinder. I guess for 62 dollars a tenth tolerance is what you get.

I was surprised to find that it is made in Taiwan.

BT

Bob
Looking good with the Granite Plate.
Its a convenient size.
regards
Bruce

Hi Ewan,
Carbatec is showing postage of $20 to me(they charged me $21 18 moinths ago). Did it have your address correct?
Their web site is shocking for showing stock when they have none.

Hi Bryan,
Still thinking.

Hi Simon,
I cant help much with the gauge except to say that if they are as good as the paper work says they are that should be close enough for us. (if you want a number, my large plate(900x600) is .0043mm high in the middle.

Stuart