Harbor Freight 7x12 Mini-Lathe

[EdK]

They sure cheaped out on the half nuts. I only got half a half nut. That aluminum steel bracket to the right of the half-half nut supports the top side of the lead screw when the half-half nut is engaged. That's certainly not going to last very long getting chewed up by the lead screw.  
You can see the slot is there in the disk for adding the missing half-half nut. I'll add that to my LittleMachineShop order. Not in stock at the moment.  

Ed

EDIT: the bracket is steel, not aluminum.

   

[Highpower]

(05-20-2021, 03:20 PM)EdK Wrote: They sure cheaped out on the half nuts. I only got half a half nut.

Unbelievable.

[EdK]

I was surprised to find out the protractor was made from steel and not plastic like I've heard they were. Not that it's all that useful except for non critical angles.

Ed

         

[Vinny]

I seem to recall something about that protractor as being useless. Setting it for doing threads gave you the wrong angle. Been too long to remember the details. My mini hasn't seen power in a few years.

[Highpower]

My 12x36 lathe is the same way. The imports have the 'zero' along the Z axis for the compound instead of the X axis. I had to put a punch mark in my cross slide 90° off to the left to serve as my zero mark to get it right. My mini hasn't seen power for quite awhile either. By the way... did you know a large Hibachi grill cover makes an excellent dust protector for a 7x10 mini lathe?  

[EdK]

(05-25-2021, 02:17 PM)Vinny Wrote: I seem to recall something about that protractor as being useless.   Setting it for doing threads gave you the wrong angle.  Been too long to remember the details.  My mini hasn't seen power in a few years.

Yea, I definitely wouldn't use it to set angles for threading or semi-critical angles. I probably won't even put it back on when I reassemble the lathe.

Ed

[EdK]

(05-25-2021, 06:51 PM)Highpower Wrote: My 12x36 lathe is the same way. The imports have the 'zero' along the Z axis for the compound instead of the Y axis. I had to put a punch mark in my cross slide 90° off to the left to serve as my zero mark to get it right. My mini hasn't seen power for quite awhile either. By the way... did you know a large Hibachi grill cover makes an excellent dust protector for a 7x10 mini lathe?  

Mine hasn't ever seen power.

Ed

[rleete]

Metalworking forum and you guys don't even turn your lathes on!

[EdK]

(05-26-2021, 07:18 AM)rleete Wrote: Metalworking forum and you guys don't even turn your lathes on!

Working on it.

Ed

[Highpower]

(05-26-2021, 07:18 AM)rleete Wrote: Metalworking forum and you guys don't even turn your lathes on!

What? You've never heard of a 'second operation' lathe before? We just strive to get everything done in a single operation that's all...