0

I have some unwanted movement (slack? I don't know if this is the right word due to translating) on my Lathe its chisel holder between the dovetail joint between the gray area and the green area (green area with the brass screw in it). I can move it with my hands and I can feel theres some movement inside the dovetail joint. I would like to fix it so that it is abit more stable.

Picture 1

My question is:

Ts there anything I can do to stop the movement?

enter image description here

enter image description here

enter image description here

enter image description here

Bart
  • 125
  • 5
  • There is still "play" even when you tighten the top nut? Or does that nut not clamp on the dovetail? – DKNguyen Mar 18 '22 at 13:45
  • That top nut is only to tighten the chisel holder itself, this is not connected to the dovetail at any way – Bart Mar 18 '22 at 13:49
  • 1
    What locks it into position inside the dovetail? I don't see a wheel or lead screw. Dovetails can have a bars called a gib that can be adjusted to change dovetail tightness. It's used so you don't need precision machining of the dovetail. – DKNguyen Mar 18 '22 at 13:56
  • I have added some photos – Bart Mar 18 '22 at 13:59
  • Oh, I'm looking at the wrong dovetail. – DKNguyen Mar 18 '22 at 14:02
  • It's hard to make something like that a tighter fit once it's already loose. My best guess would be to take a very thin steel sheet and cut it to the dimensions of the bottom surface of the channel. This should raise the height of the male part and force it to make contact at both sides of the joint. I'm talking extremely thin or you won't be able to fit them together at all. Grease will help. – Farris Mar 18 '22 at 15:02
  • 1
    @farris Possibly a roll of shim stock or feeler gage stock. – DKNguyen Mar 18 '22 at 15:11
  • The alternative to "extremely thin" is to mill or the surface off by a certain, set distance and apply a more regularly sized bar, screwing it to the base rather densely. – SF. Mar 18 '22 at 15:11
  • 1
    Yeah good idea @DKNguyen, they even have some that's adhesive backed: https://www.mcmaster.com/shim-stock/adhesive-back-shim-stock-6/ – Farris Mar 18 '22 at 15:33
  • That's a possibility @S.F. but I'd try the less risky approach first, in case of accidental damage. Also not certain if he has a mill or not. – Farris Mar 18 '22 at 15:34
  • 1
    But if you do have a mill you might as well go all the way and add in a gib bar. – DKNguyen Mar 18 '22 at 15:37
  • I was certain the answer to this question would be 'tighten the gib' when I read the title. Crazy that there isn't one! – Jonathan R Swift Mar 18 '22 at 18:48
  • I think I might have fixed it, I figured out that if I use one of the screw holes of the grease port holes to put an iron ring on it, it pulles the upper side tight. It might not be the best fix. I dont have a milling machine on my reach, so adding a gib bar would be hard to do so. – Bart Mar 18 '22 at 18:53

0 Answers0