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X20 LLATHE
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by: Cletus L. Berkeley
Updated: 4/3/2005 @ 7:06 PM

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This is a non-profit document produced by and for the members of

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe/

The information contained herein is presented for intellectual enrichment only and may
not change hands for monetary gain. The Author, Researchers, Contributors, Manufacturers,
Suppliers and Members assume no liability whatsoever from the use of information
contained herein.

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Contents
Topic
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

Page
Foreword
4-Bolt Compound Clamp ..
Rigid Toolpost Mount
QCTP ..
Reverse Tumbler
DRO
DC Motor Variable Speed
Saddle Lock
Ball Turning Toolpost ...
Manual Spindle Crank ..
Digital Spindle Tachometer ..
Emergency STOP ..
Easy Toolpost Grinder ..
Links & Recommended Reading .
Acknowledgements

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3
4
8
9
11
16
18
25
27
39
42
45
47
48
49

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Foreword
Its well established that the Asian 920 Lathe offers an inexpensive solution for persons wanting a
capable machine and with some clever modifications and tweaking these machines can and have been
developed into Machining Centers rivaling equipment costing many times the what was paid for these
mechanical marvels.
This manual attempts to show some of the many useful modifications that are possible and popular
among owners of these excellent lathes.
A wealth of detailed information is contained in the archives of the following:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/9x20Lathe2/

A word of Caution
Please be aware, that many of these modifications and tweaks call for varying component
dimensions, metal removal and/or otherwise changing the mechanical and/or electrical
configuration of these machines, in a manner that in all probability, voids your manufacturers
warranty.
Further, these modifications may constitute the use of accessories considered not-recommended
and/or may be construed as unsafe by the manufacturer and as such, any claims for in-warranty
service may therefore be denied.
Now that you understand all of this, its time to get those tools out and lets start building a Super 920
Lathe.

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4-Bolt
Compound Clamp
By: Steve Bedair
This is one of the first improvements needed on the 9
x 20 lathes. I have included photos from start to finish
to build your own clamp. I have also included
measurements but please note that these are the
measurements that worked for my HF 9 x 20 lathe.
All the 9 x 20's are basically the same but exact
measurements may differ.
Please also note that the construction of a new
compound clamp plate needs to be a minimum of 1/2"
thick steel ( 5/8" thick would be even better) This is
to ensure that there is enough material to provide a
snug fit to the existing neck of the compound to the
new hole in the clamping plate. This extra material at the neck is what provides the support, not just the
4 attaching bolts.
I started with a piece of 1/2" thick steel plate ( 5/8"
would even be better). I cut this to size with my
metal cutting bandsaw. I next drilled a 3/8" hole in
center of the plate. ( Note: Some have went with a
larger 4" x 4" clamp dimension )

the

A 3/8" x 3" long bolt can be tightened in the chuck with the head of the 3/8" bolt pulled against the rear
jaws of the chuck. This allows a nut to be tightened "tight" without the bolt moving / slipping.

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With the 1/2" steel plate attached to the
3/8" bolt I create a shoulder as shown
above.
This will be the top of the clamp. The
shoulder will allow the steel plate to be
held
in the chuck to complete the bottom side
of the clamp.

Once the shoulder is completed the steel plate is removed from the chuck and turned around.
You will have to change out the chuck jaws and use the shoulder to grip the steel plate as shown.

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Before starting on the bottom side of the clamp
here is the finished pic along with
measurements. You can click on the pic for a
larger version. This will give you a better idea
of the process.

The first step is to bore the ID to 2.01".I use a large drill

bit setup in the tailstock to remove as much metal as
possible ( 5/8"-3/4") Next I use a lathe bit and stop short of
the 2.01" I finish up with a boring bar. The 2.01" ID will
be through the full thickness of the steel plate. Still using
the boring bar cut the outer shoulder to an OD of 2.57" and
a depth of .185"

Once
the
bottom cuts
are completed
I turn the clamp over and make a finishing cut across the
raised shoulder on the top side.
Please also note that the construction of a new compound
clamp plate needs to be a minimum of 1/2" thick steel (
5/8" thick would be even better) This is to ensure that there
is enough material to provide a snug fit to the existing neck
of the compound to the new hole in the clamping plate.
This extra material at the neck is what provides the support,
not just the 4 attaching bolts.
For the four mounting holes I lay the clamp on the topslide and mark with a straight edge. I drill the four
mounting holes to 17/64" (slightly larger than 1/4") For attaching screws 1/4" carriage bolts with the
sides of the heads ground to fit the T slots works well.

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If you want to go an extra step you can add a

notch that allows you to see the degree wheel. I
did use the mini mill for this although a file
would work.

Completed clamp
Please note that these are the measurements that worked for my HF 9 x 20 lathe.
All the 9 x 20's are basically the same but exact measurements may differ.

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Rigid
Toolpost Mount
By: Cletus Berkeley

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Quick-Change
Toolpost (QCTP)
By: Cletus Berkeley
The first thing you need to do is take off the stock toolpost, remove the compound from your lathe and
take the compound apart. Turn the handwheel counterclockwise until the slide comes off. Remove the
gib and set aside. Remove the two bolts securing the leadscrew bearing plate/handwheel assembly. You
should at this point realize that the original toolpost stud is press fitted from the bottom of the slide.
Some blunt force trauma to the stud from a brass hammer dislodges it quickly. A Mini-mill or similar is
needed for the following operations:
1) Setup the slide on the milling table ensuring that the top of the slide (plinth) is perpendicular to
the mills quill.
2) Bore the toolpost hole to appropriate size and thread to accommodate the new stud that came
with the QCTP. It is important that the hole be bored and threaded perpendicular to the top
surface of the plinth.
3) Using an endmill, remove 0.125 from the periphery of the plinth to a depth of 0.125. This
creates a recess that allows the QCTP to be lowered. Doing this permits a full range of vertical
adjustment for tooling from 0.25 through 0.5 to be used in the toolholders..
4) Clean the parts thoroughly, use some locktite and install the new stud. Reassemble the compound
applying lube as necessary and readjust the gib if needed.
5) Install the QCTP and youre done.

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Once you use a Quick Change Toolpost (QCTP), you will not want to go back to the stock toolpost.

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Reverse Tumbler
By: A. Kelemen (design & illustration), Cletus Berkeley (editorial)
The stock 920 lathe comes with an electrical motor reverse integral to the power switch. This switch
effectively reverses the spindle rotation and leadscrew rotation together, since the spindle and leadscrew
are mechanically coupled by the geartrain.
In other words, the leadscrew rotation cannot be reversed with respect to spindle rotation, making the
cutting of left handed threads impossible.
In order to accomplish reversal of the leadscrew independent of spindle rotation another gear needs to be
introduced into the geartrain.
This becomes most convenient if this reversing gear
can be readily inserted and retracted by means of a
selector lever or Reverse Tumbler. Fortunately
the design of the 920 is as such to readily lend itself
to this type of modification. Another and not readily
apparent use of the Reverse Tumbler is the ability
to neutralize the geartrain. In doing so, the geartrain
may be isolated from the spindle rotation for
general turning operations when automatic carriage
movement is unnecessary. The machine runs much
quieter, there is less wear and tear on the machine
and more power can be made available at the
spindle. The following is probably one of the best
tumbler reverse designs that Ive seen to date. Its
easy to build and implement.

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Heres my implementation of the Reverse Tumbler on the Grizzly G4000:

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Digital Readout (DRO)

By: Cletus Berkeley
One of the leading DRO systems for Lathes and Mills is the CBX Digital Display, manufactured in
Canada by Shooting Star Technology.
The CBX works by counting the revolutions of a precision pinion on a rack with an optical encoder.
There is NO backlash with the CBX rack and pinion. The gear is mounted on a small leaf spring, and it
is constantly in mesh with the rack. The spring that presses the gear into the teeth of the rack is applying
a very slight pressure, not enough to amount to any wear. The rack can easily be cut with a hacksaw to
fit your machine.
The CBX comes with 1/2" wire loom (black, plastic tubing) over the racks. It is also suggested you
shield it with angle aluminum, or iron, etc. This will protect the scale from any damage from dropping
something heavy on it.

The accuracy of the CBX is 0.002 / foot. (Worst case scenario), The resolution is 0.0005. (1/2 thou) and
a repeatability of 0.0005. (1/2 thou).
The CBX Digital Display unit includes a comprehensive manual with mounting hardware, and
diagrams. It also shows you step by step how to use all of the features of the unit.

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X-Y Encoder Mounting

Both encoder heads mounted to a common
aluminum plate bolted to the rear of the saddle,
using the original three bolts holding the apron
tension bar to the saddle. Makes for a very simple,
stable installation. The Y-Axis Encoder is visible
the X-Axis encoder is mounted on the same plate,
but below.
The basic dimensions for the two brackets are
shown below. The dimensions are reference only as
the dimensions foe mounting on your lathe may
differ.

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DC Motor
Variable Speed Modification
By: Cletus Berkeley

WARNING
YOU CAN BE KILLED
These instructions encompass working with LINE VOLTAGE. If you are
unqualified or uncomfortable working with electricity:
SEEK PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE
This document is issued for INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. The author
and/or Manufacturers mentioned herein assume no liability for damages,
injury and/or loss of life from performing the procedures mentioned herein.

The Asian 920 Lathes readily lend themselves to a variety of useful modifications one of which is
variable speed.
There are a number of ways in which variable speed may be accomplished and this article focuses on an
inexpensive approach (<US$140.00) using readily available surplus components to accomplish the goal.
The modification suggested herein utilizes a surplus 2HP Permanent Magnet DC Treadmill Motor and a
Regenerative Electronic Drive Circuit Board. Few additional parts and minor modifications are required
to complete the project.
This document suggests utilizing such components to achieve simple, reliable and safe Spindle Speed
Control. Further research into the design of the Drive Electronics would reveal that a more advanced
control system may be implemented by those wishing to do so.
Once youve experienced a Variable Speed Lathe youll wonder how you survived without it!

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Components
Heres the stuff you will need to acquire:
TIP: Lots of stuff may already be in your junkbox

1. 1 ea DC Motor
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2005012618452113&item=101906&catname=electric
2. 1 ea DC Speed Control Board
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2005012618452113&item=112434&catname=electric
3. 1
ea
10K
Potentiometer
(Speed
Control)
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2005021309260284&catname=electric&item=112432
4. 1 ea Enclosure
5. 1 ea Knob
6. 1 ea Fan 12VDC
7. 1 ea Transformer 12V 500mA
8. 1 ea Diode 1A 50V
9. 1 ea Capacitor 250uf 50V
10. 1 ea LED (a color of your fancy)
11. 1 ea Resistor 1K .25W
12. 1 ea DPDT Switch 10A @ 125VAC
13. 2 ea SPST Toggle Switch
14. 1 ea SPST Momentary Pushbutton (NC) 0.5A @ 125VAC
15. Power Cord With Plug
16. Fuseholder
17. 20A Fuse
18. Enclosure and hardware to make it all nice and neat
CONSTRUCTION
(A) The first order of business is to mill a 0.125 keyway in the shaft (it all fits in the Mini-Mill). The
motor does not have to be taken apart to do this, but be sure to encase the motor in a plastic bag or you
will get all the crud pulled into the works by the magnetic field.

TIP: You can use a 12VDC supply to safely test run

(no load ) the motor on the bench (I was able to run
mine with a bench power supply with as little as
5VDC @ 500mA) .

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(B) Keeping the crud out of the motor is paramount to system longevity. There are three entry points
(front, rear and side vents). You will want to use some type of mesh to keep the crud out and allow the
passage of cooling air, such as Screen-Door mesh. I chose to use a combination of Screen-Mesh and 3M
pot scrubbers stuck on with a Glue-Gun the pot scrubbers form a fine filter and helps keep smaller
chips out yet allows air into the motor.

REAR FILTER

FRONT FILTER

(C) The DC Drive we are using is a proprietary derivative of Model NRG10-115AC-2Q manufactured
by Minarik Automation and Control. This regenerative DC Drive was intended for use on Treadmills
and a number of adjustment controls have been omitted from the board. These adjustments have been
preset by the addition of discrete components. The board in its preset condition performs perfectly well
for our intended purpose including its acceleration and deceleration timing. However, the electronics
enthusiast may opt to upgrade the board with the necessary controls and further fine-tune the
system but that is beyond the scope of this document.
TIP: Whistles and bells: Feel free to carefully remove the PCB LEDs and remount them to your front panel if you desire
(not necessary)

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TIP: I chose to mount the Speed Control Pot, Run Switch and Jog Pushbutton on a sub-panel on the front of the lathe. If you
chose to do so, use shielded cable leading to S1,S2, S3.

Adjustments
There are only two electronic adjustments that need to be set, these are the Minimum and Maximum
Speed trimpot adjustments. These two adjustments interact with each other so you need to go back and
forth a couple of times to get it right. Heres what were trying to achieve:
1) We need the spindle to respond from standstill to a RUN or JOG command with little or no delay.
This is achieved with the Minimum Speed Trimpot.
2) We need the spindle to respond from rotating to deceleration with little or no delay when the toggle
switch is reset from run to jog or the jog button is released. This is achieved with the Maximum Speed
Trimpot.
1. Set the Toggle to JOG, SPEED control to zero, Minimum trimpot adj to full CCW, Maximum
adj trimpot to full CW.
2. MINIMUM ADJUST - Toggle to RUN and adjust the Minimum adj trimpot to just start the
motor rotating and back off the adjustment to where it just stops the rotation.
3. MAXIMUM ADJUST With the toggle still at RUN, advance the SPEED control from zero to
full, the motor should accelerate smoothly from zero to full speed. Once at full speed, reduce the
Maximum adj trimpot from full CW to a point just before the motor starts to decelerate.
4. At this point, if you return the SPEED control to zero, you will probably find that you have lost
the zero setting. If so repeat steps two and three.
Heres the link to the DC Controller Manual:
http://www.minarikcorp.com/PDFs/250-0246.pdf

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SPEED CHART

Belt/Pulley
Configuration

RPM
Range

RPM
Stock Speed

BC1
BC2
AC1
BC3
AC2
AC3

5-300
10-720
10-860
40-1380
60-2300
100-4100

130
300
400
600
1000
2000

Formula

RPM = SFPM * (12 / ) / d

SFPM = Surface Feet Per Minute
d = Job Diameter

TIP: The above formula should be considered a starting point and is based on HSS tooling.
For Carbide tooling, multiply the speeds twofold. Remember this is merely a starting point guide, you now have variable
speed and lots of power to back it, experiment and apply common sense liberally, vary the speed, you will soon find a speed
that matches the job, tooling and machine. But dont over do it!

Here are some pictures of a Grizzly G4000 modification:

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FWD/REV
Switch

Close-up of Control
Panel (made on a CNC
Engraver/Router)

A view inside the DC Drive Box

DC Drive Box tucked away under the bench.

(note the Spindle Reverse Switch mounted on the box)
Lathe-Mounted Control Panel
TIP: With this Motor/Drive combination theres more torque available at the motor than can be delivered to the spindle due
to Belt Slippage. Belt Slippage is a good thing, as it prevents things from otherwise breaking. Keeping the Belts and Pulleys
clean and free from oil,( wiping with Isopropyl or Rubbing Alcohol) will allow more efficient torque transfer to the spindle.
Let common sense prevail!

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The motor is mounted (note filter)

The tach says 480 RPM and 480 RPM it is

The pulley arrangement (note filter)

4 dia CRS in the chuck and the motor runs cool

Observations
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

How did I function without variable speed?

Much improved surface finish with the DC Motor.
Can change speeds at will, nice when doing facings.
Can get real slow, nice for threading and winding coils.
Jog button is useful when setting up the job.
No need to jockey the belt tension lever on startup when I have a heavy job in the
chuck or when I am using my massive 4-jaw. The acceleration/deceleration
timing takes care of it.
7. Lots of torque from a much more powerful motor.
8. No mods to the lathe. I can revert to the stock motor in 20-minutes.
9. Have machined some 4 dia CRS for about two hours and the motor has only
barely gotten warm..
The speed changes and ramping are very smooth and acceleration/deceleration time is
approx 8-seconds. There is virtually no response delay from standstill to start of rotation
and same from rotation to start of deceleration. This DC motor produces lots more
torque over the stock motor and is very silent apart from the characteristic whine of a DC
Motor at full RPM.

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Saddle Lock
By: Steve Bedair
The 9 x 20's normally have a recessed allen
head screw here for the saddle lock. I
originally added just the ball handle and this
worked well. On two occasions while
threading with the tumbler reverse
(threading from left to right ) the handle ran
into the tailstock. To fix this I added a spring
indent that keeps the handle at one of two
positions. Works very well & keeps the
handle
out
of
way.

I milled a recess and drilled a hole that a 3/16" ball

bearing sits in. The ball bearing sits in a 3/16" hole. The
hole to the left is a threaded hole to attach the spring
cover.

The spring cover is made from a piece of

5/16" square key stock. The hard part is
finding a spring small enough to fit.

I also built a new 1/4"-20 attaching bolt. This has the indention's for
the spring loaded ball. The clamp is copied from the original clamp
and is threaded to accept the 1/4-20 bolt. ( I didn't have a metric tap
or I would have used the original clamp ) indention's for the ball
bearing.

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Close up of the holes drilled in the saddle.

Position 1 unlocked

Position 2 unlocked

Position 3 Locked.

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Ball-Turning
Toolpost
By: Steve Bedair
Here's a ball cutter I came up with for my 9 x 20 lathe. It can turn balls up to 1 7/8" OD and it can also
do concave cuts. The cutter uses a replaceable carbide insert so the tool bit height is "fixed". Three set
screws on the front allow the tool bit to be adjusted left and right. The cutter really works great , no
chatter, very rigid & super smooth cutting action. I have included pictures & building details below.

Turning a 1" steel ball

Yeah , It works !!

Everywhere I look needs a ball

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The ball turning toolpost consist of three main components: base section , body and the tool holder.
For the base I ended up using 1/2" aluminum plate 4" x 4" ( didn't have any 1/2" steel plate on hand )
The body is built from a piece of 2.5" OD stainless steel. and the toolholder is built from 1/2" steel.
I have included the measurements I ended up with but don't get hung up on them. There is only
one critical measurement , the cutting tool bit height. This measurement can be made once the
base and body are completed.

2.5"OD x 1.33"long
A shoulder was cut to an OD of 1.65"and a depth of .130" The center is drilled and tapped to a 3/8"-16.

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A 1/2" x 1/2" slot was milled across

the center for the tool bit holder

another view of the bottom

Using the mini mill I recessed , drilled and

tapped the 3 holes to accept 3 1/4"-20 set
screws

The 3 1/4" set screws are for adjusting the

toolholder

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The base is 4" x 4" x 1/2" aluminum. ( I didn't have any steel plate on hand ) The base has a recess that
allows the body to sit flush on the base.

4" x 4" x 1/2" aluminum plate center marked

A few thousands taken off the face.

The center is drilled to 3/8".

A recess was bored for the shoulder of the body

to fit in.

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Completed base

This is the bottom side of the base.

I used a 3/8 countersunk allenhead bolt for attaching the body. The top of the bolt needs to be flush with
the base.
The bolt length was ground to achieve a tight fit while allowing the body and base to rotate freely.

Base and body. On the body there is a slight

Assembled
recess (.010") to hold grease.
I applied a thin layer of grease before assembling.

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The toolholder is built from 1/2" thick steel. I used a replaceable carbide insert which allows the
tool height to be "fixed" ( no height adjustments to make )

I used the tailstock live center to scribe a line. I then used the mini-mill and milled to the scribe line.
This will also be the carbide insert tool height.

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The tool holder is milled to an "L" shape. The top The carbide insert is placed on top of the tool holder
of the tool holder has been milled to the correct and marked for milling the recess.
tool height.
A recess is milled to the same height as the insert leaving material
under the insert cutting tip for support.

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The insert attaching screw is marked , drilled to a # 43 drill and tapped to a 4-40 thread. This is the
same procedure I used for making the indexable turning tools.

The insert is attached and the sides are scribed.

I then used the mini mill and

removed the excess material from
under the insert.

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Finished toolholder
A handle is attached by drilling and tapping a
3/8"-16 hole. The handle has an overall length
of 6 3/4".

A slight bend was added to the handle.

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1" OD steel stock is drilled and tapped to

3/8"-16 thread.

The 1" OD steel is cut to a length of 1".

A shoulder is cut

I originally drilled a 1/4" hole and inserted an

alignment pin. I don't think the alignment pin is
necesary since the cutter can be aligned as
shown in the next pics.

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Tricking
Tricking OUT
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THE ASIAN
ASIAN 9X20
9X20 LA
LATTHHEE

To set the cutter I just swing the ball cutter from left to right until the cutter just reaches each edge.

With the cross slide I slowly start working towards

the center taking light cuts left and right.

As the cross slide is worked in the ball is

formed.

Once finished with the ball cutter I reattach the tool post and clean up a little around the threaded
shoulder. Polish-up with some fine emery and WD-40 and we have a completed ball.
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Concave Cuts

For now

Future mod

For concave cuts you just move the toolpost / cutter towards the lathe chuck as shown on the left.
I plan on adding another insert to the toolpost as shown on the right.

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Manual
Spindle Crank
By: Cletus Berkeley

The essence of simplicity, this crank is useful for a number of turning applications where slow, manual,
precise spindle rotation is a necessity. Such as precise treading, coil winding, spring making, etc.

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For the construction of this ultra-simple device I used an old 9-inch V-belt pulley. I prefer the wheel
arrangement created by the pulley as opposed to just a crank handle, as the wheel allows for more
dynamic hand control in some situations.
Aluminum roundstock was machined so as to make a shaft that would slide fit into the spindle bore. The
other side of the shaft was stepped down to fit the pulley bore. A long bolt with a taper head was
salvaged from a typical masonry anchor bolt . The aluminum shaft was bored to accept the bolt and the
bore on the large side of the shaft was tapered with a countersink bit held in the tailstock. Four
expansion slits were cut with a hacksaw.
A piece of aluminum plate, a bolt and some scrounged hardware were cobbled into a crank handle.
When the entire gizmo is assembled the crankshaft simply slips into the spindle hole on the left side of
the lathe. The butterfly nut is tightened-up retracting the taperhead bolt, which causes the slotted end of
the shaft to expand and take hold of the spindle bore.
A piece of rubber hose/tubing butt-joined with some crazy-glue and fitted/crazy-glued to the pulley and
youre all set..
Have a look at the photos above, they speak volumes.
The photo below shows some left-hand threaded worms for my Mecanno set. These threads were
effortlessly cut using the handcrank.

CAUTION
FOR POWERED LATHE OPERATION, MAKE SURE THE CRANK IS REMOVED!
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Digital
Spindle Tachometer
By: Steve Bedair
This is a 1684 spindle tachometer sold by
Little Machine Shop. It's sold for the import
7x metal lathes. The tach reads in increments
of 20's ( 0 , 20 , 40 , ect ) and uses 120 vac to
power it up. The 27 mm ID encoder wheel
attaches to the spindle and the electronic
sensor is placed to straddle the encoder wheel
as shown below. It also includes 4 small
magnets on the base of the tach to place the
tach on the headstock of the 7x machines.

The first thing I noticed when I received the tach

was the display. If you look closely at the picture
above
you can see the white outlines of the squares that
light up to create the numbers. These white lines
are visible even when the power is off. When power is applied the numbers will light up "red" as shown
in the above pic also ( shows 1120 rpm ).
To use the 1684 tach on the 9x lathe also required boring the 27 mm ID encoder wheel slightly larger to
fit the 9x spindle. The electronic pick up will also have to be mounted to straddle the encoder wheel.
The tach also needs 120 vac for power which can easily be wired through the existing lathe off / on
switch.
And that's it ! Easy to install and works well.

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My Modified 1684 Tach
I'm not recommending the modifications shown below and it will void the warranty.
So travel at your own risk.

As I mentioned above the tach display shows the white outlines of the numbers at all times , even when
the power is turned off. When power is turned on the numbers turn bright red. I removed the clear
plastic cover from the tach housing and replaced with a tinted plastic cover. The results are shown above
, with the power off the display is now dark ( no white outlines ) When the power is turned on the red
numbers are bright enough to show through the tinted cover.
I also painted the tach housing to match my lathe.

I chose to move the wiring from the top of the tach to the back. I carefully disassembled the tach and
drilled 2 small holes through the back of the tach housing. I also had to re route the wiring and resolder
the wires ( 2 wires for the 120 vac and 3 wires to the electronic sensor )
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I mounted the electronic pick up assembly to a small piece of 3/8" thick aluminum which is attached to
the steel back plate. Note this is in the area where the idler pulley would normally be. Since I'm using a
DC motor I don't have the idler pulley anymore.

Here are some photos of Cletuss Installation:

Display housing painted to match lathe color.
Aluminum bracket mounts display to lathe.
Red translucent plastic fitted between 7-segment LED and bezel.
Opto-Interrupter mounted on nylon bracket.
Cable between Opto-Interrupter and Display unit extended with shielded microphone cable.

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Emergency STOP
By: Cletus Berkeley

PURPOSE:
To provide manual Emergency stop (RED BUTTON) for operator and Automatic Stop to prevent
Tool/Carriage crash into Headstock/Chuck.

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DESIGN CRITERIA:
1. Must electrically shut down machine when crash is eminent.
2. Easily and positively settable.
3. Visual and sonic indications.
4. Broken LS1 cable must stop machine.
5. Machine must be manually restarted by operator.
6. LS1 sensing circuit must be low voltage.
7. Emergency Stop Button for operator.
PARTS LIST:
REF
B1
B2
C1
D1
D2
D3
K1
K2
L1
LS1
R1, R2
T1

DESCRIPTION
PUSH BUTTON NC (RED)
E-STOP
PUSH BUTTON NO
(GREEN) START
CAPACITOR 1000uF 35V
DIODE 1N4001
LED GREEN
LED RED
RELAY DPDT 12V
RELAY SPDT 12V
PIEZO BUZZER
MICRO-SWITCH
RESISTOR 1K 1/4W
TRANSFORMER

SUPPLIER

CAT. #

JAMECO

158377CA

JAMECO
JAMECO
JAMECO
JAMECO

172718CA
172937CA
206295CA
159599CA

JAMECO

221401CA

Have fun and be safe!

Cletus, 9Z4CLB

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Easy
Toolpost Grinder
By: Cletus Berkeley

A Dremel Model 225 T2 Flexible Shaft Accessory fits nicely in the tool-holder of an Aloris Type
Quick Change Toolpost. This makes a very convenient Toolpost Grinder and works beautifully at
machining Soft/Flexible material like Rubber and soft Synthetics (try running the lathe in reverse too
makes for a fine finish as this would be the opposing rotation to the cutter). If you use any type of
toolpost grinder in your lathe be sure to be meticulous in your clean-up operations as any fine metal dust
is terribly abrasive. Also, a suitable dust mask may be needed when machining certain materials with a
toolpost grinder, let common sense prevail.
The photo below shows the Model 225 T2 Flexible Shaft Accessory mounted in my Phase II+ QCTP
nicely machining a Rubber Leg.
No modifications .No hassle!

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Links
& Recommended Reading

Yahoo 9 x 20 Lathe Group ( Lots of information here )

http://bedair.org/9x20.html (Great mods and tips)
Mini Lathe Workshop ( A lot of great ideas for lathes & mills from Ishimura from Japan )
CNC Zone ( The Ultimate CNC Discussion Forum )
STELLAR TECHNOLOGIES ( Richard has a lot of great 9x lathe info here , check it out ! )
Jeff Davis's 9 x 20 Lathe Site ( Enco 9 x 20 )
Micro Machine Shop, Mods, etc ( Excellent 9 x 20 and Taig site )
Frank Hoose's Mini Lathe Page ( Excellent resource by Frank Hoose )
J. Kelly's Metal Working Pages
Jose's Machining Information & Tooling Page
Little Machine Shop (Parts, Tooling and Accessories)
Lathemaster (Parts, Tooling and Accessories)

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Acknowledhements
The following have made this publication possible:
Cletus Berkeley, Colin Feaver, Steve Bedair, Rich Hare, The 9x20Lathe Group

Authors Footnote
The 9x20 Lathe has served me well over the two years of ownership. I bought this lathe knowing
basically two things:
1) Some Sweat Equity would be involved in bringing it up to scratch.
2) By investing in the numerous modifications, I would end up with a machine rivaling equipment
>10x the price paid.

Needless to say my lathe is fully tricked-out with just about every mod conducive to my style of
metalworking.
This machine has paid for itself, its accessories and tooling within three months of commissioning in
my shop (I certainly use it commercially and hobby wise). The production of this document has given
me much pleasure and is my way of giving something back, by way of a thank you and at the same time
rendering hopefully, some assistance to the newbie. Its a pleasure being a member of this group and I
personally wish to thank all who assisted in making this document possible and look forward to future
projects with the group and to assisting others.
Above all, have fun, be safe and let common sense prevail.
Cletus L. Berkeley, MIEEE

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