Axminster M900 question.

[Anonymous]

Hi guys

Have set up me new lathe and had a play.. and one thing seems odd - the tool rest won't go more than 1 - 2mm below centre at it's lowest setting.

Im still fairly new to all this and the guy that is teaching me regularly sets the rest 10 - 20 mm lower than centre for using gouges.

I contacted Axminster's tech support and they said "why would you want to go below centre?"

If my instructor is showing me properly (and I don't doubt his word) Im faced with having to get a custom tool rest made

Any comments/suggestions?
Thanks

 

[Guest]

I found the same problem with my Axminster lathe so I bought the Sorby rest.It is a post onto which you can screw different tops, ie bowl rest, short /long rest.The post will lower far more than the Axminster rest and wasn't too expensive.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Jaymar!

Any idea where I can buy a Sorby rest online?

 

[Guest]

Hi Rooster, I bought mine from www.asktools.co.uk.I don't know what they are like for postage but I have seen the same things on toolpost too

 

[Anonymous]

Hi jaymar, thanks for that...Ive just ordered one from ask tools.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Jaymar, got my Sorby toolrest this morning...and the post is about an inch too long!
I don't know what model Axminster you have, but on mine, the post won't go down far enough because it bangs into the spindle that runs through the banjo

Anyone know an engineer who could lob 1" off the end of a hardened steel bar?

 

[Guest]

Hi roohster, I've got the Axminster CCLB but as the instructions are for the M900 I think they are much the same. Have you tried working with the Banjo away from the rest, that is turn the banjo so that the lever is at the back of the lathe and the pivot is at the front ?works for me
Alan

 

[Anonymous]

Hi jaymar...
doesn't make any difference - the post that the rest screws onto hits a bar that runs all the way underneath the banjo, its not fouling the lathe bed.
Just gotta find me a metal butcher now......

 

[Guest]

I've just had a look at my lathe and I was wrong about putting the lever to the back but doesn't the top par of the rest assembly pivot with a locking lever at the back? If it does just swivel the top part to one side and no need for butchery at all.I'm sure your is very similar to mine and if you look in the manual on page 9 figure 1 you will see the top part at 90 degrees to the banjo.

 

[mudman]

roohster,

I'm a bit confused as well. I have the M950, which I'm sure will have the same toolrest, but I don't have the sort of problem you're describing. I shall have to have a look at mine tonight when I get home.

 

[Anonymous]

this is the problem:

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[Guest]

Hi roohster, That tool rest is very different to mine.I have the m900 instruction manual in front of me and the tool rest shown has a swivelling arm attached to the banjo. Looking at yours you will not be able to turn a large bowl with that tool rest as the total movement is restricted to the amount the banjo will slide on the bed. If yours really is like that I would suggest you ring Axminster as something isn't right.I've just been to look at my lathe again and it is clear that you are missing the extension arm which fits into the hole you have fitted the sorby post into.If you don't have the arm get onto Axminster.

 

[Anonymous]

I do have the extension arm, but was hoping to use the rest mounted straight into the banjo for rigidity.

 

[mudman]

Roohster,

I've had a look at my toolrest and it does appear to be like yours. Also looking at the pictures on the website it does appear that the two use the same toolrest. However, when I drop mine down, it's about 10mm below the bottom of the spindle which I guess is about 25mm below centre. I've got a feeling that it is probably due to the M900 having a smaller swing over the bed than the M950. Not sure what you can do about it though except for maybe cutting the stem down as you say. As Jaymar says you should have an extension arm for turning bowls when you turn the headstock around. Try this and see if it makes things any better.

 

[Guest]

Hi Roohster, I use mine with the extension arm all the time and I haven't noticed any lack of rigidity(No rude comments please).Give it a try before you start chopping lumps of the tool post

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys, I'll give the extension thingy a go as you suggest.