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acquiring and setup of the lathe part 1

Friday, 10 August 2007, five boxes arrived with the machine mini-lathe and accessories. That came from Micro-Mark in New Jersey. Another box came from Brownell's in Idaho containing some known stock for the lathe (T-6 aluminum, and two kinds of steel – all round). Brownell's also sent me Dykem for marking the work, Do-Drill for drilling and machining, and a few tools such as a thread cleaner and a scribe tool. I also got some tap guides from them. A few days earlier Little Machine Shop sent me the bulk of accessories including a dial measuring tool with magnet, boring tools, cutting tools, and a device for making round things (knobs). They also sent me a quick change tool post of good quality to replace the standard tool post which came with the 7X14 lathe. (pic 585)

The first thing to do was set up the table for the lathe which I purchased from Micro-Mark along with the mini-lathe. Surprise! No instructions at all! After studying the design, I assembled the table and had one piece left over. It is to pull the center work space from its hideaway under the table. The table is flat, about a perfect size for the lathe, and even has adjustable feet. (pic 587 and 586)

Once I got the table up it was time to open the packages and look at what I bought. Christmas in August!


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