The Home Machinist!

I had the same issues. The replacement cross feed nut was way looser than my old one and the threads on original are down to about 50%. The replacement nuts are old stock and made with the same lack of precision as the rest of the machine. The brass wears down fast when adjusted to snug tolerance al...

The ER MT3 collet would be for the mill head.
A pass-through bolt on chuck for lathe spindle is definitely the way to go.

Nice pulley. I thought you were putting this motor on a lathe? You may have missed the goal with the fan. The style is inherently centrifugal and angling the blades in that direction, assuming CCWF rotation, has only compromised it. The air is still going to be pulled through the motor - only less s...

Yes you can if there's enough shaft to mount it. Since you now have a brush motor you really want to keep grit out so tape or glue a single layer of shop rag over the inlet side of the motor to act as a filter. The motor you have is often called a "beer can" motor as they are narrow and ar...

Did you go with AXA or AX0 on the toolpost? I went AXA and it barely drops low enough to center some of my tooling. As for collets I really like the ER40 set and use it 99% of the time but sometimes you need more room on the mill and the MT3 is the only answer. The good part is they are easy to make...

I guess I'll add my experiences to the mix. I'm just a tinker and your mileage will vary. The story thus far: I have an old Smithy 3-in-1 and I went the cheap (kinda) route. Chinese Nema 23 and 34 stepper kits with printer port controllers. I run 2 printer port BOB's as I needed more inputs. I have ...

While I could never afford a Kurt, I would think even a cheap import Mill vise could be better than a good Drill vise for milling. I am somewhat biased on the below video but it may help those that are unsure of the difference between the two :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ox2q2l-ug8&list=U...

I like earlgo's idea. Make a b16 taper holder and put a flat on the shanks. A keyless would be a bugger to grip both halves in that small space. A keyed chuck has the advantage of leveraging against itself. Have you yanked out the chuck and given it a good cleaning or checked the jaws for nicks? Whi...

I bet that motor would be awesome on a sander, polisher, or drill press. I don't think it's big enough for a lathe or mill. Wish I had a 3-phase to compare with but I would have to say it would be smoother than the DC at low speeds on straight power. I have to run a big DC choke to get most of the '...

Like most things, treadmill motors come in varying classes and quality. A "2.5 HP" import beer can motor will stall while a 1.5 HP full size Leeson will hum along nicely. Now is a good time to check the curbs or Craigslist while folks are making room for their new holiday toys. The KBMG-21...

i was in the same boat and wound up just making a level.
A piece of glass tube and some bits around the shop was all it took.

As for the glass and a bearing - I agree you would go bonkers.

I did about the same thing and started with eBay 460 oz 23's. A year later I bought a 1000 oz NEMA 34 kit. The 34's run at 60 volts and the 23's at 36 volts. While messing around I hooked the 23's to the bigger 34 drivers / power supplies and they ran much better. the 34's are still in the box. That...