7X12 Mini-Lathe T-slotted Cross-slide.

Tools

• Mill - The 180mm long dovetail strips are too long to be turned on the 7X12
• Drill press
• Dovetail milling jig
• End mill - wider than 8mm
• Taps - M5 and M3
• 90° countersink - 10mm diameter

The Dovetail milling jig is simply a hex bar 200mm long, with threes hole drilled and tapped to M4 at 20, 98 and 180mm from an end. M4 screws are used here to provide enough material for these holes act as drill guides when enlarged to 4.2mm when the parts are stacked with the rest of the assembly and drilled. The extra 10mm of jig length can be used to clip it to the mill table.

The T-slot pieces can be milled in on the 7x12 lathe standard tool holder.This four way tool holder should have a tool floor 8mm below the centerline. As we are aiming for 3mm T-slot lips, we chuck a 10mm end mill (preferably in a collet).Measuring a test piece on my lathe revealed the tool floor was only 7.85mm below centerheight, leaving the T-slot lips at 2.85mm thick. According to Cleeves, this is not critical as long as they are all the same.