A hand hobber/shaper/slotter for the South Bend 9" lathe

It goes on the cross slide in place of the compound using the same attachment method. There is a 5/16" pin that winds in the provided tapped holes on the cross slide and locates the tool so it is automatically aligned exactly the same each time when attached to the lathe. The pin engages one of the holes seen on the bottom right.

It is made from 1 1/2" welded square tube, .187" wall. The ends of the tube were bored partially round inside to accept the two bronze bushings as a press fit. The bronze bushings are about 1 1/4" long each with shoulders.

The shaft is mild steel, OD 1". It was turned down from 1.125" and a hole bored in the end to accept tool holders.





When set up on the lathe for cutting pulleys or gears it looks like this:





By bolting my lathe milling table to a riser block that is clamped to the ways I can also cut racks.





The tool has a stroke stop that is an adjustable cam which has eight positions. Each position is 1/16" deeper than the last for a total adjustment of 1/2". The brass block to the right has a screw that can also be adjusted +- 1/16" to achieve any intermediate adjustment. That block is also very closely fitted to the slot milled in the top of the tube and acts to prevent the shaft from rotating.





The cam was milled on my lathe along with all other milling operations on this project. Also in this picture is the tool holder which fits a 1/2" hole in the end of the main shaft and is held by two set screws that bear on the relieved area of the holder.





On the top of the main tube is another brass block on the right which acts as a back stop. The back stop distance may be adjusted by simply placing whatever size block is required between the sliding block and the back stop.





The handle gives a seven to one advantage and is slotted (not visible). The shaft is pinned to the handle with hardened drill rod through the slot in the handle and the handle pivots on another length of hardened rod in the base. The pins are retained with set screws.





The top main assembly can be removed from the base that fits the cross slide with just two bolts. It has milled slots on the side so it can be toe clamped to a table. In aluminum it will easily take cuts .020" deep per stroke.



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