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Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe?

3/23/23

Todd

Member

I bought a Minimax T124 lathe a few months back, and it's missing a few parts that I've been trying to replace. I've tried getting help from SCM to no avail, and I'm trying to figure out if the bearing at the mobile rest should be a press fit, or no? I've attached a photo of the bearing SCM sent me, and how it's not a press fit. There are three set screws, but I can't imagine the bearing being held in place just by these and the bearing retaining plates? I would appreciate any words/photos from anyone with this machine!

https://imgur.com/gallery/7VTIB4n

3/23/23 #2: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

RichC

That's not any kind of fit. The outer bearing race is super hard and brittle steel. Tighten the set screws and you can break the bearing. If you can't find any other system, take your parts to a machine shop and have them make an adapter.

3/24/23 #3: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Todd

Member

Thanks for the response! My work neighbors are machinists, so I'm super lucky that I can have almost anything made, but I don't see a bushing in the parts manual (photo below), which is why I'm trying to find someone with a similar machine who could send over pictures of what that looks like. I'm also not sure of how to adjust the bearing to be dead nuts inline with the spindle, or if this even is adjustable?

https://imgur.com/gallery/7VTIB4n

3/24/23 #4: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

RichC

It seems that bearing floats between some plates and is centered on the spindle with those set screws. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2867602/Minimax-T-124.html?page=38#manual

3/24/23 #5: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Todd

Rich, this is awesome information! Thank you so much! I reached back out to SCM, and they advised me to shoot an email over to a different parts department that may have more knowledge of the older machines. However, with this information I now know what I need to have machined. Thanks again!

3/27/23 #6: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Thomas M Diel

Member

Website: http://thomasdiel.com
Here's a pic of my follower bearing / steady rest. Looks like your missing the outer aluminum bearing holders. I think it could be made locally without breaking the bank if the replacements are too expensive. I have rarely used the bearing but I haven't turned smaller dia long spindles inwhich you really need this set-up.
There are good little lathes but I'm not specifically a turner and I like the copy attachment. Hint: If you do use the bearing size your blank a bit oversized and champher the edges, it make the going much smoother.
TD

View higher quality, full size image (800 X 1067)

3/27/23 #7: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Todd

Member

Thanks Thomas! I do have the horseshoe bearing retainer, and I'm going to have the other one machined. Would you be able to take a photo on the carriage without the horseshoe, so I can see what's between the bearing and the hole in the mobile rest?

3/28/23 #8: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Thomas Gardiner

There won't be anything else. The set screws allow for fine centring of the blank.

3/28/23 #9: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Todd

Thanks Thomas! Do you have any issues with the bearing rubbing/grinding on the set screws, or are they pretty stout?

3/28/23 #10: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Thomas Gardiner

You will not be tightening the set screws very tightly. They are for positioning only. Snug but not heavily torqued. The aluminum plates will be tightened onto the outside race and do the bearing holding. The worst thing you could do is to over torque the set screws - they will distort the outer race.

4/5/23 #11: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Todd

Member

Thomas M Diel,

First off, I checked out your work, and I love your aesthetic! If you have a moment, would you be able to get O.D. measurements of your bearing, and I.D. measurements of the bearing holder? SCM just got back to me and suggested buying a new bearing that fits the holder more snugly, but this doesn't make sense with being able to center the bearing.

Todd

4/7/23 #12: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Thomas M Diel

Member

Website: http://thomasdiel.com
Thanks Todd for the compliment and sorry for the delay, I'm in the tall weeds getting ready for my main art show marketing event and late nights... It's 1:05AM and just got home but I still luv the creative spurt these events make me go through..
The bearing is 115mm (4.53") OD most likely 4.5" and it's made in the US "MRC"
The OD on the aluminum bearing chase ID is 125mm (4.92")
But the guy I bought this from was turning bats for a living and it has be gone thru & reworked and this was his sanding lathe. The screws on the al chase were 5/16-18TPI not metric which the SCMI would normally have so something has been modified.
If I were you buy the size bearing closest to the size of material your starting with like 8/4 that's been surfaced to 1 3/4"sq which would be a 2.475" or 2.5"ID on your bearing. I have seen production shops with numerous sized bearings they swap out when turn different size blanks 10/4, 12/4, 16/4 and so on.
Best TD

View higher quality, full size image (640 X 853)

4/7/23 #13: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Thomas M Diel

Member

Website: http://thomasdiel.com

Here's the bearing pic

View higher quality, full size image (640 X 853)

4/9/23 #14: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Tom Gardiner

This add may be some help. It has a few photos of the follow rest and inserts.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-power-tool/london/scm-minimax-t124-wood-copy-l
athe-for-sale/1654904807

4/9/23 #15: Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe? ...

Todd

Member

Thank you Thomas and Tom! This is interesting, because the aluminum horseshoe bearing chase SCM sent me is dead flat on both sides--nowhere for the outer bearing race to rest. I'll probably just keep that and have it machined to accept the bearing. Thomas, is there a race on the other bearing retainer (the non-horseshoe one)? It's also funny that the bearing SCM sent me is 125MM, whereas yours is 115mm. I did get a steel insert that goes inside the bearing, so that you can just change sizes on that, rather than changing out the bearings, which are pricey. Thomas, have you had to adjust your grub screws to get the bearing dead center, or has it maintained center since you've had the machine? Thank you!!!

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Anyone have a Minimax T124 Lathe?

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