Product Description
About the Riser Plate for the 13″ Crosslide
We designed this headstock riser plate at the request of several of our customers who replaced our 6″ crosslide with the thicker 13″ crosslide. Most of these customers are using our lathe as a chucker lathe with gang tooling, or as a milling machine after having added a vertical milling column. The problem that they were facing is that we only make two tool posts that are shorter, so they will be on center with the spindle when using the 13″ table in place of the 6″ crosslide.
The height of the 13″ table is .870″. The height of this riser (P/N 12951) is .270″. By using this riser plate, the headstock is raised to match the additional thickness of the 13″ table. Therefore, all of our standard tool posts will now be on centerline with the headstock.
Be advised that the tailstock will not align with the headstock when using this spacer. Therefore, you will not be able to turn parts between centers. Additionally, some of our other accessories, such as the thread cutting attachment, will also NOT work when you are using this spacer.
NOTE: You can use our 13″ mill tables as a crosslide, but know that you will be pushing the limits of the structural integrity of the machine. The lathe saddle was designed for a 6″ long crosslide. An 8″ long crosslide is as long as we believe is structurally sound. The lathe saddle is not wide enough to adequately support a longer crosslide. The further the crosslide is away from the lathe saddle, the more play (side to side movement) you will get at the ends of the crosslide. Our customers have bought these longer crosslides, and they use them without issues. However, we do not recommend it. If you choose to use a 13″ table, you should also make sure your lathe is securely mounted to a stable work surface due to the added travel of the longer table.
