Mounting the Taig 1200 Top Slide / Compound

A customer was wondering how the #1200 Top Slide is mounted to the Taig Lathe cross slide.

If you flip the 1200 over you see it has a recessed circular dovetail. The nut fits into the circular slot and the screw draws the two halves together, pulling the top slide down and locking it into position.

How the nut fits in the circular dovetail.

I find it’s easiest to loosen the nut and slide it into the cross slide t-slot first.

Then place the top slide over it. It takes a little practice but after a while becomes easy.

The hex wrench tightens the nut from the back side (you can do it from the front but only on the right t-slot as the cross slide screw bearing block is in the way of the left one. I snug the nut up but don’t fully tighten…

Then I hold a protractor against the side of the slide and the front of the cross slide, get it set to the desired angle and fully tighten the nut. You don’t want to use a lot of torque. If you find that the 1200 top slide shifts or moves then you can place a thin piece of paper between the cross slide and the top slide. Also you can’t take heavy cuts. I generally take about .01” cut max.

Taking a cut in free machining steel. Notice how the tool bit mounts directly to the top of the slide.

After a few passes.