Ignoramus18741 wrote:

I would like to know if I can buy some gizmo that can provide a
definite, positive stop to the lathe carriage before the cutter or the
carriage hits the chuck. Any suggestions, at least what are these
things called.

Depending on the size of your lathe, you can get a little casting to
do the job. You machine it yourself to fit your lathe bed. It can
be a plain stop, or it can hold a DTI for precise positioning of the
xslide.

This company sells castings for a lot of different tools and lathe
accessories. I can vouch for the quality of the castings and the
instructions that come with them, and the company's excellent
service. For the carriage stop, see

http://www.statecollegecentral.com/m...the/MLA-8.html

Other casting sets are listed at

http://www.statecollegecentral.com/m...the/index.html

--
Artful Bodger
http://www.artfulbodger.net