2014 POTD Thread Archive

[Chucketn]

I got this push type knurling tool with my quick change tool post set and have never used it as I have a better pinch type knurling tool. I decided to make a regular tool holder from it.

I cut off the ears that held the knurling wheels with my band saw.

Then I milled that end flat.

Then I extended the tool slot the full length of the tool in the mill and drilled and tapped 2 more holes for set screws.

I hate to see a tool wasted and I can always use more tool holders.

Great idea! I have one of those knurlers also. I had it set up with a turning tool and realized the radiused end of the tool slot was effecting the way the tool was positioned. I will indeed copy your inspiration.
Thanks for sharing your ideas!

Chuck

 

[Mark_f]

I had started to build a steady rest for my South bend lathe a while back and decided to get after it today. I wanted one with the telescoping fingers as opposed to the cheapie sliding fingers. Originals when you find them cost arm and a leg. Mine will cost me about 40 bucks when done. I started by making the body from a solid chunk of steel round 7 1/4" diameter and 2" long. It maxed out the 9" lathe. I had to do some creative rigging to get a tool out that far. The body is all roughed out and I am working on the fingers now. When done it will get all polished up. The factory ones had a 3" center hole. Mine is 3 1/2".


Mark

 

[GarageGuy]

Wow! To say it is "heavy duty" would be an understatement. It looks great! Beautiful work.

GG

 

[RWL]

I had started to build a steady rest for my South bend lathe a while back and decided to get after it today. I wanted one with the telescoping fingers as opposed to the cheapie sliding fingers.
Mark

Can you show us some photos of the construction of the telescoping fingers and or give a description of how they're made?

 

[Mark_f]

Can you show us some photos of the construction of the telescoping fingers and or give a description of how they're made?

As I complete the fingers I will take photos. The brass fingers have a left hand thread in them as does the screw has a left hand thread. The knob and sleeve have a right hand thread, so as you turn the knob the fingers move also giving a faster and longer travel. This picture should explain.



Mark

 

[Carlos SA]

Spent some more time on my foundry project today. The molds are coming together nicely.


The other week I made a captive bolt puzzle, I showed it to the local mechanic and got my first paid machine work. I'm very pleased!

 

[JimDawson]

I finally pretty much lost the brakes on my small forklift, so I thought I better take a look. I haven't touched them in the 7 years I've owned her. Turns out they were just out of adjustment but had a pretty good ridge outboard of where the linings touched, and I had a heck of a time loosening the adjusters to get the drums off. Squirting enough PB Blaster in the hole finally allowed me to get them loose.

I needed to get rid of the ridge, and they are about 3/4 inch too big to fit in my lathe. I thought about taking them down to the local auto parts store and having them turned, but then I would have had to argue with the snot-nosed kid behind the counter about how much they could turn and still be ''legal''. OK so they are worn about 0.080, but this machine has probably a total of about 10 miles on her since I've owned her. The major road trip was across the street to the neighbors, to lift a pallet of shingles up to the roof for them. A normal trip is maybe 30 feet at a blazing 1/2 MPH or less.

OK, I have a CNC mill sitting here that can be used as a brake drum lathe. In this case I just programmed in a circle and took 0.010 DOC per pass until I got down to the worn area. I could have used the rotary table but I was too lazy to set it up, besides, I would have had to hand crank it. This allowed me to clean and repack the wheel bearings while I was ''turning'' the drums.


When I got to the right wheel, I found the bearing adjusting nut was loose, backed off about 2 full turns and the lock tab was missing. The mental giant that last worked on it didn't put the lock tab back in and to top it off, cleaned the bearings and then didn't repack them with grease, completely dry.:*****slap2: I guess I'm lucky I'm not road racing her.

So I made a new lock tab and life is good. And the brakes work just like (almost) new. Maybe I'll have to adjust them again in another 7 years.

 

[Mark_f]

Today I made a hand tapping head for my lathe. It holds 1 1/2” dies and I made an adapter ring to also hold 1” dies. I am going to make another adapter to hold hex dies. It has 4 holes around it for a 1/2” tommy bar for leverage on bigger threads.
Mark

 

[Cheeseking]

Bought a new 2hp motor for the lathe this week. Could have just put new bearings in the old one but wth I decided to give a new automation direct Ironhorse motor a try. Had to flip flop the rotor and electrical housing to fit like the original. Only hard part so far was pulling the cheap little plastic fan off the back end w/o breaking it. Had to remove the splash guard and brake mechanism to get at the mounting bolts also. Not a big deal but the simple motor swap is ending up more of a project than anticipated. Oh well fun in the shop any way you slice it.







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RWL]

Bought a new 2hp motor for the lathe this week. Could have just put new bearings in the old one but wth I decided to give a new automation direct Ironhorse motor a try.

Bearing replacement is so much less expensive than a new motor that it's unusual that you didn't do that. Was there some advantage of the new motor over the old one?