- Joined
- Oct 11, 2013
- Messages
- 3
I have been lurking on the forum for a few months and finally got to the point that I had something to post. I purchased a BusyBee/Craftex 9x20 lathe just before Christmas and I picked up a used HF mini mill a couple of weeks ago. It has been so cold here that I haven't had much time spent in the garage. The mini mill needs a bit of work so I started yesterday by making a new drawbar for it. With little background in machining I was pretty pleased with the result.
Now comes the question. This was made from a unknown piece of 7/8" hex stock. Should I heat treat this to harden the steel or is it fine to use it as is for a drawbar?
I also learned several things, one is that my bench at 36" high is too short...my back was killing me at the end of the day. Next project will be constructing a new workbench. The second thing I learned is that the half nut on the lathe does not work reliably...looks like another next project!
Now comes the question. This was made from a unknown piece of 7/8" hex stock. Should I heat treat this to harden the steel or is it fine to use it as is for a drawbar?
I also learned several things, one is that my bench at 36" high is too short...my back was killing me at the end of the day. Next project will be constructing a new workbench. The second thing I learned is that the half nut on the lathe does not work reliably...looks like another next project!