# Journey to Journeyman series using my Atlas 618. I made a T-nut for the compound on my lathe



## jster1963 (Jun 3, 2014)

Hey guys it's me again showing off my handy work.  This was done totally on my Atlas 618 using my 4 jaw chuck and my milling attachment.  I am proud, but slightly disappointed with this project.  I'm so proud that it works, but I wish I could have been a little more precise.  I had to do a little filing to fit.  I learned a lot and hope to keep learning and gaining more machining skills.

This is the third project in my series "Journey to Journeyman" where I'm using my Atlas 618 to try to become a proficient hobby machinist. If you want to see me make this (and the mistakes I made), you can watch my You Tube video.  It's about 20 minutes long.  If you are interested, here is the link. Thank you......

http://youtu.be/LxBiVm9mFdU


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## Andre (Jun 3, 2014)

Nice job. Using a lathe as a milling machine looks very complicated in itself. 

Not to be rude or get this across the wrong way, and not saying it looks bad by any means, but after your done with a project clean it up and remove machining marks (unless you like them, and in some cases milling marks are very nice) and just in general make it look as nice as you can get it. You will be that much prouder, and others will really notice your work. Everyone can make a part on a machine, but craftsman' can make the part and make it look really nice. Scotchbrite works wonders for making parts shine for me.

Again, Nice job!


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## jster1963 (Jun 3, 2014)

*Andre:*  Thank you very much!  I don't take constructive criticism as being rude.  I really hate tool marks too and spent time getting them off of the top.  I should have spent time on the ends too.  I was starting to round off the edges and thought that would look worse.  I will do a better cleanup before I post next time.

Thanks again......jster


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## francist (Jun 3, 2014)

Looks nice jster. I made a few for my compound a while back and thought about doing the offset bolt idea as well. In the end I decided I didn't want to load the T-slot unevenly so kept it centred. Might not have mattered much. How do you find yours works?

-frank


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## Andre (Jun 3, 2014)

jster1963 said:


> *Andre:*  Thank you very much!  I don't take constructive criticism as being rude.  I really hate tool marks too and spent time getting them off of the top.  I should have spent time on the ends too.  I was starting to round off the edges and thought that would look worse.  I will do a better cleanup before I post next time.
> 
> Thanks again......jster



Just watched your video, you tool a ton of metal off! I think your next project should be making a mini pallet (aluminum plate with a ton of tapped holes) and some clamps. So you can hold that smaller block on the bandsaw in cut the waste off instead of turning it into chips. Oxtoolco (Tom) has lots of videos on the mini pallet and I have a thread on my tilting mini pallet.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=22688


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## jster1963 (Jun 4, 2014)

*Francist*: Thank you very much.  I haven't used mine yet and after several comments, I decided to fix mine and make the hole in the center.  I plan to do that and post another pic and video.  I understand now that the load being off center can cause some problems.  So, back to the workshop;-)

*Andre:* I never heard of a mini pallet until I watched you vid.  What a great idea!  I will have to add that to my list of things to make.  Thank you very much and I hope I don't have to remove that much material from now on.  

Thanks again guys.....


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## David S (Jun 4, 2014)

Jster keep up the good work and especially notes on the safety aspects.  I have the exact same lathe as yours and is my workhorse for Horology repair / restoration, and I also have the milling attachment.  After you have gained some experience and want to get into milling big time you will probably progress to a more suitable piece of equipment.  But if it is all you have then I say make the best of what you have, and use it as a learning tool.

I think a big part of machining is trying to figure out how to fixture or make a jig in order to perform the operation.  And a lot of times the set up takes way more time than the machining.

Really enjoy your style and look forward to future episodes.

David


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## jster1963 (Jun 4, 2014)

*DavidS:*  Thank you very much for the kind words!  I have to admit I had no idea what horology was and had to look it up  I bet this is the right size lathe for that.  

I do plan to get a milling machine someday, but for now I'm going to try to learn to use the milling attachment.  I used it again today to re-do that T-nut I made.  Several guys commented on the ofset hole which made me rethink it.  So the hole in now in the middle.  I will try to post another pic when I'm totally finished polishing it up.

Thank you again and if you make any videos of you using your lathe, please let me know........


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## jster1963 (Jun 5, 2014)

Well guys, I heard and I listened. I not only relocated the hole into the center, but I polished out the tool marks on the end. Thanks for all of the great comments and suggestions. ps. If you look closely, you can see a small void where I welded the old hole. Yes I know it's there


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## Mondo (Jun 6, 2014)

I like the second T nut with the centered threaded hole better.  

Now flip it over on an anvil and set a cold chisel across the hole on the bottom side and whack the chisel with a 5Lb hammer to indent the threaded hole.  The idea is to prevent the tool post mounting bolt from penetrating to the bottom of the T slot.  If it ever does that and you were to continue tightening you can break the top off the compound tool rest!

Keep up the good work!


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## chips&more (Jun 6, 2014)

You are doing a much better job than you think! Especially when you admit your mistakes to the world on YouTube, that takes courage! And you are not afraid to take on a challenge. You’ll be making parts for NASA before you know it!...Good Job.


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## Andre (Jun 6, 2014)

Looking good! What type of welder did you use? Tig?


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## jster1963 (Jun 6, 2014)

*Spiral_Chips:* Great idea! However, I may put another spacer (washer) just to make sure it doesn't bottom out. Thank you very much.

*chips&more:* Thanks you so much! It really has been a humbling experience learning something new and showing my mistakes. And honestly it takes me days to do something that should takes minutes. Oh well, I guess that how to learn. Thanks again and I'll be waiting by my phone for NASA to call;-)

*Andre:* I mig welded that hole. I don't have a tig welder yet, but it's on my "to buy" list. And thank you very much.....


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## chuckorlando (Jun 6, 2014)

Anther great vid. I wont lie to you, I laughed so much watching you tap that hole. ahahahaha. Your next project should be a tap guide. That was the first thing our instructor had us make. I have used the heck out of it from taping to centering to indicating the 4 jaw. Pay attention to the numbers. We had 3 revised versions and I dont think this scan was the last one. There is a spring that goes in the larger reamed hole. Then the smaller rod with the 60* tip slides on top of that. A roll pin goes through the small milled slot and into the the hole drilled into the smaller rod. That holds it all together. 

You put this in your tail stoc or drill press. Put the tip into the chamfer in the back of your tap. Bring in the quill to compress the spring. Then it keeps the tension on the tap and keeps it centered


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## jster1963 (Jun 6, 2014)

*chuckorlando:*  I can laugh at that "tap job" now too, but at the time I was dying!  That is a great tap guide.  I will put that on my "things to make" list.  When I welded the offset hole and re-tapped it, I got it the first time.  I guess I do have a learning curve  Thank you very much......


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## chuckorlando (Jun 6, 2014)

I only laugh cause I've been there. It all looks easy on youtube. ahaha. Lock that vice down on your drill press as well. I use them welding vice grips to quickly lock and move my drill press vice.


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## jster1963 (Jun 7, 2014)

Chuckorlando:  You are so right about you tube making things look easy!!  I now know differently. And great idea about the vise grips. I'll lock that vise down from now on. Thanks again....


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