# New handle for mill table



## Lornie McCullough (Dec 18, 2014)

Long time lurker.... first project post: 

I had bought an enco rf30 mill/drill early this year that was very inexpensive, but needed lots of  TLC. It came with only one table handle and I wanted to try to make the handles. I built a Gingery charcoal-fired furnace, mixed up some greensand, turned a wood pattern, and melted a LOT of soda pop aluminum cans. This is my very first casting using a pattern.



This next picture shows the casting in the SB9C lathe, and shows the old plywood handwheel I have been using until today.



I bought a 6 inch rotary table to help with this project (spending much more than a handle costs, but now I have the rotary table, right?). I had intended to drill 4 holes in the handle to mount it to the rotary table, but after turning on the lathe, I couldn't bring myself to mar it with holes. What to do? I sat down, and contemplated asking the forum here for help, but then I figured you would tell me to build a pallet (am I psychic?).
This is the plywood pallet I used to enable the rotary table to index the 'crown' cuts:



Turned, filed, and polished a crank handle:




And put it all together:




I want to thank the forum and everybody here for encouraging us hobby machinists. It will probably take me a while to outgrow the SB9 and the rf30, but I have lust in my heart (to misquote Jimmy Carter) and I look at Craigslist almost every day for better/bigger tools.

Lornie


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## Andre (Dec 18, 2014)

Great job! Using what you have to make what you need, I like it.


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## 12bolts (Dec 18, 2014)

Thats nice work Lornie, im particularly impressed with the finished casting using just soda cans.

Cheers Phil


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## herbet999 (Dec 18, 2014)

Nice job, I have a similar need for some hand wheels. I've been looking for a source of blanks that I could use. I'm not ready to try casting my own.. yet. Yours did come out nice


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## Cadillac STS (Dec 18, 2014)

herbet999 said:


> Nice job, I have a similar need for some hand wheels. I've been looking for a source of blanks that I could use. I'm not ready to try casting my own.. yet. Yours did come out nice



Round handle blanks are found frequently on eBay.

Also, they don't have to be round.  Could consider the straight type with the counter balance like seen on bridgeport and the like


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## chips&more (Dec 18, 2014)

Cadillac STS said:


> Round handle blanks are found frequently on eBay.
> 
> Also, they don't have to be round.  Could consider the straight type with the counter balance like seen on bridgeport and the like





Enco also sells cast iron handle blanks at very reasonable prices…Good Luck, Dave.


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## master53yoda (Dec 18, 2014)

herbet999 said:


> Nice job, I have a similar need for some hand wheels. I've been looking for a source of blanks that I could use. I'm not ready to try casting my own.. yet. Yours did come out nice



I sent you a PM,     I do aluminum and ZA27 casting and could provide hand wheels to your specification and QTY

Art B


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## 12bolts (Dec 19, 2014)

herbet999 said:


> I've been looking for a source of blanks that I could use. I'm not ready to try casting my own


You could just get some thick plate ally and turn it to size/shape. But melting ally is fairly straightforward. Its all low(ish) temperature and simple shapes can be done easily enough.

Cheers Phil


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## herbet999 (Dec 19, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions. My apologies to the OP, I didn't mean to highjack your thread.


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