# Made my first part! Warning: this is not going to be exciting



## Alaskanrocket (Feb 8, 2014)

Well thanks to the encouragement from everyone in my last post I decided to try and make a new bushing for the wobbly idler gear. 
I started with 1" brass hex stock and got measurements.



I don't have an indicator yet I looked for one in town today but they all seemed like junk so i'll probably get a Starrett or something on the net, anyways I just eyeballed it to get center and got it really close anyways.



After I got it faced off and turned down to the proper O.D. I found I went just a hair under so I decided to knurl it to take up the space between the bushing and gear.


After that I used a counter sink to center the tailstock and had to shim with a piece of paper under the tailstock to get the right height. Centering was pretty easy for the most part. 



I then continued to step up drills until I got to my 7/16" bit.



Now the next part was kind of a goat rodeo since I don't have a boring setup yet, I didn't take pictures of what I used, it wasn't safe nor very effective. I got it done and that was that.


The fit on both sides was quite nice I had to tap the bushing in with a hammer and shaft to bushing fit had a tiny amount of slop but better than all the other gears in there so I was happy. 




Thanks again everyone, Jess


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## Terrywerm (Feb 8, 2014)

Nice job, Jess!  Thanks for sharing a first project and showing that there are multiple ways to overcome problems, such as using a knurl to take care of an undersized diameter issue.


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## DAN_IN_MN (Feb 8, 2014)

Sorry, you're wrong!  

Any time there are chips flying, I/we find it interesting/exciting!  

Like Terry said,  Nice work and way to find a way to get around a little miss cut!

Welcome to the forum!


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## 12bolts (Feb 8, 2014)

Welcome Jess,


Alaskanrocket said:


> Well thanks to the encouragement from everyone in my last post I decided to try and make a new bushing for the wobbly idler gear.
> I started with 1" brass hex stock and got measurements.


Glad we were able to encourage you



Alaskanrocket said:


> .....anyways I just eyeballed it to get center and got it really close....


And quite well done if I say so.



Alaskanrocket said:


> After I got it faced off and turned down to the proper O.D. I found I went just a hair under.....


This is where a mic shows its strengths.



Alaskanrocket said:


> I then continued to step up drills until I got to my 7/16" bit.


You really shouldnt need to do this. Especially in brass. It only encourages holes to end up off centre. Centre drill to locate, then, "if warranted" (and for 7/16 I would) put a drill just on or under the size of the chisel point of your final drill size, through to "almost" depth, then finish with the full size drill.



Alaskanrocket said:


> ... since I don't have a boring setup yet, I didn't take pictures of what I used, it wasn't safe nor very effective. I got it done and that was that.


If you dont mind I would at least be interested to hear what you did, always more than 1 way to skin a cat.

Cheers Phil


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## chuckorlando (Feb 8, 2014)

It's impressive to me any time one takes a big chunk and makes a small chunk. Looks good man.


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## RandyM (Feb 8, 2014)

Great job!  :thumbsup:


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## stevecmo (Feb 8, 2014)

Great job!  I love the way you adapted your plan as you went along to meet the situation.  Probably comes natural since you're in AK.

Thanks for sharing!  :thumbsup:


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## Turbinedoctor (Feb 8, 2014)

Job well done and thanks for sharing.

I too would like to know what you used in place of the boring bar. I like to see how others think outside the box to get a job done.

Durwood


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## gmcken (Feb 8, 2014)

Very good job on the first project.  It is very interesting how a part can be saved from scrape bin.  I have a box of parts that I have kept over the years that were mismachined.  Lessons well learned!  Keep up the go.od work


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## davidh (Feb 8, 2014)

"whatever it takes", and no missing fingers or bangs on  your forehead. . . great.


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## shoeboxpaul (Feb 8, 2014)

Kudos!  I am in agreement with everyone. All fabrication jobs are exciting.:thumbsup:
Paul


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## dave2176 (Feb 8, 2014)

Alaskanrocket said:


> I found I went just a hair under



I found that when I get down to the last .005 or so I never dial in what the mic says. Spring in the metal/tooling can take up several thousandths so I might run just a spring pass, maybe a thousandth or two or maybe even back it off a couple and run it if I'm real close.

Nice job overall. Keep posting.
Dave


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## littlejack (Feb 8, 2014)

Hey Jess:
  Good job, and nice photos. 
  You know the old saying, "necessity is the mother of all invention". I loved the "goat rodeo" comment, that was great, still giggling.
  As for parts made wrong, and/or discarded, there is no such thing. "These are parts for machines that have not been invented yet".
  Glad your new to you lathe performed for you.
  Regards
  Jack


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## rafe (Feb 8, 2014)

Well done , now you are hooked


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## BRIAN (Feb 8, 2014)

What can I say that has not been said  .
well done.
 brian


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## francist (Feb 8, 2014)

Nice job. I wanna hear about the goat rodeo too!

-frank


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## cdndewey (Feb 8, 2014)

francist said:


> Nice job. I wanna hear about the goat rodeo too!
> 
> -frank



Job well done.

Me too....I'm pulling the goat hairs on my chin thinking about it.


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## itsme_Bernie (Feb 8, 2014)

That is exciting!  One of the best things about having a machine like this- to be able to make parts that do something! 



Bernie


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## Hawkeye (Feb 9, 2014)

Yup. Exciting to be sure. You came up against some challenges and found solutions to get the job done. Keep it up.


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## markknx (Feb 9, 2014)

Hey Jess, we all want to know that secret move. You know some times even the wrong way may be the only way! Nicejob and I second all the other coments about over comming issues.Mark


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## flutedchamber (Feb 9, 2014)

Fine Job!!!

A few suggestions if you don't mind.  

If you are using the caliper to get your sizes, you will almost always end up over or under.  Most good calipers are only accurate to .0005, and the majority are only accurate to .001.  A micrometer is much better for this type of work.  What was written about a spring pass is excellent advice.  Live and learn, that is how we all started.


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## toolman (Feb 9, 2014)

Fine job, congrats! That's sort of the way I do most of my machining, my H/S shop teacher is probably rolling over in his grave over some of my methods.)


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## Alaskanrocket (Feb 10, 2014)

Thanks alot for all the positive comments. Its nice to get positive feedback as on most forums everyone likes to post negative ones. As far as the Goat rodeo, I couldn't figure out a clean way to cut inside. I thought about grinding down a drill bit to work but didn't have any I wanted to sacrifice lying around. I used my facer bit and shimmed up the tool holder with a 3/8" bit and a QC angled shim. It would just barely get me the depth I needed without the rest of the tool hitting into the work. I feel I could have done a much better job with a boring tool. I don't have a picture of the setup as I was pretty embarrassed by it. It worked close enough anyway. Its funny I had so many things to do with a lathe before I got one and now I can't think of any Im willing to take on yet. I learned a ton from making this bushing, I considered myself to be pretty mechanically competent until I started working with this and now I realize there are aspects of mechanical work that are still going to be a huge challenge for me. Thanks again for all the kind words and positive feedback its much appreciated. Jess


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## Hawkeye (Feb 10, 2014)

Well, the inside finish on your bushing looks pretty good, so I'd call it a success. Think of what the guys who invented the metal lathe had to do. Anything goes if you can still count to ten with your shoes on. Wait till you're clamping a router bit in your toolpost to use it as a form tool.


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## DAN_IN_MN (Feb 10, 2014)

Well, here's your first negative comment!  Take your cold weather back to AK!  We in the lower 48 don't want it! :rofl:  
And you think I'm kidding! :LOL:

Jump on YouTube and watch Keith Fenner and the other guys.  You'll learn a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDmxnPem-pPfJQATIkfgY2Q


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## Alaskanrocket (Feb 10, 2014)

DAN_IN_MN said:


> Well, here's your first negative comment! Take your cold weather back to AK! We in the lower 48 don't want it! :rofl:
> And you think I'm kidding! :LOL:
> 
> Jump on YouTube and watch Keith Fenner and the other guys. You'll learn a lot.
> ...


We've got it back. It's -27 in town today, not too horrible but the 10mph winds really make it awesome.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Feb 10, 2014)

great to see that the chips are flying already! Another option for a dodgy boring bar set up is to put an endmill in the tailstock drill chuck and slowly move the work over in your 4 jaw. The maths makes my head hurt, so it's not for me, but it's another option.

If you have some spare HSS bits that came with the lathe you bought, you can just grind your own boring bar. It's not especially hard and it can work very well, with the caveat that the reach will be somewhat limited.


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## LJP (Feb 10, 2014)

Goat Rodeo!!
I saw one once, the wife and I were on vacation in Colorado.
They sent little kids out on sheep and goats. It was the funniest thing I ever saw!! 
Those kids got ground into the dirt and never let go. No city kids at that GOAT RODEO!!!


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## Turbinedoctor (Feb 11, 2014)

Hawkeye said:


> Well, the inside finish on your bushing looks pretty good, so I'd call it a success. Think of what the guys who invented the metal lathe had to do. Anything goes if you can still count to ten with your shoes on. Wait till you're clamping a router bit in your toolpost to use it as a form tool.



Just two days ago I needed to round the end of a .228 rod. Not have made a ball turning device yet I decided to use a 1/8" corner rounding end mill. Not something  want to do often but worked once.

If you can't find any project now, just wait, soon you won't know which one to start on next.

Keep practicing and trying even what you don't think you can do. I friend gave me a AR 15 80% lower to work on. After taking a quick look at the drawing I thought I was in way over my head. Thinking about it in smaller little projects I now have a completed rifle and the knowledge that I can do it. Now planning on one more.


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