1" round rod, what can be made?

Found a 10' long section of round steel 1" in diameter. I cut off 12" length and cleaned it up a little, as it was buried in the dirt of my backyard.

I was thinking maybe a hammer but it looks like most machinist hammers use a aluminum handle.

What sort of stuff would you make or could be made from a 1" steel bar? With lathe only, no milling here, yet.

 

Very simple. Something 9.999 or smaller with any cylindrical features your imagination can think of.

 

Machinist jacks, can be very simple. Maybe not hugely useful for you yet, but even without a milling machine they are very handy to use as adjustable spreaders for vise or bandsaw vise jaws.

This one was dead simple and just uses an ordinary 1/4"-20 bolt. Fine thread would be preferable, even though this one is not. I was just playing around one evening shortly after getting my lathe, and I still use the stupid thing to this day.

-frank

 

I like the idea of the machinist jack. I just got some tap and dies and waiting on fish tail and thread pitch gauges. So a threaded project will be in my near future, for sure.

So what have you all made or seen made from 1" that you can share? I have a lot of it to play with..lol

 

What sort of stuff would you make or could be made from a 1" steel bar? With lathe only, no milling here, yet.

How about making a tool height gauge? You have to very carefully measure the height of the center of your lathe spindle and then build up a shaft that rests on either a flat way or on the top of the compound. You then use that to set tools heights in your quick change tool holders. It's a simple project but must be done with a high degree of accuracy.

For extra points, make it adjustable (with a fine thread) and lockable.

You'll use such a tool for as long as you own your lathe. You'll be really happy you have one the first time you need to set up a new tool and don't have to tear down a project already set up in your lathe. ;-)

Probably examples somewhere here on the forum.

MetaKey

 

Buy some 20mm strong magnets from eBay and make some refrigerator magnets for the house.

 

Found a 10' long section of round steel 1" in diameter. I cut off 12" length and cleaned it up a little, as it was buried in the dirt of my backyard.

Holy Cow! What a great find -- no wonder you got a lathe!

Heck, I'd have excavated that entire yard by now -- probably got a ton of steel stock laying around out there.. ;-)

I guess we're going to need a new thread: "What I found in the yard today!" Of course, some guy would chime in that he discovered that he built his house on top of a decommissioned missile silo or some such thing...

MetaKey

 

Very interesting, I can see the advantages already. Not sure what it looks like but thinking a tapered point on a flat base like a tower?
I am bringing my tailstock down to tool post with dead center and strait edge to mount tools so far.

 

I found about 40 feet of 1/2" to 1" rods in 10-12' sections, threaded on either end. Some have a loop on the end and no threads. I posted a few pictures in another thread on what to make on the lathe I think.
I have no idea what they are or went to, very old though, I think my house was built 1954.

 

Very interesting, I can see the advantages already. Not sure what it looks like but thinking a tapered point on a flat base like a tower?

Hey, it's your gauge -- make it look like the Space Needle if you like! Knurl the living daylights out of that thing. Taper it. Put a patina on it. Put an LED in it so it lights up when your cutting tool makes contact. Sign it. Be proud of your new, magical lathe tool height setting gauge! It's just sitting there on your bench, waiting to be released from that shaft.

It can be handy to be able to move a tool UP to meet a horizontal element on the gauge. It can also be handy to move a tool DOWN to meet a horizontal element.

It can be adjustable or not. If not, you have to work really hard on accuracy.

Fun project!

MetaKey