2017 POTD Thread Archive

[ACHiPo]

Glad we could help, total coincidence that I saw his video just before your post.
Greg

I forgot to add that I ended up machining it dry. All in all a good learning experience (except I could have done without the crunching gears!)

 

[chips&more]

Today I made 100 division marks for a dial. Instead of a cutter to make the marks, I used a 60° point. I carefully stoned the tip so that it had a nice radius and not a sharp tip. At a 0.003” depth, I dragged the tip across the surface of the dial. This leaves a burnished look in the valley of the mark and not what you would see after using a rotating cutter. The shiny marks make a nice contrast to the surface of the dial and make the marks very easy to read. This technique does leave a burr, but with a touch of a file it’s gone…Dave

 

[Hukshawn]

Tool holders!

This has been a project I've wanted to tackle for quite some time. I was going to wait till I got my new vise, but I decided to just go for it.
Turns out, that old, full of holes, vise is actually pretty accurate. I, on the other hand, am not!... Gotta practice on that..

But they came out well.
I made them from aluminum. I'll use them for my lighter duty tools.

 

[HBilly1022]

Made some small 10 x 24 threaded parts for the Harold Hall simple grinding rest I'm making. His book suggests using M5 threaded rod and pinning a collar to it or turning the parts from 8 mm material. I converted to SAE sizes but didn't have any small diameter rod (3/16" for the 10 x 24 thread) and used the smallest suitable material I had on hand, 1/2" mild steel. I didn't think I would succeed in turning such a small unsupported, long part but with very light cuts and sharp tools I got it done. Thanks to Mikey for his thread on grinding tools. I realized after I started that I probably should have center drilled the end and supported it with a center in the TS but it was too late unless I wanted to start over. I probably should have used a follow rest but have never done that yet and just figured I would give this a shot. It worked but was very slow going. I need to find a better way for the next time. Of course I started with the longest part first.


Got to use the spider I made a while back. I love this because I no longer have to cut a chunk of material for each piece and waste some of it just for chucking purposes.

Also got to use the TS die holder I made.

And another small threaded part.

Getting close to finishing the rest and will post pics when it's done.

 

[jpfabricator]

I made time to cut off the tapped hole that held the front sight ramp on my boys deer rifle. I had to make a nylon bushing to hold the receiver end, because I don't have enough room for a spider. I put an 11* crown on the new end, lapped the muzzle exit, and ploished her up! Now it's time to give the lathe it's bi- monthly cleaning. Jake Parker

 

[Z2V]

Jake
Is that copper wire you have wrapped around the barrel in the chuck?

 

[DoogieB]

While watching an older episode of Randy Richard in the Shop (Youtube), I watched him make some nice-fitting copper jaw pads for the lathe chuck.

This was certainly an improvement over the tedious bits of brass held with rubber bands that I have used in the past. I was putting an order in with McM anyway so I ordered a few 1/16" copper sheets in the proper width.



After I screwed-up the first one the rest went relatively easily. I ended up having to cut the copper with a hacksaw or Dremel in the vise. The pads stay on the jaws nicely and pull off when you are done. I'll do the 4 jaw chuck next, which in retrospect is probably where they will be used the most.

 

[NEL957]

I think Jake had a very good idea of using the copper wire to protect from jaw marking. And it's not like we all don't have a piece of copper wire.
Good idea Jake
Nelson

 

[jpfabricator]

It is solid copper wire to keep the barrel from getting marred. It also crushes a little as the end of the barrel still jas a slight taper. It was excess ground lead that was cut off when I wired my shop. I keep them around and use then as large twisty ties. When they work harden and break then the go in the copper scrap bucket. Jake Parker

 

[NEL957]

Jake
Something I did not mention is if your jaws are bell mouthed the copper will give where the pressure is greatest.
Very nice idea.
Nelson