2019 POTD Thread Archive

[Janderso]

I went to High School in the early 70’s. Our middle and High school had outstanding shop facilities. Sheet metal, lathes, mills, welding stations, hand tools etc. Wood shop was equally impressive.
We did not have an auto shop though.
My boys are in their 30’s, one is a teacher and is broke. The other is an electrician. My electrician is almost making more than me.
I’m proud of both of them. My teacher is almost done with his Masters, that will help his pay check.

I think if I had to do it again, I would have gone the charter school route. Better parent involvement, less disciplinary problems.

My grand kids love Pa Pa’s shop. We will see, they are still very young.

Having to choose a career path at 13?? Oh my.
I’m 62, I figured out what I should have done with my life’s work in my mid 20’s, I just couldn’t figure out a way to make a living at it. So, like many of us, I go to work doing a job that pays the bills but is not stimulating.
I’ll retire ok, just a few more years.

 

[rwm]

delete please

 

[mattthemuppet2]

might be worth splitting out this discussion into a separate thread..

 

[dave_r_1]

My POTD turned out to be making some scrap metal.

I was trying to make this:

and I had drilled the two ends the correct size, but I managed to thread it at an angle. Since a 1/2" threaded rod needs to pass through the center of this tube (this is used to adjust a mower deck connected to the end of the threaded rod), it's scrap metal as the rod jams into the side of the tube.

Tomorrow, I'll try again, using the lathe to keep the tap parallel to the tube.

 

[Suzuki4evr]

My cat destroyed the rope on her scratching post, so I had to replace it.
The lathe came in handy for wrapping all those loops around the post.
I just turned it by hand, pulling the rope tight every quarter turn.
The post was too long to use the turning center, so I chucked up a small reamer and held the post between it and the tailstock.
The block of wood was to tap the loops tight every 2 or 3 turns.

My hands are really tired. Stretching all those loops was strenuous.
I will not get any thank yous for this. There is no cat word for thank you.

View attachment 301794

"No cat words for thank you".You can definitely say THAT again. If they could speak they would rather say "What took you so long".

 

[mattthemuppet2]

Tomorrow, I'll try again, using the lathe to keep the tap parallel to the tube.

if you don't have one already a spring loaded tap guide is the bomb for tapping straight threads on the lathe. They're not much - $10 to 15 for a reasonable one. Put tap into tap handle, put tap guide into tailstock drill chuck, move spring loaded end up into the end of the tap hanlde until the end of the tap is resting in the hole. Then advance the guide until the spring loaded end is compressed. Turn tap handle as normal. Perfectly aligned tapped holes every time

 

[RJSakowski]

deleted

 

[Logan 400]

I upgraded a rope guide for a small wire tugger. First try came out useable. Now to make 2 more. These tuggers are small but very powerful. The weak point is the plastic rope guide.
Jay

 

[dave_r_1]

Swing #2 at yesterdays POTD went better.

Used this setup for tapping the threads:


Worked well (pipe wrench was to stop the work from turning), the resulting thread was straight.

Finished part (re-used the handle from the original part).
"

Now I just have to set up a reminder to work these adjusters on a regular basis. In past summers, I've adjusted them on a weekly basis for a specific job, but this summer, I don't have that job anymore, so it's just been mowing at the same height all the time. It's not a great design, as dirt, debris and water all will collect in the tube and just sit there rusting the pieces together.

Anyway, the mower is back in service again, and I didn't have to spend $200+ and wait a couple of weeks for the OEM parts. Success!

 

[stioc]

Been busy making Harold's tool grinding rest in my other thread https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/building-harold-halls-simple-grinding-rest.79476 but thought I'd post the latest progress here too:

Leadscrews:

Threading the long leadscrew at 600 RPM by gripping the die stock- I don't recommend this...I had done things to make this as safe as possible (more details in the thread above).

and graduated dials, each line is .0013"