Beginner lathe projects?

jlsmithseven said:
Machinist Jacks were my final project my first year in school. They will teach you a lot about threading and mating parts. I suggest that one.
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I've been considering it for learning/practicing threading. I know how to measure an outside thread with 3 wires or a thread micrometer. How do you measure internal threads? Make an external and use it to test?
 
Yes ttabbal that is how I did it. I made all of the external threads to the right dimensions, then turned the internal threads. Then you just keep checking with the external threads; as you get close it will begin to thread in.
 
jlsmithseven said:
Yes ttabbal that is how I did it. I made all of the external threads to the right dimensions, then turned the internal threads. Then you just keep checking with the external threads; as you get close it will begin to thread in.
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That makes sense. Thanks for the details!
 
Wow, All of these suggestions are bringing back memories of the early 70s. Our first trade school project was a center punch. It involved turning, tapering, knurling, bardening and tempering. I still have mine. Not sure the order, but there were screwdrivers, ball peen hammers, bench blocks etc. For my final project, I made a spring winder. Two projects I still use often was a spring loaded center for tapping. You'll find yourself using it on the lathe, mill, and drill press. The other I use all the time is a spring loaded tool for marking screw holes for hinges. It has three parts that slide one inside the other. There's the outer barrel, then a spring loaded part with an 82 deg taper that centers itself in the countersunk hole of the hinge. Then a smaller dia springloaded part with a point on the end. One tap with a hammer and you have a perfectly centered punch mark for drilling your pilot holes. I'm at my daughters visiting, but could draw them up when I get home.
 
Tony Pisano said:
Wow, All of these suggestions are bringing back memories of the early 70s. Our first trade school project was a center punch. It involved turning, tapering, knurling, bardening and tempering. I still have mine. Not sure the order, but there were screwdrivers, ball peen hammers, bench blocks etc. For my final project, I made a spring winder. Two projects I still use often was a spring loaded center for tapping. You'll find yourself using it on the lathe, mill, and drill press. The other I use all the time is a spring loaded tool for marking screw holes for hinges. It has three parts that slide one inside the other. There's the outer barrel, then a spring loaded part with an 82 deg taper that centers itself in the countersunk hole of the hinge. Then a smaller dia springloaded part with a point on the end. One tap with a hammer and you have a perfectly centered punch mark for drilling your pilot holes. I'm at my daughters visiting, but could draw them up when I get home.
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Thanks, I would appreciate any plans you would like to post. There doesn't seem to be a lot around for simpler projects. Some of it is just that you can make it up as you go, kind of like the scribe I made above. I can see a hammer being similar that way, you have the head, handle, and perhaps threaded faces if you want to get fancy.
 
Try making some magnet holders. I bought some 1/2" x 1/8" an
ttabbal said:
I haven't run one for a while and I'm getting close to getting my PM 1127VF-LB making chips. I'm curious if there are some fun projects you might recommend? I have a couple in mind, but I thought I'd see what people thought. I don't have a mill, so please keep it to lathe only. I'd prefer things that are useful as well as good for teaching. For material I have various diameter 12L14 and 6061 at the moment.


Layout hammer. I'm told my 5lb sledge isn't a great choice. :D

Captive nut toy

Scribe (Clickspring has a good video)

Gyroscope

Turner's cube

Fire piston (My son would love this...)

Flashlight/lightsaber handle (again, kids)

Chess set (the knight needs to be different, but still..)

Tailstock tap/die holders

Machinist jacks
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Check out some projects on this website:
http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/hstpages.html
Several nifty little projects are lathe-specific and good learning experiences. I've made several magnets (see his 'Magnetic Stickups' tab) which I use all over the shop (his are brass; mine are aluminum). Fun to make, easy, a good learning experience, and functional. Who could ask for anything more?

Regards,
Terry
 
The magnet holders look like fun, I'll have to give it a go.
 
How about a wiggler? It's a slim sprung telescopic cylinder with a point one end, a centre-drilling the other, used for centring punch marks on oddly-shaped parts held in the 4-jaw for drilling, cutting concentric features etc. (tailstock centre goes into the drilling, wiggler point into punch mark, rest a DTI on the wiggler shaft and adjust for zero run-out).

Picture your scriber with a hollow body, and the point backed up by an internal spring and sliding accurately concentric with the outside diameter.

It practices getting a good sliding but non-sloppy fit between the body-cap and the point and also spring seat and inside of the body, taper turning the pretty fine point (and hardening and tempering it), centre-drilling thin shafts (the body). external threading the end of the body for the cap to hold the pointer and internal on the cap itself, knurling or grooving if you want it to look pretty - doable in an evening at most, uses hardly any material.

Dave H. (the other one)
 
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