Craftsman/Atlas 6", what have I gotten my self into?

So the Relton Rapid Tap doesn't smoke to bad?

Two or three cuts with the stuff I'm using and the haze it pretty decent. My wife wasn't thrilled. :)

K
 
The Rapid Tap will smoke if you get it really hot , but not like the black sulfur oil and it doesn't have that awful smell . A nice feature about that can that is shown in the RT link is that you unscrew cap and take out the "application nozzle' (for lack of a better word) you flip it around and then screw the cap on over it and cut the tip off . The tube is about 4" long and about .100 at the tip , so application is precision , if you need the hole bigger you just cut further down the tube (the hole is tapered) . At least that's the way it was when I was buying it by the case , I bought a can the other day and it came like this https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn...MIt5zjqN-J1wIVg7fACh1BuQRkEAQYASABEgLYwvD_BwE
I was kind of disappointed I really liked the can , but the plastic bottle does have a nice app tip that you can flip up .
 
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Another bad feature about water soluble at least in a production environment is that you are constantly skimming the sump for tramp oil (I just used a vacuum) and now you are stuck with waste oil . One more thing and this is the worst , say you don't use the sump for a week when you do turn it on it smells like something died in there .
 
Well, I think I'll shy away from the water soluble stuff then. :)

The stuff I have now instantly turns to smoke, light cuts, doesn't matter. It just tap oil so it was never meant for any kind of speed.

K
 
Just a project update. Life kind of derailed me working on the lathe, you just never know what's going to to happen sometimes.

Anyway, I had to use the lathe to cut down some pop-rivets (yes, I needed a length that turned out to be uncommon) so it got my interest fired up again. I did get a new (to me) lead screw so now the power feed works. I really want to thread something, no reason why other then it seems like a good challenge.

I do want to get a scroll chuck. Working on small stuff (ie the rivets) the 4 jaw was a bit of a pain. Has anyone used the Shars chucks? I've read some reviews that say they're OK, not great. We're talking about a 6" Craftsman lathe here so OK might be just the ticket.

The biggest issue I have at the moment is the more I look at project I want to do the more it's becoming clear I need a mill to go with the lathe!

K
 
kopeck said:
I do want to get a scroll chuck. Working on small stuff (ie the rivets) the 4 jaw was a bit of a pain. Has anyone used the Shars chucks? I've read some reviews that say they're OK, not great. We're talking about a 6" Craftsman lathe here so OK might be just the ticket.

The biggest issue I have at the moment is the more I look at project I want to do the more it's becoming clear I need a mill to go with the lathe!
Click to expand...

I also started with a lathe and then realised I also could use a mill. Finally got a second hand mill 14 months ago.

My second hand Grizzly metal lathe came with a Shars 6in adjustable chuck. I really like this chuck. I have no experience with other Shars chuck, but if I needed another chuck I would likely get one from Shars.

Shars adjustable 3 jaw chuck
 
Hi kopeck , here are some chucks . This one I think is pretty cool if you don't need through spindle . Although with this one you need to use a draw bar . https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-3-JW-MT2-2MT-SELFCENTER-MORSE-TAPER-MINI-CHUCK-LATHE/350977606424?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 This one is probably the same one Shars is selling but with either of these chucks you need the adapter plate https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1187&category=566826475
Also It would be easy and inexpensive to make a collet system .
 
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If you do a lot of machining of very small parts like rivets, you would be better served by either a Jacobs 3-jaw spindle chuck No. 56B or by collets.
 
I think I'm going to get just their plain 4" 3 jaw with a 1-8 backing plate.

wa5cab, I was kicking my self for not having a MT 2 to MT 1 sleeve. The chuck would have been ideal, I was just parting off to make them smaller.

I played with some 1" aluminum just because last night. Messed around with spindle speeds, I have the feed at the slowest setting. I found a combo that cut really well and left a really nice finish. I'm pretty excited to get some more "real" projects going.

K
 
Did you notice you're the long-sought ideal Newbie ? The Oft-Asked Thread
Question-- if everything is clean and tight , back off the chuck a couple of
turns. Give it a smart turn ( RH ) and if you can't unscrew it easily by hand
You're safe enough. Do Not try any cutting operations! BLJHB
 
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