First cuts - cutting a taper

Thank you. I’m learning each fundamental step one at a time. I actually have a vision of Making replacement brass parts for my vintage scuba regulator refurb “business/hobby”. I charge money but don’t make much so business hobby blurry line.

My path I’ve laid out is:

get the machine tuned up. Goodprogress there

Learn how to measure. I’m pretty comfortable with that. Setting up DI and DTI was the thing I’ve had to learn to do repeatably.

how to grind tools. Did 1, so there is work still.

how to turn right and left to a dimension +/- 005 In brass. Just starting to build basic confidence I can cut, and learning what the machine limits are. I have a bit work here.

how to cut off/part

how to thread i and external.

how to bore and cut internal recesses. To dimension.

how to finish an o ring seating surface in brass.

how to cut snap ring grooves.

make small compression springs (0.031 wire size)

yeah that’s the list. Lol. I’m at the beginning. My goal is to be thru the list once by the spring and be able to make one off items maybe not efficiently, but credibly with patience.

I still need a small band saw and a small drill press. As well as a few attachments / tools (rests, maybe milling attachment, live center some specific drills taps and boring bars). But one step at time on this endeavor.
 
mikey said:
I usually try to suggest new guys work with stuff that are easy to succeed with - 12L14 mild steel, 6061-T6 aluminum, brass, Delrin.
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Definitely agree on this. The stock at the hardware store is awful - the aluminum is pretty bad, the steel immeasurably worse. You'll save money and have more success buying stock online. Ebay has some good reliable sellers, and Hobby Metal Kits is very good for those starting out on bench-sized machines (variety packs, sub-1" diameters, decent prices, pretty low on shipping).
 
topcat41468 said:
I still need a small band saw and a small drill press.
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If you really mean it when you say small, look into a portaband. You can use it on stock held in the vise, and in time upgrade to a SWAG portaband table to mount it to (or, you know, make your own mount).
 
The portaband is exactly my plan. I can only do so much with my jigsaw or angle grinder. Eventually I’m over reaching the tool which results a listening session from my wife About being stupid. I like to avoid to those
 
topcat41468 said:
yeah that’s the list. Lol. I’m at the beginning. My goal is to be thru the list once by the spring and be able to make one off items maybe not efficiently, but credibly with patience.
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If I was sitting next to you, my suggestion would be to learn to use the lathe first, and by that I mean to learn to listen to what the lathe is telling you. There is an extraordinarily complex interaction between depth of cut, speeds and feeds and you really need to understand how they interact. All too many hobby guys start out thinking that they can just dial in some depth of cut, turn on power feed and the lathe is supposed to magically cut whatever they dial in to the ten thousandths of an inch. That is not how this works.

I would have you chuck up some 12L14 mild steel with about 4" sticking out of the chuck and supported by a live center, then learn how to adjust your lead angle, speed and feed to make clean cuts. If it chatters, slow the speed and/or increase the feed. If the finish is off, adjust your lead angle and see how increasing speed and slowing feed improve it. Learn what it takes to actually take off what you intend; can you actually take off 0.005" with control using just your hand wheels? Can you do it twice in a row?

How does your lathe feel and sound when it is taking a maximum cut but is happy doing so? What is the maximum cut your lathe and tooling are capable of making? How small a cut can you take with control and can you do this repeatedly? How does all of that differ when it is taking a much lighter cut but is chattering? Is chatter something you see, feel or hear or is it all of the above? What difference does the tool make and how does altering your lead angle affect the cut and finish?

So much to learn but if you take your time and pay attention to what the lathe is telling you then you will be able to respond to what it says it needs. Take your time, learn how to calculate speeds, learn what optimal feeds are and how they feel when you turn them by hand and know how to adjust both to accommodate the depth of cut you dial in. This connection to your lathe is what will help you the most, of that I am sure.

Oh, and since you just bought some brass, grind a tool like your square tool but leave the top of the tool flat. Hone the side, end and top and put a clean 1/32" nose radius on it and it should cut accurately with a mirror finish in brass.
 
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That lathe will never part well as it is not very robust.

Tighten the gibs on the cross feed and compound and unscrew both feed screws 2 full turns then turn into the cut.

If you need to back off repeat the 2 turns method.

For parting you want the gibs real snug.

Dawn mixed strong works wonders on aluminum as it is very slippery, safe and cheap.

Use a spray bottle and just wet the cut.

Keeps everything real clean, just remember to wipe dry and oil it after.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
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