First post and first project!

M

Mxmark4

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Apr 19, 2017
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So i have been trolling around here but was unsure of what to post, and basically had a lathe sitting with no tooling to work on anything. I got a steal on this grizzly mini lathe,but found the three inch chuck was worthless. A quick call to little machine shop got me a 5 inch chuck, qctp, and some basic tooling coming. After a long day working on a subaru( my real job) i had inspiration for my first project. I built a cam seal installer for the ej series engines subaru has used for years. I measured the cam diameter of the car on my lift at work, and once I got home I got my new lathe parts installed and got to cutting. Center drilled a piece of aluminum and then opened it up to size with a boring bar. What a slow process compared to the old south bend I got to use back in high school. After getting my piece bored to the correct diameter, i parted it off. Yet another process that took way longer than expected. All in all not a bad way to start my machining experience.
 
Welcome to H-M! Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and you have proven that to be so. Good to see that you jumped right in when there was a need. Before you know it you'll be making more complicated projects.
 
Welcome aboard. Sounds like you are off to a good start.
 
Now for a stupid question. Anybody knowhow i can get more height adjustment out of an oxa tormach tool post? I cant seem to get my quick change holders to slide all the way down to the bottom of the tool post
 
No such thing as a stupid question! The only thing that I can think of is that the stud on which the adjustment nut resides is too short, but that seems a little odd to me. So, I assume that you have already screwed the adjustment and lock nuts further up the stud. If something else is creating the interference and preventing the tool holder from sliding all the way down, start looking for burrs and such that might be creating the problem.

Does each toolholder stop at the same place on the toolpost?
 
So were the adjustment nut a snake it would have bit me. I walked back out to garage after posting that and immediately saw what was holding me too high. Was an issue last night when i made the part and was an issue this morning during parting. At least now i know so I can move forward having learned one thing today!
 
Excellent!! Learning is what this place is all about! Glad to know that you're moving forward, we'll be looking forward to hearing more from you in the future. Don't be bashful, we were all new to this at one time or another, except for Bill Gruby. He was born with a file in one hand and a micrometer in the other. :D
 
Here is a trick for correctly setting the height of your cutting tool:
First, make absolutely sure that the lathe is shut off.
Next, using a machinists pocket rule or similar piece of thin flat stock, place it between the lathe tool bit and the work, and move the cross slide toward the work until there is just enough pressure to hold the rule in place against the work. If the rule is standing straight up and down, the tool is at the correct height. If the top of the rule is leaning toward you, the tool is too low, and obviously is too high if the rule is leaning away from you.
 
+1 on what Terry said. It works, and if you were having problems with tool setting, Then yea parting and such would have been slow and hard to control properly.
Again welcome to the site. Join in and have fun.
 
Thanks for the tips! Was planning on making a tool tonight from stainless to core out apples for my two kids and to use with my dehydrator, but not having much luck turning down the stainless tube i got. I am lined up centered to work, and using carbide bits. Is this more a limitation of the mini lathe or incorrect tooling?
 
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