First threads!

I used PVC pipe fittings to practice with when I started. Painted it red with a sharpe. The color gives you a visual reference. When the color is gone the thread should be done. The color really helps with internal threads. I still color whatever I am threading. With internal threading I like doing it with the tool bit on the backside because the motion/hand movements are the same as with external threading.

What were you referring to when you mentioned counting turns. When I am threading I touch the work using the cross slide and set the cross slide to zero. I also zero the compound. My depth of cut is with the compound. The compound is never backed out. Only the cross slide. The sequence I use is to engage the half nuts. Make the cut and disengage the half nuts at the end of the thread. Then I back out the cross slide and return the carriage to the starting point. Next I return the cross slide to zero and advance the compound a couple of thousands. Engage the half nuts for another pass. Do this over and over until the thread is done.

Another handy skill is to be able to pick up a thread. Mr Pete has a good video on picking up a thread. And then you have metric threading. The fun and the learning never stops.

Congrats on your successful thread.
 
There are milestones for hobby guys, Dave, and you just passed a big one on your first try - way to go!!! From here on, it's just practice and things will improve quickly. First times for anything is special; glad you shared this one with us.
 
mickri said:
I used PVC pipe fittings to practice with when I started. Painted it red with a sharpe. The color gives you a visual reference. When the color is gone the thread should be done. The color really helps with internal threads. I still color whatever I am threading. With internal threading I like doing it with the tool bit on the backside because the motion/hand movements are the same as with external threading.

What were you referring to when you mentioned counting turns. When I am threading I touch the work using the cross slide and set the cross slide to zero. I also zero the compound. My depth of cut is with the compound. The compound is never backed out. Only the cross slide. The sequence I use is to engage the half nuts. Make the cut and disengage the half nuts at the end of the thread. Then I back out the cross slide and return the carriage to the starting point. Next I return the cross slide to zero and advance the compound a couple of thousands. Engage the half nuts for another pass. Do this over and over until the thread is done.

Another handy skill is to be able to pick up a thread. Mr Pete has a good video on picking up a thread. And then you have metric threading. The fun and the learning never stops.

Congrats on your successful thread.
Click to expand...
I lost track when backing the cross slide out. The first couple of passes it didn't take much to back away from the work but when I had to retract more than a a couple of thou I lost track of whether I passed zero or not. So when I went to zero, I was only a few tenths away from zero so I assumed (correctly) that I had gone once around the dial plus a few more.
What I started to do was crank back one revolution and that got me unmuddled.
(not sure that makes any kind of sense...)

Thinking about it more, I now realize that the nerve-wracking part is the cutting part, once the half-nuts are released there's no more "OMG, it's going to crash" panic, so there no reason I can't look down at the cross slide dial and watch what I'm doing.
 
mikey said:
There are milestones for hobby guys, Dave, and you just passed a big one on your first try - way to go!!! From here on, it's just practice and things will improve quickly. First times for anything is special; glad you shared this one with us.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike, wouldn't be here without all of you :)

I brought the piece inside and showed it to my partner and she exclaimed "You made that? Babe that's awesome!"

She's the literal best.
 
Congrats David!
Those look a whole lot better than my first attempt.
 
Well done Dave It's a major milestone for all of us. watch some u tubes by Joe Pie he has some great tips on threading and just about everything else.
 
Oh jeepers! I forgot to set the compound to 29.5 degrees!!!
It was set to 23 degrees.
What impact would that have had on the operation?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Good job on your first thread. Don’t sweat the appearance of the first couple of threads in the pic unless it continues to show up when you cut more threads. Another thing to consider is the tool needs to really be sharp on both edges, leading and trailing, especially when threading aluminum at such a slow speed.

Regarding losing track of how far you backed the cross slide out, FWIW, I’ve developed the habit of backing it out 2 full turns and stopping close to but not on the zero mark. Two turns on my cross slide is .200”, which is more than enough to back out of any thread that I’m likely to cut, and not stopping on zero is an indicator to me that I haven’t cranked it back in for the next pass if I happen to forget whether I cranked it back in or not for the next pass. That has happened to me when I broke my rhythm to measure the thread or test it with a nut. You’ll pick up your own little tricks like that as you go.

Tom
 
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I just saw your last post. That will definitely screw up a thread. (pun intended) ;) Although, more than 30 degrees is much worse. Was that 23 degrees from parallel with the spindle axis or 23 degrees from perpendicular to the spindle axis. If the former, that is really bad news for threading. That might explain the first couple of threads.

Tom
 
Thanks @higgite, I like the idea of picking a set number of turns to back out the cross slide. Seems it would lead to less confusion.

It was 23 degrees from perpendicular to the centre line of the spindle.

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