Thread: Chris's 2nd Build "Big K4huna"

Thanks for the response Chris, so are you happy with stand rack and pinion or is roller pinion that much better. Excuse my ignorance but us newbies need to ask all these questions!

Cheers
Steve

Originally Posted by stevejw

Thanks for the response Chris, so are you happy with stand rack and pinion or is roller pinion that much better. Excuse my ignorance but us newbies need to ask all these questions!

Cheers
Steve

I would be the last you would want to ask, this is the first time I have ever used a R&P.

But I would think a roller pinion would be better but I dont have any experience using it so its only my opinion based on its design, but it would be harder to incorporate it into a design + more expencive I would guess.

If you wanted to go with something better than the standard, I guess you could get a anti-backlash pinion and/or use helical gear rack and pinions.

The roller R&P is, as I understand it, heap and heaps more expensive ... talking probably 5 times or there abouts. Brilliant for a fully pro job where cost does not matter, but for us amateurs really out of the ballpark!

Cheers,
Alan

Got a little lucky at the recycling place today.

Picked up a massive 25mm sheet. A little larger than what I wanted of 20mm but it should do the trick for the X axis main mounts.

Scratched up and has #### all over it but it comes up alright nothing some sandpaper cant get out.

Since it was all they had I bought it, they had some 6mm signs about 150x800 long but 6mm is a bit too thin I was wanting 12mm.


They said they always scrap the thicker stuff, only reason I saw this is because it just got dropped off.

Paid $4/KG, is just under 1300x900

Hi Chris,
The dirt will come off and you will have a useful piece of plate, all you have to do is cut it.

I received my aluminium today as well 100 x 12 x 3000 for sides to mount the bearings on and for the cross brace for the center mounted Acme Lead Screw. Could also use for the Z axis mounts I suppose.

Cheers
Steve

Originally Posted by stevejw

I received my aluminium today as well 100 x 12 x 3000 for sides to mount the bearings on and for the cross brace for the center mounted Acme Lead Screw. Could also use for the Z axis mounts I suppose.

Cheers
Steve

Thats a odd size. Did you buy it retail or pick it up from the recyclers?

I'll probbaly go down there again soon and ask if they can keep some 12mm aluminium plate for me if possible.

Hi Chris,
It is new from a fabricator the one I posted in thread. Their name is Rapid Fab and they are on the Gold Coast, check out my thread for the web site. 100 x 12 x 3000mm cost me $116 delivered.


Cheers
Steve

Originally Posted by stevejw

Hi Chris,
It is new from a fabricator the one I posted in thread. Their name is Rapid Fab and they are on the Gold Coast, check out my thread for the web site. 100 x 12 x 3000mm cost me $116 delivered.


Cheers
Steve

Not bad, tried dealing with Capral here in NSW and they were such a pain in the #### to just get a quote on 300x600x20mm plate.

Thanks for that and the price I was about to message you about it. I'll give them a ring soon and probbaly order some aluminium from them as I need some 12 and 16mm also.

Hi Chirs
Smile on your win - retail for 1.17m2 of 25mm plate is $904.47inc GST.
It will clean up like new and I have had a lot worse to work with. If you are going to face it with a cutter then leave it as it is, otherwise a random orbital with a 180 disk will make it like new with a satin finish. Leave any deep gouges as you can fill these with bog and paint the plates. More important to keep the faces reasonably flat.

100 by 12 bar is a standard section in ally.
Steve posted a link in his thread to these people and they are selling it at 32/m plus gst

Check the price of the 25mm plate there as well.

You blokes are good - I have to learn to type quicker

Originally Posted by rodm

100 by 12 bar is a standard section in ally.
Steve posted a link in his thread to these people and they are selling it at 32/m plus gst

I didnt think of the bars as I didnt think they would go that thick and wide.

Thats even better I was starting to think of how they cut it and how accurate it would be but as a extruded bar it would be spot on.

Went down to Hare and Forbes and they didnt have the lathe I wanted again so I just bought a different one. Ended up getting the AL-54B

I pretty much know how the lathe works and everything but the tailstock? (is that what it is called) im not sure how these bits are spose to fit in.

I told the guy what I wanted to do and he picked out a drill chuck and (bore?) for it + a live center.

Now how are these spose to attach to the tailstock? The 2 dead centres were included with the lathe and only the small one can fit into the tailstock. The operational manual supplied doesnt include any useful information about this, pretty much just how you put it back together after pulling it apart.

What am I doing wrong? since the Large dead center is bigger than the drill and Live center Im sure theres something I am missing.

Even the package contents are all there so nothing seems to be missing.



Im starting to think he gave me the wrong size, but if that was the case then why was a larger dead center included with the lathe?


Not sure but is the larger one for the headstock? that would mean the tailstock is 2MT not 3MT as in the specs as thats all I can think of. The included accessories says a 2MT dead center from memory which would be the small one. But the specs on the site say its a 3MT.

Ch4iS

What you have is right, generally the head stock has a bigger morse taper that the tail stock. This is so you can slide larger sized diameter up into the head stock bore.

You would have been supplied 2 dead centres, one for the tail stock and one for the head stock. This is for turning in between centres generally with a face plate and drive dog (generally).

You would also have got a sleeve to put one dead centre in then put this in the head stock.

The additional live centre and chuck appear to be a smaller morse taper, this is not a problem. All you have to do is buy a sleeve to take it to the next size.

A live centre is better than a dead centre (in the tail stock) as it spins with the job and doesn't need grease to reduce friction. My advise would be to only use the dead centre in the head stock (as it spins with the job) and use the live centre in the tail stock.

Hope this make sense and helps you out.

Rick

Originally Posted by Squirrel

You would also have got a sleeve to put one dead centre in then put this in the head stock.

The additional live centre and chuck appear to be a smaller morse taper, this is not a problem. All you have to do is buy a sleeve to take it to the next size.
Rick

I think its the other way around being too big for the tailstock. I understand the big dead center now going into the headstock and the smaller going into the tailstock but the drill and live center seem to be a size in the middle of the 2.

I'll have to go back if this is the case I just want to make sure I am right in that I was given the wrong sizes.

Originally Posted by Ch4iS

I think its the other way around being too big for the tailstock. I understand the big dead center now going into the headstock and the smaller going into the tailstock but the drill and live center seem to be a size in the middle of the 2.

I'll have to go back if this is the case I just want to make sure I am right in that I was given the wrong sizes.

Hi Chris,
Their site only show 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6MT taper centers, also specs for the AL-54B shows Head stock as 4MT and tail stock as 3MT.

Cheers
Steve