Thread: What did you learn today?

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Meant task about this yesterday ................. Am struggling to understand the significance of this post - was there a hexagonal nut running inside a cylindrical bush or are you annoyed because the thing spinning inside the bush is made of bronze and that material is not appropriate to run inside a bush ?

Bill

Hi Bill,
There is a round bronze nut that spins inside this bush, its the nut for the tailstock barrel. The bit that i am annoyed about is that the machining of the ID of the bush id appalling, lots of fine chatter. Run something soft like bronze in it and it acts like a file, slowly wearing down the bronze until it has .5mm clearance like it does now..... Since i cant build up the bronze easily i will have to make a new bush.

Ew

When I got my old Nuttall lathe it did not have a cross slide wheel. It was pinched to fit to a newer lathe before I got hold of the Nuttall. This newer lathe, with the hand wheel still attached are now in my shed.

I made a hand wheel as my first project. I did not have any material the right size so I welded up a hexagon shape from 16mm square black mild steel and turned the final shape from this. It worked out fine.

One of the first projects for the new lathe is to make a new handwheel for the cross slide. The old Nuttall one looks totally out of place. Luckily the graduation ring is still in place so I don't have to worry about that with this one. I will pull it all apart and check for any other damage from when it was dropped on its face during installation at work.

Dean

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Today I learned how to use a tap and a die ............................ I know .................... most first year apprentices learned how to do this from their Dad when they were children.

What a buzz ! Never ever thought I'd be able to do that.

Cut the female thread in the drill press simply by turning the chuck by hand with a bit of gentle pressure on the lever

Started the bolt on the lathe by pushing the tailstock onto the die holder and turning the belt (9" Hercus) - this was a bit awkward but made a square start.

Finished the bolt in the vice

Bought the toolset from Aldis for $20 - I think it was reduced from original price - matching drills and taps and dies for common small metric and imperial threads - made somewhere in Germany.

Absolutely chuffed ................

Bill

Bill,

Rather than grappling with the belt, an expanding mandrel fitted with a handle and inserted in the spindle is a real useful device for hand threading. I used a cast Hercus handle but something else would do the job. One of my favourite accessories for my 9. https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...97#post1496597

Bob.

Hi Bill,
there is another way but it can end up being a bit scary to do, called trepanning.
Here is a short video I found, not great but it gives you the idea.

Phil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-t8m3YTTu8

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Is there a better way to do this ? ..................... and the right answer isn't "Buy a milling machine"

Plasma cutter.

PDW

Originally Posted by steamingbill

1. How to make a wheel from flat plate
Is there a better way to do this ?

You could chain drill, then grind it smooth.

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

Hi Bill,
there is another way but it can end up being a bit scary to do, called trepanning.
Here is a short video I found, not great but it gives you the idea.

Phil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-t8m3YTTu8

Thanks Phil,

Certainly very much faster than what I did, will have a go, and will give some valuable grinding practice as well.

Am a bit nervous - will screw both waste and core plug to a piece of sacrificial plywood just in case something interesting happens with the loose bit.

Depending upon the shape of the original blank the trepanning could cut a lot less metal.

Bill

When you have just opened a brand new 4 litre can of "Dance Studio" blue gloss Metalshield paint, and have given it a good stir ready for use, don't wander around the carport with it while turning on the overhead light and then over to the other side, leaning over to find the plug for the flouro, all the while leaving a continuous stream of lovely blue paint on the concrete and down your pant leg, over your foot and sandal and pooling on the floor.

What annoyed me the most, other than my stupidity, was the wasted time cleaning it up with the assistance of my wonderful wife and the loss of my sandal. It did not like turps. I still have the other one tho. I did get to slop on some blue paint tho.

Dean

Couple of things today

1. (previously learnt but it slipped) how easy it is to get into trouble with women. (Yes I'm a bit slow)

2. Close call didn't quite do but was looking at pulling the little welder/plasma cutter apart because it wouldn't strike
an arc when I went to weld. All cables tight at each end, light is on, correct settings etc etc then moved the little mig
sitting next to it and realized I had the hand piece for the stick welder and earth lead for the mig and almost
pulled the welder apart to see what was wrong

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

Couple of things today

1. (previously learnt but it slipped) how easy it is to get into trouble with women. (Yes I'm a bit slow)

2. Close call didn't quite do but was looking at pulling the little welder/plasma cutter apart because it wouldn't strike
an arc when I went to weld. All cables tight at each end, light is on, correct settings etc etc then moved the little mig
sitting next to it and realized I had the hand piece for the stick welder and earth lead for the mig and almost
pulled the welder apart to see what was wrong

You don't give any details on your first issue Claw Hama, of course we are all sympathetic and all, but we need info and possibly pictures if we are to be of any help.
Hopefully no claret spilt or bridges burnt, and everything good now!
Dean that sounds pretty rough, it's not just the lost paint, but the lost time as you say, and even forgetting the sandal, it's damn hard to get every trace of paint removed without making some some other blemish on something. Better luck in future
Rob

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

Couple of things today

1. (previously learnt but it slipped) how easy it is to get into trouble with women. (Yes I'm a bit slow)

2. Close call didn't quite do but was looking at pulling the little welder/plasma cutter apart because it wouldn't strike
an arc when I went to weld. All cables tight at each end, light is on, correct settings etc etc then moved the little mig
sitting next to it and realized I had the hand piece for the stick welder and earth lead for the mig and almost
pulled the welder apart to see what was wrong

Won't go near 1 except to hope the recommunication is effective and positive.

As for 2, glad you picked it before dismantling started. I find it scary how my preconceptions can colour my thinking at times. always a good reminder to think logically and to check the basics. for me... ,
with things that use 'trickity... is power available?

Learned how to cut threads on the lathe - WOW ! thats amazing ......................... bit unnerving how fast the carriage can whizz along on a coarse thread - I bet theres been some interesting incidents due to this.

Not so sure about this next one ....................... learned how to mill on the lathe ............... have had various opinions regarding some cutters I got with the lathe ............ some folk say they are reamers others say they are milling cutters.

Sick and tired of not knowing what to do with them so I had a go at using as a milling cutter. Seemed to work okay 0.005" at a time.

See photos - was this stupid or dangerous ? They look very much like the milling cutters I see in very old books and magazines. Each cutter on its own morse taper, like a morse taper drill bit.

So at the moment quite happy with all of the above.

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Learned how to cut threads on the lathe - WOW ! thats amazing ......................... bit unnerving how fast the carriage can whizz along on a coarse thread - I bet theres been some interesting incidents due to this.

Not so sure about this next one ....................... learned how to mill on the lathe ............... have had various opinions regarding some cutters I got with the lathe ............ some folk say they are reamers others say they are milling cutters.

Sick and tired of not knowing what to do with them so I had a go at using as a milling cutter. Seemed to work okay 0.005" at a time.

See photos - was this stupid or dangerous ? They look very much like the milling cutters I see in very old books and magazines. Each cutter on its own morse taper, like a morse taper drill bit.

So at the moment quite happy with all of the above.

well done mate. lots of people use there lathe to do small milling jobs.
Ive only ever done it with a lathe cutting tool set up in a 4 jaw.
aaron

Did 2 jobs on 4 jaw chuck.

Used dial gauge to centre the cylindrical pieces. A liitle confusing but managed ok.

Was fluttering +/- .0005 ie completely within two 1/1000th lines - decided that was good enough

Should I be able to get the needle on the gauge rock solid with absolutely no movement at all showing on the gauge when the piece is securely held in the jaws ? (edited after Pipeclay's response)

If you cannot centre the piece could it mean that the piece is slightly oval shaped and not a perfect circle ?

.............. I also learned that Machinery Handbook has 2556 pages ...... what a monster .........

Bill