captinjohn

RunningMan: Very good idea. You know I had a set of feeler gauges....I have not seen them for a long time. I may have loaned them out???? best Regards Capt,n

Campgems

Capt'n you will need to set up the shims for each tool. The tools vary and if you are using HSS tooling, recomended, each time you sharpen a tool you need to adjust the height.

This isn't a major demand on your time. You will find for the most part, you will use a tool for facing, a right hand cutting tool and a cut off tool. When you get into threading, you will also have a threading tool. That's four tool bits in your post. So unless you damage a tool, quite common at first, or wear one down needing re-sharpining, all you have to do is rotate the 4 way so the tool you want is in position to work.

With the Qucik Change tool post, you lock your tool in the holder, then set the height adjustments. Now each time you chang tools, you just drop the new holder onto the tool post and lock it. That's why the quick change is really the way to go. You can have as many tool holders as your wallet will stand, each setup with a tool for a specific purpose. With the 4 way, you can still have all the tools, but you need to setup the shims each time you change a tool in the post. It is easy to just setup the height, and then use a fine point sharpie pen and note the amount of shims required for that tool. Next time you use it, you assemble the set of shims required and lock it down

I might mention here that you have to be very careful of having a clean post when changing tools, All you shim measurements go out the window if there is s chip or clump of crud under the tool when you lock it down. Same for mounting the tool post on the cross slide.

Don

captinjohn

GUYS: Is it necessary to lock the carriage when facing off a 1 to 1 1/4 inch dia piece of round stock aluminum? Or is it just ok to hold the carriage feed wheel with left hand? [:-]

Campgems

Capt'n, holding the feed wheel MAY be OK. If you want absolutely flat faces though, lock the carrage and use the compound to set you depth of cut That eliminates any chatter due to backlash and also any drifting of the hand holding the feed.

Don

captinjohn

What size threads are on a Zenoah (Redmax engine) of about 43cc? It may be Metric... 10 MM of which there is 3 different threads per inch or it may be american. Please let me know where I can look up this data. Thanks Capt,n

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

10mm by 1.25 pitch..
You're gonna get an education learning to cut threads, have patience, it will happen...Go slow at first..
Practice on a straight piece of aluminum, with no shoulder to get close to...You need a quick right hand to stop at the right time and avoid crashing into a shoulder...You'll see
Tool height and perfect alignment of the threading tool are keys to good threads....

captinjohn

RCIGN1: Hey...Your the Man!!! I am not going to think about cutting threads yet. I want to tap a adapter that will thread onto the crankshaft of my EB431 Red Max engine. I plan on using lathe to drill the correct size hole and then tap it by turning the chuck by hand. I will back it off a bit to clear threads and lube as I tap. I will have the tail-stock loose so tap can draw into hole. I think it should work ok. Boy ....the threads look finner than 1.25 per inch. But if I mess it up , I can try again on a new piece of stock. Thanks Capt,n UPDATE After much looking I found all 3 of my 10 MM Taps....The 1.00 pitch seems to line up perfect with crank threads!!! I may try it....but I will check more first.

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

I was wrong, the 1.25 is for the prop bolt, the crank is finer....

captinjohn

Do you think my method of taping is OK? I got some tap Magic oil...is that good for aluminum. I guess some guys use WD-40? Thanks again, Capt,n ADDED...I wish I could do work like in photo below!

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Tap majic, or tapmatic! I use tapmatic at work and at home a lot on steel and aluminum. MUCH BETTER than wd-40. I have to hide the taps here at work cause the other morons in the lab keep breaking them.
Edwin

captinjohn

Edwin: Its Tap Majic. Hey guys...I got the adapter done and when I placed prop on it, I realized the dia should be bigger at prop end for better seating. Would it work to add a 3/16 thick aluminum washer for the face part? I could pin it to hub shaft with 2 steel pins to prevent slippage. I got to buy some larger round stock for these bigger engines. Or should I just scrap this adapter? Thanks Capt,n

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

They make a Tap Magic just for aluminum....

http://www.tapmagic.com/TMaluminum.htm

Campgems

Capt'n I would scrap it, Ahh I mean put it aside for future projects. Placing a washer is just one more joint in the link to fail. Pining means drilling a cross hole through the adaptor, and that will lend to a weak point.

Check with Enco or McMasters for stock. They have a very good selection and quick turnaround time.

If I were making the adaptor, I would make the base of it on the flywheel size almost flywheel size. I would then make the prop side the diameter of the thrust washer. In fact, I would make the adaptor the thrust washer. Taper from the thrust washer to the flywheel side. This is going to add a bit of weight to the adaptor, but it will give you the strength you need for a big prop. You might do some caculations and see if a steel adaptor with a thinner body would keep the weight in line.

One last point, hand threading doesn't result in a very true thread, espically when you are dragging the tail stock along. From your description, I am assuming that the thread locates the adaptor. I would do everything I could to make sure that the thread is exactly center line on the crank. If you are making an adaptor for a lathe, you first make the female thread and face that side of the stock off. Then you mount the stock on the nose of the lathe and machine the OD and outside face. You could do something like this by first mounting an adaptor blank, facing it off, the do a small pilot bore through the stock. Now, using your boring bar, or making a boring tool from a fresh HSS tool bit, bore the adaptor to the tap drill size. This gives you a dead center hole to tap, not one on an angle or off center. Without changing the setup, use your dead center in the tail stock and place the tap, taper or plug, not bottom, in the hole and run your dead center to the hole in the tap shank. You now lock your head stock and turn the tap with a small crescent wrench using the tail stock to start the feed. You want the dead center applying pressure for the full tapping part of this job. Now, once you have the adaptor tapped, put a relief on the back side at least 1 and better two threads deep to make sure you are getting a face to face seat, and not binding on the bottom of the threads on the crank. While you have this setup going, make a couple more adaptor blanks, just in case and for the next engine. Now, get yourself a piece of steel rod, in your case at lease three times the diameter of your thread. Chuck it up and turn it to nominal thread size, leaving a square face. Now, you get to play with threading. thread shank as tight to the shoulder as you can. Once you have this threaded and cleaned up, you will, without removing it from the chuck, screw on one of the adaptors. Turn down the OD to suit you and face off the prop side. Unscrew it and screw on another blank and have at it again. You can even set up a tool bit to cut in the knurling on the thrust washer.

Don

captinjohn

Campgems: Thanks for the very good data on how to make adapters the right way. I will save the one I made for a smaller prop set-up. Is knurling very touchy to do on a aluminum adapter on the very end of it? Thanks capt,n

Campgems

"Is knurling very touchy to do on a aluminum adapter on the very end of it?"

Face knurling is hard, but when you step back and see what you need, it's a surface that will bite into the prop to keep it from slipping. Given that is the goal, what I have done is to set up a V shaped tool bit so it is 90 degrees from the normal orentation along the axis of the tool, not the lathe. I use it as a shapper bit. With the spindle stopped, and locked if you can, You position the tool as close to center of the face as you can and feed it in until there is a bit of pressure on it. Now crank your cross slide out until the tool clears the adaptor. It should have cut a fine grove on the way out. Go back and repeat it a couple more times. Then you rotate and do it again for the next grove. If you don't have an index plate built in on your lathe, you can rig up something to lock the gears and accomplish the same thing. Kind of think of slicing a pie. Depending on how many groves you want/need, you can cut six full center to the outside, the go 3/4 of that distance equally spaced between the long groves. Then do the same with 1/2 length inbetween the groves again. If you run everything to the center, you will loose a lot of surface do to the lines overlaying adjacent lines.

If you look at the Great Planes aluminum backed spinners, they use a V cutter on a mill setup to do the same thing, only with fewer lines. It doesn't look a nice as a sprial knurl, but it is just as functional.

Don

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

A 1/2 inch square tool bit with straight knurl on the end is easy, just turn on the lathe and run it across the end of the hub...Keep pressure on the tool with the handwheel, more pressure, deeper knurl....

captinjohn

RCIGN1: I do not have a knurling tool yet. I have got most all tools so far fro Grizz...but I am wondering if Enco, Harbor Freight, Northern Tool or some other place may have a better price with about same quality. I think each one of the suppliers may have good and not so good prices on this Lathe stuff. Thanks for the advice on how to Knurl. Capt,n

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

$15.32 two wheels and diamond pattern cutters....

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

$7.91 with straight cutter. But wheel is 1/4" wide and shank is 1/2" square...

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=250-1740

captinjohn

Guys...I know a guy that works in a tool room. Since I only need it to do prop hubs. Why not take a small steel gear and sharpen the teeth to make a custom look and not the standard cross hatch design. The steel gear would have to mounted on a holder to turn. Anyone think this Idea may work? Best Regards Capt,n UPDATE....Maybe a HELICAL gear for neat design!!!

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

I use on like the bottom picture, it's at least 5 years old, still works fine...


Edit: Moderator changed The word "top" to "bottom" because the moderator changed the orientation of the pictures in his own post.....

Campgems

The two wheel knurl is only for OD on rounds. The single wheel straignt will work for thrust washers. Get one with as corse a wheel as possible. They come is different patterns. Look at Enco-Online.com They have replacement wheels and you can play with different pitches. Just remember that a knurl is going to have a bit of a problem on a face like a thrust washer. You get some slipage which translates to torn teeth on the job. The outside wants to turn faster than the inside but can't. That is why I like cutting in the ribs with a standard tool bit. You end up with a cleaner cut. Now, if they just had a tapered knurl.

FYIW
Don

captinjohn

Has anyone tried sorta tilting the knurling set-up by shimming the holder a bit. Tilting the outside of the wheel about 15 degrees. Kinda like giving it a steering effect around a corner. I will experiment when I get one. Most likely a single wheel strait cut. Thanks Capt,n

Campgems

The issue is that youe need wider spacing on the outer edge than on the inner edge. Even if you could force that much angle with the knurl, which you can't, you would end up with a surface that only the outer ring would meet the prop, loosing most of your holding surface.

A simple solution is to not use knurling at all, but cut a donut of 100 grit emery "cloth" and contact cement it to the adaptor face with the grit to the prop.

Don

flipflop

I use the two wheel knurling tool, but for this job, you only use one wheel. You'll be cutting with the top wheel and it must be positioned as pictured with the cutting teeth angled down and towards the center. Just run it up to the face of the prop hub, give it a shot of WD-40 to help flush out the chips, apply a little pressure like Ralph said. Takes about 20 seconds. This method makes nice spiral knurls.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Love it, Just learned something. Thanks guys. So simple and staring me right in the face.
Edwin