RE: Lathe for conversions
 

I have the big MSC book. Did I say large? Thing must weigh 10 pounds. Keep it as reference. I like Enco and have seen and had the same issues. Then you click the web page and it gives you a better price yet. Which shell do I pick... Finally decided to use just those 2 and McMaster Carr for supplies etc. All the other suppliers, J&L etc. all sell the same stuff. There is one I used the other day Travers Tool to get an angle vise. May use them again as I found out their store brand TTC is actually Bison brand. Fine vise I might add Just like their chucks I have. Made in Poland. Again Enco has the best freight deals which means a lot with these heavy tools. Ebay has some bargains too. Looked for a rotary table for a year and was about to give up and buy an import when an H-9 Troyke showed up for the same money as a Phase II. Thing was made in 1969 and is far superior to anything I could get today as an import. Needed an oil cup and instructions and Troyke sent them to me FREE. That is service to the end.

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Thanks for the imfo about ordering goodies from these supplier,s. It takes a lot of time to learn all this but with your help and the computer...its coming together a lot faster. Best Regards , Capt,n

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

UP-DATE I have been practicing turning with different cutting tools ect. I have a tool I got from Grizz that really does a nice cut. The tool has to be set about on dead center. I can even cut from end to end with the hand wheel (carriage wheel) and the finish is great. Lots of fun! Capt,n:D:D

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Capt,n. I have a mini lathe users guide I found in my files you may be interested in. Got it from Little Machine Shop. PM me if you are interested as I can't post it here but I can email it to you.

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Capt,n all your tool need to be set so the cutting tip is exactly on the center. The tool is shaped depending on this. To high and you have the work hitting the tool behind the cutting edge, keeping the cutting edge away from the work. To low and you are scraping the work vs cutting it.

I don't know if you've run across this or not, but here is the linke to the U.S. Army's "Fundamentals of Machine Tools", It goes from the really basic, where all of us started, to some really good detial. Good reading on a long winter's night.

http://metalworking.com/tutorials/AR...524-index.html

There is a section on lathe tool bits that you will find informative. I think Sherline also has a "How To" on grinding tool bits, but a quick look didn't turn it up.

Another great source of info is Nick Carters site

http://www.cartertools.com/

While Nick is a Taig dealer and user, his site is not limited to the Taig. Lots and Lots of great stuff.

Don

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

THANKS GUYS! I love this data/web links and good stuff. I read some of each already. I kinda liked what this guys said: Why I Sell Lathes
Every mechanically inclined person innately yearns for a metal lathe, as soon as they find out that they exist. Maybe it comes from years of reading old Popular Mechanics magazines, or a childhood train or gyroscope. When I finally was able to get a lathe, a part of me finally felt whole, yes it sounds maudlin, but it's true, I'm a happier man for learning machining. So it's natural that I would become a bit evangelical about tools, trying to get humanity to realise the potential of their opposable thumb. Friends have learned to steer clear of technical subjects, lest I lead the conversation back to tools. Family has given up, and even visited the Starrett factory on a whim. My wife supports me so many ways, largely by not throwing me out when I drag home some great oily hunk of iron, or make her wait for hours outside a used tool dealer. I have the conviction, and only partly tongue in cheek, that if everyone had a lathe (and mill, and...) the world would change dramatically for the better. Already I have noticed that customers of mine have started doing those things they could only dream of, whether it's making their own R/C helicopter, steam engine, tobacco pipe, rocket engine or some invention so secret they won't even tell me. For those of you who have read Heidegger, I would say that they are achieving attunement with being, or maybe they're just having fun. Whatever is going on, I get the satisfaction of my customers happiness, and that's better than money.

I better stop now, as I feel a tear in my eye (ha!). If you have felt that a part of you was missing, that you could make the world a better place if only you could make a precision gizmo, then by all means, get some tools! It doesn't matter if you buy them from me, only that you get them and start living your dreams. .........This is kinda the way I feel now! Capt,n :D

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Hey Capt,n,

Happy Holiday's!!!

I'll tell ya, you hit the nail on the head. You now have the power to turn a dream into reality.

I have shaved steel for over 20 years before the industry in my area took a hit from NAFTA. Made parts for sub's at Electric Boat to designing die cast machinery and tooling that sold world wide. Used every thing from CNC machinery to flat files. My father and grandfather served there apprenticeship's at Brown & Sharp. 3rd generation machinist... it's genetically in my blood. There is almost nothing better than taking a block of metal and turning it into something useful... it truly is a gratifying feeling.

I have retired from the machine shop industry. I now own and operate a custom wood working business. Still get the feeling of satisfaction from turning a piece of raw material into something useful. I have not missed having access to a machine shop ...until I found the engine conversion page on RCU. I have 3 homelite 25cc engines ....one is complete and on a 120 size Wild Stik. Man... a lathe and Bridgeport would have made quick work of it. Thanks to you, avi8tor,w8ye and all others who have posted on the engine conversion threads.

Very best wishes to you and your endeavors! If you need to pick someones brain.... feel free to send an e-mail!!!

Rich

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Hello Ross[ul][*] Welcome aboard [*] Happy Holidays to everyone[*] Yes..We might want to pick for a few tips!
[*] Well I did a little work to my Lathe. I took the compound apart. I cleaned it first. The gib had a very ragged edge that needed de-burring. I got out a like new hone stone and some thin oil and carefully removed the burr along the edge. I placed the GIB on a flat surface and honed the flat surface of GIB nice and smooth It was real easy. Cleaned up everything again...re-lubed and then re-assembled. Works smooth now. Take Care, Capt,n[*]

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Hello guys: I got a couple of questions about Lathe cutting speeds. I am turning aluminum about 1 inch dia. The carriage takes about 25 seconds to travel 1 inch. Is that about right? It looks like I would need to change the gears to get a lower carriage speed. I have not tried doing that yet. I have a Harbor Freight 8x12 (14) and like it very much. I got my new SPI Dial indicator and I made a very smooth cut. When I checked it...the run-out was zero. The needle did not even wiggle. I checked the same piece before right after I chucked it in Lathe and it had .003+ run-out. I did the best cut by hand...but would like to slow the carriage down and try that. Got to figure out what gears go where!!! If anyone out there has the same Lathe...let me know. Thanks Capt,n;)......ADDED PHOTO

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Capt,n you would need to change gears to change the cutting feed. Speed remains the same but the finer the feed the finer the finish will be. Nice work so far. Be sure to check the tailstock alignment too so you can bore and drill accurate holes. You should be able to get that dialed in as well. I find stub or screw machine drills are better for this as they are more rigid. Also you can use an end mill because the hole will be flat bottomed and not coned. Makes it easier to cut the taper from there and depth is more accurate. Looks like you are ready to part it off. When you do that plunge the blade in a ways and stop. Change tools and put the chamfer on the outer hub face. That way you don't have to re-chuck the work and your chamfer will be prettier. It can be filed but this is easier and safer for you too as a file can get away from you.

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Capt,n, a tip for you. When you set up your dial indicator, make sure you have one full revolution pre-load on the dial. That makes sure you are not measuring air for part of the swing. IF you stock is way off, say when using a four jaw, two or three revs is good.

Three thousands run out on a fresh stick of round stock is very good for a three jaw. Even if you have machinable jaws, which you most likely don't, it is very difficult to get the jaws to close exactly the same way, so run out is expected. That is one reason you try to setup your job so all the machining can be done without removing the stock from the chuck. There are jobs where this just isn't possible, so you plan on how you are going to maintain alignment for the next operation after the piece is parted off. After about 10 years of 40 hour weeks and a lot of instruction from the journeymen, some guys get good at this. Some just never catch on very well. I think I fall in the later group. Well, maybe a bit in between. Always a trick to learn, no mater how long you've been at it.

Don

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

tim: I was going to do the tail-stock alignment withe the dead centers and placing a razor blade like I seen on another website. Then I found out the chuck would have to be unbolted and I do not want to do that. Is there other ways? If I was to place the longest piece of stock and use my new live center...could I make a light cut and if each end then when measured was exactly same dia...would that be good enough? Thanks Capt,n

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Campgems: It was not a fresh stick of stock. I had already turned it down a little and them re-chucked it on the end I machined. I thought maybe that would be a good idea to do on all of my first cuts. Just a guess on my part. I do have to learn how to set the indicator...at first it seems awkward. It is fun experimenting with the tricks you guys give. Keep em coming! I will need em!!!! Capt,n

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Capt,n when I am in a rush, which seems like always these days and didn't want to take the time or put the effort into swapping the chuck for a face plate, then setting up the center and drive dogs etc. I have chucked a center. I primarily use my collet chuck as you have seen in my pictures here which has repeatability of .001, but a little time with an indicator and you could do the same with your chuck I would think. Anyway chuck the center and indicate it for minimal runout. Then install a center in the tailstock. I prefer to use a live center in the tailstock. Now insert your bar. It should have been center marked and drilled already. Next take a light clean up cut along the bar. Then turn a collar at both ends. Now turn a fine cut on the collar at the headstock and without moving a dial settings do the same at the tailstock collar. Measure them with a micrometer. If they are the same size you are in. If not you need to adjust the tailstock one way or the other. Another way you could check the accuracy of your chuck would be to buy a ground dowel maybe 3/4" or so and chuck it and indicate it. There are other ways but under your conditions I would try this first.

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Tim: How would a wrist pin for a automobile engine work for indicating? They are ground to very close tolerances. Thanks Capt,n

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Same idea and you would save 8 bucks too. Not the ideal way to do this but with the limitations of the machine this is about as good as it will get. Did you get the email files I sent to you? Hope it helps you.

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Tim: Did you PM the files or? Capt,n

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

You PMed me and I emailed them to you. It was a mini lathe guide and something else. 44 and the mind is leaving me. [&o]

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

I will have to get back tomorrow....my wife says so!!!! Capt,n[:-] ADDED I sent a PM

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

tim: I got the PDF files and they are kinda interesting. Take a look at this nice Lathe that Big Boat has. It sure looks nice. Thanks Again Capt,n

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

What machine is that? As I get through some of my files I may send you some additional info I have if you are interested. I am converting most of what I have to PDF format. Way easier to store and retrieve than paper all over.

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Here... Herman Buitelaaar into the Netherlands

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Who can explain this gear chart? Say I want to cut 24 threads per inch. What gears has to be in positiod B...D..E...and F? Notice one box lists 2 gears 50 teeth & 40 teeth. Thanks Capt,n

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

Wow! And I thought the thread chart on my 9x20 was a piece of crap.
For 24 TPI; "B" gear gets a 70T, D-E is a stacked gear-a 50 on a 40-the 40 meshed with the "B"(70T), F gets a 100T-meshed with the "D"(50T) . I'm still trying to figure out which are which on the lathe. Maybe you have to re-arrange which is on top & bottom of the stack(s). I notice that for metric, C&B and D&E are both stacked. For inch, only D&E are stacked. Good luck! Enjoy, MIKE

RE: Lathe for conversions
 

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