Or as we used to say. Keep the work as long as possible for as long as possible.

regards Martin

Anyone have any other hints.

And therein lies one of the challenges of using up those short bits and bar ends that fill up your scrap box….

So resist the challenge, and don't keep so many. I gained a spare drawer in the toolbox by binning 12 years worth of such scrap. The space is far more valuable than random bits of material too short to be of any practical use.

It's very useful too being able to transfer the chuck with the work still in it, to the mill or bench-drill. I have a Warco dividing-head that accepts Myford chucks, and made an adaptor to hold a Myford nose-piece on the jig-borer (though at some loss of the already limited headroom).

For parting-off though I prefer to cut partially to depth first, to a shade below what will be the floors on such features as flats or scalloping. This gives the parting-tool a continuous surface both starting and completing the operation.

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I have used the hole in a block of wood trick successfully, but would make a spindle plug reasonably long (1 – 2 inches): a semi-rigid plastic like Nylon or PVC, or even hardwood, would be fine. If you envisage a lot of work using long stock it may be worth fitting a tube on a stand behind the headstock, to support and enclose the bar completely. Even then a support-plug at the bar end as well as spindle would be a wise idea, but consider how to deal with the seam if you use ERW steel tube.

Such a stand was a standard accessory for capstan lathes. The tube could be swung outwards at the lathe end for loading, and for a capstan was also fitted with a bar-feeder that pushed the material up a to stop set as one of the tailstock tools.

Like many one of the older pieces of advice is measure twice and cut once. With me I measure once mark the piece then measure three or more times and sometimes have still got it wrong especially when I have used the depth mic and read the scale the wrong way

I do the same for milling whenever I can. For me it normally makes putting things in the vice easier.

Never start anything that you dont know how to stop….

I use up offcut leftovers/scraps by mounting in soft jaws or step chucks or, if there is a through hole, stick the piece on a mandrel with some Loctite for between centres turning (keep it cool). The result is not too much in the way of left over offcuts. The other thing I do is dismount the chuck with the workpiece in it for milling/drilling to maintain the work-holding position for as long as possible. Clamping a chuck to the mill bed is sometimes the easiest work-holding for things that have been started on the lathe.

Martin C

If it ain't broke don't fixed it

H