Hints and tips

[mgjParticipant @mgj]

Oh, I thought using and or making a mandrel handle counted as one.

 

BTW, I note that the lunatics are actually running the asylum nowadays

 

Toolmex in Wincanton do all sorts of spiral taps, and reamers too in all sorts of tolerances – not just the bog standard H5. Spotting drills etc but Oh lord do they cost. good quality though.

 

(but not collets Chris)

However, I am reminded (by Chris) of a threading H&T. Of a blind hole. Cut with taper tap, plug hole with grease, use plug tap. Forces swarf out of deep holes nicely – not as nicely as compressed air, but useful al the same.

Also don’t use more than 80-85% engagement. A lot of figures quote 90-95% engagement sizes and thats tap breaking country without adding anything to strength.

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Here’s two old tips, I’ve not seen written down, probably too basic for most of you lot. 1:-after setting up for thread cutting put a pencil in tool post and “cut the thread” then check pitch, saves some grief. 2:-for all of us without QCTs ,glue the shims to the tool after setting CH. Any old glue will do, saves some grief.

[D.C.ClarkParticipant @d-c-clark]

Posted by Gordon W on 14/11/2009 10:07:44:

Here’s two old tips, I’ve not seen written down, probably too basic for most of you lot. 1:-after setting up for thread cutting put a pencil in tool post and “cut the thread” then check pitch, saves some grief. 2:-for all of us without QCTs ,glue the shims to the tool after setting CH. Any old glue will do, saves some grief.

 

 

Re 1: Alternatively, paint the work with layout fluid or marking pen.  The cutting tool at zero depth should just cut away the paint; verifying the pitch, cylindricity, and the zero setting.

 

Re 2: Good idea, thanks.

 

David Clark in Southern Maryland, USA

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

One I saw in an old book,for holding thin tube in a chuck without distorting it.Take a short length of steel bar and around its circumfence drill and tap three holes(for three jaw chuck,4 for 4 jaw),put in grub screws and place inside the tube,unscrew the screws until they are a firm fit in the tube,put the tube in the chuck with the bolt heads under the jaws,sounds as though it should work.Found it-“Popular Mechanics Lathe Handbook no1”.IAN S C

[D.C.ClarkParticipant @d-c-clark]

When machining very thin sections there are 2 issues; holding the work without distortion, and machining without deflecting or even tearing the part.  One solution is to embed the work in machinable wax or cerro alloy.  Fill your thin tube with one of these casting materials, machine, then melt the filling material out.  These materials can be reused any number of times.  They are also useful for making temporary jigs and fixtures as they can be cast around the work to achieve perfect contact over any area.  Think also liquid shims, poured into a void and allowed to harden — melted away when done.  Handy stuff.

 

David Clark in Southern Maryland, USA

[John Wood1Participant @johnwood1]

A great lot of information and a super idea for a thread.

 

All this talk about 4-jaws, well what about three? I expect we all try to set our three jaw chucks to run as true as possible, Two of mine are mounted on backplates so, with a slightly oversize register, fractionally oversize mounting holes, I can true the chuck very well using a DTI and a soft hammer. Even so, there will often be some runnout when re-chucking a piece so I gently persuade them into true by tapping the appropriate chuck jaw with a soft faced hammer, it’s amazing how accurate you can get the work.

 

Hope this might help someone

 

Regards John

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Guys and Guyettes,

At last this thread is beginning to show some promise, but we need lots more of you to chip in. Don’t think your little tip is not worth mentioning, don’t think that everyone else knows it, if it’s not already here give yours a go. The mighty can learn from the humble!

Remember that Model Engineer was always referred to as “ours” in the old days.

chriStephens

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

It still is known as “ours” but I like to think of it as “yours”.

Machining thin tube can be done by putting a bar inside and holding in the three jaw chuck. This is ideal for truing the ends.

For boring, one way is to get a bit of all bar about 1/2in. larger than the tube diameter and bore it out to a slide fit over the tube.

Split one side and then you can nip the aluminium up which will hold the tube all the way around so it does not squash it.

regards David

 

 

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

When i’m making stainless hot ends for my hot air engines I use a piece of bar the dia of the flange at the bottom end.Place in chuck and drill to depth,then bore out to size,then thread cut the open end(the flange gets radial holes for a C spanner).Make a mandrel with a thread to take the thread in the bore.Drill a hole through the mandrel to let the air through.Mount the hot end on the mandrel and turn the outside to the required dia you can go down to 10th” quite easy(if you don’t meassure right it might be – instead of + thats expensive)I’m trying tube with an end TIG welded in to get round all this rigmarole.IAN S C

[chris stephensParticipant @chrisstephens63393]

Hi Guys and Guyettes ( I hope there are at least a few),

As I sit here munching my croissant, I was looking at You-tube and came across a video of a technique that was discussed here some time ago. This technique involves truing work in the four jaw , and the video shows the nearest method to the one I use, except I manage with one key, anyway to cut short have a look at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KMhx4DbyDg&NR=1

chriStepehns

PS If you have a method that works for you, fine. If you haven’t picked a method yet, you could do well to learn this way.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I use electrolitic rust removal from time to time,just a wee warning,springs and other high carbon steels–dont.There is a danger of Hydrogen Embrittlement,this to a degree may be over come by cooking for several hours at 150degC.Mild to medium carbon steel and wrought iron OK,just paint or rust proof as soon as you can-or watch the rust form.IAN S C

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

Well having had lots of advice here’s a thought- make some Nylon plugs for the morse tapers on your lathe and mill. I have an Alexander master toolmaker mill and the horizontal hole had lots of interesting gubbins in it when I bought  it,

 

Remember to make them a close fit but leave a large top to allow you to prize them off ( no prizes form guessing how I found that out  ).

 

I was so chuffed I even made some for the Myford woodturning lathe which I have just converted to 3 phase to get variable speed.

 

Secondly I work for a well known chain of chemists and 1ml, 5ml and 10ml syringes are available and great for flushing things out with oil and a bit of pressure. Don’t be surprised if you get asked what you want syringes for- you would be amazed what people actually do !   No I am not going to elaborate

 

 

Ian

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Try plastic wine bottle stoppers.Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

The wine bottle stopper OK for 2 MT.Ian S C

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

Rubber demi-jhon stoppers might fit 3MT . Mine are all in use currently but as the New Year moves on….. I’ll update you!

 

Secondly if you know any friendly print makers –  they dispose of aluminium plate- litho plate which makes excellent shims. It’s also really good for making templates for bearing guided router cutters to do complicated wood working. Easy to use score the line then bend the sheet and it snaps but edges are very, very sharp!

 

Happy New Year one and all.

 

Ian

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Some simple tips

1 Use a stone disc in an angle grinder to grind copper and brass materials, it doesn’t clog as it would if using a metal cutting disc.

2. I have old kitchen cupboards mounted on the walls in my workshop; paint the doors with blackboard paint, they then make super little planning boards etc

3. When marking out, put the pencil or scriber onto the job and bring the ruler up into contact with it, much easier than trying to align things the other way round.

4. Use a little grease on the threads of a woodscrew into plugs in the wall, perticularly with outdoor installations. They run in nicely, can be tightened just so, and later on removed when that job is redundant.

5. I have several quick change toolholders, with tools installed, on a shelf at eye level behind the lathe; try putting them onto the shelf with the TIP of the tool visible, saves ages pulling them out to find the one you need!!

6. The outer part of my workshop is unheated and tools will rust. Some respond well to spray with WD40 followed by wrapping with Cling Film. Oil works even better combined with the film, I protected machinery slideways in this way over a house move with storage in a shed for 15 months before I was able to build a new workshop.

 

Just a few I’ve found useful

 

Brian Wood

[Jim GreetheadParticipant @jimgreethead]

To make life easier when setting work in a four jaw chuck, I made a
second, small chuck key as shown in the photo. I use this one in my right hand
at the back of the chuck in conjunction with the normal key at the front.>>

 It lets me keep pressure on the work and speeds the process.

 Jim 

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

Your lot are little better than a load of out of work blacksmiths – setting work in a four jaw independent chuck is a controlled precise process . It doesn’t matter what you

use as an indicator ( chalk/DTI etc ) but the procedure is to set up the work first of all to run true with the jaws only just nipped up . You then progressively tighten each

jaw by about the same amount each and recheck for true running as you do so making what are now very small differential corrections if nescessary . Finally go around again for the final tighten up again checking for true running and again making minute differential corrections as you go . You will end up with all jaws tightened by the same amount , the work running true and no locked in stresses to cause problems when machining thin workpieces .

Geometer and Artificer were pen names of E.T.Westbury – one of the few true
experts to contribute to Model Engineer and a man whose writings are certainly worth  reading again .

 

Another superb series of articles was by DUPLEX (Ian Hallows and Norman Bradbury)

 

[WALLACEParticipant @wallace]

Odd times in a 4 jaw, i’ve known things to spring out from the jaws slightly  –  a tie bar through the workpiece ( if there’s a suitable hole in it !)  is quite useful to hold it snug up against the jaws.

 

W.

 

 

[Howard JonesParticipant @howardjones35282]

you guys must take hours to setup a 4 jaw chuck.

 

the way I do it is to get a close position before using the dial gauge.

to do this place the work in the 4 jaw and just gently tighten the jaws.

move any tool up near the work and rotate the chuck watching the job.

work out by observation when the job is closest to the tool. move the chuck to place the nearest jaw level. move the tool up to almost touch the job.

roll the tool down the lathe bed clear of  the job.

turn the chuck 180 degrees then bring the tool back near.

 

TAKE OUT HALF THE ERROR. (only move the job half way to the tool)

 

go back and do it again with the next high spot.

takes about 4 iterations to get the job almost center.

take off the toolpost and stick the dial gauge and its magnet holder on the carriage.

then repeat the iterations using the dial gauge.

 

the key to speed is to take out half the errror each time.

[WALLACEParticipant @wallace]

Agree with Howard – it’s a dead easy 2 minute job (if that)  to get a round bar running less than 1/4 thou out.

 

I tend to look at where the jaws line up with the concentric rings on the chuck for a first approximation. A mag base is good as if the job’s  way, way out, hopefully the gauge will just be moved out of the way instead of being broken !

 

w.

 

 

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

To save me having to rewrite everything, here are a few links to some fairly easy stuff that I came up with over the last few years. Maybe not completely new, but put into an easily understood format that almost anyone should be able to follow.

 

Keeping your vice straight 

 

Sorting out my vices

 

Mill vice backstop 

 

Modding a Spindexer 

 

Cross slide lock

 

Lathe chuck backstop

 

Fitting drip feeds to my mill

 

Fixing a Moore & Wright level 

 

A lot of these tips can be used for other things.

 

If you want any more, I think I can rustle up about another half dozen fairly easily.

 

Bogs

[Steve GarnettParticipant @stevegarnett62550]

Big problem with Home Model Engine Machinist site in your links – Google has some serious misgivings about it, and is very reluctant to let me look at it. Part of the warning states, very specifically:

What happened when Google visited this site?

Of the 30 pages we tested on the site over the past 90 days, 4 page(s) resulted in malicious software being downloaded and installed without user consent. The last time Google visited this site was on 2010-10-14, and the last time suspicious content was found on this site was on 2010-10-12.

 

Not good…

Edited By Steve Garnett on 15/10/2010 20:41:54

[BarneyboyParticipant @barneyboy]

 

 

When setting up a four jaw chuck the method of using the cutting tool tip as described by Dave Clark works well.  However to prevent the cutting tip breaking off I made up a1/2  x 1/2 inch MS bar cone shaped and radius pointed which works equaley well. if better precission is required I use a D.T.I .held in a Q.C. toolder set on lathe center height.  I am surprised no referance has been made to the use of the setting rings on the lathe chuck face as a first move in this operation. As stated in many other posts this operation gets better the more that you practice.

B. Reilly

Edited By Barneyboy on 15/10/2010 22:04:45

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

Steve,

 

HMEM has had two spammer attacks in just under two weeks. Because of that, Google stops you going there.

 

I trust Google as much as I do wet toilet paper as to whether you can push your finger thru it as you wipe your a**e.

 

I cleared Firefox by Tools/Options/Security/Uncheck Block Reported Attack Sites, to ignore the warning, and my AVG (not the free one) to check if anything was untowards. Absolutely nothing has tried to access my computer from that site since it was attacked, or at any time before, and I trust AVG completely.

 

In fact, I think if you still use IE, it just lets you surf anywhere without any warnings at all.

 

If you are that paranoid about it, just don’t go there, there are still the Madmodder ones you can look at.

 

To me, this is the only sort of chance I get to live dangerously, as yet, I haven’t tried a McDonald’s burger. Maybe that will come sometime in the future.

 

Bogs

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