First Time Using A Steady Rest?

Alrighty.

I have a long piece of 38MM Al that I need to turn some parts from. Nothing complicated, just some engine mount inserts for my motorcycle:



Obviously, waaaay too big to pass through my headstock.

I don't want to cut it into smaller chunks as that means wasted material. I'm not poor, but I can't really afford to waste any more material than I have too.

I'd like to use the steady rest and just use what I need off the end of the stock but that means I'll be machining pretty much right at the limit of the far end of my Atlas TH42.

My steady rest is the original atlas one with the brass fingers.

So, anyone have any tips, pointers or "gotchas" they can pass on before I give it a try this Saturday?

Or am I total off base on what a steady rest can be used for?

Perhaps I'd be better off using a live center in the tailstock?

Or maybe since it's such a long piece, both a steady rest in the middle and a live center in the tailstock?

I usually just work reasonably short pieces in closer to the chuck, so this is sorta new ground for me....

Don't part off the parts with the tailstock center in the work! No good will come of it, and you might be dodging flying parts and tooling. You can't do it without the tailstock either, too much stickout and flex. I guess you could turn them all between centers or using a chuck and a center, remove the work from the lathe, cut the parts off with a hacksaw, and then finish them by facing both ends one by one. None of those ideas sound wonderful to me.

The parts could be cut to length plus a bit, one end turned, the part turned around, and then the other end turned. It would take some time using a 4 jaw chuck, because of all the indicating. If your 3 jaw is accurate enough, that would be a lot easier and quicker.

The spindle bore on my 13x40 lathe is 1.5" (38.1 mm). Come visit me here in California and we can do it on my lathe. The high temperature was 76F in my neighborhood today. You might enjoy it this time of year. There might be people in your part of the world with a lathe having a big enough spindle bore to do the job as well. Many home shop lathes have that size spindle bore. Being able to put the work through the spindle would make your project relatively easy. Find a machinist buddy in your area. That is what a group of us here on H-M have been doing in this area, socially fun, and useful to have additional skills and opinions and more types of tooling accessible. Just because you are a machinist does not mean you need to be a hermit...

Edit: Just looked up where Greenwood is. It might be a drive to the nearest hobby machinist shop from where you are...

great white said:

Alrighty.

I have a long piece of 38MM Al that I need to turn some parts from. Nothing complicated, just some engine mount inserts for my motorcycle:



Obviously, waaaay too big to pass through my headstock.

I don't want to cut it into smaller chunks as that means wasted material. I'm not poor, but I can't really afford to waste any more material than I have too.

I'd like to use the steady rest and just use what I need off the end of the stock but that means I'll be machining pretty much right at the limit of the far end of my Atlas TH42.

My steady rest is the original atlas one with the brass fingers.

So, anyone have any tips, pointers or "gotchas" they can pass on before I give it a try this Saturday?

Or am I total off base on what a steady rest can be used for?

Perhaps I'd be better off using a live center in the tailstock?

Or maybe since it's such a long piece, both a steady rest in the middle and a live center in the tailstock?

I usually just work reasonably short pieces in closer to the chuck, so this is sorta new ground for me....

Click to expand...

The easiest thing to do is figure how much material you will need plus cutoff stock. The material may still extend beyond your steady rest. I used to grab a piece of short stock from the material rack.

I wish I could be more help.

I take it you don't have a bandsaw at your premises , but you can cut aluminum with a chop wheel or carbide tipped saw blade with a hand or radial arm saw etc . Just be careful . I didn't notice any close tolerances on the print so maybe TIR isn't an issue . Then , follow Bob's thoughts .

Bob , I don't need any machining done , but for a 76 degree invite , I'm on my way ! We are currently awaiting 9+ inches of white death !

I'm actually trying to minimize wastage. Turning the parts isn't a big deal, but if I have to have enough to chuck each part I'm going to leave more of the bar stock in the trash bin than what I use to actually make the parts.

Sounds like turning a bunch of them between centers on the bar and then part them with a sa is my best option. That would save the most stock.I don't have a band saw, arm powered hack saw is all I have available to me currently. I can do good enough work with that and then clean them up with a facing cut I guess. I just have to trade off my time for the limitations I'm working with. I'm not doing this for money, so my time is the trade off I for saving stock i guess.

They're just engine mount bushings. They only have to fit snug in a bore that would normally hold a rubber bushing and a through bolt.

Would be nice to use someone else's machine and chew the fat, but no one really around these parts to do that with. Machining isn't a big thing here. I damned near had to throw down to just get my cheap little th42 (amd i srill paid a grand for it). Mostly agricultural here and if they do machine, they're either hermits or doing it for cash money and don't have time for "hobbiests"...

I like to do the cut to length then turn part between centers for the od, you could then chuck on the od with some soft shims (or collet chuck) to do the center hole's.

Arm powered hacksaws, I always leave a safty margin when cutting so I don't scrap the part before i've started.

Alternitivly, you could make them in pairs so they are mirrored on the bar stock leaving enough to part them apart or hack saw and face them clean again.

Stuart

Get a 10 and a 12 mandrels cut the 2 pieces bore them the 10 and 12 mm turn the outside and finish in the 3 jaw.

I'd cut 3 pieces about 4 1/2 long. Chuck the material with enough sticking out to cut the outer profile and brill and bore the hole. Then turn it around and machine the second one, then part it off. The only waste is a little in the middle to allow drilling from other end.

Greg

Cutting a blank for two (a touch over for machining) mirroring it and cutting 2 parts per blank is a good idea.

Keeps it close to the chuck and lets me bore the hole the same through an opposing mount set.

I'd just need the steady rest to cut the initial blank. Or the hack saw and a vice would work for a blank. Heck, I could even take it in to work and use the power saw there to make the blanks on one of my breaks.

Wastage would be minimal.

More I think about it, the better it sounds. Great suggestions!

Cheers

mmcmdl said:

I take it you don't have a bandsaw at your premises , but you can cut aluminum with a chop wheel or carbide tipped saw blade with a hand or radial arm saw etc . Just be careful . I didn't notice any close tolerances on the print so maybe TIR isn't an issue . Then , follow Bob's thoughts .

Bob , I don't need any machining done , but for a 76 degree invite , I'm on my way ! We are currently awaiting 9+ inches of white death !

Click to expand...

I am originally from Minnesota, far from... Y'all come!