- Joined
- Dec 6, 2015
- Messages
- 809
Within a week of having my first "machine tool" up and running, I've learned quite a bit (my wife would probably want to see me sometime).
Once I had experienced facing, I decided it was time to prepare the backplate for the second chuck (I started out with a 3-jaw scroll, and wanted a 4-jaw independent). That was completed today - the chuck and back plate have been permanently joined.
While I was at it, I needed a better way to store my #2 armstrong tool holders.
I realized that a 3/4" PVC pipe coupling was about the right size, except for a small shoulder inside. That lead me to salvage a stainless steel printer rod. I grabbed one of my collets for this and an end-mill, and milled a flat end on the rod (3/8", so nothing I'd readily bore steel with), drilled a hole across it, and turned it into a simple boring bar.
I then chucked a PVC coupling into the old 3-jaw, bored out the shoulder inside the PVC couplings, drilled a cross hole, and screwed them to my wall. They worked perfectly!
So, I now know I can easily make a good boring bar if I ever have to. I have two chucks (self-centering/scroll 3-jaw [came with the lathe] and a 4-jaw independent), and I'm half way to having made a milling attachment table (not one of those key-way cutting "attachments", this would be a much more solid attachment). Forgive the crudeness of the attachment, it was intended to be squared up with the collets and end mills, so I wasn't trying to be completely accurate in setting it up and laying it out. I'll use side mills for the slots, and I still need to pick up some slot cutters, but at this point, it is somewhat useable.
The next things on my list include finishing the dial - but I don't have an indexing head or a spindle stop. I'll tackle what I can, but it will take a while. The following tools are things I either need to find cheaply, or make :
- Facing
- Center-drilling
- Turning between centers
- How NOT to orient a tool for the best finish
- The tool is also critical (larger tools means stable cuts)
Once I had experienced facing, I decided it was time to prepare the backplate for the second chuck (I started out with a 3-jaw scroll, and wanted a 4-jaw independent). That was completed today - the chuck and back plate have been permanently joined.
While I was at it, I needed a better way to store my #2 armstrong tool holders.
I realized that a 3/4" PVC pipe coupling was about the right size, except for a small shoulder inside. That lead me to salvage a stainless steel printer rod. I grabbed one of my collets for this and an end-mill, and milled a flat end on the rod (3/8", so nothing I'd readily bore steel with), drilled a hole across it, and turned it into a simple boring bar.
I then chucked a PVC coupling into the old 3-jaw, bored out the shoulder inside the PVC couplings, drilled a cross hole, and screwed them to my wall. They worked perfectly!
So, I now know I can easily make a good boring bar if I ever have to. I have two chucks (self-centering/scroll 3-jaw [came with the lathe] and a 4-jaw independent), and I'm half way to having made a milling attachment table (not one of those key-way cutting "attachments", this would be a much more solid attachment). Forgive the crudeness of the attachment, it was intended to be squared up with the collets and end mills, so I wasn't trying to be completely accurate in setting it up and laying it out. I'll use side mills for the slots, and I still need to pick up some slot cutters, but at this point, it is somewhat useable.
The next things on my list include finishing the dial - but I don't have an indexing head or a spindle stop. I'll tackle what I can, but it will take a while. The following tools are things I either need to find cheaply, or make :
- Side mills
- Slot Cutters
- Indexer of some sort
- Spindle Brake
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