Becoming hobby machinist in the near future.

The thing you have to be careful about is that the lathe has the power to destroy itself if the geometry is wrong. Even the lowly Craftsman 109. That is the nature of the tool. One would think that the part will fail first. Not true. It depends on the geometry of the chip forming operation. If enough flex in the works occurs, the tool can dig in and create an impossibly thick chip that could conceivably be stronger than the tool holder or even the headstock.
 
xr650rRider said:
There was another thread on Parting tools a while back. I bough one for GTN-3 inserts and that retrofit style in an Aloris #7 holder is by far, the best one I've used.
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I was using the GTN-2 version of the Shars Retrofit tool 11/16". Was working well until this incident, and when it failed it did so spectacularly. I have now ordered a Aloris #71 holder and a few options that use GTN-3 inserts. I am betting that those are a little more rigid than the GTN-2 versions. I may have also mounted the tool too far out, heck I am still learning, mistakes will happen.
 
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One of my other hobbies is Beekeeping. As part of that hobby I bought a CHEAP honey extractor (which is basically an centrifuge) powered by a servo motor. The product worked, but spins so slowly that it takes a very long time to do the job. I tried to adjust the timing on the servo, but the circuit is pretty much maxed out from the factory. The servo is geared down internally before coupled to the centrifuge shaft in a way that makes it difficult to try and use the servo in a direct drive mode. So I thought I would try and do something a little different. I machined a few part:

1) a shaft extender
2) a couple of pulley at a 2:1 ratio
3) an adaptor to hold a bearing for the new extended shaft.
4) a bracket to hold the servo offset from the original position,
This coupled with a drive belt results is a centrifuge that spins a bit faster.
Soon I will get to try it with some frames of honey.

All of the parts except the motor bracked were made from Stainless steel. The bracket is mild steel.
They look prettier in person than they do in the photos. The bracket is just plane ugly because I was winging it to see if the concept even worked. I was a little worried the servo power might be an issue. It spins much faster now...

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Today I added a cheap mist cooling system to my mill. Gave it a try with a 1/2 endmill on mild steel. I was able to take deeper cuts than normal (I assume because the mist is acting as a slight lubricant). The part and endmill stayed cool to the touch and the chips were more chip like that I was getting before.

I guess with the cooling I should be able to run the mill faster, and the end mills should last longer??
 
Rodneyk said:
Today I added a cheap mist cooling system to my mill. Gave it a try with a 1/2 endmill on mild steel. I was able to take deeper cuts than normal (I assume because the mist is acting as a slight lubricant). The part and endmill stayed cool to the touch and the chips were more chip like that I was getting before.

I guess with the cooling I should be able to run the mill faster, and the end mills should last longer??
Click to expand...
Which mist coolant system specifically?
 
davidpbest said:
Which mist coolant system specifically?
Click to expand...

This was a cheap generic one (ordered before we discussed the fogless ones). It uses a simple venturi system with 2 needle valves to regulate the air flow and the fluid flow separately.

I am using Kool Mist #77 for the coolant.


It seems to work well from a couple of quick tests, although I understand there are better systems available, this is probabaly good enough for now.
 
I bought exactly the same mist unit. I actually like it a lot and buying a couple more.
 
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