Logan 200 - Figuring this thing out!

[Laminar]

Thanks for the response, Shiseiji. I've been playing around with HSS tooling on some aluminum bar. I intended to get back on my car project, as it's sure to bring up the need for a few bits and bobs I can use for lathe practice. Now to source some cheap UV-safe Delrin...

 

[Laminar]

Got out the 4-jaw this weekend. I'd previously made flanges like this with a hole saw, but going through 3/8" steel means the hole saw only lasts for about one hole. I started doing this one the same way but found the hole saw was so worn it was more of an abrasive cutter and very little progress was being made. I drilled the center out with a 5/8" bit on the drill press, and then used a dial indicator to get it chucked up properly, which took a little doing considering the odd shape.

Now I just have to make two more of these!

 

[tq60]

One hole in 3/8 steel?

Speed is too fast.

Hole saws hate speed.

Put the lathe in as slow as it can go and a bit of oil.


Peck drill so the saw can COOL.

We last did 3 inch through 1/8 plate, 3.5 inch through 1.25 plate.

About 60 rpm.

Saw was cool to touch after, the slug not so much.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[Laminar]

One hole in 3/8 steel?

Speed is too fast.

Hole saws hate speed.

Put the lathe in as slow as it can go and a bit of oil.

I've historically done it in my drill press at the slowest speed the thing will go, which probably isn't slow enough. I also probably buy cheap hole saws. It went pretty smoothly with the boring bar.

 

[Laminar]

Friend has a '68 Chevelle with a one-year-only steering column. The bearing is out and replacements are NLA. We managed to find a 1" ID / 1.5" OD bearing, I just needed to enlarge the housing by about 0.015" to get it to fit.

 

[Laminar]

One hole in 3/8 steel?

Speed is too fast.

Hole saws hate speed.

Put the lathe in as slow as it can go and a bit of oil.

Brilliant! I made another flange today and put the hole saw in the tailstock chuck. Put the countershaft belt on the slowest pulley combo and engaged the back gears. The hole saw was actually making chips! Running them on my drill press I'd only ever seen them make dust, obviously I was running it too fast, even if it was the slowest setting on the drill press.

But let's back up a second...I decided to jump on a QCTP. The 1/4" HSS bits were fine but not...ideal. The AXA kit from LittleMachineShop comes with a square chunk of metal to be turned down to fit the t-slot. It took some doing, but I got there.

I set up a coupe of tools and dialed them in.

Then I went to set up a boring bar...disaster! The boring bar holder has a 3/4" diameter and includes a spacer to also accept 5/8" bars...but all of the boring bars I bought are 1/2". If only there was a tool used to create circular pieces of metal in whatever size and shape I wanted...

I grabbed some 1" aluminum stock and center drilled with a 31/64" bit. Then I turned the OD down to 0.745", same as the spacer that came with it. I slotted the spacer with a hacksaw, and voilà:

So now onto the turbo flange. I cut the shape out of a chunk of 3/8" plate and traced out where the hole needed to be. I center punched the middle and then chucked it up in the 4-jaw. This one went way quicker than the last one.

I centered-drilled the plate first, then switched to a 1-3/8" hole saw. Per @tq60's recommendation, I dropped the lathe to its slowest speed, used some oil, and took it slow.

It worked like a charm and took far less time than it did when I was on the drill press running a much higher rotational speed.

From there I dropped in the boring bar and took it to 1.450", which matches the turbo inlet diameter.

I could then clamp the flange to the turbo and center punch each hole, which then got drilled 11/32" and tapped M10x1.25.

That was the easy part, now I have to try and fit these things in the car...

 

[Shiseiji]

Peck drill so the saw can COOL.

Too funny, I'd never been taught this until an IG friend showed it and it was a "blinding flash of the obvious." Now twice in 2 days.

 

[Shiseiji]

Then I went to set up a boring bar...disaster! The boring bar holder has a 3/4" diameter and includes a spacer to also accept 5/8" bars...but all of the boring bars I bought are 1/2". If only there was a tool used to create circular pieces of metal in whatever size and shape I wanted...

I grabbed some 1" aluminum stock and center drilled with a 31/64" bit. Then I turned the OD down to 0.745", same as the spacer that came with it. I slotted the spacer with a hacksaw, and voilà:

I've come to think it's more rare to not need to make a tool than it is to need to "adapt and overcome."

Ron

 

[tq60]

Hole saws are wonderful tools.

Most folks do not use them correctly and ruin them fast then blame the tool.

They hate speed and or heat.

Cut slow with oil and good pressure and they do well.

We were drilling 3/4 through 1/2 plate at a remote site, mounting solar panel pipe to container.

Did well and was demonstrating process to another person.

Broke all but one tooth in very short time...

Lesson not learned by others....learned by me too...do it myself....

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

 

[Laminar]

How does a lathe keep coming in handy...

Went to lop the flange off of a turbo with my portable bandsaw and the blade kept popping off. Found the upper pulley totally loose, the bushing was knackered.

I was at the local hardware store getting a key cut, so I grabbed a couple of bushings to get the right ID and OD and got to work.

It's a Harbor Freight saw so the design is very poor, but it's lasted me probably 10 years at this point, so I don't mind putting a couple of bucks of bushings into it.