Progress on projects

Having fun making some basic projects on the lathe.
My knurler is tough to figure out, only the top wheel really digs in even when the two wheels contact the work at the same time. I suspect it's a cheap pos. But it could be me..lol
Turned down a bolt for my tailstock eject function with a new drill chuck. The chuck has a hollow mt2 taper and would not push out when the drill action retracted into the tailstock. Now the bolt head catches inside tail and when I retract the drill bit all the way it pushes the chuck out.
Completed a wiggle bar tonight out of some scrap steel rod.
Really enjoying working on the lathe and trying new cuts.

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Looking good there, Chipper.
You'll probably figure this out sooner or later, and perhaps you already know it and the photo was just staged for your post, but when you use the "wiggle bar" the closer you position your indicator to the chuck end of the bar the more defined your results will be. I usually use that intermediate step near the end which should be as concentric as the pointed tip if they were turned at the same setup. That's actually the purpose of that intermediate step in the design.

Great progress though! :encourage:

-frank
 
I had that problem with the first knurler I bought. I got one of those clamp type knurlers and it works well. You might try going to the clamp type.
 
The wiggle bar that I have was made at the Mare Island Navy Yard, and is the opposite of what you show, the center point is part of the sleeve that fits over a piece of 1/2" drill rod; the sleeve with center point is about 5/8 diameter and the part that the indicator rides on is ground in the same setting as the center point; your type may be better, as it would likely be more concentric, as with my type, if the 1/2" rod is not perfectly straight, and if the assembly rotates on the center in the tailstock, the indicator would pick up the eccentricity in an erroneous reading. In use, however, this has not been a problem, as it does not tend to rotate on the center, especially when picking up a center punch mark on the workpiece; if it were picking up a center drilled feature, friction would be increased, and it may tend to rotate.
 
Thanks for the tips on setting up the wiggle bar.
I tested it at the shoulders in a few spots and found the bar mounted in a known center has a run out between .0005 and .001" when I spin just the wiggle bar between centers.

I am thinking about trying to make some screw drivers. I use them daily at work, so a nice set would be useful.
Any tips or tricks in doing up some nice solid feeling screw drivers? Like inserts vs solid and forming a cross point by filing or...? How do you form an allen head bolt?

Thanks for all the help!!:encourage:
 
When I start a knurl, I start it out with only about half of its width engaged and use lots of pressure to get a good track started; it is important to have the diameters in fractions of an inch when using the common circular pitch knurls, for "other " diameters, diametral pitch knurls work better --- or is the other way around?
 
Back in trade school we made 2 pc screwdrivers using brass or steel for the handles and drill rod for the tips. If I remember correctly, we pre drilled the shafts before hardening and pinned them in. Also made ball pein hammers. You should be able to broach a hex hole for an allen screw in the lathe, if thats what you are talking about. Make the cutter, a hex shaped part out of tool steel, offset the tailstock of the lathe and slowly crank the cutter in as the part turns in the chuck. You have to pre-drill a hole. I can't remember exactly if we made the broach with a dimpled center or if it was a squared end. Someone on the forum may have a better idea, and it's always fun to experiment
 
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