Todays Project - What did you do today?

[PixMan]

That's looking great Darren!

It seems smaller than the place where you lathe is now though, so what are the dimension of each shop space?

Is that a heating and air conditioning unit in the wall?

[Mayhem]

Thanks Ken,

Overall the workshop is larger than the one where my lathe is currently. The area where I am putting the lathe, mill, pedestal drill and shaper is in a semi-closed off area, taking up one-third of the overall 7.6m x 12.2m x 3.0m (25' x 40' x 9' 10") size. The particle board sheeting I just installed is 1.2m (4') wide and 2.4m (8') high. Once the power distribution is finished I'll board up the remaining sections

Originally, this section had racking along the two walls I have just sheeted and stored DJ and lighting equipment and associated spares and stock, as well as other items I wanted to keep away from grinding sparks and spray paint. The bench in the last picture is the tech bench, where I serviced/repaired the equipment. As I am no longer involved in that any more, it seemed sensible to make that space my machine space. The looms hanging on the blue board are the last items that need to go.

If you look at the first picture - the shelving that you see on the right forms the division between this bay and the rest of the shop. You can just see the side of a beige coloured metal shelving unit, which is where the walk through into the rest of the shop is. I didn't take a photo of the rest of the shop as it looks like a bomb has gone off in it. Tidying up a shop seems to be the process of moving crap from one surface to another. It is an interesting dance that we do!

Yes - that is an evaporative AC unit. It has a cover that is yet to go on but it needs a frame around it making first. If you look really closely, you can see the black buttons that I relocated just beneath the alarm panel (next to the door). No I wont have to lean over the lathe (or use a stick) to operate it.

[Mayhem]

Wow - I cannot believe that there have been no posts in this thread for a week

Today I finished wiring in the three phase outlets (two isolators and one socket) and a single phase dual gang GPO. I also wired in a dedicated circuit for the A/C unit, as well as finally getting around to wiring up a second light switch for the other door (other end of the shop). Now the lights can be turned on/off via either switch.

Some pics:

The isolator in the foreground is for the lathe (the knee for the mill [sitting on the pallet] is about where the end of the lathe will sit). The one in the back corner is for the mill.
   

The three phase outlet on the back wall is for various items that may need three phase power, like my welders. The single phase outlet is for the pedestal drill, which will sit about there.
   

Looking back at a more respectable bench.
   

The mill will move into this corner once I paint the particle board. The cupboard is on wheels and will move where needed.
   

The panel (which I still need to label). The RCD (I think you call it a GFI in the US) in the separate box on the right is for the three phase outlets I just installed.
   

[awemawson]

Good progress there.

I don't think RCD & GFI are quite the same thing

The Residual Current Device trips if the current in each leg differs

The Ground Fault Interrupter trips if current leaks to earth

Now the same fault may well trip either of them, but the RCD will work on circuits without an earth

[Mayhem]

You are probably correct Andrew, as I'm not familiar with the US GFI and just going on what I have been told. A RCD will certainly trip without an earth, as only the active(s) and neutral are connected.

[EdK]

For my current project, I need the use of my face plate to drive the lathe dog. This would be the first time I've used the face plate on this lathe so I performed the obligatory skim pass to make sure the surface was flat. Not necessary to drive the lathe dog but it needs to be done at some point so I decided to get'r done. It was out by about .012" at the outer 1" or so.

Yuk! Cast iron dust.

Time for a serious lathe cleaning and lube job.

Ed

       

[jroadman]

A friend of mine needed some flanges to mount antique photographic lenses to lens boards. The small lens needed a .5mm thread up to a shoulder. I ended up making it in two pieces. I threaded a cylinder and turned it down half way to press fit into the larger plate. I've never done a press fit before but it worked great.

[PixMan]

Nice work on the photographic parts, a subject near and dear to my heart. What material did you use and do you have a way of getting it to a flat black color? Shiny bits inside a camera can easily cause flare in the image (loss of contrast) at the least, and at worst a ghost image of the ring.

If I was threading that I wouldn't hesitate to make it from a single piece and finally get some use out of my drop-head threading insert holders. These are holders that can be used upside down and thread from left to right to avoid crashing into the shoulder. For a 0.5mm thread you would need a thread relief groove of no more than 0.3mm width at the shoulder to start the tool.

[jroadman]

(08-16-2014, 10:36 PM)PixMan Wrote: Nice work on the photographic parts, a subject near and dear to my heart. What material did you use and do you have a way of getting it to a flat black color? Shiny bits inside a camera can easily cause flare in the image (loss of contrast) at the least, and at worst a ghost image of the ring.

If I was threading that I wouldn't hesitate to make it from a single piece and finally get some use out of my drop-head threading insert holders. These are holders that can be used upside down and thread from left to right to avoid crashing into the shoulder. For a 0.5mm thread you would need a thread relief groove of no more than 0.3mm width at the shoulder to start the tool.

Thanks, Pixman. The flanges are made from C360 brass per request. i think to compliment the original material used to make the lenses. Painting the insides surfaces flat black may be part of the project I just haven't received those instructions yet.

Thanks for the info about the drop-head threading insert holders and turning from left to right. I had thought about turning them from left to right but ultimately decided on the method I used. Without being able to disengage the half nut I just thought it will be easier as 2 pieces. I was able to use the core from the first flange as the material so it really didn't add to material cost. If I am asked to do another one I will try it your way.

Thanks, James

[PixMan]

I would also have to run the threads without disengaging the half nut. Any lathe with an "inch" lead screw has that problem.

You don't need tools like those I have, they're hard to find and can be expensive. I just happened to get one for free and the other on eBay for "pennies on the dollar".

Being brass it's easier to just mount a HSS or brazed carbide threading tool upside down. The tricky part is in the retracting. You would have to be able to run the carriage back (perhaps under power) but then "inch" it forward until the tool can just be brought down into the thread relief groove at the shoulder.

Brass is the best material for that because it rarely galls. The cheaper lens filters and other attachments now made of aluminum do tend to cross-thread and gall together. The best filters (B+W, Heliopan, Nikon) all seem to have blackened brass construction.