Todays Project - What did you do today?

[Expat]

(11-22-2014, 06:01 PM)PixMan Wrote: Great news indeed, Arvid!

I spent a little over an hour in the shop today to make some sort of axle and bushing for a lawn tractor attachment of some sort for my friend Neil. I got a bar of Ø3/4" "uknownium" steel from a shop owner friend of mine for free (not Russ this time, unusual), and just had to bring it to the 31-1/8" overall length on the lathe. It cut like 12L14 but didn't break chips as easily, so I think it's AISI 1215. It measured with the tape measure to be perhaps 0.035-0.040" long.

On the mill, four holes, all in line with each other. Two Ø3/16" holes 1/4" from each end, two Ø1/4" holes 12-7/8" from each end. I was too lazy to drag out the second vise and mount it. So what I did was hang it out to the right side of the vise by about 10", pick up center and end of bar with an edgefinder. Got the first Ø3/16" and Ø1/4" holes in. After the second hole, I left the 1/4" drill in the spindle, moved the DRO to X-18.25. Now flip the part around, drop the drill into the hole is just made and snug it up in the vise.

Move the X axis back to 12.875", drill the second Ø1/4" hole. Move to X-.250", drill the second Ø3/16" hole. Measure from center of that last hole to end, determined that taking .038" off the end would bring it within a gnat's eyelash of the 31-1/8" required length. Looked right on the tape measure.

Now to make the mating bushing. Neil said both parts can be steel, very low speed operation. I throw a piece of Ø1" 1045 TGP (Turned, Ground & Polished) rod in the 5C collet chuck to drill & bore to a "slip fit" or "running fit" over the axle. First a Ø1/2" 90º spot, through with a 12mm (.4724") parabolic flute TiN coated drill, then through Ø47/64" drill. Mounted my 1/2" solid carbide boring bar to take it from Ø.734" to Ø.750. Too long even for solid carbide, I didn't care for the chatter. I got it to with .002" or .003" of final size, then decided to ream it to final. The only Ø3/4" reamer I currently own is an old hand reamer, so I got out my second biggest tap wrench and ran it through the 3-3/8" long piece. That took a lot more effort than I thought, despite the light cut. Done. It slips right on and slides, rotates just fine. Plently of clearance for a light coat of anti-seize compound, not sloppy at ALL.

I picked up up the axle and bush from Ken today, superb work as usual, he really saved my life with this one! I have 3 acres of grass and numerous large trees so the leaf sucker is an essential piece of equipment!
it fits better than the OEM item and works perfectly!
here is a pic of the installed item!