Todays Project - What did you do today?

[TomG]

Totally radial!

Every time I grind a form tool to turn a radius on the lathe, I think about making one of these. One of these days...

Thanks for posting the pics.

Tom

[rleete]

Do it! Making balls or ogives is very fun. Almost magical how they take shape as you cut.

Round knobs can be used dozens of places, so making them is not wasted effort.

[EdK]

How fortuitous! I was tweaking my drawings for a ball turner just this morning.

Ed

[ml_woy]

(01-11-2013, 12:41 PM)EdK Wrote: How fortuitous! I was tweaking my drawings for a ball turner just this morning.

Ed

A machinist friend suggested putting the set screws in the tool post to allow for minute adjustments of tool height, I thought that was a smart idea.

[EdK]

(01-11-2013, 03:39 PM)ml_woy Wrote: A machinist friend suggested putting the set screws in the tool post to allow for minute adjustments of tool height, I thought that was a smart idea.

That makes sense. I was wondering how one would make that type of adjustment other than using shims.

Hmmm, this gets me thinking about some changes to my design.

Ed

[rleete]

For mine, I used a 1/4" round carbide bit. Was a scriber point in a past life, but the tip had snapped off. I made it a rounded point on the grinder at work.

To get it exactly on center, I mounted the turning attachment on the lathe, and drilled it with an undersized bit, then reamed. It's as dead on center as I can possibly get it.

[Mayhem]

Nothing too exciting to report but I did adjust the play in my spindle on my lathe. When I initially set the play, I shimmed the bearings to get approximately .001" play in both the front and rear bearing.

The other week, I noticed the work try to climb the tool, so I removed the chuck and checked. Close to .005" play in the front and .004" in the rear. I gave the bearing cap bolts a quick tighten and got the play back to the .001" mark.

I'm wondering if the bolts have loosened with use or the shims have compressed a little?

[ml_woy]

(01-12-2013, 09:00 PM)Mayhem Wrote: Nothing too exciting to report but I did adjust the play in my spindle on my lathe. When I initially set the play, I shimmed the bearings to get approximately .001" play in both the front and rear bearing.

The other week, I noticed the work try to climb the tool, so I removed the chuck and checked. Close to .005" play in the front and .004" in the rear. I gave the bearing cap bolts a quick tighten and got the play back to the .001" mark.

I'm wondering if the bolts have loosened with use or the shims have compressed a little?

Mayhem:
I to found and corrected a problem yesterday. Being new to machining, every day I try something new as I get braver. Yesterday I realigned my tail stock for the first time. Used a technique shown by Tublacane where he used a wooden disk, mounted in the chuck, to hold a dial indicator which he rotated 180 degrees around the tail shaft to find the amount of error. My tailshaft was out .020" and was quickly corrected. What a simple way to measure and correct the error. Just like setting the head on the milling machine accept in the horizontal position.

[Highpower]

Worked on putting a round peg in a square hole today. I bought a Z axis power feed for a Bridgeport mill during Enco's 20% / free shipping deal last month.

Step one: Install the extension shaft on the knee. Easy to do on a Bridgeport - just screw it on.

Too bad I don't have a Bridgeport....

The knee shaft on my "CCC" mill (as DaveH would say...) has a slightly smaller diameter and different thread size/pitch than the extension shaft to fit the Bridgeport. The extension just flops around on the mill's shaft and won't screw on. I'll have to improvise, adapt & overcome.


Re-cut the threads in the adapter from 3/4-16 to 20x1.75mm. Check.


Drug out a piece of 3/4" round stock (slightly on the long side) to make a 4" long sleeve and drill a 1/2" hole through it for boring bar access.


Turned the OD of the round stock for a snug fit in the extension shaft and parted it off. Cleaned the parts and slid the sleeve into the extension with some Loctite 620 for good measure. I'll let that set up then bore the sleeve for a close fit to the shaft on the mill.

[EdK]

Very nice Willie. I've never cut internal threads. That's something I should try some day, but after I master turning 4140.

Ed