Todays Project - What did you do today?

[Mayhem]

Different colour cap Ed but that is pretty much the same bottle

[Highpower]

Yeah I have a bunch of these as well.



Great for dispensing single drops, but not so good with pressure or getting a stream. Needle gauge is just too small. I suppose I'll need to get some larger ones from McMaster.

Ed, what size/gauge are you using?

[LJP]

Today I decided it was time to cut my first thread on the lathe. They came out pretty good. 3/8-16 and 7/16-14
Well actually, the first one (for full disclosure), I totally forgot what the thread dial was for, even after I watched Tom's video. But I remembered the second and third times.
Thanks, Larry

   
   

[TomG]

Nice job Larry, even with the full disclosure. It's a lot of fun being able to make something like that isn't it?

Tom

[LJP]

My wife wanted to know what it was.
I told her I can play with it, while I talk on the phone.

[Mayhem]

nice looking threads there Larry.

[DaveH]

Very nice Larry
Well done

DaveH

[Micktoon]

Looks like a mighty fine threads to me Larry , well done , obviously the first try was just to get the feel of it , so does not count anyway

Cheers Mick.

[LJP]

Thank you, Gentleman
I appreciate the remarks!
Larry

[Rickabilly]

Well done Larry,

Unless turning loads of threads many professional machinists forget how to use the thread dial properly, I confess that unless doing a production job I use the "Reverse clutch method" where the clasp nut is simply left engaged and you simply wind the tool back out of way of the thread and then reverse the spindle rotation which "rewinds" the carriage, so the tool, back to the start of the thread and in the correct position every time.

It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that it removes one possible error from the list of a million things that can go wrong when turning, Yes it takes a little longer but so little longer that unless it's a "ten off" or more I don't think it's worth doing it any other way.

So that is external threads mastered,
time to have a go at internals

Despite the fears that most folks seem to have around internal threads it's really no different to external just the spring in the boring bar to contend with and of course most folks never single point turn internal threads down to 3/8" the practical minimum for most people is probably 3/4" which is also luckily about the same diameter that taps start to get ridiculously pricey.