Todays Project - What did you do today?

[EdK]

(09-08-2013, 10:44 AM)Highpower Wrote: 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?

Willie,

They are 18 and 20 gauge. I'm using the 18 gauge and have it filled with Tap Magic cutting oil.

http://www.gauntindustries.com/product.c...roduct=107
http://www.gauntindustries.com/product.c...roduct=110

The second one is the one I've been using. The first one is still in the box. I got them from McMaster Carr but they don't list them by manufacturer's part number so I couldn't post a link to them.

Ed

[Rickabilly]

Seriously guys,

No-one really expects a first timer to measure their thread with wires?

After twenty five years in professional machine shops I think I've seen wires used in anger three or four times,(I use them myself from time to time but more as exercise than anything else).

For any standard thread, much more common is the use of a gauge nut, when not available good quality commercial nuts, get ten nuts, check the fit against a new tap of the given size, use the largest and smallest as a form of go-nogo gauge, Alternately take the new tap and use it to make a gauge nut, ideally using a good grade of normalised tool steel like a Silver steel.

Before anyone asks, these were mostly ISO9000 standard shops doing all manner of work including Auto manufacturing, Mining, some electronic industry and Aviation and Steelmaking. I rarely saw any rework coming through.

Larry seems to have done exactly what 99% of professional machinists do day in and out, after all, in hobby engineering isn't the most important thing that the thread you have turned fits the nut that it is to be used with?

I once did some critical Aviation bolts for a restoration project, the fitted bolts that hold the wings on! and the original manufacturer's specification gave a major diameter and a thread form, but the sizing was all based on the fit to a specific individual nut, that is each nut was stamped and the mating bolt was sized to match it with axial and radial clearances checked via a dial indicator.

Bes Regards
Rick

[dallen]

a lot of places sell the same bottle, I have a buddy that gave me some of of the liquid smoke bottle that have like 16 ga needles only probem is they don't hold very much oil.

DA

[TomG]

(09-11-2013, 07:17 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Tom - didn't you cover this in one of your highly educational videos?

Yes Darren, it was Thread Cutting on the Lathe, Part Four. Rick, I absolutely expect a beginner to learn how to use wires having both learned the procedure as a beginner myself and taught it to other beginners in high school. I fumbled around a bit in the video, but only because I was attempting to use the wires vertically for the camera. Normally all it takes is a dab of grease to hold them in position.

Tom

[PixMan]

I would always recommend that even a beginner learn to measure threads. The reason isn't just to get a conforming pitch diameter, but also to spark an interest in learning about thread form, limits, class of fit and tolerance.

Thread wires are just one way to measure, and there are dozens of different way of holding the wires.

[LJP]

For my first try at running threads, I was quite pleased with the results. It is always great when things turn out as you intended.
To be challenged so quickly, on the accuracy was a suprise.... at first. As I thought about it, of course threads need to made to standards. I ran the threads to the best of my ability at the time, with the tools I had available. I was happy not to crash my lathe!
Now, (less than a week later) I have a copy of Machinery's Handbook, and thread wires are on their way. I will be sure to learn how to use them.
I have had instructors, in the past, that demonstated an operation, walked away and never challenged anyone. I prefer the challenge!
Struggling to learn something as complicated as machineing from books, Utube (as great as it is!), websites, and guessing, is pretty tough. So I welcome the challenge from my new instuctors. I think that having a venue to ask questions, and to receive answers from craftsmen with this level of experience is great, I intend to take advantage!
Having said all that, Tom and Ken's approach to teaching is an approach I have taken in the past. Learn how to do it by the book, and you can't go wrong!
But in the real world, as Rick pointed out, I am not sure I will pull the wires out every time!
Thanks, Larry

[PixMan]

While not so much a "today" project, this day was the "presentation" and end use of the product.

It's a vessel (urn) to house my dad's ashes, today interred at the Massachusetts National Veterans Cemetery in Bourne MA.

It started out as a simple sketch of a simple box, and that's what it remained throughout. I considered having it all screwed together with socket head cap screws, then decided upon split roll pins so there would be no visible fasteners. I didn't have the inclination to photograph every step of a simple process. It was just to mill the parts square and parallel, drill for the pins, and assemble.





Now assembled (except for the top cover) I took finish cuts with a flycutter to minimize seams.



After that was done I didn't have time to engrave anything, and considered that my dad was not a guy for fancy things anyhow. So instead I gave it a quick polish with some Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish with a foam pad on my Porter Cable 7424 Random Orbital Polisher. Literally two minutes per surface and it looked pretty good.



Yesterday I went to the funeral home and had them transfer his ashes into it in preparation for today's ceremony. I brought a soft mallet, a block of poplar wood and a cloth with me. Once his ashes were in it, I pounded the top down firmly. No one can get into this thing without significant damage to it. I then gave it a final polish for the ceremony. Just a one minute job and complete alcohol wipe down for fingerprints.

Today me, my brother, my older sister (and her husband) along with 10 of his 14 grandchildren got together and laid him to rest, so to speak. The urn was my tribute to my dad, made in his shop with his tools by me. Thanks to Russ for a donation of much of the material. My dad would have killed me if I spent too much on it!

[LJP]

The urn was my tribute to my dad, made in his shop with his tools by me."

Very Well Done

[TomG]

Very appropriate Ken, and nicely done.

Tom

[EdK]

Nicely done Ken! May he rest in peace.

Ed