Todays Project - What did you do today?

[f350ca]

Thanks guys, knew someone would have experience. Didn't get to it today, rainy dull low energy day so did pretty much nothing for a change. I'll try a indexible end mill then.

[PixMan]

After getting home at midnight last night from yet another trip out to my employer's HQ in Wisconsin, I did get over to the shop for a short time late this afternoon.

I need to make two more end caps for Darren's steady rest project, so I first made a "plug gauge" for the internal 1-1/8"-32UN threads in the caps. Short on time, I quickly made one mating piece and it came out perfect. Just an hour to make the gauge and the first piece.




The next time I get in the shop (Monday or Tuesday), I hope to be able to finish the second one and I may make a third to be sure they all look alike.

[EdK]

Nice job Ken. How does that black pipe turn? I've got a project coming up that will use some of that.

Ed

[PixMan]

(10-07-2013, 05:55 AM)EdK Wrote: Nice job Ken. How does that black pipe turn? I've got a project coming up that will use some of that.

Ed

It's pretty soft Ed, so doesn't break chips easily. I don't know what chemical process makes it black, but that doesn't seem to hurt the machining. The only thing to be wary of is that it's rolled and has a welded seam. While not an issue on the O.D., the weld is quite prominent inside and can chip tools if they have a brittle, dead sharp edge.

[Mayhem]

(10-07-2013, 07:04 AM)PixMan Wrote: ...While not an issue on the O.D., the weld is quite prominent inside and can chip tools if they have a brittle, dead sharp edge.

A well placed 1" drill takes care of that very nicely

Thanks again Ken, I appreciate you taking time out of your day to make these parts that we didn't get to do when I was there.

[stevec]

(10-07-2013, 07:19 AM)Mayhem Wrote: A well placed 1" drill takes care of that very nicely

Are we talking 1" sched. 80 black pipe?

If it's sched. 40 the ID is already 1.050" so a 1" drill wouldn't touch it.

[DaveH]

Ken,
That's a very nice looking fine thread.
I'm good at producing them, normally when I'm trying for just a fine finish without the helix.

DaveH

[DaveH]

Not just what I did today but yesterday and the day before and the …………and the…………and the…..

It is a small area behind my workshop, the grass just will not grow tried a couple of times, so time for a change. (I think it is the trees that have an adverse effect on the grass.

One may wonder how on earth did I end up with a stupid shape behind my workshop. Easy, …… it is all to do with building consent from the council, plus I wanted it on the front. Now the only build allowed on the front is a garage, so my workshop is a double garage complete with roll up garage doors. It also has to be in keeping with the rest of the property – same type of roof same pitch same walls ect. Now I didn’t want it stuck directly in front of the house more to one side so it was as built as close to the perimeter wall as allowed 1 metre (3ft). It is normally 2 meters but I got special permission to go to 1 meter to keep in all in line. Because my house is built at an angle of 30deg to the boundaries I ended up with a triangular piece behind the workshop.
Just thought I would clear that up.

I thought about concrete – seemed a lot of hard work so went for some small crushed gravel (1/2”)

Dug a trench and concreted in some edging kerbs
   

   

Allowed the concrete to harden for a day, then started to wheel barrow in the 1 and ½ cubic meters of crushed gravel.

   
   
Now I have to build a little bund wall to hold it all in place but to let the water out.

This is a view from the ‘up’ side – notice the gaps for the water
   
A view from the down side – notice the drop in level

   

All finished
   
And that is straight
   

The slightly difference in colour is just water to keep the concrete damp.

Another Fun project done.

Not nothing to do with metalworking but I thought I would show it.


DaveH

[PixMan]

Nice work Dave! I recently had a stone mason guy come over and rebuild a collapsed POS stone wall in my back yard (a.k.a. "garden.)

The original stone wall was only about 65 years old, but it was poorly made and the soil behind it knocked it down. The new one is also a dry stone wall, but has pea stone added behind, below and within it for drainage and for keeping soil from leaching in. This prevents the shifting that the freezing cycles cause. The new wall is also twice as thick as the old one, and is promised to last hundreds of years. I paid the guy $1800 for 4 days of two guys working, so it seems like a bargain for this quality.

[PixMan]

(10-07-2013, 08:11 AM)stevec Wrote:

(10-07-2013, 07:19 AM)Mayhem Wrote: A well placed 1" drill takes care of that very nicely

Are we talking 1" sched. 80 black pipe?

If it's sched. 40 the ID is already 1.050" so a 1" drill wouldn't touch it.

I'm not sure if it's Schedule 40 or 80. The OD is 1-1/8" and the ID is nominal 1". It wouldn't pass a 1" diameter through, that's why we drilled with a 1" drill and even after that we had to turn the mating parts to .992-.994 to get them to pass through it.

It's all I had kicking around. It think it qualifies as some Schedule 40 that's on the thick side. Yes?