Member postings for John Baron

Dr_GMJN,

Mount the part on an expanding mandrel !

I've done this many times ! Turn a mandrel the right diameter and a good fit in the workpiece bore. Slit it at the free end first. Then use a small wood screw or other tapered screw to expand a slit in the end once the piece is on.

A blind bore is more difficult and really needs a collet chuck to make the mandrel ! The same principle applies but you have to be able to expand the mandrel from the chuck end, which means drilling right through and using a pull rod to expand a taper.

Edit: Spelling.

Edited By John Baron on 12/09/2021 08:30:04

That's a thought, there is a settlement not too far from me. Its worth a word with them.

Thanks.

Hi Nick,

Thanks for your suggestions ! I've had a go with a 9" inch angle grinder, and whilst it does remove metal, its slow and painful.

The actual tower base is basically an 8" inch square vertical steel tube welded to a 3/4" thick 5 foot square steel plate with four 1/2" thick steel gussets welded from the tube corners to the base corners. They are welded on both sides of the gusset and along the full length of the gusset.

The Gas Axe suggestion is the best option at the moment. But I don't have one either !

No that mast is a bit taller than 75 foot !

Hi Guys,

The people that have done laser cutting for me, require that you submit a DXF file along with material specifications. Depending upon what jobs they already have, they can add your job to an existing one, particularly if you are prepared to wait a little ! This will also reduce the cost considerably because they don't have to set up the machine just for your job. You can get a lot of pieces out of a sheet of plate.

Hi Jason,

Yes it would be bad if it fell on me !

However it has been taken down and cut up for scrap some time ago. There is only the support post and base there now. Makes a good support for the wife's washing line though ! I did offer the tower for sale without any takers ! Even saying that it was free to anyone that was prepared to dismantle it and take it away.

The Gas Axe suggestion is favourite, trying to grind away four foot of weld isn't my idea of fun !

The metal plate is considered to be scrap, though a two foot triangular piece of 1/2" inch galvanised steel plate could be useful I suppose.

Hi Noel,

I'm in North Yorkshire, near York.

Hi Ja,

Laser cut will likely produce a very hard surface where the laser has gone through, water cutting doesn't do that.

If its something that you would need to file or otherwise clean up then you would grind the laser cut surface.

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for recommendations for cutting a 1/2" thick steel plate !

I need to remove the support webs from a 75' foot tower base !

Forgot to add these are seam welded on and the plate is approx 2 foot by 2 foot.

Edited By John Baron on 11/09/2021 09:23:20

Hi Derek,

Cromwells do a free on request A3 size one on a paper backing,

Worth a phone call !

Hi Dan, Guys,

I would pinch the knurls from the push knurling tool and make a pinch or scissor type tool to use them on. The knurls on those are usually good quality ones !

Hi Guys,

This is a picture of my "Norman" patent rear tool holder with a 12mm X 2mm blade in a holder. It is horizontal and set exactly at centre height. The tool holder can be used on the front tool post as well.

Hi John, Guys,

When I built my window screen wiper motor driven mill table drive, I used a variable voltage lab type power supply. Mine supplies 30 volts at 3 amps. I just use the whole 30 volts for fast traverse and around 7 volts for actual milling.

My direction control is via a tumbler gear very similar to the one found on a Myford lathe, giving me forward/stop/ and reverse directions.

This is a picture of mine mounted on the left hand side of the table. I just pull the white knob out and lift or lower the lever to select the direction or neutral. It also has the advantage that I can still use the handwheel at the other end when neutral is selected.

All the gears were salvaged from printers. photocopiers and the like. The motor unit is a "Trico" one salvaged from the local scrapyard.

Hi Michael,

Yes I bought a metric set from them quite some time ago ! Good quality, but I didn't pay today's price, in fact if I remember correctly only about £4.00 + vat, vat was only 15% then.

I've started to buy my taps and dies from

www.avontapdie.co.uk

Good quality HSS UK made.

No relationship just a happy customer.

The tool on the right is too sharp and pointed for brass.

I would use a round nose, maybe 1/2 mm radius with zero rake on the top and left side and about 10 degrees on the front.

I do agree that in the second picture it looks like a very fine thread !

Hi Guys,

I agree with the comments that Tangential lathe tools are quite easy to male and use. I made one quite a while ago.

Easy to set up and easy to sharpen. You get a good finish too.

This is a drawing of one that I made. Just scale to suit whatever HSS or carbide you want to use.

As you can see the finish is not too bad.

Certainly better than my photography

Hi Duncan,

I made mine using a car window screen wiper motor. They just don't stop, at all ! They are amazingly powerful.

I actually twisted the centre out of the primary gear on mine by forgetting that I had locked the table. Fortunately I had a spare gear.

I drive mine from a 3 amp 30 volt variable voltage power supply. Usually at about 7 volts. But I have put the full 30 volts on the motor several times for rapid feed without any issue.

Hi Guys,

Just in case there are those that don't know what the "Norman" patent tool post looks like. This is the one that I made and use. The tool slot will hold a 1/2" inch tool and the height is adjusted by altering the silver M6 cap screw that bears on the surface below. The tool holder is secured by a spilt cotter using an M6 thread. It takes about a quarter of a turn on the cotter screw to go from locked to loose.

Drawings for the Myford size one are in my album !

Its nothing to do with how much you tighten a QCTP ! The problem is with the amount of overhang some have. The tool needs to be within the footprint of the cross slide for maximum rigidity.