Member postings for john carruthers

Handy to know, a mate wants an image rotator making for his robotic observatory, could be just the thing (depending on price).

Today I received the vertical slide for the SC3 and fitted it. So far so good, a couple of trial facing and grooving cuts seem ok. Now saving for a set of engine castings to see me through the winter.

As Nick says, check out the port arrangement on Elmer's 'H' twin;
**LINK**

Edited By john carruthers on 30/07/2015 17:07:48

If you look up Workshop Practice series #15 "Workholding in the Lathe" by Tubal Cain, ch9 is a fairly detailed account of setting up a lathe.

Edited By john carruthers on 30/07/2015 16:59:42

I keep meaning to make one of these flash boilers;

http://www.hobbydownloads.com/pdf/FLASH.pdf

from;
http://www.hobbydownloads.com/boilers.html

Edited By john carruthers on 29/07/2015 18:12:40

or..
**LINK**

Now I know why spring was late this year.

The problem I found was the home made cutter was pulling itself into the work, no matter how much I tightened the chuck. I got round it by turning a shoulder that fitted into the jaw serations.
Hopefully the new gear will run better, find out in a bit when I get to the shed

It's not recomended to hold mills in the chuck, I've just bought a 6mm MT collet to hold mine. I have previously been experimenting with a home made mill in a chuck but the cutter can vibrate loose and chew into the work.

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Collets/Morse-Taper-Collets

Edited By john carruthers on 25/07/2015 08:20:11

Here's a guide to adjusting the various slides.
A few shims here and there help take out some backlash.
Unwind the compound as far as it will go to remove it.
Take off the apron to slide the cross slide off the end of the bed, the various push/pull adjusting screws are then revealed.
**LINK**

Edited By john carruthers on 24/07/2015 07:41:08

Today I made a little flycutter and proved by deliberate empirical experiment that you get a better finish if the cutter is the right way round

What about Brunnel's 'Double Diagonal' drawings (£23).
**LINK**

Hi Nitai, have you considered making an arbour to take a 115mm diamond disc and using it on the lathe (with suitable dust proofing) ?

Edited By john carruthers on 20/07/2015 15:00:29

I have V belts on mine, I found them in a washing machine service shop. One does slip under provocation but that's better than something jamming or shearing.

Today I fitted a hand crank to the end of the lead screw to allow incremental manual advance once the mill slide arrives. Next it needs a 75 tic index dial (1.5mm screw).
I am keeping an eye out for a better hand wheel.

I used a home made bar in the chuck and tailstock centre with a broken drill ground as a cutting tool, then put the work piece on the cross slide. The bar is well supported though it's a bit more faff shimming the work piece.

I did a Bantam using an expanding hardwood mandrel between centres and fine grit, took a while though.

Many Flexispeed Meteors had chucks made by Burnerd , might be worth a shot ?

I shall be selling/swapping my old Meteor MkII soon.

My daughter turned up today with her van and re-felted my shed roof for me, good girl

I hooked mine up to the esspresso machine steam pipe with a bit of tube