Member postings for Mark Elen 1

I got a few hours in the workshop yesterday and today, got the slide nut for the vice jaw to the point it now needs the lead screw hole drilling and tapping. I’ve come up with a plan for getting it in the right place - more on that when I get to it.

I also got set up and screwcut the threads on the lathe for the slide bar.

Excuse the mess on the bench...

Cheers

Mark

I managed a half hour this evening. Got the fixed jaw locking device finished and the ends rounded off so that it fits the slot in the bottom of the vice riser. Photos show better than words.

I’m not overly happy with the finish on the riser block, but as it’s to dimensions, I’m going to leave it as is, as a reminder to me of my first attempt at fly cutting. It will add to the character😂

With the vice jaw on and just held together, I can get a .15mm feeler guage between. I’m hoping that will be enough to nip it down.

I also got the tool post handle loctited into the nut and on the lathe.

Cheers

Mark

Late last night, I got the 4 jaw set up on the lathe and clocked in the fixed vice jaw block. Turned the spigot and drilled and tapped the M12 thread.

Only one problem, the bolts supplied in the kit won’t fit..... they start, but after about a turn, they go tight. After lots of head scratching, I’ve worked out what’s happened. I’ve tapped it m12x1.5 not 1.75 as it should be....

Another silly mistake, at least the fix is pretty easy. I must get around to laminating a screwcutting chart and fix it up on the wall. Grr

Cheers

Mark

Thanks Gents👍

I did take that into consideration NDIY, I did the nut up hand tight, marked up the angle with a permanent marker but allowed about 15 degrees for proper tightening, that second photo above is with it tightened right up, the handle has finished up pretty much parallel with the lathe bed. I’m very happy with how it has gone together.

While I was shopping at ARC last week, I picked a R8 Slitting Saw Arbour and a couple of saws. Ian made me aware that the saws wouldn’t fit the arbour with the key as supplied, as the key is 4mm but the saw slot for the key is only 3.

I got set up, .5mm off each side of the key and .5 off the top, it felt like microsurgery compared to what I have been doing. There was very little to hold in the vice, so I took it really easy taking .1 slices off and making sure I was conventional milling. Result:

Thanks for the heads up Ian👍

Cheers

Mark

Edited By Mark Elen 1 on 26/11/2018 19:13:54

Hi Neil,

It’s nothing that fancy. Just a nut with a handle.

Cheers

Mark

Bit more done today,

There was not a hope of threading the handle with the cheapo die I had, so I got set up and screwcut it with the lathe.

Handle all finished, a couple of flats milled onto it and the nut set up, drilled and tapped M10.

All put together and checked, then stripped, polished up, degreased with IPA and blacked, it’s all now sat lathered in oil.

Cheers

Mark

I made a start on the handle this evening, turning odd the rubbish thread and bringing it down to 10 mm for threading with a die.

One of the things I bought this week from ARC was a tailstock die holder. Unfortunately, the setscrew that works the slide, although it has been turned down, it hasn’t been turned down enough. The slot dimension is 9.5mm, the turned down screw was 9.6.

I used the end of the handle to make a 6mm mandrel and take the screw to size:

Cheers

Mark

Thanks Gents for your comments.

Yes NDIY, it’s the collet for holding the crank disc onto the shaft that runs through the gearbox. I’m going to have a go at it as per the drawings.

I’ve not got a lot done on the hacksaw this week, but I have finished off the Rotary Table Fixture Plate:

I have also nearly got the QCTP stud and quick release made:

I think I’m going to make the handle for it from the piece I scrapped trying to screwcut the stud on the first attempt. I’m going to thread it into the nut M10, so if it turns out to be too short, I can always make another a bit longer.

Cheers

Mark

To get my thread back ‘on topic’ I made a start tonight on the crank disc. I’m busy pondering how I’m going to hold it to machine the taper in the boss. As there is quite a lot of meat to get rid of, I thought it would be a good start to skim off the outside, then hold it on a faceplate to do all of the work on the boss side, then back into a Chuck to finish the front and rim.

My first go at grinding a HSS tool bit for Ali seems to be reasonable, it is cutting.

I’m still pondering making up a mandrel and the collet for final external turning as per the instructions.

The finished disc should be 12.7mm, at present it is nearer 19mm so loads to go at.

Cheers

Mark

Still not much progress on the Hacksaw, but hopefully that is about to change. I’ve now got the lathe set up and after a bit of ‘fiddling’ got it to cut.

I’ve been busy today making trying to butcher a thread onto a bit of steel. The first attempt didn’t go too well, as I set up on 29 degrees, (I was wondering about the other markings detailed in the ‘additional instructions’ I linked to earlier) now I know.

So, after making a dogs dinner of the first thread, I watched Tubal Cains video on screw cutting on YouTube and managed to thread both ends. 2 different sizes, 2 different pitches, I’m getting some practice in changing the gearing of the lead screw.

Here’s my incorrect setup...on its side.

Just a bit of cleaning up to do, then I can get on properly.

I forgot, I bought MEW at the weekend and noticed I’m famous😂. The bit about this build with no lathe is ‘fake news’😂😂

Cheers

Mark

Looks good Martin, but it’s too clean😂 well done on getting it up there. 👍

Cheers

Mark

Thanks Gents👍

Ill get it all cleaned up and have a go. First job is to make up a new stud for the QC Toolpost and find someone to surface grind my toolholders. I got the 111 wedge post and the holders need 4.5mm off the bottom.

It’s all good fun!

Cheers

Mark

I guess the tailstock is the same? It just needs cleaning out and a bit more oomph to seat it properly?

I’ll admit, I haven’t got any of it cleaned up properly yet.

Cheers

Mark

Hi Jason,

It’s just on a taper. I did try assembling and with the Chuck uppermost, tapping the tang onto a block of wood.

Is it that I’m not tapping hard enough?

Cheers

Mark

Hi all,

I’m now the proud owner of a Seig SC4. As part of the ‘pile of bits’ I bought with it, I got a MT2 to JT2 arbour with a tang.

Now, here’s the newbie question. There is no tang slot in the tailstock, so on assembly, I can grab hold of the Chuck and spin it off either the JT2 or sometimes off the MT2 by hand, as in it’s not holding. Surely trying to drill something like this will not work...?

What’s the score?

Any pointers would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

Hi Robin,

Regarding the photos, I post mine up from an iPhone, if I take the photo portrait, it always ends up on its side in here. If I take the photo landscape, it orientates correctly. Don’t know if android is the same?

Cheers

Mark

No progress today, as I'm still awaiting tools and materials. Progress has been made on a Lathe though, I called in to see the guys at ARC and came away with a SC4 and a load of tooling. - thanks for the coffee Ketan!

Spent the rest of the day getting it onto the stand and got started cleaning it down. More tool making coming I can see.

I've downloaded and printed out the supplement to the instruction manual that is on the internet by Robert Ackert here: **LINK**

Loads of stuff in there to get me started.

Cheers

Mark

I’ve decided I’m not happy with the plate I made yesterday:

This is what it should look like:

When I rotated the table, I had to go to 45 degrees to get the centre of the latch to line up with the cutter. I CADded up the offsets today (it’s easier than me trying to work it out) and got the following (dimensions in mm):

I’ve ordered a new piece of 3mm plate and I’m going to have another go at it. At least I know where the error crept in.

Cheers

Mark

Thanks for your comments gents. I did try drilling the hole I reamed out with a 10mm end mill and it did produce a sliver of swarf, so that makes sense Speedy.

I still don’t have a lathe, so making my own pins is a no go at the moment.

I did consider making all of the holes through, but the vast majority seat on the rotary table top, so will fill with swarf in use anyway. I’ll see how it goes and may well mod it in the future if it gives me grief.

Today I decided to give it a go on the latch plate slot while I’m awaiting tools. Apart from my stupid mistake of setting up with the radius of the end on centre, then trying to cut the slot and latch (which is 1/8 off centre) it didn’t go too bad. Another lesson learnt - I should of put the centre of the intersection of the slots on the centre of the table, not offset it like I did.

It’s not quite as per the drawing, but I’m sure it will still work. If not, it’s not the end of the world to make another.

I bought a batch of offcut brass from eBay to use to protect the table.

Cheers

Mark

Thanks Sean👍

Things all came to a grinding halt today. I finished tapping out all of the fixing holes, then I drilled out all of the ‘dowel holes’ to 9.7 mm and reamed out the first one to 10mm. Unfortunately, the 10mm dowel pins don’t fit.

The shank of a 10mm drill fits perfectly, but when I checked with my callipers, it is 9.95mm, the dowel pins are 10.05mm.

Now I have a 10.2mm drill, but I don’t want them being a sloppy fit, and, I’m not paying £40 for a 10.1mm reamer,so I’ve ordered a 10.1mm drill and it will ‘have to do’.

I don’t want to tear down my setup to work on anything else and have to zero it all back in, so I’m stuck to waiting for the drill to turn up.

Cheers

Mark

Edited By Mark Elen 1 on 11/11/2018 00:59:39