Member postings for Chris Evans 6

Neil mentioned M42 lenses. I have a small selection here free if you cover the postage. Chris.

I recently cut dovetails in cast iron when making my ball turning attachment. My HSS dovetail cutters are 30 degrees which was to much for the job so I used one from my woodwork router (brazed carbide) 14 degrees from memory.

Run at around 1000 RPM it cut well with no visible cutter damage.

Before CNC came in I spent my working life as a Die Miller/Spark Erosion machinist in the mould industry. Creating shapes from calculated sizes was an everyday thing. Sometimes to check my calculations I would draw the item out at 10 to 1 and measure it with a rule.

I have the same make but slightly smaller output VFD running my 2 HP Bridgeport mill. No problems in nearly three years but I did have to get a friend who runs 5 of this brand VFD on his various machines to set it up. I can not understand the "Chinglish" in the instructions.

Roger, I to have no hole in my 1990 built series 1 2HP machine which also has the Singapore built head.

I seem to recall the earlier machines used Lubriplate in hole "A" and possibly in the rear hole "B" ? I still have a tube of Lubriplate but will most likely just use a lithium based grease when it is gone. An ebay seller lists the Lubriplate as part of a Bridgeport service kit but it is pricey.

It would help if you gave a rough location of where they are. Just a County or nearest town will may be prompt a reply from a local. If not Google for the local model engineering club.

My mill has some cutter and drill marks in the table from a previous sloppy operator (Hidden by a vice when I bought the machine). I have just bought J B Weld to do a cosmetic repair, would I be better off using Devcon ? We used Devcon at my workplace in the 60s with good results.

A neat solution to holding the smaller shank cutters. Repeating the M6 fixings at the other end would enhance the usefulness.

JA, I agree with you re liquid RTD staining. My boring head looks very second hand from using it.

I use un diluted soluble oil applied by brush for some turning and boring jobs. For tapping you really need the extra lubrication gained from the Rocol type of tapping compounds. I use the past tapping compound because I find the liquid versions not so good for tapping difficult materials like 316 stainless EN19T ETC.

If you like a mathematical challenge it is possible to do with a smaller say 8mm ball end cutter. Some more modern read outs have built in assist programs for this. Me I would bore it.

I think I have still got the one piece stepped 5/8" to 11/16" king pin reamer for Austin A35/A40/Healy Sprite ETC. But I have never seen an adjustable version. I would not think it is for an automotive job.

I bought a new still in the box 10" Vertex HV rotary table for £99. It was listed on an auction site as a turning table that had been bought for a project and not used, I was the only bidder.

To recoup some (nearly all) of the cost I sold my old "Elliot" 10" rotary table. I can't fault the Vertex but somehow the Elliot seemed easier to use, it must be me being used to the one I had for 15 or more years. I bought it for the vertical option as I do not have a dividing head.

Nice find. I made something similar about 35 years ago when helping a mate restore an old car, so much sheet metal to cut it was worth making.

A simple job to make a jockey wheel to tension the grinder belt if another belt is hard to get.

Hello Wayne, welcome along. I am in Staffordshire but know nothing about Myford lathes, someone will be along that does and answer your questions.

Depends on the grade of stainless as to which is tougher, I have always avoided trying to thread silver steel as it usually rips and also ruins dies. Stainless is easy to thread in 303 and 304 grades, 316 a little more difficult and hard on taps and dies. The 400 magnetic series stainless seems to cut well but is less common.

Thanks for all the info. I have ordered torx screws but will follow Johns tip and turn an allen screw to finish the job.

I am making a ball turning attachment and have decided to use triangular tips.

I have got TCMT 16 03 04 and TCMT 11 02 04 to see which is most suitable.

What I can not seem to find is the correct Torx screw to fit the inserts. Any charts/tables or info out there ?

Chris.

Did you cut 1/2" or so off the end of the silver steel before starting ? Silver steel is cut to size for dispatch with an abrasive cut off wheel, this locally hardens the end and may have coursed your problem.