Member postings for Sonic Escape

I cheated a little with those edges. I used a half-round file while the handle was still spinning in the lathe

There is a small aesthetic problem with this method. The parting tool doesn't create a perfect finish. At least I didn't found the right feeding speed. And also you can't polish it well since the channel is quite narrow. But this are small details, it feels very nice when you grab it.

If regular stainless steel is not so easy to machine it make me think if it would not be a good idea to buy another bar. This is not from a shop. A guy made his green house from 5m long bars and now he is selling them. He still has a few left. The price is only 30% higher than normal steel.

Edited By Sonic Escape on 25/04/2023 21:54:30

I want to build a vertical bandsaw to be able to cut also metal plates. It will have 3 or 4 wheels.

Edited By Sonic Escape on 25/04/2023 21:36:39

I'm wasn't sure about blade thickness. Now I saw that 0.65mm is the most common value. The same for carbide blade. I measured precisely the space between the center and the tip of the cutting tool and it seems that I can turn something up to 210mm in diameter. So for a 0.65mm blade maybe I'm close.

After seeing some Youtube videos I changed my mind, no more table saw. It is too dangerous comparing with the band saw. Some of the causes of accidents are not even that obvious.

I did some research and I found that for a 1mm thick blade you need a wheel at least 18" in diameter. That might be difficult to turn in my lathe. And I don't know from where to buy a bar with that diameter. I'm looking for some thick delrin plate, or another strong plastic.

The only progress so far is that I found a local company that sells carbide band saw blades at any length you want. So I'm not constraint to some predetermined diameter.

Finally I fixed the tool post. I rotated it by 90°. Because of this I could make the hole for the pin in the middle of the compound.

I also put back the DRO since I finished cleaning the old grease/oil that was everywhere.

I got an MT3 test bar. It claims to be +/- 5 microns accurate. I'm not sure how to test the tailstock with it. With the comparator on the bed I moved the bar over it and the difference between the two ends was 7 microns. I suppose it is ok.

Today I made the first useful object with my lathe. The original tailstock lock handle was made from plastic and it was cracked. I made a new one from stainless steel. I used the parting tool to make a simple pattern for a better grip. The thread is M10 and I made it with 3 taps. I polished it with Autosol paste and a felt disc on the grinder. It feels very nice. This is a video with some steps of the process:

Edited By Sonic Escape on 23/04/2023 21:07:13

Jelly, but why would you need to apply a lot o pressure? I searched for some videos with table saws cutting metal and it seems to be no difference from cutting wood. Except it takes much longer. Here somebody is cutting a >20mm plate: **LINK**
It looks like a peaceful event.

I'm starting to consider again also the band saw option. How about using 4 wheels instead of 2? In this case I could have large cutting capacity with smaller diameter wheels. If wheel diameter of 10-13cm is enough I could make them on the lathe. Maybe up to 20cm with some chuck creativity. Somebody seems to have this idea already.

Thank you for all suggestions.

I'm thinking on building a table saw for metals. I would like to be able make precise straight cuts in steel pipes/bars up to 30mm, plates up to 5mm or other small objects. I know I'm going to end up more expensive that buying a new one but I consider that I'm paying for the fun of building it. It would be also a good reason to do something useful with my new lathe.
I considered at the beginning a band saw. But I'm not sure how to make the wheels. Maybe from a large pipe? Or what is the minimum diameter for them. I suppose there is a limit on how much you can bend the saw band.

For the table saw I want to use a carbide disc, maybe something like this. The smallest one from there can make only 1.5mm wide cuts. I don't want to adjust the disc height and angle. Only to have a precise slide and to be able to hold the piece and exact angles. I plan to use a 3-phase motor to have speed control. I already have the inverter of the lathe.

What is the risk for a carbide disc to loose one tooth? For this type of saw you are standing right in the path of a flying piece of metal if this happens. I used a lot carbide discs but only to cut wood with an angle grinder. There was no such danger.

The workbench is ready! I replaced the phosphoric acid rust converter with a polymeric type. This one creates a much better black coating for the top plate. Without any white dust. The workbench is very solid and heavy. It could easily hold any heavy object that two man could lift on it. Finally I have a place where to work without being worry about objects weight.

This can be really useful. I need only to make the AI to access calendar events and to send automatically to WhatsApp

Q: write a poem dedicated to https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/ forum

A:

In the world of model engineering, a forum stands tall,
A place where makers gather, to share and enthral,
Where precision and skill are celebrated with pride,
And creativity and ingenuity collide.

From miniature steam engines to model airplanes in flight,
The Model Engineer forum is a wondrous sight,
A community of enthusiasts, where knowledge is shared,
And novices and experts alike are welcomed and cared.

The threads are abuzz with chatter and conversation,
With tips and tricks shared, and inspiration a revelation,
A place where hobbyists and craftsmen can belong,
And where their passion for engineering can sing a song.

So here's to the Model Engineer forum, a place so grand,
Where the art of model engineering is held in high demand,
May the camaraderie and knowledge-sharing never end,
And may the forum continue to be a maker's friend.

Not bad

And I made the compound shine. Autosol paste is great!

Ok, my previous idea to fix the tool post is not good. I forgot about the DRO, which now sits in a box.

But when I disassembled the tool post to clean it I noticed that the three holes continue throughout the all thickness:

I don't see the reason why to ever put a tool in the right tool post place. So maybe I could make a pin there to hold the tool post from rotating. The thickness of the compound there is only 10mm so maybe it doesn't make sense to make a blind hole?

Also as DiogenesII suggested I tried to change the stud that holds the post. But it is a custom made part, not a regular screw. And it is also partially welded. So I'll let this task for lather. It would be a nice project after I'll discover how to make threads.

About measuring the neutral voltage, to get the real value it helps to load the neutral with a 10kΩ resistor. Unless you don't have a multimeter designed for mains measurements that can switch to low impedance mode. Otherwise like SillyOldDuffer mentioned before you might measure a ghost voltage.

Today was cleaning day. I managed to empty half the garage. Also I glued a rubber sheet under each leg of the workbench. I also painted the top plate. The bottom of it, the top will remain unpainted. But I have to invite a friend to help me. I can move it alone but not lift it to the table without scratching it.
I also put in order all the tools and other stuff. Now I can stop buying the same thing again just because I can't find it.

But if the diamond pattern is oscillating left-right then it will ruin work. Unless the circumference of the work coincide with the period of this oscillation. Or a multiple of it. Here is a longer sample of this knurling wheels. I'm afraid these wheels are useless.

Edited By Sonic Escape on 07/04/2023 13:29:01

Edited By Sonic Escape on 07/04/2023 13:30:51

The pattern is ok

For the 1mm pitch wheels is the same story. 69 and 70 teeth. So maybe there is a reason for this. Apparently knurling is still hiding some secrets

It is strange that they don't have a marking to separate them.

Edited By Sonic Escape on 07/04/2023 07:59:02

The wheels have exactly the same diameter, 25.83mm. I can't try them very soon because I have to fix better the tool post for this kind of operation. Here there is a better picture where you can see how the teeth start to be misaligned from the bottom:

This is how I noticed in the first place that they have a different number of teeth. Besides that the wheels are identical

Edited By Sonic Escape on 07/04/2023 07:47:05

Aha, so hardboard is wood not metal! Now David's comment makes more sense
Here there are available some wood plates used for concrete pouring molds. They are very hard and relatively cheap. There are also oil resistant thick rubber sheets with textile inserts but they have a very strong smell. But they feel nice, especially if you work with heavy metal parts. Or this nice red vinyl sheet for workbenches.

Meanwhile the rust conversion treatment is already put to test. I let the metal plate outside and in the last two days here it snowed more than in the whole winter!