Member postings for Michael Cox 1

Small hollow glass microbeads used to be recovered from the flyash of coal-fired powerstations. They were known and markerted under the name Armospheres. In the match industry they were used as a way to control the density of the match composition applied to the end of the match stick. I guess with the demise of coal fired power stations they are less available than they used to be.

Mike

Here are the things I have made to do internal keyways:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/toolpost-slotting-tool.html

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/small-hole-slotting-tool.html

Mike

Here is another option:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/new-threading-banjo.html

This might be of interest:

http://andysmachines.weebly.com/variable-speed-controls.html

Mike

Here is my solution:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/large-fixed-steady.html

Mike

Ron,

I made a rear toolpost for my minilathe, see:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/rear-toolpost.html

Before making the toolpost I had already made a tee slot cross slide which was considerably longer than the standard cross slide.

The tee slot provide a ready means of attachment for the rear toolpost but I think the rear toolpost could be attached directly to the cross slite it a hole were drilled and tapped .

The big problem that you will have using the standard cross slide is there will be little distance between the front toolpost and the rear toolpost and this will limit the size of work that can be turned. If you are only making small parts than maybe this will not be a problem.

Perhaps the cross slide could be extended back by bolting a piece of steel plate to the top of the cross slide that overhangs the back. The rear tool post could be mounted on the overhang.

I hope this is useful

Mike

There has recently been an interesting posting on the HSM forum for blackening steel using ammonium nitrate. This seems to avoid most of the complications and dangers associated with normal hot blackening baths. see:

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/77586-Black-oxide-experiment

When I have obtained the material I intend to give this process a try.

Mike

I regularly make lost foam castings by just burying the foam in loose dry sand with a foam riser protruding above the surface. No need for greensand or venting.

Mike

The hydraulic downfeed and many other improvements to the bandsaw were described in detail, with full constructional drawings, in a series of articles in MEW 227, MEW 228 and MEW 229.

Mike

The pot is actually quite difficult to source because the switch at the back turns off, ie contacts open, as the control knob is turned clockwise. This is the opposite of most normal posts where the contacts close as the control knob is turned clockwise.

Mike

My broach was not based on yours but it does use the same principle. My broach has been on my website for about 10 years and an article on it was published in MEW 184 in December 2011.

Mike

Here is an easily made adjustable broach:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/small-hole-slotting-tool.html

I would suggest that you remove most of the material by drilling or milling first and then use the adjustable broach to clean up the slot.

|Mike

The block is mild steel. I think it is clear in Photo 6 that it is not brass. If it looks brassy in Photo 2 then it is just a lighting effect.

The block is 40 mm high. I seem to have omitted to include this dimension. My apologies for this omission.

The dimensions of the new feedscrew are given in Fig 8.

I hope this clarifies the drawing.

Mike

A new machine can cost anywhere between £400 and £600.

Used ones occaisionjally come up in the ads section of this site and on ebay.

You can also buy blacksmith drill with a 12 mm shank that will drill to 25 mm or more.

I had the same problem. A while back Michael Horner posted a simple idea for tapping on the lathe, see:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/tailstock-tap-holder.html

This works very well.

I also made this chuck:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/improved-chuck-for-taps.html

for use on my pillar tool. This was based on an idea for a tap wrench published in ME by W E Briley in 1964. This is a more complex chuck but it also works very well and can handle a wide range of tap sizes.

Thanks Neil. I am following up the Shapeways option.

A friend has asked me where to source some plastic parts. The are part is for broken office stapling machines. The part is small weighing only 0.4 grams. It sounds like a perfect job for a 3D printer. He has several of these staplers to mend and would be looking for about 30 of the parts. I have drawn up the part and can supply the drawing in .DFX or .DWG format. I think the part printed in PLA or ABS would be strong enough.

Does anyone know of a small company or individual that might be interested in doing this work?

Mike

Hi Rob,

I had the same problem with my band saw. I bought some neoprene rubber strip from ebay and cut it to the correct width and made a scarf joint and then superglue it to make a new tyre. It has been satisfactory for at least a year.

I have printed patterns onto A4 self adhesive label stock. These stick readily to clean metal. They are easily removed by wetting the label with white spirit and then peeling off.