Member postings for ViKARLL

Hi wotsit,

 

Sorry for being vague, I was referring to your comment;

"I have posted once or twice on the availability and cost of materials ordered from Germany, as opposed to UK"

 

Regards,

Hi wotsit,

 

Your description about the book is very tempting indeed !!

 

It's regretful there aren't a single DIY text in English (sorry for my ignorance if there is) which gives such a verity of design options in one book !!

 

Yes, these are two of the sites that have caught my interest a lot. Could you also point me to your posts on the material comparison you have mentioned above?

 

Thanks & regards,

 

 

Thanks wotsit for the link.

 

The cover picture looks impressive, but I have no proficiency in German, so shall wait for the ME articles as first choice. Yes, Google translate does a wonderful job but I could not spot an ebook on this title?

 

BTW, I was mentally debating whether to have two flat rails for the ways or to have one broad flat rail. Both this German design and Gingery deploy a single flat rail. From a homeshop builder's perspective, guess it is due to the simplicity of alignment and ease of construction. Is it?

 

I felt the two-rail arrangement gives better grip when locking the tail-stock etc.,

 

Regards,

 

Many thanks Terry, for your kind support.

 

Bob (Springbok) who has replied above has indicated that he will send me some scanned copies of the mag from his archive this week.

 

If he finds any difficulty, I will seek your help to get it.

 

BTW in my locality, this hobby is only among a niche so the sources available for such material is practically nil.

 

Regards,

Yes Terry, I got a lot of inspiration out of the Gingery book. Especially his style of presentation. But the casting part is a problem to me.

 

I think Billy is referring to the open source project based on Lucian Yeomans concrete lathe. But I am aiming at a 7 X 12 kind of a machine and felt this design may not be suitable for such small stuff.

 

But why I am so keen about the ME's "miniature universal lathe" is because I knew of someone who made a scaled-up version of it and used for many years. Unfortunately, both the man and machine are nonexsistant now but only the memory....

Thanks Ian, fair enough. No matter how descriptive a book is, you have to customize the design to your own scope, I guess.

 

John, very interesting; little I knew how close to home the servos have reached. I want to go the conventional path (meaning mechanical) but shall give the alternatives a shot if

-or rather when- I get stuck! Hope you will keep us posted somewhere on your progress with the next project. Good luck!!

Many thanks Bob. I am really grateful if you can do that.

 

John, I am an ICT Engineer by profession with a background in Electronics, so for a change I wanted to go pure mechanical on this.

 

But as you say; having to make gear trains, yet them not being compatible with any thread etc, bothers me enough. Perhaps I may plan for the essential hardware with a provision to incorporate a couple of stepper motors in case I realise halfway, that I am not 'geared' for gears....

Hi Ian,

 

I saw your book "Small Lathes Making and Using" listed in eBay.

 

Is this an instructional book that gives step by step guide to build a small lathe? Does it use stock parts or castings?

 

Please advice.

 

I have also taken V8Eng's clue and looking at the L.C. Mason option.

 

But so far no luck with what I originally wanted, “Building a miniature universal lathe" by ME itself.

 

Thank you,

Many thanks Bob, for you prompt response and kind offer.

You are a guardian angel if you can do that

 

 

David, is this OK?

Hi,

After reading for months on pros and cons, I am rapidly failing to resist the urge to build a homemade small lathe.

Could anyone please advise me where I could download the digital version of “Building a miniature universal lathe" published in ME from issue 4159 to issue 4179 (published during 2001 to 2002)?

Thanking you with best regards,

Hi Steve,

Interested to find out whether you made any progress?

To mention a bit ‘out of topic’ experience, some time back, I have used a concrete mould to turn out a small classic car part from 22 gauge brass sheet. This was done by making the male and female parts of the sample with concrete and pressing the sheet metal sandwiched between them on a 1-ton arbour press. I made about a 2 dozen pieces but the mould held fine.

I used common Portland cement, granite dust, sand; about 10% epoxy (JB Weld-USA) to reduce the brittleness of concrete. But I think the secret of strength lies in the reinforcement I used. Which is none other than plenty of fine grade steel wool. You have to make a little effort to not let tiny strands of steel wool stick out of the surface.

If you make something like a headstock of a lathe for instance, which can afford thick sections and is not a moving part, the chances are that it should hold.

Hope this helps.

 

Hi,

Just to add my two cents worth.

For the most common drill taps I use, (i.e. 6, 8, 10 for mm and ¼, 3/8, ½ for Inch sizes) I have a long-nut each, welded to a plate at one end. I simply align & clamp the plate to the work piece and tap along the existing thread. After two or three turns are tapped, I remove the contraption and continue as usual.

It goes without saying that your plates should be welded to the long-nuts perfectly perpendicular. Also, you have to ensure sufficient pressure on the tap wrench as you start the cut so as to not let the guide nut threads take the brunt.

Hope this helps ....