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chris stephens13/11/2009 19:09:57
1049 forum posts
1 photos
Yes, indeed, but this is where practice and experience takeover to form that indescribable quality called "Feel". 
Some people are born with Feel, some people are made to have Feel, and some people have Feel thrust upon them, to paraphrase that old saying.

Well folks that's all, back to the Asylum. Goodbye.
chris stephens
PS you can tell it is too cold wet and miserable out there to do any real work. Which is why i am in here in the warm ranting.
Tony Pratt 113/11/2009 20:44:07
2319 forum posts
13 photos
Tapping tip, although taps come in sets of three, taper, second & plug you rarely need to use all of them. Just use the taper tap, remove the swarf produced by any means at your disposal and then finish the hole with the plug tap again cleaning the hole to finish.
Also always countersink the hole before tapping, or drill a couple of threads deep with a clearance drill [which is my prefered method] so the threads start below the work surface.
 
Tony
chris stephens13/11/2009 20:56:54
1049 forum posts
1 photos
Hi Tony,
At last someone else has chimed in with a H&T. 
You are quite right of course, but have you tried Spiral flute taps, you can drive these in without having to stop and clear the flutes. The swarf comes out of the thread all by itself in three "strings". Great for machine or hand  tapping on blind holes, but work just as well on through ones too.
chris stephens
Tony Pratt 113/11/2009 21:22:46
2319 forum posts
13 photos
Hi Chris, spiral taps, oh, happy memories! In a previous life I used spiral flute taps [always M6] to tap literally 1000's of holes in HSS tool blanks whilst my Wire Eroder was cutting on generally long cycle times. I had forgotten about them but as you say they are great to use and the swarf comes out in strings.
I will go and have a look in my toolbox to see if I still have a couple of these good old tools left which I can bring out of "retirement"
 
Tony
mgj14/11/2009 00:46:48
1017 forum posts
14 photos
Oh, I thought using and or making a mandrel handle counted as one.
 
BTW, I note that the lunatics are actually running the asylum nowadays
 
Toolmex in Wincanton do all sorts of spiral taps, and reamers too in all sorts of tolerances - not just the bog standard H5. Spotting drills etc but Oh lord do they cost. good quality though.
 
(but not collets Chris)


However, I am reminded (by Chris) of a threading H&T. Of a blind hole. Cut with taper tap, plug hole with grease, use plug tap. Forces swarf out of deep holes nicely - not as nicely as compressed air, but useful al the same.

Also don't use more than 80-85% engagement. A lot of figures quote 90-95% engagement sizes and thats tap breaking country without adding anything to strength.
Gordon W14/11/2009 10:07:44
2011 forum posts
Here's two old tips, I've not seen written down, probably too basic for most of you lot. 1:-after setting up for thread cutting put a pencil in tool post and "cut the thread" then check pitch, saves some grief. 2:-for all of us without QCTs ,glue the shims to the tool after setting CH. Any old glue will do, saves some grief.
D.C.Clark15/11/2009 18:13:28
16 forum posts
8 photos
Posted by Gordon W on 14/11/2009 10:07:44:
Here's two old tips, I've not seen written down, probably too basic for most of you lot. 1:-after setting up for thread cutting put a pencil in tool post and "cut the thread" then check pitch, saves some grief. 2:-for all of us without QCTs ,glue the shims to the tool after setting CH. Any old glue will do, saves some grief.
 
 
Re 1: Alternatively, paint the work with layout fluid or marking pen.  The cutting tool at zero depth should just cut away the paint; verifying the pitch, cylindricity, and the zero setting.
 
Re 2: Good idea, thanks.
 
David Clark in Southern Maryland, USA
Ian S C17/11/2009 10:07:25
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7468 forum posts
230 photos
One I saw in an old book,for holding thin tube in a chuck without distorting it.Take a short length of steel bar and around its circumfence drill and tap three holes(for three jaw chuck,4 for 4 jaw),put in grub screws and place inside the tube,unscrew the screws until they are a firm fit in the tube,put the tube in the chuck with the bolt heads under the jaws,sounds as though it should work.Found it-"Popular Mechanics Lathe Handbook no1".IAN S C
D.C.Clark17/11/2009 14:24:23
16 forum posts
8 photos
When machining very thin sections there are 2 issues; holding the work without distortion, and machining without deflecting or even tearing the part.  One solution is to embed the work in machinable wax or cerro alloy.  Fill your thin tube with one of these casting materials, machine, then melt the filling material out.  These materials can be reused any number of times.  They are also useful for making temporary jigs and fixtures as they can be cast around the work to achieve perfect contact over any area.  Think also liquid shims, poured into a void and allowed to harden -- melted away when done.  Handy stuff.
 
David Clark in Southern Maryland, USA
John Wood117/11/2009 16:47:28
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116 forum posts
A great lot of information and a super idea for a thread.
 
All this talk about 4-jaws, well what about three? I expect we all try to set our three jaw chucks to run as true as possible, Two of mine are mounted on backplates so, with a slightly oversize register, fractionally oversize mounting holes, I can true the chuck very well using a DTI and a soft hammer. Even so, there will often be some runnout when re-chucking a piece so I gently persuade them into true by tapping the appropriate chuck jaw with a soft faced hammer, it's amazing how accurate you can get the work.
 
Hope this might help someone
 
Regards John
chris stephens17/11/2009 17:13:40
1049 forum posts
1 photos
Hi Guys and Guyettes,
At last this thread is beginning to show some promise, but we need lots more of you to chip in. Don't think your little tip is not worth mentioning, don't think that everyone else knows it, if it's not already here give yours a go. The mighty can learn from the humble!

Remember that Model Engineer was always referred to as "ours" in the old days.
chriStephens

David Clark 117/11/2009 17:46:45
avatar
3357 forum posts
112 photos
10 articles
Hi There
It still is known as "ours" but I like to think of it as "yours".
Machining thin tube can be done by putting a bar inside and holding in the three jaw chuck. This is ideal for truing the ends.
For boring, one way is to get a bit of all bar about 1/2in. larger than the tube diameter and bore it out to a slide fit over the tube.
Split one side and then you can nip the aluminium up which will hold the tube all the way around so it does not squash it.
regards David
 
 
Ian S C18/11/2009 12:15:54
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7468 forum posts
230 photos
When i'm making stainless hot ends for my hot air engines I use a piece of bar the dia of the flange at the bottom end.Place in chuck and drill to depth,then bore out to size,then thread cut the open end(the flange gets radial holes for a C spanner).Make a mandrel with a thread to take the thread in the bore.Drill a hole through the mandrel to let the air through.Mount the hot end on the mandrel and turn the outside to the required dia you can go down to 10th" quite easy(if you don't meassure right it might be - instead of + thats expensive)I'm trying tube with an end TIG welded in to get round all this rigmarole.IAN S C
chris stephens22/11/2009 14:31:23
1049 forum posts
1 photos
Hi Guys and Guyettes ( I hope there are at least a few),
As I sit here munching my croissant, I was looking at You-tube and came across a video of a technique that was discussed here some time ago. This technique involves truing work in the four jaw , and the video shows the nearest method to the one I use, except I manage with one key, anyway to cut short have a look at
chriStepehns
PS If you have a method that works for you, fine. If you haven't picked a method yet, you could do well to learn this way.
Ian S C26/11/2009 01:42:02
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7468 forum posts
230 photos
I use electrolitic rust removal from time to time,just a wee warning,springs and other high carbon steels--dont.There is a danger of Hydrogen Embrittlement,this to a degree may be over come by cooking for several hours at 150degC.Mild to medium carbon steel and wrought iron OK,just paint or rust proof as soon as you can-or watch the rust form.IAN S C
Ian Welford30/12/2009 23:01:54
300 forum posts
Well having had lots of advice here's a thought- make some Nylon plugs for the morse tapers on your lathe and mill. I have an Alexander master toolmaker mill and the horizontal hole had lots of interesting gubbins in it when I bought  it,
 
Remember to make them a close fit but leave a large top to allow you to prize them off ( no prizes form guessing how I found that out  ).
 
I was so chuffed I even made some for the Myford woodturning lathe which I have just converted to 3 phase to get variable speed.
 
Secondly I work for a well known chain of chemists and 1ml, 5ml and 10ml syringes are available and great for flushing things out with oil and a bit of pressure. Don't be surprised if you get asked what you want syringes for- you would be amazed what people actually do !   No I am not going to elaborate
 
 
Ian
Ian S C31/12/2009 09:58:11
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7468 forum posts
230 photos
Try plastic wine bottle stoppers.Ian S C
Ian S C03/01/2010 22:32:32
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7468 forum posts
230 photos
The wine bottle stopper OK for 2 MT.Ian S C
Ian Welford05/01/2010 20:53:00
300 forum posts
Rubber demi-jhon stoppers might fit 3MT . Mine are all in use currently but as the New Year moves on..... I'll update you!
 
Secondly if you know any friendly print makers -  they dispose of aluminium plate- litho plate which makes excellent shims. It's also really good for making templates for bearing guided router cutters to do complicated wood working. Easy to use score the line then bend the sheet and it snaps but edges are very, very sharp!
 
Happy New Year one and all.
 
Ian
Brian Wood22/02/2010 16:24:47
2742 forum posts
39 photos
Some simple tips
1 Use a stone disc in an angle grinder to grind copper and brass materials, it doesn't clog as it would if using a metal cutting disc.
2. I have old kitchen cupboards mounted on the walls in my workshop; paint the doors with blackboard paint, they then make super little planning boards etc
3. When marking out, put the pencil or scriber onto the job and bring the ruler up into contact with it, much easier than trying to align things the other way round.
4. Use a little grease on the threads of a woodscrew into plugs in the wall, perticularly with outdoor installations. They run in nicely, can be tightened just so, and later on removed when that job is redundant.
5. I have several quick change toolholders, with tools installed, on a shelf at eye level behind the lathe; try putting them onto the shelf with the TIP of the tool visible, saves ages pulling them out to find the one you need!!
6. The outer part of my workshop is unheated and tools will rust. Some respond well to spray with WD40 followed by wrapping with Cling Film. Oil works even better combined with the film, I protected machinery slideways in this way over a house move with storage in a shed for 15 months before I was able to build a new workshop.
 
Just a few I've found useful
 
Brian Wood
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