Attempt to make a Taper Crimper on my new Lathe

[DoctorBill]

Why do you assume that I myself broke my new toy ?

Actually, I don't think it is possible that I did anything to affect that Keyed Bushing
in the Quadrant Assembly.

Maybe the "T-Nut" was loose and those Gears were wobbling.
Could that have done it ?
I didn't notice how that was put together until the bushing broke.

Gary tells me normal Lathes use a two key bushing there.

I have been wondering whether or not I could cut a bushing and then hand cut a
keyway with a file and thus make my own Keyed Bushing !

Was that bushing made with sintered metal for some reason other than economy ?

DoctorBill

[Longwood]

Was that bushing made with sintered metal for some reason other than economy ?

DoctorBill

The piece that broke, is probably made as the weak link.
Some lathes use a tapered pin that will break before the operator can cause major damage.

Also,,, back off on the tool instead of dragging it back across the work. Most lathes will drag the tools going back if you don't back it off. Use a dial indicator to get the tool back to where you want the next cut to be.

How is reading the books before you try something new, working out for you?

[Longwood]

My teachers were constantly handing out reading assignments.
I hated them.

I could never read a whole paragraph of boring gooply goop without my mind wandering to designing a boat or figuring out how to dam the creek so we had a place to float one.

[DoctorBill]

The book I am reading shows all the equipment and generally how to use it.

Nothing specific so far that applies to what I am doing.

I suspect that I need to take a hands on course and use a Lathe while an
instructor looks on.

Mostly I need to get over being afraid I'll break something.

After that bushing broke - through no fault of my own - I am even more
worried.

I should try 'backing off' and only going right to left.

This CD I am reading (How To Use A Lathe) refers to cutting speeds and an Appendix
but it has no appendix.

Has an equation (4 x SFM) / Diameter = RPM

I'll have to go onto the Internet to find that information.

Just found this:
http://its.fvtc.edu/machshop2/speeds/rpmcalc.htm

Big problem - I wouldn't know one Steel from another, nor alloys, nor Aluminum's nor
squat...

Just assuming that I need 400 SFM for this Rolled Iron Rod with Carbid bits, then
that works out to 1777 RPM for an 0.9 indh diameter rod.
That is essentially the top rpms of my machine !
At 300 rpms it seems to scream !

I now see why I should use HSS at 500 rpm

DoctorBill

[Longwood]

Taking a class is an excellent idea.
I should do it myself.

Make something out of aluminum.
Buy some brass or use some of the stock I sent too make something a lot smaller than the material diameter, so you get some experience removing metal..
You will be amazed at how much easier, and much more fun, aluminum or brass is to machine than steel.

[DoctorBill]

I did make a mold out of Aluminum. I agree about ease of machining.
But, that was my previous Thread.

The idea was to start a new project.
Which this is.

In Steel of what ever alloy this is:

Why - why not ? - something to practice on - available here - inexpensive.

Gary said Cold Rolled (if I remember correctly) - it has a hard crust around it.

Need to figure out the cutting speed for it from the chart
http://its.fvtc.edu/machshop2/speeds/rpmcalc.htm

Am I correct in reading the chart - around 120 to 180 fpm if using HSS tools ?

DoctorBill

[R.M.]

Hot rolled. CRS doesn't have the scale.

[DoctorBill]

If Hot Rolled, then a cutting speed of ~ 160 sfm for HSS tools ?

Plain Carbon Steel ? What do you call this stuff - besides Hot Rolled ?

I removed the scale with a file and a grinder and Gary says
I can use Muriatic Acid, if I want to.
The grinder is faster and much more convenient....

My Lathe is going 300 rpm which for my 0.9" dia rod is ~ 68 sfm. Yes ?

The CD Book, "How to Rrun a Lathe" says there is a wide range for cutting,
so it would seem that I shouldn't go nuts over what speed I use.
i.e. Don't lose sleep over it....

DoctorBill

[R.M.]

Sounds slow to me. Just use carbide to cut the scale off. Then you can use the HSS tool.

[nanuk]

I played with a guy's lathe one day, trying to make an insert to indicate off, to align a barrel so I could recut the start of a chamber, then rechamber, as my 'Smith reamed it way off center

I was using a brass bolt, some 8" long, and 5/8" diameter.

he forgot to mention I should center drill and use a center to hold it.. it was SOOOO springy, that I was unable to reduce it without a taper. No follow rest (?) to use on this lathe

[DoctorBill]

Showed the Quadrant Gears, the Broken Bushing and the spindle they all
spin on to my friend Gary.

He thinks I should either make or buy a solid bushing (Where ?) that fits and then clamp the
two gears together and drill two holes where shown (in the photo) and
put roll pins in there.



I was wondering - if the bushing is supposed to be of a 'break away' sort
of thing, why not use some large dia Aluminum Wire instead of the roll pins ?

ENCO is replacing the bushing and plastic gear on the one year warranty,
but it will take a while for them to obtain the parts...

I also received and am adapting a 'Quick Change Tool Post' from Grizzly
($130) to my Compound.
http://cdn0.grizzly.com/manuals/t10166_m.pdf

Will need to use the Lathe to make a new bolt for the center to fit it.



DoctorBill

[DoctorBill]

I determined that I could adapt my new Quick Change Tool Post to my Lathe's
Carriage Tool Post bolt by drilling and tapping a 9/16" bolt from the hardware store.

My Tool Post Bolt is 8mm x 1.25 (it is actually 7.6mm x 1.25 !) and 1.3" of threaded part.
I can use the 9/16th bolt as an internally threaded rod to screw down over my Toolpost
bolt and then put a nut on the 9/16th Bolt to hold the Quick Change Tool Post on my
Compound.



I cut the 9/16ths x 6" bolt and drilled it out on the Lathe to 1.3" deep with a TiN Drill Bit..

Went fine.

Then came trying to Tap the 8mm x 1.25 hole with a Harbor Freight Tap.

Just stripped the tap like it was made of Aluminum ! See close-up below.



Have to go to ACE Hardware and spend some cash on a good, hard 'Merican made Tap...

DoctorBill

[Longwood]

[QUOTE=DoctorBill;

I was wondering - if the bushing is supposed to be of a 'break away' sort
of thing, why not use some large dia Aluminum Wire instead of the roll pins ?

Yes,,
WEAK LINK
That is what it means.

[Longwood]

Then came trying to Tap the 8mm x 1.25 hole with a Harbor Freight Tap.

Just stripped the tap like it was made of Aluminum ! See close-up below.

Have to go to ACE Hardware and spend some cash on a good, hard 'Merican made Tap...

DoctorBill

Anneal the heat treated bolt.
Or, start over with a piece of material you can work with then harden it.

[DoctorBill]

I wondered about heating the bolt, but then I know so little about that sort of thing,
that I figured I'd really booger it all up. It cut easily on my Bandsaw and drilled easily.
It can't be all that hard. I've seen HARD METAL and this ain't it.

Gary is off doing 976 of his own things that I hate to bother him.
The weather is finally becoming nice and he is always outside fixing a forklift
or outboard motor or some machine. I think he had Cabin Fever !

Taps that strip away the cutting edges on a simple bolt that drilled out easily can't
be worth much !

Not like I run the tap in with a lathe like Gary does, either.

This tap just folded and ran like France.....and an 8mm tap is substantial.

Are Chinese Taps only good for tapping into butter ?

DoctorBill

[dragonrider]

Bill does your compound have a T-nut slot in it??? If so why can you not redrill the t-nut that holds the tool post to 9/16 for the bolt that you have???

[Swede44mag]

I am with you Doctor Bill I have used cheap taps in the past and they just don't cut it (pun intended).
Buy a better quality tap and let us know how it worked out.

I am looking into buying a 'Quick Change Tool Post' for my Atlas lathe.
I made a tool post in metal shop but did not make it adjustable for height.
I would also like to have one with a boring bar capability.

It has been interesting reading your posts if a person pays attention they can always learn some good tips.

[DoctorBill]

My compound does not have a "T-Slot" Bolt to hold the post.

It is a Bolt with a round head press fit up into the Compound Base.

Thumbnail Image - Click for Large Version of diagram.

Gary wondered what it was and pushed it out using an Arbor Press.
He then pressed it back in. There is a "Roll Pin" in the Round Bolt Head to
keep it tight. Part numbers 8 and 18 in the diagram.

The Bolt itself is only 2.8" long with 2.3" protruding up from the Compound Base.

I could cut that 9/16ths bolt head into a round head and drill out the Compound Base,
to upsize it, but if that base got boogered or didn't work out for some reason, I'd have to buy
a new Compound from ENCO and their replacement parts come at a dear price !

They want $11 for that Bushing and $45 for that 80 tooth plastic gear if I were
to want extra ones.

As some of you said - this Lathe is a Money Pit !

So - I am trying to adapt this new Quick Change Tool Post (Size 100) to
my Lathe w/o altering the Compound in any way.

It should work fine - it isn't a Big Brutish Industrial Steel Cutter....just a
little 9" hobby Lathe.

DoctorBill

[HollowPoint]

Why do you assume that I myself broke my new toy ?

Actually, I don't think it is possible that I did anything to affect that Keyed Bushing
in the Quadrant Assembly.

Maybe the "T-Nut" was loose and those Gears were wobbling.
Could that have done it ?
I didn't notice how that was put together until the bushing broke.

Gary tells me normal Lathes use a two key bushing there.

I have been wondering whether or not I could cut a bushing and then hand cut a
keyway with a file and thus make my own Keyed Bushing !

Was that bushing made with sintered metal for some reason other than economy ?

DoctorBill

Most experienced lathe users and owners will base their answers or responses on the type of lathes they're accustomed to using.

When a question of a broken part comes up their generalized answers makes sense from the perspective of their particular machine but, these 9x19 lathes aren't the machines they're used to using.

Some of the small parts on these machines aren't made of cast iron; or steel for that matter. They're made of some kind of cheap alloy that doesn't take much to break, crack or shear off.

I mentioned a while back that a small part on my Cross-Slide Broke. I ended up making a new one myself out of better materials. This might be an option for DrBill.

The point of all of this is that you don't necessarily have to do anything wrong for one of these weaker parts to go bad on you. "SH!T Happens" and they break all by themselves.

I got an email from Grizzly telling me that the part that had broken on me was still on back-order and they didn't know when they expected to get more of them. This was over three months ago.

This tells me that I'm not the only one who's experienced problems with that particular part. This may be the case with the part that the Good Dr. is now having to deal with.




HollowPoint

[DoctorBill]

Thank You - HollowPoint !

Everyone I talk to about this "happening" seems to try to make me feel
like I myself did something bad ! Even the ENCO Warranty guy on the phone.

It gets to the point where you even start to think you DID do something wrong !

Like a Cop questioning you and looking skeptical...you start to feel guilty of SOMETHING !

I, personally, being a nice humble fellow who wouldn't hurt a fly, was beginning
to think I boogered the Lathe somehow....

Yes...possibly that scintered bushing was cracked when it was placed on the shaft.

Maybe....but I am innocent as the day is long !

Really...I don't care any more. Wracked my brains trying to figure out what
I (the bad guy) did to break it.

Even Gary seems skeptical when I talk to him about it....

Well....I will fix it and it will be stronger and better than when I got it.

Take that !

Time for a bowl of Chili and a beer ! The food of the Gods !

I like my chili soupy...Nalley's with Tabasco.


DoctorBill