Dave's Metal Stuff

[DTR]

Now to split the bush...

Clamped up against an angle plate as I don't have a suitable vice. The foreshortening of the camera makes this setup look a lot more ropey than it actually is

In order to find the "equator", for want of a better word, I've measured the height with a vernier height gauge:

... then subtracted half the diameter and marked the height. My height gauge only goes down to 1.5" so I had to switch to a surface gauge:

Then I lined up the slitting saw with the mark and had at it.

Finally the split bush, and in place on the banjo. The tool rest post is gripped a lot better now:

Yes, I really should make a new banjo...

 

[DTR]

Once again DTR, you've shown that you're really an ace at making good quality useful stuff on the lathe - AND photographing it well too. Definitely an inspiration to "dabblers" like myself.

=D>

AES

You're far too kind The photos were taken on an iPhone for convenience. I really should dig out the Nikon.

Update: found a picture of it.

....

The inserts are slightly concave as you would expect but you can sharpen them on a diamond plate and they still cut ok.

I like that. I've always assumed that my lathe, and the mill especially, were too small to drive insert tools. But I've seen others do it, so maybe I'll try it one day

 

[woodpig]

Nice job on the slitting.
The "little Hogger" set of three carbide insert mills at Chronos works well as long as you run them fast enough.

 

[AES]

Interesting. My little lathe is a "Red Bull" or "Red Dog" or something (badged by Einhell) rather than the very similar Chinese Sieg lathes, but I always thought it was too small and not rigid enough to handle insert tooling so I've never tried. Perhaps I should think again, although I do think my lathe is even less rigid than both yours gents.

Liked the slitting job too. Not tried that, on the rare occasions I've needed to slit I've used an abrasive cutting disc ("Speed Click") in a hand-held Dremel tool. Works OK, but obviously not as accurate as a slitting saw correctly mounted on the lathe.

Even more food for thought, thanks all. And IMHO your work IS good DTR (and yours too woodpig).

AES

 

[woodpig]

What actual size is your "Red Bull"? My lathe is an 8" X 14" and I use insert tooling sometimes. These days there are "hobby" sized inserts that are more suitable for small machines. I've bought most of mine from these folks at one of the model engineering shows but they now have a website:

http://www.jbcuttingtools.com

HSS still has a place on small machines though and I use a Tangential tool holder for much of my work as HSS is much cheaper than buying inserts!

 

[AES]

Also 8 x 14 woodpig. Thanks for the tooling link, I'll keep it in mind.

Mostly though I also use the tangential tool holder with HSS inserts. Cheap and easy to sharpen (especially with the little jig that comes with the tool - this is the Aussie bought one I'm talking about, not a DIY version, though I think someone on here - was it you? - did a lovely home-built version).

AES

 

[DTR]

Mostly though I also use the tangential tool holder with HSS inserts. Cheap and easy to sharpen (especially with the little jig that comes with the tool - this is the Aussie bought one I'm talking about, not a DIY version, though I think someone on here - was it you? - did a lovely home-built version).

AES

If it's the one I'm thinking of, it was indeed Woodpig's (Arbalist)

 

[woodpig]

Yes I have made a couple. The big one is a pleasure to use on my little lathe but is too cumbersome to get around a live centre hence the carbide tooling which is very compact. Horses for courses as they say!

 

[AES]

OK thanks DTR. Sorry I couldn't remember who made it but it certainly was a nice piece of work by someone who knows 'is onions.

AES

 

[woodpig]

Was it this one? There were a few folks on another forum that thought it was some kind of 3D render so I had to post a few more pictures to show it was real! :lol:

 

[AES]

Yup, that's what I remember. Nice bit of work, thanks.

AES

 

[DTR]

As posted elsewhere... The blade tensioner thingy on my Dad's cheapo mitre saw has stripped its thread.... so I made a new one

 

[woodpig]

Too nice Dave, can't you beat it up a bit so it looks like the original?! :lol:

 

[DTR]

So, for some inexplicable reason, I bought a Super Adept a few weekends ago....

We're not quite sure what we're going to use it for yet (Doris just thought it was cute!) but it could be useful for turning small bits. It's a shame the top / compound slide is missing, but not really a game-changer. Beneath the toolpost there is a threaded stud and bush. Both were turned on the wonk so I've already replaced both of those. The Adepts were never finished to a high standard, and I found that this one rocks because the bottom of the foot is a lumpy, unfinished casting. So I milled the bottom flat:

The next thing to overcome is the spindle. The supplied chuck isn't much good, but the spindle nose is threaded 3/8" BSF, which isn't in common use for lathe chucks. So I've made up a new spindle with an M14 x 1 nose on the end. Shaft turned between centres in the hope that it will be somewhere close to concentric:

Rotated end-for-end and turned down to 14mm for the nose:

Screwcut the M14 thread on the nose:

Milled a flat on the shaft for the driving pulley's grub screw:

And finally installed on the Adept:

 

[woodpig]

Nice little Lathe, sure to come in handy for something.

 

[Water-Mark]

I'd love one of those.

They do seem to fetch strong money though.

Keep up the good work.

 

[AES]

QUOTE: So, for some inexplicable reason, I bought a Super Adept a few weekends ago.... UNQUOTE:

I can think of several explanations, no trouble at all DTR!

Once again, VERY nice work, thanks for posting.

AES

 

[DTR]

More work on the Adept.....

The bearings on the headstock and countershaft could do with some oil caps. I lined up the existing oil holes using whatever drill bit fit:

Then drilled out and tapped M6. I used the pillar drill to keep the taper tap plumb:

Then finished off away from the drill. It felt a bit odd tapping a metric thread into pre-war British cast iron....

The oil caps don't sit flush due to the unfinished thread up by the shoulder....

.... so I drilled out the first mm or so of the thread to give a clearance. Now if only I'd ordered enough oil caps......+

 

[graduate_owner]

Reading these posts makes me think I really MUST get back into the workshop. Get the decorating over wifh now, then a load of weeding and grass cutting, and perhaps I will be able to get turnng on my colchester. I have a thread adapter to make to allow me to use my chuck on 2 differently threaded headstocks ( graduate and viceroy). I haven't done much tbread work yet - should be a challenge.

K

 

[DTR]

A bit of an update on the Super Adept.... Here it is mounted with the countershaft and motor on an oak plinth:

The plinth is a bit undersize because it was a random offcut I had knocking about. It does the job though. I still need to buy a chuck, and figure out what to do with the tailstock.

I appreciate that a sense of scale can be lost with online photos, so to demonstrate the truly industrial proportions of the Super Adept, here it is next to a fully-grown Essex Lion: