Turned out nice

[Martin Shaw]

Thanks from me as well as it's a job I'll have to do shortly. Todays problem solved was the inability to mount the chuck backplate fully, the studs were binding in the spindle holes preventing the register mating. After discussion with Arc and their agreement I took a 7mm drill to the spindle holes and after, everything located correctly. As Phil will undoubtedly agree, purchasing the machine is one thing, there's a fair bit of work to do before it's usable.
Regards
Martin

 

[Martin Shaw]

Yesterday the BBC were filming at Boness for their latest Agatha Christie, "Ordeal by Innocence", and I had been rostered for the backshift driving turn, thankfully you won't see me on your telly. As is usual the visual media played pretty fast and loose with historical accuracy, there was I thinking the LNER had ceased to be by 1954. As a result nothing was done workshop wise. Today, the whole day was my own, so I took full advantage, the lathe is now set up in it's home,
along with all the goodies. Getting all working smoothly with no slop in the slides is laborious but you have to do it, I'm reasonably pleased with how it's turned out although I feel the saddle will need further adjustment. I found a bit of steel bar and thought a trial would be good. I did something wrong, the brand new tool showed little inclination to cut anything and there was a lot of chatter. Since I was trying to face off the bar I think I was at an insufficient angle and the tool was rubbing rather than cutting, either way the grinder is needed. Digging out some old tools from the Cowells enabled progress and one thing immediately obvious was the increase in power to the tool. What would have caused the Cowells drive belt to slip, merely caused heat and smoke at the tip, whilst still producing a cut. Evidence of the initial cock up was removed to produce this,


it's by no means brilliant and in truth the pics rather highlight the finish, but it feels smooth enough in the hand. For what I would want it would do but I think I can improve on this. Dimensionally it's out, 18.57 at one end and 18.66 at the other, over 70mm. Undoubtedly the tailstock alignment but lacking a headstock centre I will need to turn one from scratch to check. A big step forward but a lot yet to do before I can just use it as I want.

Regards
Martin

 

[daifly]

Martin
I'm a total amateur in such matters (see post#1!) but can't help feeling that the table on which the lathe sits lacks the sturdiness that I would expect to be needed.
You also look a little short of space to put all of the other necessary accoutrements such as a bottle of cutting oil, chuck key, quick change tool posts, vernier, micrometer etc without them being in the way!
Dave

 

[Neill]

I admire the effort you are going to with this lathe, well done. I like to plug something in and get on with it!

 

[Martin Shaw]

Dave
Having completely hijacked your thread, for which my apologies, I think you are wholly right, unfortunately the exchequer is feeling the pinch at the moment. I suppose bench number 3 needs to be constructed, drat. You are no more an amateur than me, at least you've been on a training course, I'm feeling my way here, albeit with a bit of understanding, machinist, competent or otherwise I most certainly am not. It was the late Sid Stubbs writing in the RM 50 odd years ago that sparked an interest in what you could do with machine tools, and it is only due to the benefits of a legacy that have allowed me to satisfy this, whether I manage to justify it all in due course is open to conjecture, I certainly hope so.

Neill
Thank you. I don't think you can expect to buy a machine tool at this level of expenditure and expect it to be plug and play. It would be nice of course, but that's the way it is.

Regards
Martin

 

[daifly]

Martin

Apology unnecessary! Your posts - along with most others - have enhanced the thread whilst keeping to the core theme. Please continue!

Dave

 

[Neill]

Martin

You are right to some extent, but it does seem a lot needs to be done to make the lathe usable. You clearly have the necessary skillset, but if a beginner bought one and then could not use it then the hobby could easily lose someone.

I'm lucky in that over the years I have been able to afford two English made lathes and an English miniature milling machine, all of which are capable of far greater accuracy than my skill!

Hats off to you, and thanks for keeping us informed.

 

[Martin Shaw]

Fair comment Neill, but, I would hope an absolute beginner before purchasing a lathe or any other machine tool, would do a bit of research to ascertain what the requirement from them might be, over and above the basic financial implication. I purchased useful books about the subject and looked at a lot of utube which gave me a good insight as well as having good friends with the right experience to guide me.

I suppose the SC3 I've got is on the big side for pure modelling, but probably not big enough for model engineering in the larger scales, and by the time you've put all the accessories together your on the wrong side of a grand. This represents a large sum by any measure and for anyone with typical mid life responsibilities, mortgage, children, etc, is not to be undertaken lightly, I can only hope that an absolute beginner with no idea wouldn't sail blithely on unaware of their own limitations, it does happen, but then soldering still seems to scare a lot of people off, and the capital outlay for that isn't really high.

As you say unless you have benefited from a trade apprenticeship, remember them, and/or years of experience, getting the best from any machine is a long learning curve. I'm still very much at the bottom. Thanks for the kind words.
Regards
Martin

 

[Neill]

With you all the way really. But I did metalwork at school when it was still a subject you could do! I then did a drawing office apprenticeship with a stint at Hackney Technical College on the tools, and still feel short of the real skill! I regard myself as a model maker as opposed to a model engineer.

That said, there is a college nearby which, amazingly, offer model engineering as an evening class. I am very tempted to sign up, but then there is a risk my O Gauge loco's might morph into 5" Gauge! Result, divorce.

 

[daifly]

I am very tempted to sign up, but then there is a risk my O Gauge loco's might morph into 5" Gauge! Result, divorce.

Remind your wife - as mine often reminds me - that this is a L'Oreal moment - 'Because you're worth it"!
Dave

 

[Martin Shaw]

To my mind, early acquisition of a decent bench grinder with wheels no less than six inch diameter is the best thing an aspiring machinist can do. The key to successful machining is learning how to shape the tools that do the cutting.

Well I had a grinder so I had a go with this result,




Brian, does this look as though I might be in the ballpark please?
Regards
Martin

 

[simond]

Martin

In your end view, it appears that the cutting edge of the tool remains horizontal. I suggest you'd need a rake angle from the tip, down-across the tool. It's called "side rake" in the attached link, but I think it's correctly "top rake"

Basic Lathe Tool Grinding

Hth
Simon

 

[Martin Shaw]

Simon
Thanks for your thoughts, my understanding is that it is top rake too, my tool has a little which the photo doesn't show well, but I think would need more for steel. Thanks for the link as well.
Regards
Martin

 

[simond]

This seems quite helpful

Basic Lathe Tool Grinding

Best
Simon

 

[Brian McKenzie]

Martin,

> . . . . does this look as though I might be in the ballpark please?

The link that Simon put up outlines the basics quite well. The trickiest part is grinding the compound angle that is applied to the top surface of the tool. Your photo shows angle in the direction from your tool's front face towards the rear, but more 'slope' should be applied simultaneously from the edge of the tool facing the chuck across to the edge at the
tailstock side.


When grinding the tool, it is common to get several 'facets' on any of the angled surfaces, when constantly re-applying the tool to the wheel. This doesn't matter too much, but it is important that any facet where it meets the cutting edge, is not diminishing but is at the appropriate angle.
The sharpness of the tool is enhanced by 'stoning' the ground faces, to hone the cutting edges - taking great care not to round off the cutting edge slightly. This takes quite a lot of practice, as it is too easy to upset the edges inadvertently. If you Google, 'stoning lathe cutting tools', you'll see a number of discussions.

You have a nicely appointed modelling room, but any serious work with the lathe is likely to throw a line of oil etc up the wall behind and over the framed picture. A roll of corrugated cardboard or packaging from a large kitchen appliance might usefully be temporarily installed behind.
Similarly, grinding lathe tools etc is a messy task and best done not within the house. A recommended accessory for your grinder is a wheel dressing tool, such as the tee shaped handtool imbedded with industrial diamond. Use of a well dressed (and hopefully balanced) wheel will greatly improve and ease any grinding work - but take the grinder outside first for any wheel dressing.


-Brian McK.

 

[JimG]

You have a nicely appointed modelling room, but any serious work with the lathe is likely to throw a line of oil etc up the wall behind and over the framed picture. A roll of corrugated cardboard or packaging from a large kitchen appliance might usefully be temporarily installed behind.

I would also get a nice big drip tray under the lathe to catch not only cutting fluid or lubricating oil, but to act as a place to catch (hopefully) all of your swarf, whether it's long ribbons of steel or showers of minute chips from brass. Swarf on the floor or in the carpet is not a good thing.

Jim.

 

[Martin Shaw]

Brian
Thanks for the guidance re grinding and the caution about oil spatter, I'll have to sort something out that doesn't detract from the room too much. One of the attractions of the house when it was viewed prior to purchase, was the fact that the loft conversion had been done, so sparing me the task, and as such I have a modelling room 15 by 20 feet with 3 Velux windows for light and ventilation, and it's only on the warmest days that it's really unusable. Unfortunately a previous owner who did the conversion thought he knew more than he did and the floor is a mishmash of boards with an odd high one to catch you out. Emptying the space and lifting the carpet is sufficiently offputting to prevent me sorting it out. Access is the potential future issue as it's a loft ladder, a good substantial one, but a ladder nonetheless and if my knees deteriorate to the extent I can't get up there, I think I'll worry about that if/when necessary.

Jim
Swarf in the carpet, now there's a bomb waiting to go off, thus far an industrial hoover has dealt with it seemingly satifactorily, I will undoubtedly hear if it doesn't.
Regards
Martin

 

[JimG]

I do like the picture of the Standards in Renfield Street over the lathe.

Jim.

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

Martin,
My workshop is in a room off our dining room, would be called a study by an estate agent, but my wife knows it as the workshop. It has Myford, Taylor Hobson pantograph, Cowells mill and Fobco drill plus all the usual files and saws so there is quite a lot of different types of swarf produced! Worst is turning iron wheels which make dirty dust which settles on everything. The carpet does catch some and the workshop vac helps but there will always be bits which catch in clothes to carry out into the wider world. Thankfully I have an understanding and tolerant wife and she knows where I am!
Ian.

 

[Neill]

You are one lucky man Ian. I built my workshop in part of the garage, there is no way I'd have got permission to work metal indoors. Mind there is a plus in not actually being part of the house, I can shut myself away and "forget" about chores I'm supposed to be doing