Occasional Happiness

[tentacles]

I took an old 6" rotary table (Chinese) and bolted a ring to the center of it. After drilling and tapping for the chuck face bolts, I turned the RT into an adjustable spacer to use this style of chuck. On the mill table, the RT is rotated with an indicator on the work in the chuck, and the chuck is drifted to center. Works well, lasts a long time.

 

I'm so jealous! I want a rotary table something fierce! It adds so much capability to a machine tool. Radial indexing for one. I could have used it to make the chuck key for the 4 jaw, instead of eyeballing 90 degrees in my "mill vise" (3" drill press vise).

 

I could take a picture of my spindle nose... or use to a picture of someone else's!

 

Not the greatest picture but serviceable. The spindle thread is 1 1/8 - 12 BSW and the register is 1.248-1.249 and I think about half an inch long. To cut the BSW threads I took an old internal threading tool that came with the lathe and ground it carefully with the dremel to fit the spind nose threads. Then I discovered it was not HSS! And why can't you find internal threading tools (the one piece type), brazed carbide or HSS or whatever. I've only seen them available in a couple of sets, or I can order some (even in BSW 55 degree) from the UK.. yeah right!

 

Anyways, as to making it extra thick, I'm not sure how far out the "donut" needs to extend to support the adjusting grubs. I may yet machine and mount a seperate piece for that. I just happen to have some 1" bored 3"OD 6061 that might work. I don't know the specs on the donut size but 3" or thereabouts looks close.

 

I do plan on ordering a new topslide feedscrew and nut someday, the one that's in there has been creatively abused in the past. Possibly to defeat backlash but the cross slide doesn't have much backlash, so it's hard to say. I'm glad you can buy parts for it, though the cost is pretty high.

 

The other day I finally got off my ass and cut a new way wiper for the carriage, the old one was gross, probably original, the new one is the hardest felt McMaster sells in 1/8" (twice as thick as the old one). I actually like that there's a gap between the wiper holder and the carriage, I can dribble way oil on there and it'll soak through the felt. Anyways, I also took the opportunity to adjust the gibs, and I was just amazed that they weren't overtightened or any other BS, and despite the paint were easy to adjust. The bed shows infinitessimal wear, the adjustment near the chuck doesn't make the carriage notably tighter at the far end of the bed. Also adjusted the gib on the topslide and it really helped the smoothness of my facing cuts. I typically keep it adjusted perpendicular to the crosslide.

Edited December 10, 2008 by tentacles

[Mumbles]

You could try looking for a product called "Vinsol resin" It's derived from pine sap, so I'd imagine it's somewhat doctored and artificial. Soluble in alcohol, acetone, toluene, etc. The stuff I have seems pretty clean, and have seen good colors made from compositions containing it. It smells real good too, like fresh cut pine.

 

Bulk from Fred Hay, I want to say it was running about $5 a pound for a 55lb bag the last time I saw the price list. Cheaper than red gum.

[flying fish]

I was telling one of my co-workers about my pyrotechnics hobby, and how I work in my garage, etc. etc.

 

Well he was talking to his friend (who also happens to be my Advisor from the university) over lunch one day, and somehow they decide to tell me: "well, if you aren't careful you might just be the first Kettering student to orbit the earth in a garage!"

 

I don't know how funny that is, and maybe I'm just a little bit over-giggly today. But I had a good laugh over that one...

[tentacles]

Ask them how they learned about your missile silo.. and if they'll help you paste on the header. Mumble something about needing a new test subject.

[Swede]

Tentacles, don't forget that the threads on your spindle nose DO NOT do any real alignment... it is the shoulder(s) at the base of the threads that do that. The threads serve one purpose, they hold/press the backplate against those shoulders. It is nice to have a precision thread in the backplate, but not critical.

 

Let's create a thought experiment... you cut a grossly oversized female thread in a blank backplate. It is so large that you can almost push the backplate over the threads, there's maybe 10% engagement. So you screw it on and it's flopping about like a dead fish. But then it gets pulled against the shoulder, and that 10% thread presses it fine, and with accuracy, although not with great strength. My point: When or if you cut another backplate, just do the best you can to come close to the correct threadform and don't fret it if it's not perfect. Threads have enormous strength, usually far greater than the underlying shaft. If you take a common hardware store nut and bolt, thread the nut on fully, then use a hydraulic machine to tear them apart, the bolt will fail in tension before the threads strip, and that's only three or four turns of thread. Just get your threads good enough to keep the backplate firmly against the shoulder. If the "V" is 58 degrees instead of 55, so what, so long as it screws on.

 

Now the donut thingie... the donut does NOT encounter much stress at all. It exists solely to act as a fixture to allow the chuck to drift laterally. It is the face bolts that do all of the work, make those quality bolts if the chuck does not come with them. And you do NOT need to overtighten, just a normal hand tightening with moderate effort. That Myford spindle would suffer under any radial cutting force powerful enough to drift the chuck relative to the backplate. You could make the donut out of delrin and it would probably work, although I'd still recommend a short section of DOM steel. It doesn't have to be thick (in the wall), just thick enough to allow you to countersink a half-dozen 8-32 or 10-32 SHCS. Height above backplate = depth of hollow cavity in chuck minus clearance, maybe 0.032" This is a simple system, no need to make it any more complicated than it needs to be.

 

The chuck itself, at 6" and being a semi-steel body, will be heavy. No need to make the backplate too heavy either. Your Myford spindle is precise and accurate, but NOT exceptionally heavy or strong, so no need to stress it any more than it will be with that chuck.

 

Stupid question - what is the lathe swing? When that chuck is mounted, and the jaws extend beyond the body like they would be if gripping, say, a 6" disk, will the jaws bang against the ways?

Edited December 11, 2008 by Swede

[tentacles]

It's quite likely that the jaws will be capable of interference with the ways, but it shouldn't be a problem as I don't work with very large stuff often. The lathe is 7" swing with 10" over the gap.. I'm not entirely sure how deep the chuck is, whether I'll be able to keep it over the gap (not likely) or not. Either way, I shouldn't have any need to open the jaws wide enough to interfere with the bed. Even my little 4-jaw chuck is capable (though barely) of interfering with the bed.

 

If it does seem like it will be a problem, I'm sure I can resell the chuck on ebay and make a profit - just properly labelling the auction would do amazing things to the selling price.

 

Maybe I'll look into machining the donut first, then bolting it to the backplate blank, and chucking the inside of the donut into my little 3-jaw (if it will open wide enough). That way I could have the ring largely concentric with the spindle mount, which would be nice, even though it's not required. I can imagine well what having 20 or so lbs of chuck swinging on an eccentric will do.. Shake, rattle, and roll!

[Richtee]

It's quite likely that the jaws will be capable of interference with the ways, but it shouldn't be a problem as I don't work with very large stuff often.

Allright... what will it cost me to have you guys make me a set of rocket tools and a quick and dirty star plate? Christ, you could build the space shuttle with this stuff... should be pretty easy? But I dunno.. my machining skills are limited to a file and a drill press.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Richtee

[tentacles]

Rich: Swede's the one with the CNC mill, ask him about star plates! If you're interested in rocket tooling, PM FrankRizzo and ask him about Tyler's tooling - it's 1lb BP/whistle tooling, aluminum, though the rammers are 2024 (stronger, harder) alloy and the BP spindles are easily/cheaply replaced SS taper pins.

 

The best price on star plates is definitely that Chinese lady, though I forget her name/site. EDIT: Supreme Pyro, I think it is.

Edited December 12, 2008 by tentacles

[TheSidewinder]

HEY, WAREZ_WALLY!

 

Fix your email, please. The address you have registered here is rejecting emails sent from the board. And if I just sent you a PM you wouldn't get notice about it, so I'll post it here since your'e following this thread.

 

Someone inquired about tooling and it got bounced back by your(?) server, saying it "didn't like" the sending server (which would be us, via websitewelcome.com).

 

Thanks.

[psyco_1322]

Who was it that walked around the convention and left the cards for their CNC machining business? I came back to one on my laptop towards the end of the week.

[tentacles]

No idea - probably the guy who had those star plates in the vending area.. the ones that were 3/8" plates but only 3/8" thick.. so you could make Tums shaped stars, I guess.

 

Swede: I forgot to take pictures of that piece, I'll try to remember tonight. I've been busy today getting my car cleaned up / oil changed etc to go down to FrankRizzo's this weekend.

 

Apparently the lathe chuck only got shipped out yesterday, so I probably won't be getting it this weekend. Just means I'll have to take another trip down to collect it.

[WarezWally]

HEY, WAREZ_WALLY!

 

Fix your email, please. The address you have registered here is rejecting emails sent from the board. And if I just sent you a PM you wouldn't get notice about it, so I'll post it here since your'e following this thread.

 

Someone inquired about tooling and it got bounced back by your(?) server, saying it "didn't like" the sending server (which would be us, via websitewelcome.com).

 

Thanks.

 

Can you PM me some more details?

 

Sounds like my mail server is not playing ball.

[WarezWally]

Well, looks like my mail server has shit itself after nearly 24 months of flawless operation.

 

Time to crack a beer, I've got logs to trawl through

[WarezWally]

My mail server is perfectly fine, the useless fucks where I registered my domain didn't bother to send me a reminder that my domain was coming up for renewal and subsequently it has expired.

 

Useless dicks

 

I guess its ultimately my fault, but normally I would get hounded for weeks before it expired.

Edited December 13, 2008 by WarezWally

[WarezWally]

Looks like everything is now sorted, got ripped pretty hard for the renewal fee.

[TheSidewinder]

Good to know Wally, thanks.

 

Yeah, very odd that you didn't a shitload of notices about the upcoming expiry.

 

All's well that ends well, though.

[Mumbles]

It's actually not that weird to me. I barely get any notices for the hosting here. I think they send me one e-mail a week before it's due. Thats the reason the site went down for a couple days a few years ago. Well, the e-mail went out to someone else, but I guessed the e-mail and password right to get in an change it all.

 

Speaking of which, I should probably send out the domain renewal e-mails. It's the only part of this site that isn't in my name.

[TheSidewinder]

While you're at it, see if he's willing to transfer the Domain registration to ENOM (for which Hostgator is a Domain reseller) or, preferably, Moniker (which I use, and is secure and inexpensive).

 

GoDaddy is the Registrar at the moment. And I don't trust them any further than I can throw them, given what I've read on the Hostgator forums.

[Richtee]

I drove 640 miles today. My oldest has taken a room in a house very near Indianapolis, and has a job there, near her beau. And of course it's up to Dad to empty his work van, and deliver all her furniture. Left at 7 AM, got home at 7:30 PM.

 

I know this does not sound like happiness... but just over the MI-IN border are MANY 1.4 fireworks stores :{)

 

3 cases of "crackerling balls" <No kidding..that's the name> AKA Dragon's Eggs- are now in the dismantle stage for star cores :{) Now I gotta figger this rolling shit out. Prolly the tractor tire/ball mill route I guess?

 

On Edit: Oh..and by the way...what do I want to avoid in any coatings/comps on these? I'm assuming they are the lead whatever comp...

Edited December 15, 2008 by Richtee

[Swede]

I went through a similar hell when my domain expired a couple years ago. The fault was mine. My contact email was outdated, and all the warnings the provider was sending was bouncing. That's the problem when you own your own domain. You are the email master of the entire time/space continuum, and you can have 10,000 email addresses. What I used to do (still do) is create an email and use it until the spam reaches an unbearable level, then I erase it and create a new email addy. I also have two or three "secret" email addys that only friends and family get.

 

Anyway, once it expires and goes into "suspension", in reality, it is being held for a cash ransom, and it takes $$ and time to recover the name. Total PITA.

[crazyboy25]

Just got a set of Kimax beakers and Erlenmeyer flasks from Cynmar; good stuff not like that shitty Bomex from China. But the 250ml beaker is chipped and cracked this will be a pain for a replacement.

[Swede]

Got TEN kilograms of lead nitrate from chemsavers! I am now ready to plate. Ten kilos, YEAH! Chemsavers rules.

[Gunzway]

Got TEN kilograms of lead nitrate from chemsavers! I am now ready to plate. Ten kilos, YEAH! Chemsavers rules.

Damn at 10kgs.. That's enough to keep you going. Good luck! I'll be interested to read about it.

[WarezWally]

Got TEN kilograms of lead nitrate from chemsavers! I am now ready to plate. Ten kilos, YEAH! Chemsavers rules.

 

I don't know if its wise to buy so much of such a toxic chemical, in 5 years down the track when you no longer want to have a tub full of a highly soluble heavy metal salt what do you do with it? Its not like you can throw it in the bin or flush it down the sink.

[WarezWally]

Just purchased 1.2kg of calcium carbide from Luxembourg

 

Wasn't cheap but I should be able to make most of my money back selling it locally, that's if it doesn't get lost in the mail

Edited December 19, 2008 by WarezWally