The other day I posted a pic of my new toy. Here it is again in case you missed it:
Well, at any rate I got it all set up, cleaned, and adjusted and was able to start playing with it today.
I've got an immediate project for a friend whose Randolph compass needs a little work. A couple of thumb screws, a special locking nut, etc.
So I have started turning some brass to see how it all works and I'm making progress. Of course the first thing I discover is that the basic tools that come with the machine really don't begin to cover what all I'll need. I had already ordered a knurling tool and was able to practice with that and it worked just fine. But additional orders for tools went out today and more will be going out in the near future.
This is going to be fun and it's always satisfying to make something that you can't buy!
Enjoy, I am sure you will, and keep enjoying!
Ordering accessories is expeditious and lets you concentrate on specific machined outputs for other projects, rather than spending lots of time on the process.
Many hobbyists enjoy the process and use the tool to create as many of accessories as possible, sort of a bootstrap operation.
I have a free standing drill press that my wife bought me for Christmas a few years ago. I added a palmgren cross slide vise. I also have 7x12 lathe. I have been wanting a mill but haven't gotten that far yet. What I need most is a shop to put it in.
My first project on the lathe was to make brass bushings for the door hinges on my wife's mail truck. Most people can go the entire life of a vehicle and only replace the hinge pin bushings once. Since she runs a mail route, she would go thru 1-2 sets a year.
It's made with 360 brass about 2.5 times the length of the original bushing with a grease hole to allow greasing with a grease needle.
I bought a ball making attachment but haven't tried it yet.
James
Nice job!
The first thing I learned the hard way was that when I was taking 0.020 off with each pass, the brass bar was flexing about 0.001 to 0.002 inches.
I learned that when I start getting close, make two passes at the same depth. The second pass takes off another layer equal to the flex of the first pass. Then measure and calculate the final pass.
Out of the first four bushing I made, only one fit and it was probably the one closest to the chuck.
James
