Another transfer over topic, this time a dead easy precision tool you can make.
Grab yourself a bit of old steel tube.
Mount it up in the lathe and clean up the outside for whatever length you want, I made mine about 3" long.
Very gently, lock up your saddle, and carefully face the end.
Deburr the inside and very gently remove the outer sharp edge with a bit of emery cloth or W&D.
Part off the bit.
Turn the new part around and lightly grip it in your chuck, gently face the end and give it a good clean up. I put a large outside chamfer on it, to save this end being confused with the other, which is the working end.
You have just made yourself a perfect tube square that can be used almost anywhere a normal cheapo Chinese square can be used. They are very good for setting things upright in your vice jaws because they can be wider than a normal engineers square, and don't want to fall down into the gap.
Make up various lengths and diameters, you will find a use for them all, eventually. Big chamfer to the top whilst in use.
Another hint, you have to make sure your lathe turns perfectly parallel, otherwise they will not be square.
John
Grab yourself a bit of old steel tube.
Mount it up in the lathe and clean up the outside for whatever length you want, I made mine about 3" long.
Very gently, lock up your saddle, and carefully face the end.
Deburr the inside and very gently remove the outer sharp edge with a bit of emery cloth or W&D.
Part off the bit.
Turn the new part around and lightly grip it in your chuck, gently face the end and give it a good clean up. I put a large outside chamfer on it, to save this end being confused with the other, which is the working end.
You have just made yourself a perfect tube square that can be used almost anywhere a normal cheapo Chinese square can be used. They are very good for setting things upright in your vice jaws because they can be wider than a normal engineers square, and don't want to fall down into the gap.
Make up various lengths and diameters, you will find a use for them all, eventually. Big chamfer to the top whilst in use.
Another hint, you have to make sure your lathe turns perfectly parallel, otherwise they will not be square.
John