Recent content by benster

I've been building Elmer's engines and am becoming more proficient in machining, to the point where I would like to make an IC engine. Is there a recommended starting point? I've seen the Boll Aero engines but from what I've read getting them to run can be tricky, both with the fuel mixture and...

This is the article regarding the dead center design. http://www.cartertools.com/dead%20center.html Following Dean's example from. http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/deadcenter/deadcenter.html I don't remember what dimensions mine came out to exactly but it does look about...

So with the attached setup I have 1.021" at the dead center and 1.023" at the chuck. I had dialed in the dead center to less than a thou of center horizontally. I used both calipers and micrometers to measure. The work piece is only sticking out about 1.5". I guess I have to live with it.

Do you use a standard scraper for this or is there a special scraper for cylindrical surfaces?

The issue started when I tried to build a spindle for a dividing head and had a .005 difference end to end. Until I can purchase a new lathe I'm going to just design my devices to account for wear/runout etc. It adds extra complexity but will allow me to adjust for the issues I've encountered.

The first time I got the inaccuracy I thought it was poorly adjusted gibs, so I took the lathe apart and used lapping compound to lap the gibs/carriage to the ways. When I adjusted the tailstock I used a test indicator with half thou resolution. My diameter measurements are with Mitutoyo...

I did try adjusting my tailstock and it was a little out "left to right" I adjusted it to about .0005. However, it's off by .001-.002 vertically, is there some way to shim the Taig tailstock? The way its built I can't think of a way. Also, I've tried adjusting the carriage gibs but they're just...

Its only about a year old and I've lapped it a few times in that period. I'll try aligning my tailstock more accurately and see where that gets me.

I do use the tailstock though, just not a faceplate.

I'm having trouble with runout on my Taig lathe. Starting out I'll center work in a 4 jaw chuck, usually to within .0005. I'll also use the tailstock. Workpieces around 2-4" long, about .5"-1" diameter. The problem is after roughing passes, and finishing passes of .001 I'll still end up with...

V45 Check out the Touch DRO Project. You can use your igaging scales with a cheap tablet and gain the functionality of a more expensive DRO. Since you already have the scales it would probably only cost you ~$100 if you don't already have a tablet. Yuri (the creator) is starting to sell premade...

I recently bought a G0704 and was going to look at CNCing it in the next year or so. The only control system I'm familiar with is using a breakout board to parallel, would you mind explaining what an ethernet smoothstepper is? Also wondering what kind of ballscrews you went with and what your...

My dad should be able to crate it no problem, I'll keep that in mind cwelkie. I looked on uship.com, found a carrier that I think can get it down here for ~$150, I'll have to call and see about doing a terminal to terminal shipment.

My father has a JET 4"x6" horizontal bandsaw that he would like to give me, but its located across the country. A quick quote on Fedex/USPS yields a freight price of $300-$400, which I could buy a new grizzly bandsaw for and have shipped. Are there more economical means to ship something freight...

Thanks for the advice, I passed on mill and ended up getting a g0704 and some tooling. Might go with a Bridgeport in the future when my budget allows.