My Slow Progress

[Antman]

My Slow Progress


It seems like I am spending a lot of time in the workshop, that’s because it’s been fun, but not much has been getting done, but it would be a jol to see some results. So far this amounts to about 2 frames worth, if I could get som help with the photos. Some shaper tools and lathe crank handle and low speed conversion.

Something that runs is far away, because as I see it, I should be making a lot of tooling first. I really want a faceplate for the lathe, before I continue, also fixed and travelling steadies. I like, wouldn’t like to make anything more complicated or smaller (or that moves by itself yet). Found a really nicely stocked tool shop, with heavy prices, in the little BIG CITY! and didn’t come away with much for my 550ZAR. Coolant, some HSS and a small boring tool, that is probably too long and slender to be usable and 2 offcuts of gunmetal. I did find a nice faceplate for another lathe, at what I thought was cheap, so I will have to make some kind of adaptor. It must be an exersize in accuracy, but if the length is 20mm max, I guess sqareness is not a big issue. The only stock I have that size is lumps of CI tractorweight. It’s big, at 200mm dia, it will clear the bed by about ¾” . I never did find a faceplate for my lathe, nor steadies. I got very little lathe for many, many ZAR last year.





Ant

 

[Deanofid]

My Slow Progress


It seems like I am spending a lot of time in the workshop, that’s because it’s been fun, but not much has been getting done,

Ant, if it's been fun, then you are on the right track!

Something that runs is far away, because as I see it, I should be making a lot of tooling first.

Some years ago, I jumped into this avocation feet first. I'm now in up to my neck, and still making tooling. Although I've built numerous engines, and other fun stuff, I'm sure I've spent more time on tooling and fixtures than all the rest put together. It's not a bad thing to get tooled up, and it will teach you a lot of what you will also need to know about building engines.
It goes hand in hand.
(My list of tooling projects is longer now than when I got my first lathe, over 15 years ago.)

Regarding that face plate, get it as square to the spindle as you can, but don't go crazy with worry over it. You should always aim for the best quality work you can manage, of course, but the last cut you make on it will be across the face, so you'll have a surface perpendicular to the spindle bore.

How can we help with posting photos? What's the trouble?

Dean

 

[Antman]

Pics? We have one fairly decent camera, but I think The Fates decree that I spend zero lifespan coping with little buttons on gadgets. I'll never get to use it. I mean co-operation at home. Ha! Ha!
Ant