A little knowledge.........

[slim_boy_fat]

As per the thread title, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing - well, so can a lot of ignorance...

When I got the lathe, I saw these on "the 'Bay of Everything We Don't Need" and thought...."Oh good, plenty of bits of round bar for practise at turning", so bid and won them, admittedly for 'not a lot'.
They were described [correctly as it turns out, and where my ignorance came up for air ] as 'gauges' but ....well, what did I know?

Now I DO know [and understand] what they are. Some, if not all, are HSS and [I've been told that they might be HCS] the few that are marked have "Hoffman, England", "Osborn, England" and Clarkson, England HHS" on them.

Of course, I only discovered this when I went to turn one to make a T handle for something.... HSS v HSS is never going to work. I've got no way of machining them e.g. milling/turning but the small ones might end up being ground to make cutters, the larger ones drifts/punches etc. Every day a school day, eh.......? I've got no way of heating them to red hot and allowing slow/controlled cooling as has been suggested by a pal.



This one has a 'one-off' or home made look to it, any ideas what purpose it might have served? Don't think it's a template for re-sewing buttons......



Apologies for the lack of the obligatory mug for scale.

Answers on a postcard

 

[gordon stephenson]

Certainly looks like a jig for drilling four holes into the end of a round bar, With perhaps repeatable accuracy,

 

[bigegg]

"heat to red hot and cool slowly"
Charcoal BBQ, leave in the ashes..

<Edit>
Never mind, you're in Scotland - too wet to light a BBQ.

 

[Seadog]

Buy a carbide tool

 

[fizzy]

A mini magnetron!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

A mini magnetron!

You mean like the ones in microwave ovens? A nephew once told me never to mess with m/waves as there are things in there which pack enough punch to kill the unwary....that'd be me, when it comes to electrickery.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Buy a carbide tool

Good thinking, Batman!

I've actually got these saved in my watch list on the 'Bay, but had assumed they were worse than want, being possibly 'cheap & nasty'. Any opinion(s) on these or very similar?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11pcs-Min...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

 

[slim_boy_fat]

"heat to red hot and cool slowly"
Charcoal BBQ, leave in the ashes..

<Edit>
Never mind, you're in Scotland - too wet to light a BBQ.

Well, it has been today...........

 

[postie jon]

gas BBQ, blinking north sea gas is to wet to light.

 

[Seadog]

I've actually got these saved in my watch list on the 'Bay, but had assumed they were worse than want, being possibly 'cheap & nasty'.

I have a set myself, only they're probably 30 years old. I've never really tried to use them in anger. I've opted to buy insert tools which I find work very well. One thing to remember, if you do buy brazed tip tooling is that you need a green wheel to dress them.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I have a set myself, only they're probably 30 years old. I've never really tried to use them in anger. I've opted to buy insert tools which I find work very well. One thing to remember, if you do buy brazed tip tooling is that you need a green wheel to dress them.

I spent ages looking at listings for insert ones, but even with a very detailed explanation in a recent thread, could never work out which type/size etc I'd need. All I know is centre height on the Myford toolpost I have is 5/16"

 

[Hood]

I spent ages looking at listings for insert ones, but even with a very detailed explanation in a recent thread, could never work out which type/size etc I'd need. All I know is centre height on the Myford toolpost I have is 5/16"

You wil likely need 8mm section tools in that case.

I would say to avoid the cheap Indian/Chinese insert tooling and go for a bit better quality such as the Glanze tools that Chronos sell.

A tool that takes a DCMT insert would be a good all round choice as it would allow facing, turning, profiling all from the one tool, so a SDJCR.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

You wil likely need 8mm section tools in that case.

I would say to avoid the cheap Indian/Chinese insert tooling and go for a bit better quality such as the Glanze tools that Chronos sell.

A tool that takes a DCMT insert would be a good all round choice as it would allow facing, turning, profiling all from the one tool, so a SDJCR.

Excellent, thanks for deciphering all the technical bit for me - I'll be searching tomorrow.

 

[Hood]

https://www.chronos.ltd.uk/cgi-bin/...CMT_Type_Indexable_Turning_Tools.html#a773649

 

[slim_boy_fat]

https://www.chronos.ltd.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=773649&PN=Glanze_DCMT_Type_Indexable_Turning_Tools.html#a773649

 

[slim_boy_fat]

https://www.chronos.ltd.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=773649&PN=Glanze_DCMT_Type_Indexable_Turning_Tools.html#a773649

Thanks, mate.
[Been busy today, I've been knackered but the grass desperately needing cutting, however I got it done with the help of my good neighbour . Makes me ashamed - it's sometimes difficult to do the simplest things ]

Going to do my research to see which ones I'll need to allow me to do a) general left and right turning b) same but fine/finishing cut c) parting off d) screw cutting 60 or 55? e) internal screw cutting/boring. I think at the moment d) & e) are beyond my capabilities until I work out whether the extra gear set which came with the lathe are metric or imperial, and which combination I'll need to produce threads of a given pitch - ambition should be made of sterner stuff...... But, like all good Baldricks, I have a cunning plan

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Quite looking forward to giving thread cutting a go. No choice. Need a new backplate for my 5" and a drawbar for my collets. :/ no harm messing around with thread cutting on scrap. See myford gearing regularly. I had a bundle on my eBay watch but the seller pulled it at the last moment and sold it with the lathe. Git.
Be interested in feedback on your cutters when you've tested. All my tooling is HSS ATM.

Do chronos have a physical store? All there eBay stuff ships from Dunstable which is about 10 miles from me.

 

[Hood]

Quite looking forward to giving thread cutting a go. No choice. Need a new backplate for my 5" and a drawbar for my collets. :/ no harm messing around with thread cutting on scrap. See myford gearing regularly. I had a bundle on my eBay watch but the seller pulled it at the last moment and sold it with the lathe. Git.
Be interested in feedback on your cutters when you've tested. All my tooling is HSS ATM.

Do chronos have a physical store? All there eBay stuff ships from Dunstable which is about 10 miles from me.

Threadcutting is simple enough, hardest part is pulling the tool out at the end of a pass and disengaging the feed at the same time but you soon get into the hang of it. Internal threading can be the easiest of all if it is a through hole such as you would have in a nut or even a back plate as you do not have to be so accurate in your stop position.

Here is Chronos info from their site, seems they have a large showroom.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Threadcutting is simple enough, hardest part is pulling the tool out at the end of a pass and disengaging the feed at the same time but you soon get into the hang of it. Internal threading can be the easiest of all if it is a through hole such as you would have in a nut or even a back plate as you do not have to be so accurate in your stop position.

Here is Chronos info from their site, seems they have a large showroom.

View attachment 116492

Cheers. Wife will be pleased.........
I'll take my two year old for a visit one day. He takes his tool box everywhere with him. Doesn't care about teddies and toys. Just motorbikes and tools.

Patience I can imagine is the most important factor in threading and setup ofc
I've acquired a fair bit of reading on thread cutting on my lathe too. Just need to get the chart out and see what gears I'm actually missing. All pie in the sky at the minute. Just some greasy scrap iron ATM lol.



Never actually got to do much with my ML3. I turned and milled a quick and dirty tool post as the one on it had been hacked up. Also made these tops as a nice little practice. Other than that barely used it due to other interests and the little lathe having vibration issues. (Can't sort until the model M is working. )
The brass top was made from a sash window hasp and happily spins for 2to3 minutes on a hard flat surface.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

hardest part is pulling the tool out at the end of a pass and disengaging the feed at the same time but you soon get into the hang of it.

So better to create an undercut first, for practising until I/we get the hang of the timing?

Internal threading can be the easiest of all

That remains to be seen......

You help and advice is much appreciated.