graffian
Seer unto the end of his beard
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- 3,798
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I used my traveling steady for the first time. I was turning down 1/2" bar to make 7/16" and 3/8" spindles for some thing, I wanted to have 10" bit's of stock to make the spindles from.
I have used blocks of metal in the rear toolpost as steadies before and I tried it to do this, but the bar welded it self to the block of metal.
So I tried the traveling steady, it didn't work, so I added a third block to the steady. They usually have just two rubbing blocks, one above and one behind the bar your turning down. I put another rubbing block at the front angled up[sort of at 7:30], it prevent's the bar moving around, my first go the bar rattled about and it was pretty messy.
I messed up a few bit's to start with, then managed 8 lengths of steel, I held the size within half a thou on 4 of them and the other 4 were oversize.
I had intended on having them ground and chromed, so I left a few thou over size as I had no idea how much the grinder would want to grind off them, but I am going to try some as they are.
I bought a Delapena external hone ages ago and had never used it.
I tried honing one of the oversize spindles, quiet easy to get the spindles
parallel[so you can't see any error with a mic] and I had no problem sizing them.
I took about 2 thou of the spindles and corrected the errors.
So external hone is an excellent bit of kit, I honed the spindles with them in my pillar drill and I used some diesel/petrol as lubricant, bit messy. I have no idea of the speeds you should hone at or the correct lubricant.
The turned finish was pretty good. The honed finish is probably finer then the ground finish on silver steel you buy. The hone would be really easy to make.
I have used blocks of metal in the rear toolpost as steadies before and I tried it to do this, but the bar welded it self to the block of metal.
So I tried the traveling steady, it didn't work, so I added a third block to the steady. They usually have just two rubbing blocks, one above and one behind the bar your turning down. I put another rubbing block at the front angled up[sort of at 7:30], it prevent's the bar moving around, my first go the bar rattled about and it was pretty messy.
I messed up a few bit's to start with, then managed 8 lengths of steel, I held the size within half a thou on 4 of them and the other 4 were oversize.
I had intended on having them ground and chromed, so I left a few thou over size as I had no idea how much the grinder would want to grind off them, but I am going to try some as they are.
I bought a Delapena external hone ages ago and had never used it.
I tried honing one of the oversize spindles, quiet easy to get the spindles
parallel[so you can't see any error with a mic] and I had no problem sizing them.
I took about 2 thou of the spindles and corrected the errors.
So external hone is an excellent bit of kit, I honed the spindles with them in my pillar drill and I used some diesel/petrol as lubricant, bit messy. I have no idea of the speeds you should hone at or the correct lubricant.
The turned finish was pretty good. The honed finish is probably finer then the ground finish on silver steel you buy. The hone would be really easy to make.
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