jhovel
19th Oct 2015, 09:04 PM
After doing a panel building course recently, I decided to build a smallish slip roller.
Reading lots of other people's build logs on line and looking at lots of pictures of commercial machines, I decided on dimensions and a construction method which allowed me to use the materials I had on hand.
The materials on hand were a length of 2" solid round bar previously a drive shaft of some sort and significantly tougher than mild steel, with a keyway at one end and a tapered keyed section at the other. It also had 4 flats around the outside over the full length. Working out the potential usable diameter and length, I decided on a 400mm usable roller width and 45mm diameter.
I also had several bits of bronze suitable for the plain bearings for all three rollers. The side plates would be made of some 20mm black steel plate left over from another project.
I cut the round bar into 3 suitable pieces for turning into rollers, oxy cut the 20mm side plates close to size and cleaned all 4 sides on the Douglas shaper.
359069
It became evident that the plate had more bow in it then first estimated and after cleaning up the perimters, I surface ground the rectangles flat.
The two pieces were then welded together wiht short welds, to enable me to drill and machine the locations for two adjustment slots and one fixed position for the roller bushes. Drilling some 20mm dia pilot holes was easily accomplished on my Servian drill press but I used my friend Peter's Van Norman No 12 Milling machine to cut the slots and bore the hole for the bushes.
359070
I mentioned elsewhere that I found a pair of cast iron gears from an ancient washing hand wringer which I will try to use because of their gear design shich allows a wide range of tooth engagement.
359071
I purchased a large 24" dia handwheel from a big valve off my favourite local scrappy, identical to the one I used on an etching press I buit for my wife earlier in the year.
359072
Turning the rollers turned out to be problematic, because I could not prevent significant chatter, no matter what speed or tooling I used. The pieces of steel appeared to resonate the tailstock casting of my lathe!
Some time ago, RayG donated an incomplete fixed steady to my collection - thanks again Ray! - which I have now modified and completed to suit my lathe. Once it was fitted, the problem immediately disappeared. The rollers are now done (no photos yet).
This is the progress thus far. When finished, I'll update the thread to see what it looks like and how it works.
Reading lots of other people's build logs on line and looking at lots of pictures of commercial machines, I decided on dimensions and a construction method which allowed me to use the materials I had on hand.
The materials on hand were a length of 2" solid round bar previously a drive shaft of some sort and significantly tougher than mild steel, with a keyway at one end and a tapered keyed section at the other. It also had 4 flats around the outside over the full length. Working out the potential usable diameter and length, I decided on a 400mm usable roller width and 45mm diameter.
I also had several bits of bronze suitable for the plain bearings for all three rollers. The side plates would be made of some 20mm black steel plate left over from another project.
I cut the round bar into 3 suitable pieces for turning into rollers, oxy cut the 20mm side plates close to size and cleaned all 4 sides on the Douglas shaper.
359069
It became evident that the plate had more bow in it then first estimated and after cleaning up the perimters, I surface ground the rectangles flat.
The two pieces were then welded together wiht short welds, to enable me to drill and machine the locations for two adjustment slots and one fixed position for the roller bushes. Drilling some 20mm dia pilot holes was easily accomplished on my Servian drill press but I used my friend Peter's Van Norman No 12 Milling machine to cut the slots and bore the hole for the bushes.
359070
I mentioned elsewhere that I found a pair of cast iron gears from an ancient washing hand wringer which I will try to use because of their gear design shich allows a wide range of tooth engagement.
359071
I purchased a large 24" dia handwheel from a big valve off my favourite local scrappy, identical to the one I used on an etching press I buit for my wife earlier in the year.
359072
Turning the rollers turned out to be problematic, because I could not prevent significant chatter, no matter what speed or tooling I used. The pieces of steel appeared to resonate the tailstock casting of my lathe!
Some time ago, RayG donated an incomplete fixed steady to my collection - thanks again Ray! - which I have now modified and completed to suit my lathe. Once it was fitted, the problem immediately disappeared. The rollers are now done (no photos yet).
This is the progress thus far. When finished, I'll update the thread to see what it looks like and how it works.