Thread: Your latest project

Nothing to do with weather, but a brass ball finally made an appearance...


DSCN3165s.JPG

The ball turner is a goer... the design is loosely inspired by the Logan Ball Turner, the radius is adjusted by a dovetail cross slide with a locking side gib. Provision has been made for an adjustment screw, not fitted yet...

The rotation is copied from the Meca rotary table design with a tapered sliding circle, ( like a circular V way ) and runs on a thrust bearing. The tool holder is double sided for convex and concave profiles..

I think it should turn up to 70mm diameter balls..

It was a joint exercise, I machined the tool holder and Josh did the base.

Regards
Ray

Nice Boys, It looks real neat.

When you have a spare few minutes how about a dissection and a show and tell.

It's amazing how much you and Josh can bowl over in a short time. You only mentioned making the turner last week.

BT

Thanks BT,

Give Josh the credit for this one.. he has done most of the work. Over the weekend we will finish it off and then pull it apart for some pictures. Might be time for a "Ball Turner" thread.

Regards
Ray

That would be this one Ray -
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/ba...g-tool-163049/
Michael

Originally Posted by j.ashburn

Automotive gudgeon pins are glass hard and a file wont touch them.

My gudgeon pin was hardened, but not tempered. I figure that's why it snapped. I'm wondering whether to harden and temper the new ones or just leave the silver steel (drill rod) in its natural state. Given that the engines will only be run a few times in their lives I reckon strength of the pin is more important than hardness. Anyway, I'll start a new thread rather than clog up this thread with any more posts on this.

I just finished this knurling tool. The design borrows heavily from the Hemingway kit. I would have bought the kit, but the postage from the UK was excessive due to the weight. Plus I had a set of new knurls which were too wide for the 1/2" arms on their kit.

I use the tool to make the tensioning knob.

jack620
You knurling tool looks nice. Nice job. Are you going to "blue" it or keep it as it is now?

regards
bollie7

Looks good Chris.

One thing, in my opinion *, I don't reckon you will achieve enough torque to bite in deep into steel with that diameter knurled knob. I've used mine on 4140 and I really have to lean on its bar handle to achieve a crisp deep knurl.

What OD, ID and thickness are your knurls? I might have something for you if they are 3/4 x 1/4 x 1/4.

BT

* an opinion shared by others. Have a look at Bruce's post below. Also, have a search for Dave J's knurling tool.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/ne...ml#post1497368

Hi Chris,

Nice clean work, and well finished , making one of these to replace the existing knurler is on the project list...

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by welder

I do use the 4 jaw but It won't hold anything smaller than 12 mm

Andre
You could also make yourself some small dia adapter jaws for your four jaw. I've just knocked up a rough sketch to give you an idea. It would make it easier if you had some sort of bracket to hold the adapter jaw in place whilst setting up. I've drawn someting like a clamp going around the existing chuck jaw.
Hope this helps
bollie7

Thanks Bollie. I was just going to leave it, but now that you mention it it's probably time I bought a bluing kit and blued all of the tools I have made since I got my lathe. The body of the knurling tool is milled from solid ali. I guess that would have to be anodised?
Chris

Thanks Ray.

Bob,
I wondered whether the knob would be able to apply enough torque. My plan, if necessary, was to drill a 6mm hole through the knob for a small tommy bar. Looks like I'll have to do that.

My knurls are 16mm dia x 8mm wide and have a 5.5mm (7/32) bore. Seems like 3/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 is more common though.

Chris

Edit: tommy bar won't work as it will foul the threaded rod. Might mill some flats on the knob for a spanner.

Originally Posted by jack620

Thanks Ray.

Bob,
I wondered whether the knob would be able to apply enough torque. My plan, if necessary, was to drill a 6mm hole through the knob for a small tommy bar. Looks like I'll have to do that.

My knurls are 16mm dia x 8mm wide and have a 5.5mm (7/32) bore. Seems like 3/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 is more common though.

Chris

Edit: tommy bar won't work as it will foul the threaded rod. Might mill some flats on the knob for a spanner.

Hi Chris,
Nicely done.
Have a look for BT's unit, i like the handle on his. The other thing with a handle is if you are doing repeat work you can just move it to the same spot every time and your knurl should be fully formed.

How did you make those bolts? Sleeved SHCS or did you turn them down and re-thread? OR something else obvious i can't think of.
Cheers,
Ew

Originally Posted by Ueee

How did you make those bolts? Sleeved SHCS or did you turn them down and re-thread? OR something else obvious i can't think of.

I bought them like that Ew. ) They are called shoulder screws. See pic at bottom of this page:


http://www.unbrako.com.au/standards.htm

My most ambitious attempt so far....
3 year old grandson Ned loves his electric quad that grandpa fixed up.
I fitted a 24V motor and gearbox off an electric golfbuggy to it to replace the 'toy' motors which allowed it to creep along at half-walking speed. Now it goes maybe 10km/hr.....
Anyway,with the constant use it gets, the plastic gear driven by the motor shed a few teeth a few days ago.
Not likely to find a stronger replacement, I got the idea to make a metal one.
I turned up an aluminium blank (would have liked to use bronze, but not on hand), using the plastic one for dimensions. Next I freehand ground a shaper form tool to match the gap between two left over good teeth. I used a little 25x micoscope (one of $3.99 cheapies I use to line up my centrepunch sometimes) to match the tooth gap as closedly as I could. I then tried it in the Douglas on a bit of scrap to make sure the motor pinion fitted.
I'll let some photos explain the process and outcome.
IMAG0637.jpgIMAG0638.jpgIMAG0640.jpgIMAG0643.jpgIMAG0641.jpgIMAG0644.jpgIMAG0645.jpgIMAG0646.jpgIMAG0649.jpgIMAG0650.jpgIMAG0652.jpg
Just reassembeled the geabox and the new gear meshes and runs just fine - with a little less backlash than the plastic one did - bonus!
Ned will test it properly tomorrow no doubt