Thread: What did you learn today?

RC, Even better when its all back together and you see a box of seals under the bench!!!!!.
Dont ask .

Michael

what did I learn the other day about polar fleece and hot swarf...not a bloody thing...I just ruined another fleece jacket...this time a good one....

Had a great day today. Lotsa learnings.

1. How to blacken mild steel (daggy black bar) - was reasonably easy heat it up and dunk it in engine oil, repeat a few times. The black pawn in the photo is 45mm tall and approx. 12mm max diameter

2. I can cut stainless steel no worries at all with a HSS knife tool on my 9" hercus - 1" diameter bar running at either 500 or 700 rpm left a nice finish - was a pleasant surprise - repeated 0.100" cuts no problems - I'd read that stainless steel would work harden and the 2nd cut would be terrible.

3. My stainless steel swarf produces magical peacock blue/purple colors when heated so Michael G's suggestion that I make chess pieces out of stainless & zap them to get the colour is looking good, I reckon the black pieces will look great as blue/purple.

Have got a fairly puny gas torch, probably time to get something bigger for further blackening and purpling of bigger chess pieces. A bullfinch was recommended to me some time ago on this forum.

4. I am still pretty hopeless using slotcutting mill bits, after succesfully cutting a good stainless steel blank on the lathe, made mess of the top of a rook - didn't get a nice plunge at all and the slots are daggy and yes I did tighten the gibs. Will try again using a 4 flute end mill and rotating the workpiece 90 degrees and then cutting the slots with the side of the cutter rather than the tip. Will try and drill the hollow rather than plunge a slot cutter. Ruined a slot cutter so learned not to try that way again.

5. Fairly odd thing - the steady on the lathe tended to grab the stainless bar and stall the lathe, ended up not using the steady and running a shorter workpiece - have never seen the steady behave so badly before - is that something to do with the nature of the stainless ? I dont know what spec the stainless is I got a 6 foot length at a garage sale previous owner was using it as a weightlifting bar.

Bill

Hi Bill,

Nice job on those chess pieces. I really like the blacking on that pawn.

The problem that I have found with machining, drilling whatever stainless is that if you allow the cutting tool to rub even for a fraction, it work hardens and blunts the cutter. I've got a couple of hacksaw blades that have lost teeth just sawing stainless bar. It can be horrible stuff at times, I suppose a lot does depend upon the grade though.

Originally Posted by eskimo

what did I learn the other day about polar fleece and hot swarf...not a bloody thing...I just ruined another fleece jacket...this time a good one....

I'm not sure "liked" is exactly what I was after, but I've been there. I bought a couple of dust coats which I normally forget to put on until halfway through the first real cut.

Today I learned that when installing a hydraulic cylinder, using an air compressor to move the ram is a great deal more "exciting" than using actual hydraulics.

Learned that these cam type bicycle seat clamps are quite effective for carriage stops and if you look around can be had for between $1-$2 +free postage on ebay. They are documented in various forums scattered around the web.

Color Bike Bicycle Post Seatpost Clamp Quick Release Seat Bolt Binder Skewer | eBay

Lathe fast clamp Carriage stop - HomemadeTools.net

Wouldnt be hard to make but for <$2 am going to try some more for some other jobs.

I discovered that the left foot/shin area is the best place to drop a DTI magnetic base it stops it being damage the base that is, it also stops the concrete floor from being damaged. Thank goodness the DTI was not attached.
The resulting 25mm gouge down my shin where the corner dug in and blood soaked sock/s LOML soaked the first one to remove blood stain only an hr latter to have to do sock 2. Rest of day sitting with foot up.

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Learned that these cam type bicycle seat clamps are quite effective for carriage stops and if you look around can be had for between $1-$2 +free postage on ebay. They are documented in various forums scattered around the web.

Color Bike Bicycle Post Seatpost Clamp Quick Release Seat Bolt Binder Skewer | eBay

Lathe fast clamp Carriage stop - HomemadeTools.net

Wouldnt be hard to make but for <$2 am going to try some more for some other jobs.

Great idea. I don't need a lathe stop, but I can see that there could be many uses for these. I am going to order some so I have them on hand. Best way to remember an idea like this.

Dean

Wheelin, hope the leg heals soon


Bill, thanks for the tip on the seat clamp, can think of several uses already.
Kryn

The original belt tensioner on my lathe was secured via an allen key which was a PITA to get at so, I made a new tensioner and used a cam clamp to secure it in place. I have a drawer full of these bicycle cam clamps, very handy.

Became obsessed with making a copying jig to ensure all my chess pawns were identical, failed miserably, but enjoyed having a go.

So what did I learn ? Sometimes it better to just "do it manually" rather than waste a lot of time failing to build a fancy jig to help "save time" and be more accurate ................ who cares whether my chess pawns are + / - 0.008".

Whilst googling copying jigs, stumbled across a thread on UK Model Engineering forum discussing the idea of lever and cam driven tools and wondered why I've only ever seen them on the internet ....... never seen them in the flesh on a tool in a showroom.

Imagine driving your parting tool into the workpiece using a lever or a cam - similar to lever driven tailstock drills, or those tools that scratch graduations on a dial face or the fast retracting threading tool holders.

Pultra 15/50 capstan unit and cutoff side for sale

or stick a parting tool or an all round general knife tool on one of these ? 5th and 6th picture down the page.

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Bill





Bill

At least you tried Bill. Thanks for the pics, sometimes I wish I still had my capstan lathes, makes it easier to do production type work. Making 150 stepped pins 6 mm diam X 10 mm then 9 mm X 10 mm on 12 mm diam rod to hold discs for painting.
Nothing real fancy but a pain in the proverbial none the less.

Originally Posted by steamingbill

Lathe fast clamp Carriage stop - HomemadeTools.net

Wouldnt be hard to make but for <$2 am going to try some more for some other jobs.

Hey, I know that site

Good find, I had forgotten about that trick. Those bicycle seat post clamps are often high quality and easily scrounged. Great ingredient for a variety of homemade tools.

What I learned on Sunday and hopefully a salutory lesson for all of us who mix welding and machining, do not leave rags lying in the chip tray of lathes or other machinery to soak up excess oil and then weld nearby!

Sunday night, rushing to finish off a welding job in the workshop, and I noticed that the atmosphere was a bit smoky which was odd given I was using the MIG. Out of the corner of my eye I see flames under the headstock of the lathe which is over the other side of the shop, behind racking and other machinery. I'm not sure how long it had been on fire, probably less than 5 minutes, but after I put the fire out the base of the headstock was quite hot to the touch. I have no idea how a spark got that far and through all the obstacles but it obviously did.

As far as I can tell the lathe is OK after a cleanup of the smoke damage and after I stopped shaking I realised how lucky I had been. Had the fire taken hold properly it's unlikely that the 2 x 9kg powder extinguishers I have in that shed would have stopped it and I would have lost the lot, not to mention the adjacent shed with all it holds.

It's the first welding fire I've had in 45 years but it still shook me to the core and knocked my confidence. I wonder how many people out there don't have decent extinguishers and fire blankets to hand in their home workshops.