anyone be interested in making a video of lathe work?

[RodneyPierce]

Im thinking of getting myself a bench top lathe here to start tinkering with head buttons and such. I have never used a lathe, and wondered if anyone here would be interested in making a video, or a few small ones on how to turn a head button. perhaps from a standard button, and then from a piece of stock? Also what and how you hold the button in the chuck, etc. Just something to show us that have never done it, a sort of jump start if you will?

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Now that's one I'm almost scared to attempt even though I have a Sherline lathe myself :huh:

 

[wayne middlemiss]

if you go to this site its a wealth of information for you guy's ,maybe join the forum you will find it very interesting.wwwhomemodelenginemachinist.com members are all over the world .

enjoy it maybe your new hangout lol.

wayne.

 

[topfuel443]

Bunch of youtube videos also. Once you get the basics, the rest is just a matter of doing it. I have made several, but use my milling machine just as much as my lather for making a head button.

~ James

 

[camaroboy383]

not much to it rod,,,you have plenty of knowledge to get started...its not a science,,,just measurements and paying attention to the machine and cut...the less you pull the less of a chance of a snag/crash....chuck it and true up any run out and throw cutters at it....personally i dont like the feeds on my atlas,,,so i turn by hand...i can get more of a feel for whats going on....the outer edge of the squish is to be un touched,,,a little trick i use is a angled tool steel cutter...that way you can cut to the squish,,,but not the squish...its important that stays the same,,,so the fit inside the sleeve is there...also when making your own buttons,,,be sure this number is correct,,,and keep the outer edge of the squish sharp 90° to the sleeve land....

hope this helps man,,,

ac

 

[Jerry Wyss]

That would be a lot of work making a vid , let alone the amout of time it takes to make a button with a basic lathe set-up. It takes me about 3 hours from round stock to a finished product,, and you would have to make a silent recording cause I talk to myself alot and some of it not good.

You will need to make a few cutting tools, have an articulated dial indicator lash-up to make sure all three rounded sections are concentric with each other (thats a job right there). Also the face of the two important surfaces have to be true to each other (no out of true wobble). A squishband "face" is useless if its out of true,, that means that you get different headspaces on each side of the button that faces the piston. Terry Keely may argue with that :lol: but its very easy to screw it up.

I use a 3/8ths ball end mostly for the bubble and plunge about .155 to .160" depth. The plug face will wipe away about .040" of that .155 to .160" depth giving you a depth from the squish to the plug face of about .115 to .120" . I've found that depth to be perdy good in the 21 O/B engines.

 

[Terry Keeley]

The most important thing IMHO is you gotta be able to measure the volume, accurately, here's what I do:

 

[glenng]

Im thinking of getting myself a bench top lathe here to start tinkering with head buttons and such. I have never used a lathe, and wondered if anyone here would be interested in making a video, or a few small ones on how to turn a head button. perhaps from a standard button, and then from a piece of stock? Also what and how you hold the button in the chuck, etc. Just something to show us that have never done it, a sort of jump start if you will?

Rod, Holding material true and square in a three jaw chuck( that you usually get with a bench top lathe) is next to impossiable. a better option is a lathe that will take the 5-C collets- order emergency collets and bore them1-2 thousands of an inch over the outside diameter of the button. A knowledge of tool grinding is also helpful. Then you will need a decent milling machine, vise w/ soft jaws to poke the hole pattern in the button. Not trying to discourage you -Just my 2 cents. Steve Wood are you watching???

Glenn

 

[Jim Allen]

Im thinking of getting myself a bench top lathe here to start tinkering with head buttons and such. I have never used a lathe, and wondered if anyone here would be interested in making a video, or a few small ones on how to turn a head button. perhaps from a standard button, and then from a piece of stock? Also what and how you hold the button in the chuck, etc. Just something to show us that have never done it, a sort of jump start if you will?

Rod, Holding material true and square in a three jaw chuck( that you usually get with a bench top lathe) is next to impossiable. a better option is a lathe that will take the 5-C collets- order emergency collets and bore them1-2 thousands of an inch over the outside diameter of the button. A knowledge of tool grinding is also helpful. Then you will need a decent milling machine, vise w/ soft jaws to poke the hole pattern in the button. Not trying to discourage you -Just my 2 cents. Steve Wood are you watching???

Glenn

Sounds like someone is giving very sound advice!

Jim Allen

 

[RodneyPierce]

ok, 5-c collets, check. What sort of machine uses these?

 

[Jerry Wyss]

Rod, Holding material true and square in a three jaw chuck( that you usually get with a bench top lathe) is next to impossiable. a better option is a lathe that will take the 5-C collets- order emergency collets and bore them1-2 thousands of an inch over the outside diameter of the button. A knowledge of tool grinding is also helpful. Then you will need a decent milling machine, vise w/ soft jaws to poke the hole pattern in the button. Not trying to discourage you -Just my 2 cents. Steve Wood are you watching???

Glenn

Ahem, excuse me,,It's not even CLOSE to "near impossible". I have made nearly 60 .21 buttons with only a couple rejects with a 3 jaw chuck. Another thing you have to understand is that the author of this topic has limited funds like many of us.

 

[jetpack]

Three jaws are fine if your doing all your work in one setup. The only drawback of a three jaw over a collet or a four jaw is if you take your piece out, it is difficult to have it as true as it was taking it out. Howver, if taking the part out is needed during the first side, mark the part to its respective jaw with a marker. It overcomes one error variable in setting up the part again and dialing it in and keeps your margin for success larger on getting a zero indicator on runout.

Try doing all your bowl work first, including your tapped hole...THEN take it out and face off to your thickness..then your millwork and your done. There really wouldn't be any need to break setup to reach the back for any reason until your first side is done.

If you start with a short piece of stock ~ face both sides for parallellism. If you indicate the face, the back will automatically be true also... (just a random thought but it is helpful in some cases)

Learn how to set up dial indicators on your toolpost and saddle to stay away from trusting the hand dials on the machine for all your travels. Trust your indicator.

Review your geometry and trig rules to brush up on awareness of what comes into play when trying to keep things square.

Work your most critical areas first where mistakes or problems will be encountered. You will hate yourself less for scrapping it out if it happens with all the other extra work that could have waited that you spent time on.

Hit the bullseye first, then do the gravy.

Here's an example, don't save your blind tapped hole for last where you could snap the tap and ruin the whole job. Start by tapping perhaps, then bring in your next critical area for error. Your skills (confidence level) will tell you where to start and what neusances you have been having with your machine.

 

[RodneyPierce]

Rod, Holding material true and square in a three jaw chuck( that you usually get with a bench top lathe) is next to impossiable. a better option is a lathe that will take the 5-C collets- order emergency collets and bore them1-2 thousands of an inch over the outside diameter of the button. A knowledge of tool grinding is also helpful. Then you will need a decent milling machine, vise w/ soft jaws to poke the hole pattern in the button. Not trying to discourage you -Just my 2 cents. Steve Wood are you watching???

Glenn

Ahem, excuse me,,It's not even CLOSE to "near impossible". I have made nearly 60 .21 buttons with only a couple rejects with a 3 jaw chuck. Another thing you have to understand is that the author of this topic has limited funds like many of us.

10-4 on the limited funds! Jerry knows me all to well :lol:

 

[Jerry Wyss]

It's gets under my hide when most all of these machining topics go sideways and we get scolded buy machinists that have equipment that took a lifetime to aquire. Lets be REASONABLE, Please!

Yes, many of us know that a collet is the best way to hold these parts, but those collet holding fixtures are usually made for much larger equipment.

Rant over.

 

[RodneyPierce]

im trying to talk dad into getting me a combo mill/lathe for xmas, but i highly doubt that is going to happen. A bench top unit might be much more reasonable.

 

[gooycheese]

Hmmm I am not a lathe or mill person... I have run both with no real formal training. I was working with machines ya needed a forklift to move around.. ( Not really home stuff, but many people have them at home) My point in all of this is be careful.... if ya have autofeeds or anything like that dont go fast..... crashing the cutter into the chuck can get scary..... not saying i did it. It also may take a little while to get finishes ya want .... and every step i would think would be critical. If you do get one, which would be cool. Try and find someone who does it for a living to give ya some hands on tutoring.... a friend that can say "this is how I would go about your project"

Good Luck,

Paul

Hope to see ya racing next yr

 

[Jim Allen]

Everything that has been posted is valid, but I'm surprised that no has mentioned the necessary measuring tools & machining tools that are necessaary to machine any part. These tools, micrometers, calipers, indicators, gages, lathe tool bits, end mills, drills, reamers, vises, etc., etc., make it possible to machine parts easily & with accuracy. They are the expensive part of purchasing any machine & should be considered along with the purchase of a machine.

Jim Allen

 

[RodneyPierce]

Jim, thank you. I was aware of these other purchases that need to be made also. Ive already got some of the tools needed.

 

[Jerry Wyss]

One device that I have never been able to find is a 5c collet holder that you can chuck up in the 3 jaw. Theres the quick release thru the spindle bore type but these are all too large for the smaller lathes many of us hobby machinists use.

The point is with headbuttons is that your going to have to flip the part to do the plug tower side. Since many machinists will tell you that the 3 jaw is not accurate when you do that. My contention is that with a collet holder in the 3 jaw you can make glo-plug tower (is what I call it) a little wider in its diameter and chuck it in the 5c holder.

Go ahead and turn your two larger concentric sections of the button. plunge the ball end mill to depth and put the correct drill in the tail stock and bore your hole for the plug. I use the tail stock to hold the 1/4-32 tap, leave the tail stock loose and roll the 3 jaw with my left hand and my right will assist the tailstock and tap into and out of the threading hole.

Next step is to flip the part, make sure its true in the collet and finish up with the height and width of the glo-plug tower. Both with using the 3 jaw only or the fabricated 5c holder you would have to check the trueness of the part with a dial indicator. It's just that when you flip the part (button) you will have to grab ahold of that section of the button that goes into the sleeve. This is just scary trying to soft chuck that thing into the 3 jaw, you have to be so carefull to turn material off or disaster is sure. Some buttons that come with like a Rossi AXE o/b powerhead don't protrude very far into its sleeve. I have made 3 of those without a disaster,, frankly, I have been very lucky with all the buttons I have made and the dozens that I have modified.

What do you Pro's think about this 3 jaw chucked 5c collet holder device?

 

[Jim Allen]

One device that I have never been able to find is a 5c collet holder that you can chuck up in the 3 jaw. Theres the quick release thru the spindle bore type but these are all too large for the smaller lathes many of us hobby machinists use.

The point is with headbuttons is that your going to have to flip the part to do the plug tower side. Since many machinists will tell you that the 3 jaw is not accurate when you do that. My contention is that with a collet holder in the 3 jaw you can make glo-plug tower (is what I call it) a little wider in its diameter and chuck it in the 5c holder.

Go ahead and turn your two larger concentric sections of the button. plunge the ball end mill to depth and put the correct drill in the tail stock and bore your hole for the plug. I use the tail stock to hold the 1/4-32 tap, leave the tail stock loose and roll the 3 jaw with my left hand and my right will assist the tailstock and tap into and out of the threading hole.

Next step is to flip the part, make sure its true in the collet and finish up with the height and width of the glo-plug tower. Both with using the 3 jaw only or the fabricated 5c holder you would have to check the trueness of the part with a dial indicator. It's just that when you flip the part (button) you will have to grab ahold of that section of the button that goes into the sleeve. This is just scary trying to soft chuck that thing into the 3 jaw, you have to be so carefull to turn material off or disaster is sure. Some buttons that come with like a Rossi AXE o/b powerhead don't protrude very far into its sleeve. I have made 3 of those without a disaster,, frankly, I have been very lucky with all the buttons I have made and the dozens that I have modified.

What do you Pro's think about this 3 jaw chucked 5c collet holder device?

This certainly would be okay if the piece is finished without moving the holder. What happens if you want to re-machine the piece after the holder has been moved? As a side note the holder could be zeroed in a four jaw chuch at any time. It would be better if the solid hardened holder was inserted in the taper of the lathe spindle. Further accuracy can be obtained by marking the holder to insure that it is inserted in the same position & then regrind the seat that 5-C collet sets in. Your idea is fine because you understand what the process is with the tools you have on hand!