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Threading barrels

I find a dial indicator on the carriage is a better visual to time the pull out compared to watching a DRO count down. It is easier to build in a little windage with the dial. Analog is better than digital for this.

I fully agree that analog is better than digital for this. I use the dial on the carriage for my countdown.
 
I'm just finishing my instrument rating. I need about 8 more hours, and a check-ride. That gyro in my head has been very unreliable.

I called the local flight school a couple of weeks ago to schedule the sim. I am about to go non-current for instruments, and if I suck it up and fly my one hold and six approaches in the sim I can reset. My flying opportunity dried up this year. I decided that I would get recurrent in instruments, then give in and fly a local 172 a couple times a month so I could stay proficient.

I am not excited by the 172, but I needed to do something. As my wife pointed out, I did spend a fair amount of time and money to get my FAA CFII multi and single (military equivalence test for the multi but had to take a check ride for the single).

The guy that I talked to at the flight school told me that the sim was broken and being removed. I then told him I was a former 24 yr USAF pilot just trying to keep my skills up. He recruited me into Civil Air Patrol.

I had known about CAP for a long time but didn't pay much attention. I vaguely knew what they did. Turns out they are the primary stateside search and rescue arm of the government (or something like that). They fly newer Cessnas, you don't have to pay to fly, and they don't have enough pilots.

At the meeting I learned they will get me up and trained to what ever level I want, and the only payback is I have to agree to fly for them on occasion. I agreed to their terms. They have a 2021 model 182 at the local chapter. I like 182s, especially the newer ones with IO540s. I am looking forward to being part of CAP.
 
BTW, I find the level of concentration required for precision on the lathe is like flying close formation or a precision instrument approach in the weather........
 
BTW, I find the level of concentration required for precision on the lathe is like flying close formation or a precision instrument approach in the weather........
Flying scars the s,,, out of me. I can crash a lathe and not get killed. I have had several friends killed between planes and motor cycles. Becare full out there!
 
Interesting. I had looked at the CAP as a matter of boredem because they're listed as a resource on our local municipal airport website. I'll look into it
 
I called the local flight school a couple of weeks ago to schedule the sim. I am about to go non-current for instruments, and if I suck it up and fly my one hold and six approaches in the sim I can reset. My flying opportunity dried up this year. I decided that I would get recurrent in instruments, then give in and fly a local 172 a couple times a month so I could stay proficient.

I am not excited by the 172, but I needed to do something. As my wife pointed out, I did spend a fair amount of time and money to get my FAA CFII multi and single (military equivalence test for the multi but had to take a check ride for the single).

The guy that I talked to at the flight school told me that the sim was broken and being removed. I then told him I was a former 24 yr USAF pilot just trying to keep my skills up. He recruited me into Civil Air Patrol.

I had known about CAP for a long time but didn't pay much attention. I vaguely knew what they did. Turns out they are the primary stateside search and rescue arm of the government (or something like that). They fly newer Cessnas, you don't have to pay to fly, and they don't have enough pilots.

At the meeting I learned they will get me up and trained to what ever level I want, and the only payback is I have to agree to fly for them on occasion. I agreed to their terms. They have a 2021 model 182 at the local chapter. I like 182s, especially the newer ones with IO540s. I am looking forward to being part of CAP.
I was a Civil Air Patrol cadet back in high school. I hadn't thought about that. I Joined the Navy and forgot all about CAP. I believe we still have a chapter here at the same airport as our EAA chapter. I'll make a note to look them up. Thanks for the tip.
 
My secondary gripe about no chickengroove is....

If you miss the retract step by a tiny bit once you're cutting deep into the thread, you run the risk of upsetting the barrel alignment by taking a huge cut.
I'm not following you here. Practice makes perfect. I almost always hit my mark on my travel-dial by 2 or 3 thou. That's not enough to even show in the retraction zone, but I have been a little off before and you just take it to +5 thou on your final spring cut if you want to clean it up.
 
I'm sure it's just a matter of me not being used to watching dials. I can do it if I'm watching the tool or my DRO but not the dial.
 
My secondary gripe about no chickengroove is....

If you miss the retract step by a tiny bit once you're cutting deep into the thread, you run the risk of upsetting the barrel alignment by taking a huge cut.
Just take another spring pass at that setting. Hit it correct the second pass and move on. With and indicator you will likely not be off more than 0.005”. 0.010” is generally a big miss. Thus typically it would not be a big cut. I think you would really have to make a noticeable miss on several passes to have a concern.
 
I just watch the tool. My hand is on crossfeed to pull out and on halfnut lever to disengage simultaneously. I usually set my cross feed handle at 2 or 3 o'clock. It's the same every time. Watch tool and pull out at shoulder. More you do, they better you get at it. Sometimes the relief groove is necessary. At the end when getting close to PD, I will infeed directly in on crossfeed to clean up backside of threads.
 
Not only do I back cut threads I back cut shoulders also. This is the only way to ensure that there is no radius to catch the lug ID. Same for when doing muzzle threading.

I never thought of them as "chicken grooves". Quite the contrary. I find that when done properly this is the most professional finish.

Many drawings of muzzle threads that I have collected call for a back cut on the threads. I'm thinking this "chicken groove" thing is much ado about nothing.
 
When I shoot a rifle I look at the sights. When I thread I watch the tool. I can't imagine NOT watching the tool.

There isn't a wrong way.

But like @GenePoole alluded to, if you've ever flown an instrument approach in the weather where your life depended on doing it right, you learn to trust the dials. It was natural for me to watch the dial approach zero and disengage.

I have done it three ways, watching the tool, watching the DRO, and watching the dial. The issue with watching to tool for me is sometimes swarf builds up and blocks the view of the tool point when it's close to the shoulder. I know when I disengage at zero on the dial I am in the right place, regardless of what I can see on the part.
 
There isn't a wrong way.

But like @GenePoole alluded to, if you've ever flown an instrument approach in the weather where your life depended on doing it right, you learn to trust the dials. It was natural for me to watch the dial approach zero and disengage.

I have done it three ways, watching the tool, watching the DRO, and watching the dial. The issue with watching to tool for me is sometimes swarf builds up and blocks the view of the tool point when it's close to the shoulder. I know when I disengage at zero on the dial I am in the right place, regardless of what I can see on the part.

I will try it. Just for giggles.
 

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