New lathe due diligence.

[hogpatrol]

Lathes Kill.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/nyregion/yale-student-dies-in-machine-shop-accident.html

 

[Shrek]

That's all well and nice but I mostly shoot alone 30 miles out of town in the woods so this is my version of hanging at the range shooting the breeze and getting advice. I've worked around enough machines to know most of the big safe work practices. I wired my old house myself with a little advice over the phone and I'll most likely wire this job myself with the same help. The intent is to get the lathe in place and powered and then sit down in front of it with how to run a lathe and work through leveling it and figuring out how to run it. So far I've taken the advice to make a steel bed for it and just about the rest of it. The only question I had about the electric is was there any qualitative difference in the power and that answer is no. It's getting 30 amp 220 wired in so that it's there for any future needs.
Ggmac , thanks for dropping out ! Don't forget to unsubsribe to the thread so you won't get any updates. To the rest of you , thanks for answering my dumb questions so I'm not as ignorant as I was.

 

[Shrek]

Oh , the wood bench top comes from page 16 of How To Run A Lathe 56th edition. " if made of wood should be 2" lumber " . It was mounted on wood when I bought it so was going with what was there and upgrading it to more than minimum recommended thickness. The steel seems to be a better option that I had not considered but am pursuing now. How this got sidetracked into lathes and machines are dangerous I really don't know but I drive a tractor around all day in city traffic and I'm often grossing over 80,000 pounds so this hobby is the least of my worries. I'm 47 with all my fingers , toes , and eyes and have worked one dangerous job after another all my life. Commercial fishing , construction , driving commercial vehicles , firefighting.

 

[spitfire_er]

You learned 'gunsmithing' on a lathe? You might have figured out how to cut a chamber, crown, or thread for muzzle attachments, but it can't teach you all a gunsmith needs to know to really BE a gunsmith.

Yes, every single aspect of it including wood finishing and checkering! They work real good as a holding fixture for welding, and for spraying Metal coatings! You just scrape the splatter and overspray off with an old rusty screw driver. The v-ways work real good for pounding out corners in metal with a small sledge!

I can start taking thing out of context too, but I literally don't have the time to waste on your pitty comments. Usually people that bash everyone else have some insecurity of some sort of another. Not sure what yours is, but I don't have that problem.

To answer your question, yes I learned SOME aspects of gunsmithing on a lathe, but as I assume you know, there is A-LOT of barrel work that isn't done on a lathe.

I also didn't figure out how to chamber, thread, etc. I was taught by two separate master gunsmiths over 7 years mainly focusing on benchrest, custom hunting rifles, and LR target rifles. One Smith traveled the US and Canada for 20+ years shooting with guys that later became his good friends named Hart, Stolle, and a few others I cannot remember. He also had several articles about him in shooting times in the 80's. Point being, I think I have gotten a better hands on education than most, and I feel fortunate I had the opportunity. I'm confident in my abilities and don't claim to know more than I do.

 

[spitfire_er]

Oh , the wood bench top comes from page 16 of How To Run A Lathe 56th edition. " if made of wood should be 2" lumber " . It was mounted on wood when I bought it so was going with what was there and upgrading it to more than minimum recommended thickness. The steel seems to be a better option that I had not considered but am pursuing now. How this got sidetracked into lathes and machines are dangerous I really don't know but I drive a tractor around all day in city traffic and I'm often grossing over 80,000 pounds so this hobby is the least of my worries. I'm 47 with all my fingers , toes , and eyes and have worked one dangerous job after another all my life. Commercial fishing , construction , driving commercial vehicles , firefighting.

I had a Navy spec. HEAVY 10 that was on a factory wood cabinet. Was about 250 lbs by itself and was solid maple with a 2" maple top similar to a bowling alley lane. That would be expensive to reproduce today and metal is fairly cheap and easy to work with.

 

[Shrek]

Friend has come through with a steel table and I've had to tear apart the garage to fit things . Nothing is as simple as it looks when you begin. I'll pick up the table later this week and then the fun of shiming it level begins. I've never attempted leveling to this accuracy and just figuring out what shim stock to order is a challenge. I haven't even plugged the lathe in yet and I'm getting a steep education . Lighting , levels , indicators , shim stock , belts....will eat your lunch ! It's still fun and for anyone looking I think I wish I had bought a lathe with its own integrated base. I'm still watching to ads and if the right lathe pops up I'd buy it too and see what I like better. I'm pretty sure this lathe is just the first of several I'll own over the next year or two.

 

[riflewoman]

Get one of these. http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/98826001

You can get a rough idea on what you need by using a feeler gauge under your level. The real thing is to remove the twist from the bed. If it isn't quite level from end to end it will be ok but the lathe can't be twisted.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Look at the stand skeetlee built for his grizzly heavy 10. Itll help with resale

 

[Shrek]

I needed to slow down with the spending due to western hunting tags being due but I'm chipping away at it. I'm currently looking for a set of factory legs and a pan. It would be easier that building from scratch I think and by the time I bought the materials and and burned all my favors and then some with friends cheaper. If anyone has knows of some legs for an 11" Logan and a pan please let me know.

 

[Shrek]

I'm going through the lathe a little and have a couple questions. The tailstock quill travel is only 4" so I'm guessing I will need to chamber off the tool post on the compound slide. It has even less travel so I'm guessing I need to use the whole carriage to move it forward. How much bed wear is too much for a floating reamer holder to compensate for ?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

You only need about .200 tailsock travel. When you clean the reamer you reset everything

 

[hogpatrol]

 

[Dusty Stevens]

 

[hogpatrol]

I'm going through the lathe a little and have a couple questions. The tailstock quill travel is only 4" so I'm guessing I will need to chamber off the tool post on the compound slide. It has even less travel so I'm guessing I need to use the whole carriage to move it forward. How much bed wear is too much for a floating reamer holder to compensate for ?

Dave, In all seriousness, get some good instruction from an EXPERIENCED, COMPETENT gunsmith or machinist BEFORE you even turn on the machine. You can't really learn from youtube or hack your way learning how to perform PRECISION work. You'll just waste time, money and possibly injure yourself or others.

 

[JRS]

Dave, In all seriousness, get some good instruction from an EXPERIENCED, COMPETENT gunsmith or machinist BEFORE you even turn on the machine. You can't really learn from youtube or hack your way learning how to perform PRECISION work. You'll just waste time, money and possibly injure yourself or others.

Good advice

 

[shortgrass]

Oh , the wood bench top comes from page 16 of How To Run A Lathe 56th edition. " if made of wood should be 2" lumber " . It was mounted on wood when I bought it so was going with what was there and upgrading it to more than minimum recommended thickness.

I've got a 1915 edition of 'Machinerys Handbook' that says the best material for shop floors is "select hard maple, properly laid and supported"....... Ya' think that's just a little out dated?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I've got a 1915 edition of 'Machinerys Handbook' that says the best material for shop floors is "select hard maple, properly laid and supported"....... Ya' think that's just a little out dated?

No. Concrete is just a fad

 

[JRS]

www.wswells.com/data/howto/H-3.pdf

 

[Riesel]

www.wswells.com/data/howto/H-3.pdf

^^^^^^^PRICELESS^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Shrek]

Since I don't happen to know any great gunsmiths or machinists who are iching to come over to my hovel and teach me the fine points and my local JC is all professional CNC oriented I guess is should just give up according to some here... thanks for the votes of confidence !
I've replaced the belts and ran it just sitting on the bench I have for the moment and it all seems to work well. I think I'm going to replace the cross slide and compound feed nuts for good measure. A new link belt and endless synthetic nylon and rubber belt and it runs smooth as glass. I've found some factory legs to mount it on and as soon as I can get them picked up and delivered I'll mount and level the lathe.
Back to questions I do have since I'm certainly not quitting. When attaching an outboard spider onto the spindle I'm thinking that the best method is to machine it to a tight slip fit and four brass tipped screws to hold it. I only have 3/8" of spindle past the back gear to work with. The jaws on my three jaw scroll chuck are far from perfect so I'm planning to use its backplate for the inboard spider. Any better ideas are welcome.