The Offcial Machinist Thread: Revised 01/04/2014

Potatoes last one shot, so build reusable! Discuss ammo designs and ideas. Tough to find cannon part or questions? Ask here!
User avatar
velocity3x
Corporal 4
Corporal 4
Posts: 828
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2009 3:09 pm
Location: Yuma, Arizona
Contact:

Sat Nov 12, 2011 9:05 pm

Gun Freak wrote:If this was to be made, would a die be used, or a cutting tool and slow speed?
I'd do the external thread in a lathe, the flats on the flange with a mill and the internal thread with a tap.
User avatar
Gun Freak
Lieutenant 5
Lieutenant 5
Posts: 4971
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:38 pm
Location: Florida
Been thanked: 8 times

Sat Nov 12, 2011 9:06 pm

Ok that's how I figured it'd be done.
OG Anti-Hybrid
One man's trash is a true Spudder's treasure!
Golf Ball Cannon "Superna"M16 BBMGPengunHammer Valve Airsoft SniperHigh Pressure .22 Coax
Holy Shat!
User avatar
mobile chernobyl
Corporal 3
Corporal 3
United States of America
Posts: 756
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:53 am
Been thanked: 7 times

Sat Nov 12, 2011 10:00 pm

Well over the course of a day - here's how it went from a seized up mini lathe without a motor or any tooling - to a fully functional mini lathe!

Last night - my friend and I started looking over the lathe and immediately found out it was seized and the threading gears' bushings were also sized. So we liberally applied silicone spray lube and slowly worked everything free - I took the whole threading assembly apart and cleaned every bushing and applied fresh grease... As seen here:
Image

Now that we knew it could turn, we needed to figure out how to apply an external force (aka a motor)
So this morning bright and early we ventured out to this awesome machinery graveyard (which I can't believe I never knew about before... :shock: ) And we set out looking for a: 115V, 1/4 - 1/3HP, 1/2" flatted spindle. Well when your in a junk yard it can be hard to find anything, but muchhh to our luck I stumbled across this gem that was mounted to a very elaborate custom automation line machine...
Image
(This is it mounted to our lathe)

So we take it off the machine, which probably wasn't allowed as it was in the complete machines section... but hey, we needed it! Paid $65 for it, found it still goes on eBay for around $150 and up! Baldor is a name I recognized, and was thrilled to find it! It also has a thermal reset switch, so it is protected from overheating which is awesome. It was only 1/4HP vs the 1901 Sears roebuck motor which had a claimed 1/3HP on it. Speed was the same though. We tested it at the yard and it started right up with lots of torque. I'm not an AC motor expert, but if they are anything like a car engine - I think this motor has much better torque vs HP lol.

So I get the motor home, and we have to cut the old motor bracket up and make a new one for this beauty. Here's the lathe with the old bracket:
Image

So some plasma torching, grinding, aligning, clamping and finally welding later, and I have the new motor mounted to the lathe! I plug it in with it's existing cord just to test out the alignment and engagement and it works! Awesome! :D

So now I had to hook it up to a FWD/REV switch and on off - after figuring out the wiring diagram and laying out an appropriate circuit to do this, it's running, in both directions!

So at this point I'm very thrilled, but the ultimate test lies next - will it lathe?

YES!

Image
Image
Image
Image

And after remembering how to grind a HSS bit properly (it's been almost 4 years! ) I start to get used to manual feeds again. So I start working all the feeds, and getting an angle cut on it, and I finally have something that looks like it might have been made on a lathe!

Image

Very happy right now! Hope everyone else enjoyed reading through! Sorry if it was too long, but I just thought I'd explain bringing this lathe back from the dead in a day! :D [/u]
User avatar
MrCrowley
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 10078
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 10:42 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Been thanked: 3 times

Sat Nov 12, 2011 10:56 pm

Holy sh|t batman, that's cool! Good job, enjoyed the read :)

Does it have the same diameter limitations as JSRs lathe? It'd be a shame if you can't easily machine any sabots large enough for your barrel.
User avatar
mobile chernobyl
Corporal 3
Corporal 3
United States of America
Posts: 756
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:53 am
Been thanked: 7 times

Sat Nov 12, 2011 11:07 pm

Nope I have a piece of 1.75" material (the plastic for the sabot) chucked up right now. If i turn the chuck jaws around I can easily chuck up to 3" material. Thats all i need for now 8)
User avatar
Technician1002
Captain
Captain
Posts: 5189
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 11:10 am

Sun Nov 13, 2011 12:02 am

Were you able to get a 3 jaw chuck too? The 4 jaw chuck is great but it takes much longer to set up for round stock.
User avatar
mobile chernobyl
Corporal 3
Corporal 3
United States of America
Posts: 756
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:53 am
Been thanked: 7 times

Sun Nov 13, 2011 12:13 am

lol this thing didn't come with any tooling, or a working motor and you want a 3 jaw chuck with that?

I wish it had Tech - I know the benefits of a 3 jaw chuck too well by now... oh well at least the 4 jaw chuck has forced me to make some nice tooling to assist the lathe.

This is kind of a "full circle" feeling for me though. My grandpop was a tool and die maker for Otis Elevator. He passed down his tooling and whatnot, but I've never actually had a lathe to use it - or any legit machine for that matter. Grinding down his HSS blanks that he left in his tool chest with us kind of makes me proud that I can carry on with some of his skills.
User avatar
jackssmirkingrevenge
Five Star General
Five Star General
Posts: 26203
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:28 pm
Has thanked: 569 times
Been thanked: 345 times

Donating Members

Sun Nov 13, 2011 4:04 am

mobile chernobyl wrote:lol this thing didn't come with any tooling, or a working motor and you want a 3 jaw chuck with that?
Surely you can buy one that fits for a relatively low price, it will be worth the benefit.
Just wondering if anyone can make this part, it's a bit weird. Material has to be strong, brass might do it. But right now I'm wondering if anyone can even make it.


Shouldn't be that much of a chore with a thread cutting attachment on a medium sized lathe, but first I would suggest a new postman :?
wonder what the price qutoe would be for an aluminum barrel spacer for a 6mm barrel,deltrin piston and an aluminum back housing with a shrader valve inside and orings to be a serviceable 1/2 coax
As GF said, diagrams will help ;)
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
User avatar
jrrdw
Moderator
Moderator
United States of America
Posts: 6572
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
Location: Maryland
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 22 times
Contact:

Donating Members

Sun Nov 13, 2011 7:41 am

mobile chernobyl wrote:Nope I have a piece of 1.75" material (the plastic for the sabot) chucked up right now. If i turn the chuck jaws around I can easily chuck up to 3" material. Thats all i need for now 8)
Not all chuck jaws are reversible, you may need to invest in outside jaws.
Technician1002 wrote:Were you able to get a 3 jaw chuck too? The 4 jaw chuck is great but it takes much longer to set up for round stock.
Only if it's not self centering, otherwise just turn the chuck key.
User avatar
mobile chernobyl
Corporal 3
Corporal 3
United States of America
Posts: 756
Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:53 am
Been thanked: 7 times

Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:48 am

jrrdw wrote:Not all chuck jaws are reversible, you may need to invest in outside jaws.
Luckily these are! :)
User avatar
Gun Freak
Lieutenant 5
Lieutenant 5
Posts: 4971
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:38 pm
Location: Florida
Been thanked: 8 times

Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:12 am

That thing is beautiful, gratz.
OG Anti-Hybrid
One man's trash is a true Spudder's treasure!
Golf Ball Cannon "Superna"M16 BBMGPengunHammer Valve Airsoft SniperHigh Pressure .22 Coax
Holy Shat!
User avatar
jrrdw
Moderator
Moderator
United States of America
Posts: 6572
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
Location: Maryland
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 22 times
Contact:

Donating Members

Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:09 pm

More tooling for me! :wink: Dead centers just don't all ways do the job.
User avatar
Gun Freak
Lieutenant 5
Lieutenant 5
Posts: 4971
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:38 pm
Location: Florida
Been thanked: 8 times

Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:20 pm

What's the significance/gain of using a live center over a dead center?
OG Anti-Hybrid
One man's trash is a true Spudder's treasure!
Golf Ball Cannon "Superna"M16 BBMGPengunHammer Valve Airsoft SniperHigh Pressure .22 Coax
Holy Shat!
User avatar
jackssmirkingrevenge
Five Star General
Five Star General
Posts: 26203
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:28 pm
Has thanked: 569 times
Been thanked: 345 times

Donating Members

Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:26 pm

A live centre spins independently, so there isn't a fixed tool rubbing against your moving part.
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
User avatar
jrrdw
Moderator
Moderator
United States of America
Posts: 6572
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:11 pm
Location: Maryland
Has thanked: 39 times
Been thanked: 22 times
Contact:

Donating Members

Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:35 pm

Gun Freak wrote:What's the significance/gain of using a live center over a dead center?
Smoother operation, no chatter on long skinny work pieces. Dead centers work but I don't recommend them for pro-longed use.
Post Reply