Cast Iron stock

[YYCHM]

Me bad. I didn't read very well. I now see that the question was not referring to cast iron but rather 12L14! Slap to my side of the head.

Don't beat yourself up LOL. I'm the one who snuck the hex stock reference in. @johnnielsen has the cast iron round and some hex stock he feels would work for my application.

Craig

 

[johnnielsen]

I’ll have to drive back over or try to phone there I just Googled and found this.....
“ Terminal City Iron Works “

View attachment 10842

Some History....The place indicated on the map is where Diro Machine shop was located.They used to cast for the City Of Calgary, making and machining to fit manholes/manhole frames and those cast iron frames for trees/shrubbery on promenades and sidewalks.

 

[YYCHM]

Craig- let me check my stock - you need like a 50 mm wide by 75 mm long by 25 mm high?

Brent, don't worry about it, thanks. I found some stock, I just need to arrange to have it cut into a manageable chunk.

Craig

 

[PeterT]

I'm looking to make a shoe for my lathe taper attachment... The one I made from mild steel is 2" wide, 1-1/8" high and 3-1/4" long.
Craig

Is the only issue with the one you made is that you want it to slide better? Maybe you could just open up the gap & integrate some brass or bronze strips? For bonus points figure out a way to adjust gap play with a few set screws, kind of like how gib strips are tensioned on smaller lathes?

 

[RobinHood]

My Carolina Industrial Bandsaw should be able to cut through the 8“ log for you. We can at least give it a try.

Send me a message and we can set something up.

 

[YYCHM]

Is the only issue with the one you made is that you want it to slide better? Maybe you could just open up the gap & integrate some brass or bronze strips? For bonus points figure out a way to adjust gap play with a few set screws, kind of like how gib strips are tensioned on smaller lathes?

The one I made works but I over shot the gap by a smidge and underestimated the height by 3/16" so it ended up as a mild steel block with a plate screwed to the top of it. The original would have been cast iron with milled surfaces. I just want to make something closer to the original with a better tolerance.

 

[Richard G]

I would love to get a piece or two of 6" round bar by 1". I would prefer the malleable CI to make some chuck back plates.
I can get some from a metal supplier for about $130. ea which I find to be steep. I was thinking of making a back plate for a collet chuck out of aluminum as a last resort.
I purchased a CCC ER40 collet set and like them a lot but using them with a MT3 taper holder limits the lenght of rod I can use them with. A back plate with a thru-hole collet chuck would solve this issue.

 

[Tom Kitta]

Sure I can cut you off a piece of a 6" or larger stock that is at least 1" wide. I doubt it would be more then $20.

 

[Richard G]

Hey Tom, That is Cool! I would like two of them! I am in Ottawa K1G 1R1, If you give me your postal code I will look into the shipping.

 

[Tom Kitta]

So two slices of 1"+ thick steel 6" round? They probably would be more like 1.25" as my bandsaw never cuts too straight. I am guessing shipping at most 25.

 

[Richard G]

So two slices of 1"+ thick steel 6" round? They probably would be more like 1.25" as my bandsaw never cuts too straight. I am guessing shipping at most 25.

Sold!
Let me know what the shipping will be and I shall send you an e-tranfer if that works for you. Or if you prefer I can e-transfer before you make a cut. The steel provider I use in Ottawa says that because he would have to bring it in is the reasonit is so pricey. Ottawa is far from being an industrial town like the mining town where I grew up.

 

[Tom Kitta]

OK, got one slice cut and will do another one today and let you know. For some reason my bandsaw now cuts very well (about 15 thou plus minus) so I guess you get nice straight pieces.

It was the first time I had to use bandsaw crane to lift a log about 400 lbs - fun times.

 

[Richard G]

Awsome! Just curious Tom, What would a hobby machinist be doing with a 400 pound rod of cast iron? Your shop must be well equipped to handle such pieces.

 

[Tom Kitta]

Its actually regular steel - I think it is 4140. I have few tons of the stuff I got at auction. I actually have lifetime supply of steel and sell it occasionally. I have used it to make like 10 backplates for chucks.

 

[YYCHM]

a 400 pound rod of cast iron.

I don't think he is cutting you some cast iron? (Tom beat me to it)...

As for his shop.... well.... one of his lathes requires an overhead crane to mount the chuck if that gives you some perspective.

 

[Tom O]

The other “ just curious “ where the he** did you get it?

 

[Tom Kitta]

Got it at auction few years ago. Here are pics of action.

Sent from my JSN-L23 using Tapatalk

 

[Richard G]

I am certain the 4140 will work fine for my application. Very impressive equipment for a home shop !

 

[DavidR8]

Is that a radial drill press to the left of the saw @Tom Kitta?

 

[Tom Kitta]

Is that a radial drill press to the left of the saw @Tom Kitta?

Yes it is. Baby one - 3ft arm. 2hp motor. 4MT spindle.