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Working on my South Bend 9C

BaronJ said:
Hi Guys,

The connection pad under the button probably needs clean. Remarkable how a little tarnish stops the buttons working.

As far as digital calipers are concerned I have several along with a number of standards. It might shock you but non of them give the same reading. I have a Moore & Wright dial caliper which is actually the one I use as a reference because it always gives me the same reading within a needle thickness depending whether its cold or warm in the workshop.

Whilst I do use all three digital ones, I make a point of using the same one when I'm wanting a set size, knowing that the repeatability should remain constant.
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Nope, never had that problem with any of my Mitutoyos. Some of the others yes. But not the MIT's. I have a dial mitutoyo that is also totally reliable. And of course all my Vernier Calipers are good. I have a off brand dial caliper I had to scrap and several digitals that I can't count on. The only problem I've ever had with a Mitutoyo is leaving it on by mistake and ending up with a dead battery.
 
Susquatch said:
Well, they say that the exception proves the rule. I think maybe it's time for a new one. Sounds like yours isn't repeatable or reliable or even functional.

Where did you get that one?
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It was either one of Someguys Amazon deals or CGN, I bought a Mitutoyo mic and caliper around the same time in the summer. I used both of them to check some neck diameters and they were pretty much identical, so I assumed they were both quality
 
Hey you've got kids, time to be a responsible adult and not be thinking of yourself. Get one kid a micrometer the other some digital calipers and some 1,2,3 blocks for Mrs. Golem for Christmas and be the selfless one and forego your own desires.
 
My kids would LOVE having more tools in their little toolboxes! I really need to make them a spot to "work" in the garage with me.

Behold, TWO lights (lathe could use a task light, and I'd love to get a power outlet central on that wall). Setting up to try turning a pen tomorrow.
 

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Anyone with young kids ever thought about getting a power lockout just in case?
I’m just saying I have a mutilith press in the basement and years age my son and friend fired it up and fed their die cast dinkey toys through a 1/4” space between the steel rollers.
 
One of the killers of dial calipers, is small grit/shavings getting into the rack and pinion, and not knowing it’s happened, till you go for the next measurement. The pinion get pushed away from the rack, bending the shaft it’s on.
So don’t leave them seating where cuttings from equipment can land on them.
Hmmmmm, how could I have found that out. Nor have them in back pocket or chest pocket. I had a couple with the internal point ends ground off as they seem to all ways land on the points. (Before dials, when I could see lines).
I do learn, sometimes it costs money, and it was never all in the same day!
 
I made a mistake with the reaming but hey that is my first successful part off the lathe! Well, it's just the internals, I'm debating if I want to try and accomplish the external shaping or just do that on the wood lathe.
 

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Hi Michael,

Why not consider a "Form Tool". Ideal if you are going to repeatedly create a particular shape. Make sure that you support the far end. A live centre will do that.
 
The shapes are quite basic, I don't know that form tools would make sense. Really just properly placed tapers and then a few different shapes on the ends. Truly a doddle on the wood lathe really, since I'll use this to approach the main diameter and then just shape from there.

I know tapers are doable, just not sure if they're worth the set up.
 
Golem Pens said:
The shapes are quite basic, I don't know that form tools would make sense. Really just properly placed tapers and then a few different shapes on the ends. Truly a doddle on the wood lathe really, since I'll use this to approach the main diameter and then just shape from there.

I know tapers are doable, just not sure if they're worth the set up.
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You just have to swing the compound....... short tapers are all you're likely to be turning. Easy peasy.
 
140mower said:
You just have to swing the compound....... short tapers are all you're likely to be turning. Easy peasy.
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Well, I gotta do some calculations don't I? I guess once I have it roughed in once it'll be repeatable enough. Not like I'm doing super high precision. Rounded and concave end caps might still end up on the wood lathe though
 
Hi Guys,

Its not just tapers, if you need a particular shape it means that you can create it in one go.

The secret to form turning is using a fixed reference point for the tool. For instance I use the face of the chuck to ensure that my threading tool is at 90 degrees to the work, the same technique for doing an angled bore.
 
Susquatch said:
Beautiful pen! I love it.

Can you explain what you mean by alignment? I ask because I suspect there is an easier way to do it than using a 123 block.
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Squaring the toolpost, is that more accurate? I ended up just doing it against the face of the collect chuck and it was fine. I've seen folks using the block between the chuck face and the toolpost.
 
Golem Pens said:
Squaring the toolpost, is that more accurate? I ended up just doing it against the face of the collect chuck and it was fine. I've seen folks using the block between the chuck face and the toolpost.
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Ah, I see. I use the side of the cross-slide for that. But yes, I've seen people use the face of the chuck too.

I think it's important to realize that the tool post doesn't need to be all that perfectly square. Eyeball is often quite good enough. The toolpost rides on the cross-slide and/or the compound. If these are square, the toolpost movement will be square too. So it's really the cross slide and compound that need to be square. The best way to square them is with an indicator. But lots of guys have made quick tools to get the standard angles quickly.
 
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