Now here’s a head-f**k.
I’ve just realized that the hole through my lathe (through the chuck and spindle) is a pissant 1.25″ (approx). So I can’t get even a measly 1.5″ bar through it.
So…that’s what steadies are for, right? So how come these steadies are made with blunt pieces of metal THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO REST AGAINST AND STEADY A SOFT PIECE OF METAL REVOLVING AT HIGH SPEED?!
What kind of FUCKWIT came up with that idea? “I know, we’ll steady the revolving work against blunt pieces of metal so we can hear the workshop windows shatter with the screech and watch the surface get torn to shreds.”
I’ve tried it with 2″ bar. Not only is it next to impossible to get the bar concentrically held in the chuck’s jaws, the steady does all of the above.
Am I to believe that a lathe of the size of mine is limited to bar no bigger than 1.25″? Or that I’m supposed to wreck my work on a standard non-roller steady? Because finding a roller-steady to buy is proving to be an act of futility. Lots of places showing you how to convert a non-roller to a roller though, further indicating that retail items are unavailable as a rule.
I’m truly baffled.
The usual idiots, please spare me the comedic dross, it’s getting old. Walt from Hawaii or Sean, two chaps who seem able to advise without the condescending trash-talk, I’m all ears. Please put me straight on this one. I’m about to fear I’ve bought a lemon of a lathe.
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😉
….uh, wasn’t that hard to find
That sounds good to us.
Take it to PM or Email so you wont have to bother with us replying to you any more.
OK, guys, I think everybody should take a step back and stop with the typing already.
I used to own an internet company in the mid 90’s (an ISP), so I found myself sitting on a full blown T1 with a bunch of people who insisted on being extremely rude. What to do, what to do? The ability to hide behind a keyboard does odd things to people, but mostly, I’ve noticed, it tends to have a lot of the affects of alcohol without the neural impairment; that is, it seems to lower certain inhibitions within otherwise rational people. That being said, it bears keeping in mind that tempers are going to flare; no matter what the subject or whom you are dealing with at the moment. If both parties are seasoned, they realize it may take a certain amount of time to get adjusted to each other; and more concessions have to be made on both sides in the name of civility. Odd, we make these concessions all the time when we meet face to face; but rare give other people the same benefit when meeting online. That was why I used to jump at the chance to actually meet people whenever we coordinated group meets of people we chatted with online. That way, I noticed, the group got along a lot better because we actually did know whom we were dealing with when we had little spats online. Take a deep breath. Relax. It’s just a “0” or a “1” flying through the aether.
aloha,
walt
You are aware this section is to demonstrate and show what people are making and not really intended as a metal shop tutorial?
You are doing yourself a disservice trying to use this forum on how to learn to use your machines. You need to find a metal working forum for the answers you seek and not relay on a couple of guys here.
http://www.americanmachinetools.com/how_to_use_a_lathe.htm
Thanks, but I think I’ll stick with Walt. So far I can honestly say I’ve picked up more useful and directly applicable knowledge from him than in any of the books I’ve read so far.
And stow the pictures, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you fancy them as your metier par excellence. 😉
YN:
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for you. Look up the word “intransigent”. 😉
Langa – You win, I’m wrong, your right…. Please continue.
Sorry YN, I again forgot to point out the obvious. I meant, of course, in the first instance.
If you can find any examples where I’ve given the first offence, please point them out to me. There may well be one, but if there is I’ve completely forgotten it. Help me out if you would, I’m all eyes.
On the flip-side I can provide plenty of examples where somebody has been offensive to me. Ah, but it was “all in fun”, eh? Yeah, so I’ve been taking it on the chin, post after post after post. Because it was “all in fun”. Been growing a rhino-hide here boss. Except…it’s been because “you don’t listen and think you know better.” Yeah, I’m sorry, how deliberately malicious and offensive of me. Should have just doffed my cap and known my place, eh?
You keep on telling yourself how right you are, and how wrong I am. Cliques are good at that. But no! There’s no clique here! It’s me! I’ve been causing offence! By daring to question the established wisdom!
Or just by not being the usual sitting-duck some of you chaps are used to having easy sport with (excuse the split infinitive there, don’t want to appear to be a know-it-all by making perfect use of the queen’s English). 😉
“Give a man a fish?” Or teach him “How to fish”
You are aware this section is to demonstrate and show what people are making and not really intended as a metal shop tutorial?
You are doing yourself a disservice trying to use this forum on how to learn to use your machines. You need to find a metal working forum for the answers you seek and not relay on a couple of guys here.
http://www.americanmachinetools.com/how_to_use_a_lathe.htm
Your halfway to getting it 💡
Now just take a look in the mirror and say “its all in the delivery mate” and you’ll be telling the right person !!
Well here’s just a small selection…. and from the same post at that !
Ut oh….
Unfortunatly, NOTHING is obvious because as Mr Langasson points out in another post –
And apparantly that information about slow speed was not part of Langa’s DNA code –
I’m glad you repeated that I’d already suggested Walt because he never listens to me anyway.
Be careful though, he might accuse you of
Because of the follow up post.
It’s all in the delivery mate, it speaks volumes.
Thought I should point that out for you, in case it wasn’t obvious. 😉
Bloody gold-dust mate. You’re better than a book. “All you ever needed to know about steadies, in a few paragraphs.” 😀
Are there any tricks for getting a piece of work centralised in the jaws? Going right through the spindle is a piece of cake, but every time I’ve mounted the piece in just the jaws I have to test, jiggle, test, jiggle etc until it spins perfectly concentric. I feel like I’m missing something obvious.
Teflon, some of the members here, and not a few who should know better, act like idiots. If the cap fits etc. I enjoy a bit of barracking as much as the next man, but all things in moderation. It starts to feel like a vendetta after a while, and after comments about “it’s because you don’t listen and always seem to know better” the excuse that “it’s all in fun” clearly no longer washes, does it.
If I’d been rude or malicious it would be understandable, but it appears my only offence was to have failed to show obesiance to the clique of masters. “Show deference, novice, or feel our wrath.”
Well gee, so far I’ve done an o-ring mod and a breech, and me a complete fvck-tarded novice. First time successes. Now I have to wonder, does that make me a boy-wonder, or is this lathing not quite the arcane black-art a few people would like to pretend it is? My money is on the latter. Oh yeah, piss-easy jobs no doubt, but shouldn’t I be missing a few fingers by now, along with an entire chest of tools and a few hundred dollars-worth of ruined stock?
But it seems like the rule around here is “One Way Traffic”? So I’m giving some back…am I doing it the wrong way? I’m not disguising it sufficiently as ‘harmless banter’? Hey, I’m just joshing! Damn, you chaps are gullible. Bit thin-skinned maybe? What was that advice I got recently…”you need to have the hide of a rhino if you want to hang around here.” Right back atcha chaps.
If ya’ll can’t take it, don’t dish it. I’m not some lame-assed pansy who’s going to roll down the hill for ya’ll. I can play too. Man up already.
Damn, I’m getting good at this Yank lingo. 😆
Ut oh….
Unfortunatly, NOTHING is obvious because as Mr Langasson points out in another post –
And apparantly that information about slow speed was not part of Langa’s DNA code –
I’m glad you repeated that I’d already suggested Walt because he never listens to me anyway.
Be careful though, he might accuse you of
Because of the follow up post.
Lang, many thanks for the kind words. I forgot to mention; no matter if using rollers or fingers, there are general rules to follow when using the steady. The first is pretty obvious, and that is, you run the slowest speed practical. That makes sense because you generate less heat, but lots of folks disregard this because it takes a lot longer to make stuff. And, the second rule is, use lots of lubricant. Even with rollers, use lots of oil; I just squirt it into the path of the rollers as the piece turns. For solid fingers this is even more important. The oil lubricates and carries away heat, but more importantly, it provides a microscopic cushion or layer for the workpiece to ride on so it doesn’t have to actually be in hard contact with the fingers (once it’s broken in). I have been told by old time machinists that there isn’t much difference between using a roller and a plain steady; I have used both, and I must say, even with the roller, there is still a bit of marring, the super hard bearing steel of the rollers will always leave a slighlty compacted collar of work hardened metal in your workpiece. If this becomes a problem, like on a very expensive barrel where you don’t want to lose the bluing, you may want to use a sacrificial collar, usually you can make one out of aluminum and place it around the barrel, and true it up by cutting it while in place on the barrel and centered in the tailstock; then letting your steady ride on your collar. I do this for cutting new crowns on rifles as well. If holding your sacrificial collars in place with set screws, you just grind the bottom of the set screw first so it no longer has that lip that bites into the metal; just go with a smooth flat bottomed set screw so it won’t mar your barrel. Don’t forget to oil the steady often.
That was entirely unwarranted.
No, what was unwarranted was describing some of the people here as “idiots” and dismissing a large group of people as not being welcome in this thread.
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Please dont stop!
This is good reading!
Very entertaining!