Set up time varies with the job, the machine, available tooling and experience. I really don’t even think about it a lot of the time if I have everything at hand (which is part of the challenge). I couple of suggestions. 1. Bolt your lathe down solid and level, on a heavy steel plate would be ideal so you have place to set your indicator. 2. You don’t have to use the compound of you have too much ex, just make a solid toolpost that bolts in place of the compound, the effect will be amazing. 3. Get a live center. 4. If you are marking out castings and transferring measurements buy or build a surface gauge, the method you used was almost a waste of time if you want accurate work, no point in eyeballing work off a surface plate. Glad to see somebody finish a Gingery lathe, I found his books when I was 13/14 set up a foundry and started building a lathe but got picked up by a local machine shop as an apprentice so I never finished it. Keep up the good work.
Set up is 70% of the task usually. Another thing you can do to make chuck or face plate changes easier would be to make a collar that has external threads and bore it to fit your spindle shaft with set screws to retain it. Then thread your face plate and chucks to fit. Then you can easily spin them on and off. As long as you don't install a reversing motor it would be fine. A lot of larger production machines have threaded spindles for this purpose.
@@HaveAGoAlan my main lathe has a threaded nose but i bought a backplate which is semi-permanently attached to the spindle. I then machined a 72mm register which matches the same as most chinese mini lathes. That way i had a plentiful supply of cheap chucks, faceplates, and er chucks etc. You then just bolt on whichever chuck you need. Probably sounds like more work than a thread but means you don't need to make backplates and can run in reverse. I would definitely recommend doing that as you don't have a banjo and change gears to cut the thread accurately yet. I wouldn't want to do it with a die and tap.
Yes, setup is the main thing in machining. Even before I made parts myself, I noticed that machinists never want to make 1 part. If you ask for 1, they'll make 3. It's all a strategy to avoid doing the setup AGAIN.
Set up time nearly always takes longer! I like to do my setup midweek on my lunchbreaks so then on the weekend i'm all ready to go! Doesn't always work out like that though. When marking up things on the surface plate you could use a needle or something pointy attached to a steel block. Mark the work with a pen then scratch in your heoght marks. Much more accurate. Obviously it would be best to get a height gauge but you can definitely make do with bodged alternatives.
Set up time is the hidden puzzle. Started in a Job Shop and One Job called for 8 pieces. Got a good Chewing Out from the Boss because I only cut 9 blanks. We would use the extra to check the Setup before running the rest. Material is Cheep he said and wanted 3 extra just in case. You are doing One Off's so setting up and Checking will take some time 🤔
Pretty much the routine. If you consider how little time it takes to run an Operation once your Setup not a huge factor on the overall time. Retired and now working on Antique Target, think Stevens, Ballards and such Rifles, I usually run a Test part usually out of Aluminum just to be sure. Saved my Arse more than once 😳!
Kinda reminds me of when I was designing PCBs for my own use for synth DIY. The fab house had a minimum of five PCBs per board design, which actually came in much handier than one board per design, in the end.
Indeed, setup time is most of the time longer than the machining time.
Very nice work mister. You put a lot of effort in these machines. Good on you
Set up time varies with the job, the machine, available tooling and experience.
I really don’t even think about it a lot of the time if I have everything at hand (which is part of the challenge).
I couple of suggestions.
1. Bolt your lathe down solid and level, on a heavy steel plate would be ideal so you have place to set your indicator.
2. You don’t have to use the compound of you have too much ex, just make a solid toolpost that bolts in place of the compound, the effect will be amazing.
3. Get a live center.
4. If you are marking out castings and transferring measurements buy or build a surface gauge, the method you used was almost a waste of time if you want accurate work, no point in eyeballing work off a surface plate.
Glad to see somebody finish a Gingery lathe, I found his books when I was 13/14 set up a foundry and started building a lathe but got picked up by a local machine shop as an apprentice so I never finished it.
Keep up the good work.
Set up is 70% of the task usually. Another thing you can do to make chuck or face plate changes easier would be to make a collar that has external threads and bore it to fit your spindle shaft with set screws to retain it. Then thread your face plate and chucks to fit. Then you can easily spin them on and off. As long as you don't install a reversing motor it would be fine. A lot of larger production machines have threaded spindles for this purpose.
Thanks, so that is why threaded spindle noses are a thing!
@@HaveAGoAlan my main lathe has a threaded nose but i bought a backplate which is semi-permanently attached to the spindle. I then machined a 72mm register which matches the same as most chinese mini lathes. That way i had a plentiful supply of cheap chucks, faceplates, and er chucks etc. You then just bolt on whichever chuck you need. Probably sounds like more work than a thread but means you don't need to make backplates and can run in reverse. I would definitely recommend doing that as you don't have a banjo and change gears to cut the thread accurately yet. I wouldn't want to do it with a die and tap.
When doing 1 of something. Yes, always.
If you have any other questions regarding machining let me know. My day job is that of a Manufacturing Engineer.
What an intimidating part to turn! Nicely done considering 👍
Yes, setup is the main thing in machining. Even before I made parts myself, I noticed that machinists never want to make 1 part. If you ask for 1, they'll make 3. It's all a strategy to avoid doing the setup AGAIN.
I'm increasingly suspecting it's also a strategy to end up with a good process, since after a couple goes you're going to have a better handle on it
Set up time nearly always takes longer! I like to do my setup midweek on my lunchbreaks so then on the weekend i'm all ready to go! Doesn't always work out like that though.
When marking up things on the surface plate you could use a needle or something pointy attached to a steel block. Mark the work with a pen then scratch in your heoght marks. Much more accurate. Obviously it would be best to get a height gauge but you can definitely make do with bodged alternatives.
First project in one Harold Hall book is to make a height gauge, think I will have to put it on the 'to do' list :)
looks like its coming along nicely
Set up time is the hidden puzzle. Started in a Job Shop and One Job called for 8 pieces. Got a good Chewing Out from the Boss because I only cut 9 blanks. We would use the extra to check the Setup before running the rest.
Material is Cheep he said and wanted 3 extra just in case. You are doing One Off's so setting up and Checking will take some time 🤔
So an extra for testing the setup, an extra in case of breaking a part, and the eight parts for the customer?
Pretty much the routine. If you consider how little time it takes to run an Operation once your Setup not a huge factor on the overall time.
Retired and now working on Antique Target, think Stevens, Ballards and such Rifles, I usually run a Test part usually out of Aluminum just to be sure.
Saved my Arse more than once 😳!
Kinda reminds me of when I was designing PCBs for my own use for synth DIY. The fab house had a minimum of five PCBs per board design, which actually came in much handier than one board per design, in the end.
Set up 75% of time at least for me when doing one offs - obviously different doing multiples 😅