Hi Have you considered just using spiral flute machine taps? Just grip the tap tightly in the tailstock chuck, select low speed (40rpm) and use the jog button to start. Don't lock the tailstock down. Just slide it into the job and push it until the tap starts. It will automatically pull itself into the work. When the desired depth is reached, just reverse out.
Would mean duplicating existing tooling some of which very old imperial sizing (pre ww2) so if I don’t have it’s a win. This also works in the mill and drill press.
I have made the decision not to machine anthing that is not metric unless it absolutely has to. You can use the same technique on a mill or drill press as long as RPM is dialed down. Once you have used spiral flute machine taps you will not use anything else. A good brand is YG1 from South Korea. Cheers @@docsofftopic8130
I restore/rebuild vintage machines so much as I hate imperial units they are a fact of life lol. Thank you for the recommendation will be looking into it
Hi I have the same lathe as you, also with the main bearing oilers on top of the bearings and not on the sides as with the later South Bend 9-inchers. My question is: how do you achieve such accurate metric dimensions with a lathe calibrated imperially? With me it's mostly 'hit-&-miss'. Cheers, Thomas
Three main things to keep in mind; the first is that 1/1000” is 25.4microns, the second is you need to know the backlash in your machine, on mine the cross slide screw is visibly worn and has a hair over 20/1000” backlash, the third is practice. I build my first lathe from scratch and it has no feed dials, so I learnt to go slow and to know how much to expect from a given amount of feed. And as I neared final dimension measured lots.
Nice addition to the shop, well made.
And very useful, gets quite a lot of use especially in the mill when reaming or doing one off tapping ops
Hi Have you considered just using spiral flute machine taps? Just grip the tap tightly in the tailstock chuck, select low speed (40rpm) and use the jog button to start. Don't lock the tailstock down. Just slide it into the job and push it until the tap starts. It will automatically pull itself into the work. When the desired depth is reached, just reverse out.
Would mean duplicating existing tooling some of which very old imperial sizing (pre ww2) so if I don’t have it’s a win. This also works in the mill and drill press.
I have made the decision not to machine anthing that is not metric unless it absolutely has to. You can use the same technique on a mill or drill press as long as RPM is dialed down. Once you have used spiral flute machine taps you will not use anything else. A good brand is YG1 from South Korea. Cheers @@docsofftopic8130
I restore/rebuild vintage machines so much as I hate imperial units they are a fact of life lol. Thank you for the recommendation will be looking into it
..i'm lost with machining things, although i do like watching the processes involved. Making your own tools is always a plus...
It got to me young, always been a thing in my life, metal work, tool making
Nice job, I assume you needed the adaptor because the southbend tail stock is MT2 ?
Yep
Hi
I have the same lathe as you, also with the main bearing oilers on top of the bearings and not on the sides as with the later South Bend 9-inchers.
My question is: how do you achieve such accurate metric dimensions with a lathe calibrated imperially? With me it's mostly 'hit-&-miss'.
Cheers, Thomas
Three main things to keep in mind; the first is that 1/1000” is 25.4microns, the second is you need to know the backlash in your machine, on mine the cross slide screw is visibly worn and has a hair over 20/1000” backlash, the third is practice. I build my first lathe from scratch and it has no feed dials, so I learnt to go slow and to know how much to expect from a given amount of feed. And as I neared final dimension measured lots.
@@docsofftopic8130 - Thanks! It seems one just has to keep one"s wits about.
Yep, really light cuts at the end with sharp tooling…
if you do blacksmithing can you tell us your channel
Search for "Doc's Hotshop and forge" for his blacksmithing.
What he said 😉