Machining a Cast Iron Spacer
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- This was a fairly simple job I had to do which was simply lathe work. The customer needed a metal spacer machined with specific ID, OD, and thickness. I chose ductile iron because it was on hand and would finish to the size I needed.
I did this job right before the Monarch cleanup but never got around to editing it. But the past few weeks I have been very busy with my day job working a lot of overtime, and thats left me with little time in my own shop. Things are starting to wind down some and I should have some more work being filmed soon.
Thanks for all of the support you guys have been giving me!
I am a very lucky guy to have had a grandad that was a machinist and started a shop for the family to work in, and Im also lucky to have a dad that was a machinist as well. I was taught well, and the type of work we did was awesome. Job shops will give you tons of experience. They also always bought good equipment as well.
Thank you very much for the great comment John!
I cant tell you how many parts I have machined that I didnt want to let go. Some are so sexy and pretty, I hate to see them abused when put into service. Thanks for the great comment Fast!
Gill! Thanks for watching buddy! Yea I guess I should make a short video on the Multifix, seems to be catching some interest. You know what I say? Once you go Multifix, your Aloris you wont miss!! Best tool post out there...IMO.
I move my tools out of the way because I have learned the hard and stupid way one too many times. Those tools hurt!!
Thanks for watching man!
Countless times have I had to adjust my operations on the fly because of unseen problems before I started. Its just part of the nature of the beast. Many times Im not even sure exactly the steps Im going to take to machine certain parts, I just decide as I go along. As for the indicating, Ive stated before that Ive done a lot of it! Lots of practice on my part. Working with 4-jaw chucks will help get your skills up.
Thanks for the reply Springdog78!
That has a nice finish on it I like seeing the different types of tool bits that can be used It turned out almost too nice to be a spacer Another Great video to watch !!!
Good question. I have adapted my own style of drilling large holes out in the lathe. I prefer to do it this way because it puts less tool pressure on the machine, mainly the tailstock quill, but also its a lot less pressure on the handwheel that I'm trying to rotate. I tried in my early days to drill a small pilot hole then go straight to the big drill, and it was always just too damn hard to turn IMO. I like to step them just like I showed in the video. Its what works best for me!
Thank you Dan. It doesn't matter what the job is I always try and make things look good and be on size. I cant stand seeing work with tool marks in it. I like them polished and purdy! The brazed carbide tools are an excellent choice for machining cast iron or ductile. You can get a better curly chip with the sharp cutting edge. Inserts work fine too, but spray chips like on bronze. The knocker is made of solid lead. I'll have to talk about those.
Lots of tips picked up here Adam. Thanks!
Now to clean all the cast ships off the lathe lol. Nice to see a monarch like that still making chips!
in engineering simple is always the best solution..the quality that you aspire to defines you as an engineer even on a simple brief such as this. my hat is off!
Adam...lots of subtle lessons in that simple job that I noticed/learned....thanks.
I enjoy the old school shops like yours. I don't use cnc or dro and I like seeing the job get done without them.
Starting TAFE in Oct for metal machining at age 52. Thanks for the most valuable 29 minutes I have spent on TH-cam in a long time matey.
+Marcelle Smit Thats awesome!
+Big MITTY Thanks mate. All done and dusted now. Amazing how much one forgot in these last 30 years. lol.
Thank you very much for noticing all of those small subtle details. Its the things I dont realize until guys like you tell me. The feedback lets me know whats working and whats not, but soo far everything seems to be good. Thanks for the great feedback!
When I work on the pump I will be sure to film it and share with you the repair process.
Adam: I know you are aware of the blessings of knowledge from your Dad and Grand Father. Most of us have been self taught through trial and error, books and schools.
I have been blessed over the years to have good equipment. But as always, a good machinist can do good a job with mediocre equipment than a poor machinist with best equipment. Great Job. God Bless You are a great machinist and with with great equipment.
Hello Chris. I love machining cast iron. Its easy to cut, get to size, and polishes out good on the lathe too. Yes it does make a mess, and the dust gets everywhere, but thats just one of the things I love about being a machinist, getting dirty with metal. The dust and fine chips cast iron produces when machining is what makes it terrible for machine too ways. Im sure theres a lot of guys who prefer to cover there ways and keep the dust off of them, and Im sure it helps prolong its life.
I used a piece of 3/4" stressproof when I machines the stud for the Multifix on the Monarch.
Thanks for taking the time to explain your setup and how you tackle cast iron material. Learned something today.
Thanks a lot, Adam! Love seeing new videos from you, thank you for sharing! :)
Yes we enjoy the videos! Keep em coming.
Great video!! Thanks for posting!!!
thanx maesto...once again i understood all.
Adam, Beautiful work, thanks for sharing.!.!.!.
nice job, and to be in your own workshop without stress and tension. but it's nice to have some overtime on the end of the week, a bigger pay chek :)
Thanks for taking the time to explain your cutter setup applied for cast iron material. I learned something.
No matter you do awesome work enjoy watching you videos. Keep them coming
A seemingly simple job with some complex moves well explained and nicely finished. Thanks again for this, Adam. Much appreciated. aRM
I normally use my dial indicator mounted onto the way. Once I set my shoulder length, or step it off using an indicator, I reset it for the first zero. The cutting oil is the old style sulfer based dark cutting oil. You can buy it from most any industrial supply, and even in hardware stores. I think its the same stuff as whats labeled as "thread cutting oil".
another great video thanks for taking the time to make them and please keep them coming.
Adam, you make good points about evaluating the job as it progresses because miscalculations do happen and tools are very expensive plus you do not need to make scrap metal.
It doesnt matter what lathe your running, the right tools with the correct grinds with the proper feed rates will yield nice results. I will eventually put together some videos of shop tooling, and other shop procedures like grinding, I just havnt gotten that far yet.
Adam I get them confused too thanks for the explanation. I don't do a lot of lathe work and probably take too light of a cut most of the time. Watching you with a proper setup and your experience gives me an idea on an upper limit.
I'm pretty sure that you've got direct reading dials. Actual dials the cross slide moves the amount indicated on the dial reading not half like direct dials. I think...
I will do another video soon covering my mag base indicators and how I use them. Feedback like this helps let me know what you guys want to see. Thanks!
But I dont sweat it. The machines were built to do a job and thats machining metal. I do what I need to do with them and then clean them off good. All of the machines I have wear in them, they will continue to wear. Trying to keep the ways covered will only slow me down when Im trying to get a job done. To each his own, but the machines are equipped with wipers for just this problem, I will say I like to wipe the ways down when they are dirty though.
It's funny to me, as I watch your vids, I'm always anticipating what you will do next. Most of the time your process and my way of doing the job are the same. I ran a engine lathe for 5 yrs early in my career. I think your videos are great and your attention to detail is spot on. Keep em comming!
Keith
Starting from No. 1 ... 22 down, 910 to go!
Very Nice!!
My last payday had 34 hours overtime. Yea that was a nice payday! But I still love being in my own shop.
Thanks Max. The job I did for my causin was the custom shackles, this one was for another customer.
Bill, I cant ever remember which one is which (as much as I hate to admit that). I just always get them backwards. But I will tell you my lathes take what you read on the dials. If I dial in .100 on the cross slide thats how much comes off the workpiece. So On my lathe .100 on the dial equals .050 per side.
Classic Abom! Still watching in 2019!
I normally drill to a size close to my finish bore size, but often times Im having to bore to a size much bigger, so I will drill to about 2 1/2" or 3" depending on the machine. My trunion video is an example of this.
Nice video, good camera work and angles. Really enjoyed the work and look forward to watching the rest of your videos, thanks!
Thank you Rick!
Hey Adam, I like your 'sacrificial thumper' ... I say that because the end curls over a wee bit every time you thump, or even lightly tap, a work-piece
Thank you Earl!
Its just ductile iron. Standard material for hydraulic cylinder pistons and rod glands.
Ive done that before, and is a good trick to use. I guess I just prefer to eyeball the parts and bump true.
Love the channel !
8:10 now thats a drill bit
i can hand feed this with no pilot hole easy...
Tom, Im pretty sure Enco doesnt sell them anymore. But I do have a tool rep that sells out of the SPI catalog, and they are listed in that one. Im not sure who else sells them though because I've never researched them. But Keep in mind the new units are made in China now. If you get on Practical Machinist do a search because one of the members there did a review on them. I hear they are pretty nice still.
Yea the H/L lever detent isnt working too well anymore. Ive had on occasion the gear slipping into neutral during heavy cut durations, so thats why I keep it pushed up against it.
beautiful work
i like working with iron and brass. they cut pretty easily and clean up nicely, not so much of a steel or aluminum fan
Another great video Adam. I like your tool post, mayber next video you could show some us its finer points? I also like how you always take the tool out before you do anything deburring and polishing- I have knicked myself a few times by leaving cutters in the tool holder.
Thanks!!
Helluva bearing in that fan
Nice!
I dont remember mine being made like that. But yes a stepped stud should work fine, I mean I dont see any other way to do it. For the nut consider using a good quality flange nut, like the type you use in mill claming sets.
I have been checking out your videos. Tom over at OxTools suggested that this was an interesting channel. He was right! Keep it up buddy.
hello again, I have turned some cast iron myself and have never been able to get a chip per say...almost always into powerish crap...I will try a brazed tool...thanks for the tip!
Hi Adam,
I like your lever holder inner block on that Victor lathe. Hope you never need a chunk of 3 x 3 steel for a job.:) Nice video on a material most folks don't run across at the scrap yard much
Does Enco still sell those Multifix type toolposts? I looked but couldn't find them on their website.
Regards
Tom Lipton
Very Nice shop you have there
Loved it!
Cool beans Adam
Adam, I'm trying to grow a tool collection for my junky 9x20 lathe at home. Could ya do a video on maybe some of the inexpensive tools you might use for a wannabe machinist just for making simple spacers and such like in this video. i cant take big cuts and get nice finishes and am looking for pointers on feeds and speeds for different materials and HSS Vs carbide etc etc. Love the videos man keep em coming!
Tom from Ox Tool Co here on youtube said to search Ebay. hes been looking recently and said theres quite a few on there available. Keep and eye out for a complete set, Original Multifix if you can find one!
The detent in the H/L lever is weak and I use that ti make sure it doesnt come out of gear.
Fred, just curious what things in the video are helping you out. I like to know what actions in my videos I need to continue because of viewer responses like yourself.
I guess I'm watching your videos in reverse order. This is the first time I've seen you use a three jaw. :)
I am going to have to make a new bolt to hold down the tool post the one I have now is way to large of a diameter, so it will be awhile before I get to use the new post. It did come with the square wrench .
oh, my bad. i think your a great nachinist and I figured you prob already knew this. it seemed like you made a deep cut and then a thin cut while facing, so I partially wrote this for the beginners so they wouldnt do this.
keep up with the videos! I learn from them!
Hi Adam, I'm not a machinist at all (though I grew up around lathes in my cousin's gun shop). My curiosity (and ignorance) was peaked when your customer wanted a spacer that large but didn't care whether it was iron, steel or aluminum. I'm trying to envision an application where the material wouldn't make a difference.
Adam, could you give us a little 5 mins on how you use your dial gauge for your carriage, and how you zero and use your cross slide graduations... your big lathes don't seem to have much spring in the tool post, is there some you have to deal with?
Awesome! Let us know how you like it, and if you have any problems with it. Did it come with the square drive T-handle wrench??
that must be some special cast iron with chips like that :)
Glad it helps in some way. Can you tell me anything specific?
+Abom79
Hey man, been checking out your vids. You do things very similar to the way I do things. Just had knee surgery, so I'm laid up in my recliner. Your vids are providing me with some good entertainment. You do nice work! Keep them coming.
I looked at some originals and the large hole went completely thru but I guess the new style is different but maybe not better
My tool post has a 1.230 hole in the bottom but on the top the hole shrinks down to .550 , so I guess I'll turn a step and thread the top part maybe 1/2-20
Have you already shown how you make your lead knockers? If so, where? If not, that would make an interesting segment. Great vids as always.
I haven't but do plan to show those in an upcoming video.
Looks great. You mentioned that the material was cast steel. The chips came out as long curls and if I recall correctly cast usually comes out as crumbs or like a powder. Any thoughts on that? Great work and thanks for making/showing us how you did it. Eric
The material was ductile iron, much like cast iron. It's not uncommon to get long stringy chips when drilling it as do you with steel. You can also get curly cue chips when turning and facing when using a good brazed on tool bit.
I too have been trying to source multifix tool holders, I have a Dean Smith and Grace with a multifix, but only two holders, would like to get quite a few more, and maybe change out the aloris on the wyvern to a MF.
When stepping out material like that i usually just put a parallell behind it on cover two bottom jaws and on cover the top jaw.. its usuall within a halv a thou directly.. =)
Nice job Adam :). I was wondering, why do you choose to go through so many drill sizes when boring? I ussualy make a guidance hole of a relatively small diameter and then use a drill that is 5 mm smaller then the diameter I have to reach... works fine for me... I have a specialy crafted leaver which helps me turn the handle easier... I admire your patience and skill, you allways double check, there's a bunch I can learn from you.
I think you are too modest about your work, I think that is excellent work and it looks great finished work. Interesting comment about the brazed tooling and the point you made about this type concerning chip control. Is your bumping tool stuffed with lead on the face?
Adam your part turned out well. Does your lathe have direct or actual reading dials? Thanks for the vid!
is there any difference between the digital caliper and the micrometer you use to make the final measurements? How do you calibrate your dial micrometers Andy?
The micrometer is more precise. You can calibrate the micrometer to a guage block for example.
Another great video!!! I love how sexy cast iron looks when its all machined up!!! Everyone I have talked to about machining cast, they always say, cover your ways. Is there any reason why you dont?
Do you ever check the face of the jaws to see if their out? And if they are out can you machine them true?
If the 3 jaw is self centering by moving all of the jaws at once, why do you use the 4 jaw for things like the motorcycle flywheel job where you have to do the extra setup of tightening each jaw separately with the dial indictator?
Because with a 4 jaw you have better holding power, and you can indicate it to run exactly true to center. 3 jaw chucks have run-out.
Thanks for the reply.
What is the goring on the bore? Is that from back cutting due to vibrations in the boring bar?
Adam: When you are turning to a shoulder repeatedly, are u using a dial gauge, mic carriage stop or do you do it manually in order to stop and then continue repeating cut down to size? What cutting oil do u use?
God Bless
John
this would end up as a wheel spacer/adapter
Hi Adam sorry i know this is an old video i just wanted to ask what is the difference between Meehanite grade cast iron and normal cast iron..Is it good machining on a small lathe i was going to make a Colet chuck out of some 50mm dia x 3 inch
on a small lathe...Would you use the meehanite cast iron or 304 stainless steel..Or can you give me any recommendations please..Keep up the good work
Great as usual Adam. So what would you charge for a job like this? (If you don't mind me asking)
i think if you want to be accurate, you need to take two passes that are the same depth of cut to get the same amount of deflection. you can literally get within like .0005 if you do this. if I take a .100 depth of cut, measure and take .025 to finish, my final measurement will be off.
I do those types of cut on the daily basis.
+Abom79 think I've heard Adam refer to these as 'spring cuts' in other videos? Love the look of that machined cast iron!
That's it--I'm movin to Florida.
I m
Notice you use a steel block to hold the gear change lever from jumping out.
Yes there is a detent in that lever that's not working anymore. Quick and easy fix. I only need the block for heavy cuts.
hey adom great job , what are you using for a mount on your indicator
is that a taoer shank drill bit? what the hell is the biggest size the victor that it can take???
+Erik Devaney It has a 4MT, so any shank with a #4. I will use up to about 2 1/2".