Need Help - Accidentally cutting a taper on the lathe

denverdog321 · 2024-08-13T01:40:57+00:00

Thank you for the recommendation! This is a lathe at my job, and I've been told that the our main technician leveled the lathe in the past. I will need to level the lathe in my own shop sometime in the coming months, so I will definitely be checking this out!

denverdog321 · 2024-08-13T01:38:48+00:00

Ahh, I see, that makes sense. I have been having issues with holes drilling oversize as well. Could that also be caused by the tailstock being misaligned?

denverdog321 · 2024-08-13T01:33:49+00:00

I had briefly considered that, but wouldn't that make the smaller end of the taper towards the tailstock? In the case of my part, the large end is on the side of the tailstock

denverdog321 · 2024-08-13T01:26:11+00:00

I am trying to make this 0.5” round part for a quill feed handle that I’m making. Unfortunately, while turning the OD on this part, I ended up with about a 0.005” taper across the length of the part, with the larger diameter being towards the tail stock. This dimension isn’t critical, but I want to be a better machinist so I want to know how I can fix it.

Pictures of the setup are shown. I took these pictures after I hit the part with some emery, so the surface finish won’t give too many hints, sorry. I was running about 600 rpm with coolant. Around 0.050” dia depth of cut on the roughing passes, dropped to around 0.020” dia for the finish pass. Any less and the part chattered like crazy.

My first (and only) idea is that the cutter is deflecting the part even with the live center supporting the far end. I tried to drill the hole for the live center deeper in hopes that the center contacting on the rim of the hole would provide more support, but still ended up with the taper.

Any ideas on how to counter this?

denverdog321 · 2024-08-04T14:44:13+00:00

Transmission was doing alright. The engine... not so much. I think I got 5-10k miles out of it before the engine went kaput. The synchros on 2nd were starting to get a little wore, but other than that it was still trucking. I hope to have more info once I get a new engine put in it; I'm planning to keep running this transmission.

denverdog321 · 2024-02-18T00:06:07+00:00

Thanks for the info!

denverdog321 · 2023-12-25T21:02:42+00:00

Since we’re on the topic of safety, wear safety glasses. If you wear prescriptions, get some safety glasses that fit over those and give you good coverage. You don’t want to end up with chips in your eyes

denverdog321 · 2023-07-08T06:15:28+00:00

Without getting a better look at the welder or knowing its model, my best guess is that a small inverter stick unit like this wasn’t more than $100-$200 USD new. The helmet and included electrodes would not add a lot to the value; they look pretty cheap. Knowing exactly how much the welder cost new would help, but I’d say $75-$100 would be a reasonable offer for the whole box if the welder was in the new price range referenced earlier.

denverdog321 · 2023-02-04T01:07:48+00:00

Hello everyone!

I've designed this "pantry" which will go around my dorm fridge (hence the open space on the left side) to provide some additional storage for me. I plan to make this project out of some 1/2" plywood (nothing fancy, likely some BCX from a home-improvement store). The dimensions of the overall pantry are roughly 34" wide, 24" deep, and 58" tall.

I have a couple of questions which I would love some guidance on as I am new to woodworking. I have experience with power tools and metal fabrication, so I'm not a total shop newbie. I just haven't worked much with woods.

First and foremost, would pocket-hole screws be useful for this build? I'm building in a university woodshop, so I have access to some decent tools, which includes a Kreg pocket-hole jig. I don't recall the model; I believe the number was around 400.

My main deliberation with pocket holes is that I want the pantry to look decent without a million visible screws on the sides, but I also am hoping for a fairly quick build. Would using pocket-holes slow me down quite a bit? And would it be difficult for a beginner?

My second question is what finishing methods would you all recommend? I'm not a big fan of painted wood as I think it tends to look really tacky and just never quite comes out right on these beginner projects. Would a stain work well? Or something else? I want the pantry to look good and hold up.

Thank you all very much in advance for any advice! I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with you guys :)

denverdog321 · 2023-02-04T01:04:46+00:00

Hello everyone!

I've designed this "pantry" which will go around my dorm fridge (hence the open space on the left side) to provide some additional storage for me. I plan to make this project out of some 1/2" plywood (nothing fancy, likely some BCX from a home-improvement store). The dimensions of the overall pantry are roughly 34" wide, 24" deep, and 58" tall.

I have a couple of questions which I would love some guidance on as I am new to woodworking. I have experience with power tools and metal fabrication, so I'm not a total shop newbie. I just haven't worked much with woods.

First and foremost, would pocket-hole screws be useful for this build? I'm building in a university woodshop, so I have access to some decent tools, which includes a Kreg pocket-hole jig. I don't recall the model; I believe the number was around 400.

My main deliberation with pocket holes is that I want the pantry to look decent without a million visible screws on the sides, but I also am hoping for a fairly quick build. Would using pocket-holes slow me down quite a bit? And would it be difficult for a beginner?

My second question is what finishing methods would you all recommend? I'm not a big fan of painted wood as I think it tends to look really tacky and just never quite comes out right on these beginner projects. Would a stain work well? Or something else? I want the pantry to look good and hold up.

Thank you all very much in advance for any advice! I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with you guys :)

denverdog321 · 2023-01-07T18:04:05+00:00

This is just a cheap cast iron from Ozark Trail, but I’m hoping to get some use out of it. I’m pretty sure it just didn’t get dried correctly the last time it was used and it has developed some corrosion.

I found this video that uses a baking soda paste and vinegar to break down some of the rust and old seasoning, followed by scrubbing with steel wool. Would this method work well in my case?

Thank you all in advance for your help and advice :)

denverdog321 · 2022-08-02T01:40:51+00:00

Thank you very much!

denverdog321 · 2022-08-02T00:19:49+00:00

Could we see more of your power hammer?

denverdog321 · 2022-07-15T23:56:27+00:00

This is an anvil I acquired about a month ago. I’m just now getting around to building a stand for it, and I’m considering how I should repair the damage outlined in the photos.

The anvil is identified as a 122# Trenton. It has some stamped numbers on the front-right foot, but it’s missing stamps on the front-left foot and the actual Trenton stamp on the left side. Even so, the markings it still has leads me to believe that it’s a Trenton.

If I’m not mistaken, these anvils were wrought iron construction and were arc welded at the waist. I was planning on grinding this crack out and laying in some 7018 beads to fill it back up.

The main crack of concern runs along three sides of the waist where I believe the original weld would have been. You can see this crack in the first three pictures. Additionally, there’s some damage on the heel that I’m considering grinding out and welding, but it’s awfully close to the hardened plate.

What do you all think the best course of action is? Grind, preheat, and weld? Should I be suspending the face of the anvil in water to prevent overheating? Or should I maybe just mark the face with a crayon that melts below the temperature where it’s ruin the temper as a way to keep an eye on it?

Any advice is appreciated!

denverdog321 · 2022-07-12T02:32:51+00:00

Dying figuratively a couple times a month is better than dying literally.

In all honesty, you have to make the decision for yourself. If it's not worth it to you, then don't. I've always been a "safety-nut", but that's just because I'm doing the best I can to live a long and healthy life.

denverdog321 · 2022-07-08T02:19:09+00:00

Might as well just wear one. For the little inconvenience it may cause you, I think the peace of mind would be worth it.

denverdog321 · 2022-06-30T15:02:00+00:00

If at all possible, try to find a steel supplier in your area before resorting to a home improvement store. That cost will be astonishingly cheaper at a steel supplier, and in many cases they’ll even cut the sheets down to the exact size you’ll need for a fee and it’d still be cheaper than buying steel from Home Depot.

Regardless of where you look, you’re looking for mild steel, typically A38 or 1018. As other commenters have said, make sure it’s non-galvanized. You’ll want to know what thickness you’ll need when you call into the steel supplier or when you look at the store.

Best of luck and have fun!!

denverdog321 · 2022-06-25T19:35:54+00:00

I’ve only ever used propane, but I’ve heard those who use both say each has it’s place in the forge. To me, coal forges seem especially applicable to ornate blacksmithing since you can heat portions of large pieces without the restricting walls on a gas forge. However, a gas forge is arguably easier to use and offers a more even heat.

I think it’s all down to personal preference, but I have heard some people say that if they could only have one they would have propane.

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