New lathe, many questions.

[GHarman]

I'd like that!

You would be the perfect next door neighbor for me!

Come out West, Young Man! We'd make a team!! GregH

 

[kenny61]

You dont live near CF do ya???:-laf:-laf:-laf

 

[GHarman]

Grid coordinates necessary

You dont live near CF do ya???:-laf:-laf:-laf

Not to far away. :-laf! GregH

 

[kenny61]

Not to far away. :-laf! GregH

My son turned 12 and can finally legally touch a gun in NY I was just going over his Henry lever action with him and will probably get him down to the range within the next week...

 

[GHarman]

Rifle Range and Kids

Kenny61, Some of the best times I have had with my Son is at the range. He is almost 11 and loves to shoot the . 22 rifle. Using reactive reset gong type targets, he'll burn up a brick of . 22 ammo and ask fer more! This summer has been a mess, so far, and we havent been able to do much. However, that will change soon! Have fun with your Son, Ken!

At our Club, we have a Juniors program that fields a Junior team to the Nationals at Camp Perry, annually. As my Boy matures, we will determine if he has what it takes to compete. We'll see what the future brings. GregH

 

[kenny61]

My daughter was watching us go over the rifle and now she wants to shoot!!!! Yes!!!

Now if only I can get them into fixin stuff. My daughter actually came to me yesterday, shes also 12, and wanted me to show her how to change the oil because she didnt want to get ripped off by some "nub" once she gets a car... I hope the interest stays.

 

[GHarman]

My daughter was watching us go over the rifle and now she wants to shoot!!!! Yes!!!



Now if only I can get them into fixin stuff. My daughter actually came to me yesterday, shes also 12, and wanted me to show her how to change the oil because she didnt want to get ripped off by some "nub" once she gets a car... I hope the interest stays.

Now yer talkin!! They do pay attention! If she wants to learn, she can be top Knotch! The some of the finest civilian Long Range Shooters are Women! GregH

 

[The patriot]

My son turned 12 and can finally legally touch a gun in NY

Is this a typo? The state actually posted a min age?

Even with how F'ed up NJ is I dont believe there's a law like this.

 

[kenny61]

Nope not a typo. . actual law... nys penal law section 265. 05 in conjunction with 265. 20 sub 7

 

[RADdodge]

Kenny, I'm not a machinist, but I've always been interested in learning how to run a mill. So I looked into the local community college course offerings. I'm fortunate (or was) in that the local college has great instructors and a fantastic collection of mills (Bridgeport to Haas), lathes, and all sorts of eccentric goodies that make complicated machining doable. I've now designed parts and run them on manual lathes and mills and programmed and run CNC on Haas mills and lathes. If your local college has such courses, take advantage of them if/while you can.

 

[kenny61]

I actually thought of that last night and looked it up. Nearest one I could find is 3 hrs away. Ironically when I was a kid my father taught a few adult education classes at the local college. He wanted to teach a machinist type course as well but there was not enough interest... .

 

[GHarman]

Kenny61, The Community College/vocational school gig is certainly the way to learn new skills. Thats tough that your access requires a 3 hr drive! I used to drive 1 hour each way to go to work and attend classes at night. I was single then and my job was just down the road from the school, so, that trip killed two birds with one stone!

Find some books like the machinery handbook and some vocational education text books(local library?). I will get you the ISBN # of the book I used. Both are excellent references. The Machinery Handbook is in its 28 version. My mom was a machinist during WW-2. I still have her handbook lying around, somewhere, along with a later edition that I got when I went to school back in 1970.

There is nothing like hands on experience and a real instructor, but you can still read and glean informantion.

You were asking about tool posts, earlier, I think? I learned using the tool post you have pictured. However, on my own lathe I bought an Aloris tool post. Both work well, sometimes one better than the other. For a hand operated lathe you are learning, you would do well to stay with the one you have and learn to hand grind your tools.

I have hand ground threadding tools in 60*, 55* Whitworth, Acme, Square and specialized tooling for various operations, specific to my hobby.

Learn about metallurgy also. Theres lots of stuff, enough to short circut the brain of a weaker person. Try gettin old at the same time:-laf! GregH

 

[kenny61]

Thanks! The seller found the post and I picked it up yesterday. I start vacation today so by next week I hope to have found a spot for the lathe and will post some pics of it and my dads tools and try to start figuring some stuff out. I was watching a whole bunch of lathe vids on youtube yesterday felt like dad was sitting right next to me.

 

[GHarman]

Thanks! The seller found the post and I picked it up yesterday. I start vacation today so by next week I hope to have found a spot for the lathe and will post some pics of it and my dads tools and try to start figuring some stuff out. I was watching a whole bunch of lathe vids on youtube yesterday felt like dad was sitting right next to me.

Kenny, The setup is the most important. You need a precision level. I also set my lathe with steel blocks(~3"X3"X1" thick) under the leveling screws. That does spread out the load on the floor, especially if your lathe weighs more than 1000 lbs. I double reinforced the floor in my shop specifically to carry the weight.

Make sure the tailstock end of the bed sits parallel with the bed at the head stock(and everywhere in between) or it can take a "set"(twist) after sitting like that for a spell. Check it on occasion to make sure there is no settleing in the floor or the base leveling screws. Just some quick thoughts. GregH

 

[kenny61]

I found a pfd from south bend on how to set up a lathe. I need to pick up a precision level any recommendations/ suggestions? I don't think my dad has one in his box. the lathe isn't that big its only a few hundred pounds



Crappy picture below... Garage needs cleaning... . Next week



#ad

 

[GHarman]

I found a pfd from south bend on how to set up a lathe. I need to pick up a precision level any recommendations/ suggestions? I don't think my dad has one in his box. the lathe isn't that big its only a few hundred pounds



Crappy picture below... Garage needs cleaning... . Next week



#ad

Really nice old machine!!!!! I would get a Starrett. Expensive but well worth it. I know The Japanese manufacturers have good tools also. TDR's real machinists may have a preference based on recent working experience?

I have a Starrett 98 series machinists level see; Starrett Catalog 32

It has to be long enough to span both ways of the bed on the narrow axis (I get cornfused with the X's and Y's). Dont let it sit to long without leveling.

Are you gonna build a lathe table/bench?GregH

PS, Dont feel bad about your organization method. Mine is worse!

 

[kenny61]

was looking at this heavy duty cart but its a foot to short. which makes me think this Shop Kobalt 3-Drawer Workbench at Lowes.com will be too short too. which will lead me to make a wooden one for now. I will glue and screw a bunch of 2x4's on edge for the table top. Once I get my other garage done I will make a real table thats incorporated into the rest of the shop

 

[kenny61]

Level wise I know longer is better but I dont want to even know what a 36" level would cost... Do you think a 12" is ok??

 

[The patriot]

I found a pfd from south bend on how to set up a lathe. I need to pick up a precision level any recommendations/ suggestions? I don't think my dad has one in his box. the lathe isn't that big its only a few hundred pounds



Crappy picture below... Garage needs cleaning... . Next week



#ad

That looks like my garage! Yea, mine needs to be cleaned next week too.



That looks like an old Atlas I had.

 

[GHarman]

Level wise I know longer is better but I dont want to even know what a 36" level would cost... Do you think a 12" is ok??

I would think that would work fine, however, those levels are not cheap. Measure the width of the lathe bed at the ways. Anything longer is not necessary, IMHO. The longer the tool the more issues crop up with storage! GregH