Mantua, New Jersey
Original Site:
September 2004
E-mail: usav8or@yahoo.com
Thursday, October 11, 2007,
I called up Taig Tools, in Chandler, Arizona, and ordered a brand-spankin-new Microlathe.
This, as with a lot of what I'm doing with the biplane now... I would have put lathe work in the same bucket as welding. Well.. it looks like it's in the same bucket again,
but now I'm doing it as opposed to the original bucket it was in where doing it hadn't even entered my mind.
As with my welding... you're going to have to put up with my entries about learning to use the lathe. My entries won't be for the experienced craftsman. It's for the guy, or gal,
that's just getting into it. And, as with my learning to weld, I hope to steer you away from some of the pitfalls that I fell into as well as some of the tricks that I've learned or heard about.
It should arrive in about a week. Until then I'll be reading up on it and asking questions in a few different forums. I'll lay down the basics and then go on from there.
While you're waiting for it to arrive. just a few things you'll need to really get started
1. KoolMist To keep your work pieces, the metal, from overheating.
2. Parting Bit Cuts the piece you're working on off of the piece of metal stock. Scottly, on the biplane forum suggests a .120 parting bit.
3. Center Drills A five piece set. Great for starting your drill work. Regular drill bits are too long and tend to flex when you start drilling into the piece.
4. A follower rest and a steady rest. These keep long pieces of stock from bending at the far end while working on it.
5. Live Center Used to support long workpieces, similar to a dead center but it spins. Thus, it doesn't heat up (overheat,) the piece you're working on or the center itself.
6. Inch and number drill sets (cobalt)
7. Dial Caliper
8. Adjustable post, often referred to as a "quick change post"
October 18, 2007 not much waiting... it arrived today
Had time to take it out of the box it came in to inspect it. I'll hook it up tomorrow and start testing her out. It's a beaut .
October 19, 2007 Working the Lathe
the Art of Spinning Metal...