Kyle gets the mini lathe home....

Bob Fry wrote:
"Dan" == Dan writes:

Dan There are videos on
Dan youtube that show one how to do basic work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGszB...eature=related

Metal forming on a lathe is a beautiful thing. Somewhere on youtube--
perhaps the same fellow as the above link--is how to make an aluminum
aircraft spinner from a flat aluminum circle. Truly an art form.

They make it look easy. I wonder how much practice it takes to get
that good.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:58:30 -0400, "Kyle Boatright"
wrote:


"Stealth Pilot" wrote in message
.. .

Kyle gets the mini lathe home and then what???


I got a new mini-lathe? Cool!! Um, where did I put it? Anyone seen a
mini-lathe around here?

Actually, I wish I already had one. I need to fabricate a prop balancing
rig and a mini-lathe would be the ideal tool to make the little fittings I
need.

Fortunately, I have buddies who DO have lathes, so all I need to do is
sketch out what I need and I can probably get the part made in a day or
so...





:-)
it was hypothetical.
just preparing you for that initial little log jamb that some never
get over.
seriously though I wouldnt recommend anything smaller than a South
Bend, although there is a lot of good work done on Myfords they have
a swing limitation on larger work.

Stealth Pilot

Dan wrote:
A big lathe can do tiny work also, but it's not a warm fuzzy feeling
to turn a small object next a huge chuck. If it was up to me I'd have
one of each.

The machine shop at Eglin AFB had lathe with something like a 4 foot
bed. I never asked what they used it for.

A show on television showed a lathe turning a drive shaft for an
aircraft carrier. Now that was a tad too large for me.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired


The problem with small pieces on a big lathe is spinning them fast
enough to get a good surface finish. I had an employee with a sherline
lathe and mill that we set up in the lab at work. I used to tease him
about the fact that I could chuck his whole rig up in either one of my
big lathes. None the less, I used his lathe at work quite often to get
a number of our jobs done. After a while he was ribbing me when he
noticed me bringing small jobs into work to do on his lathe since it was
so mush easier and more pleasant. Even though I already had three
lathes, I bought a Chinese mini lathe for small parts for my shop. I
also bought a really small lathe that I could pack in a suitcase and
take with me on extended business trips. Actually built a small steam
engine in a hotel room with it.

Charles.

Charles Vincent wrote:
Dan wrote:
A big lathe can do tiny work also, but it's not a warm fuzzy feeling
to turn a small object next a huge chuck. If it was up to me I'd have
one of each.

The machine shop at Eglin AFB had lathe with something like a 4 foot
bed. I never asked what they used it for.

A show on television showed a lathe turning a drive shaft for an
aircraft carrier. Now that was a tad too large for me.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired


The problem with small pieces on a big lathe is spinning them fast
enough to get a good surface finish. I had an employee with a sherline
lathe and mill that we set up in the lab at work. I used to tease him
about the fact that I could chuck his whole rig up in either one of my
big lathes. None the less, I used his lathe at work quite often to get
a number of our jobs done. After a while he was ribbing me when he
noticed me bringing small jobs into work to do on his lathe since it was
so mush easier and more pleasant. Even though I already had three
lathes, I bought a Chinese mini lathe for small parts for my shop. I
also bought a really small lathe that I could pack in a suitcase and
take with me on extended business trips. Actually built a small steam
engine in a hotel room with it.

Charles.


I wasn't trying to make an "either or" comparison. If I had the space
I'd get a decent sized lathe and keep my little one. I'm not looking
forward to spending my son's inheritance on up tooling for a bigger
lathe. Not that I really need a 10 inch 6 independent jaw chuck anyway.
OK, "need" might be the incorrect word, is it OK to say I want to be the
first kid on my block with one?

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

"Charles Vincent" wrote

Even though I already had three lathes, I bought a Chinese mini lathe for
small parts for my shop. I also bought a really small lathe that I could
pack in a suitcase and take with me on extended business trips. Actually
built a small steam engine in a hotel room with it.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the perfect illustration of how far down
the rabbit hole that a lathe can draw a person.

"Oh, the humanity!"

Nice story, Charles, but really, seek help. There is no know cure for your
illness, but it can be controlled! g
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:
"Charles Vincent" wrote

Even though I already had three lathes, I bought a Chinese mini lathe for
small parts for my shop. I also bought a really small lathe that I could
pack in a suitcase and take with me on extended business trips. Actually
built a small steam engine in a hotel room with it.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the perfect illustration of how far down
the rabbit hole that a lathe can draw a person.

"Oh, the humanity!"

Nice story, Charles, but really, seek help. There is no know cure for your
illness, but it can be controlled! g

Contact Lathes Anonymous - "My name is Dan and I am a lathe-aholic..."

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

"Dan" wrote


Contact Lathes Anonymous - "My name is Dan and I am a lathe-aholic..."
"
My name is Jim, and it has been 17 days since I laid tool steel to metal on
a lathe."
g
--
Jim in NC

On Aug 20, 12:37 am, "Morgans" wrote:
"Dan" wrote



Contact Lathes Anonymous - "My name is Dan and I am a lathe-aholic..."

"
My name is Jim, and it has been 17 days since I laid tool steel to metal on
a lathe."
g
--
Jim in NC

The smell of machine preservative oil is what does it to
me. You know, that odor that pervades the places that sell machine
tools. Makes me want to pull out my wallet. Kids can sniff glue; I
need Cosmoline or whatever it's called. I wonder if there's an aerosol
can with that smell that I can spray in my car and office?

Dan

wrote

The smell of machine preservative oil is what does it to
me. You know, that odor that pervades the places that sell machine
tools. Makes me want to pull out my wallet. Kids can sniff glue; I
need Cosmoline or whatever it's called. I wonder if there's an aerosol
can with that smell that I can spray in my car and office?

Huummm, there probably is a pretty small market for such a product, but I
like your idea.

After all, even if the aerosol "machine smell in a can" was very expensive
compared to other "smell in a can" products, it would still be many
magnitudes cheaper than coming home with a new lathe, every time you picked
up on some of the "lathe smell." g
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:
wrote
The smell of machine preservative oil is what does it to
me. You know, that odor that pervades the places that sell machine
tools. Makes me want to pull out my wallet. Kids can sniff glue; I
need Cosmoline or whatever it's called. I wonder if there's an aerosol
can with that smell that I can spray in my car and office?

Huummm, there probably is a pretty small market for such a product, but I
like your idea.

After all, even if the aerosol "machine smell in a can" was very expensive
compared to other "smell in a can" products, it would still be many
magnitudes cheaper than coming home with a new lathe, every time you picked
up on some of the "lathe smell." g

That reminds me of the scene in "Police Academy" Where Tackleberry is
getting ready for a date and is asked if he's applying cologne. He
responds "no, gun oil."

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired