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Getting back in the pen saddle...

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,342
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Like the clamp with the supporting of the threaded end by the tailstock would an internal plug with a shoulder give more strength while you turn? The threads look great clean as that cooking oil seems the go mate.

I make my shorter pen rests using plate for an angle rest of about 45 degrees, very restful for me in all turning yes that is turning a long way out at the moment. Thanks for the progress pics.

Peter.
 

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
Cheers guys. No new pics today...sorry...
Visited the Toolpost in Didcot today and had a very helpful discussion with Peter Hemsley about my wivamac lathe. Turns out my lack of a lever for lifting the motor when changing pulleys is due to a non-standard motor. Will probably have to live with the inconvenience.

Anyway did buy a shorter tool rest so will do some more tomorrow if I don't get too waylaid by working on my shop made disc sander...another alteration needed since the arrival of my new lathe...progress so far:
c4de8b3f2aa53b1c2057f8bb8c4119c8.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Bigblackdog

Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Posts
839
Location
Leeds
First Name
Mark
Cheers, Phil.
The alumilite takes threads beautifully - I use a spray-on cooking spray as lubricant to ease things along. Thread cutting on alumilite is so much easier than polyester resin which I've tried in the past but found too brittle.

i found that too with the PR- even the stuff marketed as "can be threaded, do not confuse with Chinese PRs"
 

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
Like the clamp with the supporting of the threaded end by the tailstock would an internal plug with a shoulder give more strength while you turn? The threads look great clean as that cooking oil seems the go mate.

Peter.
Hi Peter
The clamp grips very tightly so I don't think any extra strength is needed. I only have the front fixture on when I need to know an accurate depth to a drilled hole. When not in use I just pull out the pin, in the picture below, and undo the clamp to remove the front fixture.

2016-04-07 15.46.25.jpg
 

wm460

Grand Master
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Posts
23,104
Location
Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia.
First Name
Mark
Cheers guys. No new pics today...sorry...
Visited the Toolpost in Didcot today and had a very helpful discussion with Peter Hemsley about my wivamac lathe. Turns out my lack of a lever for lifting the motor when changing pulleys is due to a non-standard motor. Will probably have to live with the inconvenience.

Anyway did buy a shorter tool rest so will do some more tomorrow if I don't get too waylaid by working on my shop made disc sander...another alteration needed since the arrival of my new lathe...progress so far:
c4de8b3f2aa53b1c2057f8bb8c4119c8.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Is the motor you are using from your old lathe?
 

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
Hi - the motor's actually from another old lathe - a Record drillmaster that I got off ebay for £30 a few years ago. I did have the disc set up on it with the motor connected to the headstock still and the disc on the headstock but I don't have the room for it like this anymore after rearranging things in my workshop. If/when my old lathe gets sold I've still got the old single phase motor for it which I'm thinking of using to build a drum sander with....love a long list of tuits!
 

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,342
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Hi Peter
The clamp grips very tightly so I don't think any extra strength is needed. I only have the front fixture on when I need to know an accurate depth to a drilled hole. When not in use I just pull out the pin, in the picture below, and undo the clamp to remove the front fixture.

View attachment 25919

Thanks Stewart one day for me mate so much tidy up to find everything but it is looking more possible I have not used my VICMARC VL100 since I got the 150 so I will turn that into a buffing unit shame not to utilise the variable speed and convenience right behind where I turn. I bought in preparation for kitless a device with 5 attachments to hold taps in line from the tailstock and a few sizes of button dies gave it a whirl recently. Large tick.

Peter.
 

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
You like to go on the narrow side for drilling, it seems. Any reason?
Hi Pierre. Sorry,missed your question earlier. I'm not sure what you mean by going on the narrow side - do you mean narrow for the tap or narrow for the difference between the cap thread and the nib thread? If the latter then it's because I don't have a smaller tap yet.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
Progress made tonight. Finished rough turning the barrel to just under 15mm and 80mm long.
0bf76fdedf1a3da22cf7d540dd283fba.jpg


The new short tool rest was much better than the 12 inch one used previously!

828d108d52c56207ab61017e5496db45.jpg


Then reversed the body in a smaller collet and drilled for a different coloured insert.

d85dab698af737777ba5e9d708f0ceb2.jpg


780007a2db475b8767bec7c0d540e19a.jpg


I needed a smaller chisel to turn a flat bottom to the hole. I used a 1/4 inch piece of hss and ground two flats on it.

fc1cdf540089aac98896e6f78e0a9855.jpg


I was going to turn a handle for it from a bargain piece of hardwood from Yandles but only got as far as drilling the hole and used it in this very crude state!

83653e9754e983178a6ab0a08d1e4b1a.jpg


It worked well...

cb15ca730efa9496ea29789932c3870b.jpg


Next task was to turn the insert. I'll show this in another post...

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
The insert is from some orange alumilite I cast...

21bc1216ec54d788b38e7a1f83ceb265.jpg


After shaping it I used micrometer and polish to finish it.

ad615d537bd02252007e3b110b78ede8.jpg


Unfortunately I was too heavy handed with CA glue and when it was stuck in the seam between the two pieces was very poor...

bebdebda6535a56b37c6d2b4d0912454.jpg


I cleaned this up with a little careful trimming on a closed end mandrel I made from aluminium rod.

eff25b8fa655c0f1b4550fa1bcf1a986.jpg


The mandrel runs nicely concentric...

https://vimeo.com/162603676

17ac3ff1c7500db7eb67e2d657f70ee7.jpg


Next was a little shaping of the barrel to taper at the end.

ec7104fb286b3f35f2533fa3f335b0e4.jpg


And the final action for today was to sand and micromesh and a quick blast on the buffing wheels to get an idea of what the finished barrel will be like...

0ce32e1ae10ca4469403b4d2fbf992c5.jpg


Nib section is the next task...Probably unlikely to get any time on this until Friday ?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

Macaronytony

Graduate Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2015
Posts
701
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Tony
Coming along well Stewart. Like the finial and body shape.
For the flat bottom hole I use a single flute end mill, 6mm one held in the tail stock.

Sent from my Galaxy 6
 

Macaronytony

Graduate Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2015
Posts
701
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Tony
You have been an inspiration Stewart, you got me off my arse to have a go at a kitless pen. :thumbs:
Been playing today with different materials. Trying to find a work flow method.
Rollerball1.jpg Rollerball2.jpg
Cheers for this it's nice to have the spark back.
 
Last edited:

sfurini

Graduate Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Posts
478
Location
United Kingdom
First Name
Stewart
You have been an inspiration Stewart, you got me off my arse to have a go at a kitless pen. :thumbs:
Been playing today with different materials. Trying to find a work flow method.
View attachment 26002 View attachment 26003
Cheers for this it's nice to have the spark back.
Delighted it's got you going. It's not much fun when the inspiration isn't there !

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 
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