New member from Lancashire

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New member from Lancashire

This topic has 13 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 29 May 2025 at 16:59 by mannyroad.

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27 May 2025 at 16:08 #799989
mannyroad
Participant
@mannyroad
Hi everyone,

Not since leaving school back in the 70’s have I had any experience on a lathe and back then we used a Myford 7 lathe in our metalwork class. I’ve recently bought myself a Boxford AUD metric lathe and am slowly beginning to get my head around turning stuff on it.

The reason I wanted a lathe was that I like to build custom motorbikes and wanted to have a go at making my own simple turned parts, instead of having to rely on a precision engineer associate I know, who lives 30 odd miles away. I’ve been having a go at simple things like plain bushes, tophat bushes, brass footpegs and gear shifters, axles, etc., and am loving it, though I am fast realising that there’s a lifetime of knowledge missing. I’ve been reading the Boxford ‘Know your Lathe’ book, though in some sections it seems to expect a little fore-knowledge, or maybe I’m just not that clever! I’m very much hoping that you guys with a wealth of knowledge will be able to help me out occasionally to avoid me wasting expensive stock.

Anyway, I hope I’m amongst guys who won’t take the p— at someone who has no experience, like one can find on other forums. I must say, I’m a tad annoyed with myself at not having bought myself a lathe years ago. Might be asking a lot of my OAP brain, haha!

I could use a little help understanding the best way to do external screw cutting (on scrap stock!) with my lathe, given it doesn’t have a dial indicator and I’ve not had cause to use the half nuts yet (just use the clutch when turning). I’ve been reading up about screw cutting in the Lathework books of the Workshop Practice Series and there’s a lot to get my head round, though I think I’m beginning to understand/grasp the concept of cutting on the leading edge of the cutting tool. Lots of things I’m not sure about though, like how to properly change and set up the stud gear on the Boxford and adjust for adequate clearances etc., so I think my first thread will be about this, unless there’s one already on this forum site.

Right, well, enough gabbing. Time to start increasing my knowledge by pouring over the forum threads.

Oh, I forgot, a bit about me. I’m a retired civil’s engineer from Lancashire who’s hobbies over the years have primarily been RC model building & flying (sport and scale scratch builds), woodworking and custom bikes. I’m currently building a new Yamaha XS650 based chopper which is almost ready for paint and for which I bought the Boxford lathe. I’ve been painting classic and custom motorcycles for a good number of years now, both for customer’s and friends and my paintshop is where I’m currently using my lathe, my garage at home being over-full with woodworking machines, tools and crap!
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27 May 2025 at 17:49 #800010
noel shelley
Participant
@noelshelley55608
Welcome to the party Sir ! you have come to the right place. We are in the main a happy bunch and you will find a vast font of knowledge here, all you need to do is ask ! The extraction of urine is seldom seen here and is frowned up on. There is no such thing as a silly question – though there may be some silly answers. Hey ho. Best wishes and Good Luck. Noel.
27 May 2025 at 18:05 #800014
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
As Noel says, Welcome.

There are always folk who are happy to help.

You will find other motorcycle enthusiasts on here, so you are in good company!

With regard to questions, particularly about machines, it helps to be specific with a question (with pictures- if possible) It would be puzzling to receive an answer about a Leadscrew, when the real query is about a backlash in a Cross Slide!

BOOKS

I am a great fan of “Basic Lathework” by the late Stan Bray. (45 in the Workshop Practice Series)

You may find “Screwcutting in the Lathe” by Martin Cleeve (3 in the Workshop Practice Series) useful.

A useful reference book is Tubal Cain’s “Model Engineer’s Handbook), now in it’s third edition.

A set of Zeus Charts are always useful (Still using mine from 1958!)

For small sizes, I use Taps and Dies (so a good selection of drills is needed)

For larger sizes (or no Tap or Dies of the size needed) I have to resort to screwcutting.

Unusually, yesterday made a shade ring for a table lamp; a 28 x 1.25 mm internal thread. Hopelessly uneconomic, but we’re not on piece work!

HTH

Howard
27 May 2025 at 21:03 #800028
bernard towers
Participant
@bernardtowers37738
There’s no such thing as a silly question just silly answers! and yes there is no doubt that its a very long learning curve (but an enjoyable one)IMHO
27 May 2025 at 22:00 #800031
JohnF
Participant
@johnf59703
Welcome you will find lots of help on here ! Where in Lancashire are you ? I am just outside Lancaster in the Lune valley

John
27 May 2025 at 23:00 #800043
mannyroad
Participant
@mannyroad
Wow, a great welcome, thank you all. I think I’m going to enjoy this ‘club’. Not going to be cheap though, just bought a travelling steady and eyeing up a bed stop and tailstock die holder 🤣

Hi John, seems like you are very close to me. I live in Cockerham, just south of Lancaster.

I have to turn a 330 long piece of 1″ steel round bar for a rear axle for my new bike build but don’t have a fixed steady to support the free end to centre drill it. Am thinking that if I find the centre of the free end, heavily centre punch it, stick the stock fully in the chuck and push the tailstock live centre into the centre punch mark, I can then tighten the 3 chuck jaws tight so the bar will be OK to then centre drill it so I can stick the live centre in to turn the bar down to 3/4″. Will buy a fixed steady soon, but need to get this bar turned down. Once centre drilled I plan gripping only 20mm of the bar in the chuck, because 30mm at each end has to come down to 16 dia to cut 16×1.5 threads each end. Does that sound a reasonable way forward?
27 May 2025 at 23:06 #800046
mannyroad
Participant
@mannyroad
I have the Basic Lathework book too. Good read. Will look up the screw cutting book. Thanks for the tip.

BTW, is there a setting that notifies me when my posts get replied to? I’m not receiving notifications.
28 May 2025 at 10:08 #800076
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
Hi!

A steady is useful if the work is too big to pass through the spindle, and long.

To set up the steady, you could chuck a short piece and turn it to the same diameter as the intended workpiece, and then set the steady to that, before moving it along the bed to accept the actual work piece.

At the bottom of the “Posts”, left hand side, there is a small box, tick that and you get notifications.

Have you got a bench grinder? You’ll need one for HSS tools, unless you use replaceable carbide tips.

Older machines do not have bearings suitable for the high speeds needed to get the best from carbide. But they work well at lower speeds.

Howard

Howard
28 May 2025 at 11:05 #800096
JohnF
Participant
@johnf59703
On 27 May 2025 at 23:00 mannyroad Said:

Wow, a great welcome, thank you all. I think I’m going to enjoy this ‘club’. Not going to be cheap though, just bought a travelling steady and eyeing up a bed stop and tailstock die holder 🤣

Hi John, seems like you are very close to me. I live in Cockerham, just south of Lancaster.

I have to turn a 330 long piece of 1″ steel round bar for a rear axle for my new bike build but don’t have a fixed steady to support the free end to centre drill it. Am thinking that if I find the centre of the free end, heavily centre punch it, stick the stock fully in the chuck and push the tailstock live centre into the centre punch mark, I can then tighten the 3 chuck jaws tight so the bar will be OK to then centre drill it so I can stick the live centre in to turn the bar down to 3/4″. Will buy a fixed steady soon, but need to get this bar turned down. Once centre drilled I plan gripping only 20mm of the bar in the chuck, because 30mm at each end has to come down to 16 dia to cut 16×1.5 threads each end. Does that sound a reasonable way forward?

Well it could work but not the best idea in the world ! However providing the bar will pass through you chuck jaws until it touches the spindle thus giving a more secure grip and less outside the chuck then yes with care you should be OK,, use a smaller centre drill, say 3/16 O/D and gently does it.

Do you have a centre square to make out the centre?

See your messages as well we are only about 10 miles apart –Brookhouse

John
28 May 2025 at 12:18 #800110
mannyroad
Participant
@mannyroad
Thank you Howard, for the tip about setting up a steady. Never thought of that. Will use it once I buy a steady.

Yes, I have a bench grinder, but it’s only a DIY type, with a white 6″ wheel on one spindle and a brass wire wheel on the other. Whilst I use a diamond trimmer to square up the wheel I wasn’t sure if my cheapo grinder would be suitable to get the level.of accuracy you guys grind HSS to. I have a few sticks of HSS but haven’t found the courage to turn them into scrap yet 😁 Might bite the bullet and try.
28 May 2025 at 12:23 #800111
mannyroad
Participant
@mannyroad
Hi John, I’ve emailed you.

Yes, I have a centre square and was initially intending to push the bar right up to the spindle first, tighten it with a small centre drill snugged into the centre punch mark and go gently at low rpm.
28 May 2025 at 16:38 #800151
Harry Wilkes
Participant
@harrywilkes58467
Welcome to the forum

H
29 May 2025 at 14:25 #800369
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
If the workpiece is long, and cannot pass through into the spindle, set up the steady (Without the steady, any sag will result in unsupported work waving in the breeze, any centre drilling is likely to be off centre).

Once the work is centre drilled, it can be supported by a centre in the tailstock (Grease it, or it may seize and damage both the work and the centre). Given a choice, use a hard centre in the tailstock.

A soft centre would be used in the Headstock, and if necessary, lightly trimmed before use.

H T H

Howard
29 May 2025 at 16:59 #800402
mannyroad
Participant
@mannyroad
Hi Howard, thanks for the tips. I don’t have a fixed steady yet, which is why I was going to find and centre punch the free end of the stock and use the tailstock centre to centre up the loose end before tightening up the chuck end with the stock fully inserted up to the spindle. Only way I can think to get me close enough at the loose end to centre drill it. As I’m reducing the shaft from 1″ to 3/4″ I thought this will work, as I won’t be far off the bar’s centre using a centre square.
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