C3 Purchased

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

I hit the buy button on Friday and my new lathe arrived today from Arceurotrade. It’s a Super C3 and is my first lathe.

I checked that the motor ran both ways – seemed smooth and fairly quiet because of the brushless motor. Frank Hoose in reviewing the smaller brushless C2 suggested it sounded like a sewing machine – I think that’s a good description.

The machiine is now fully stripped down and cleaned. That’s the easy bit. The machine came coated with an oil and not the dreaded red grease which I have read about . I did find some of the red grease though – on the carriage stop – and oh boy, was it messy, even for a very small item!

The rebuild and adjustments start tomorrow and by the time I’m finished, I should be much more familiar with the machine.

Dave Fenner’s book (The Mini Lathe) has been very useful, as has the Arceurotrade download for setting up the machine.

Bob W

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Good Luck Bob.

 

One adjustment no-one will tell you about is the long allen screw in the clasp nuts that adjusts how tightly they grip the lead screw – if the screw doesn’t fully engage it is much less likley to suffer from positional errors when (not if) swarf gets on the leadscrew. I’ve only ever seen such a device mentioned in an article about adding one to improve a Myford

 

Neil

[Peter RiedieParticipant @peterriedie26302]

I have just joined and started reading the forum posts but I see the last person to post is someone called Stub Mandrel on about 5 subjects but I can’t see any of  these replies.

 

Is it something wrong with how my page updates ?

 

P Riedie.

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

No Peter it’s not anything wrong with your set up. The thread about “heat in an engine room” has been blocked by an incorrect posting – and I don’t know what Stub Mandrel’s done but I can’t see his posts either.

Another hiccup for the moderators to sort out.

Keith

Edited By Keith Long on 20/08/2010 22:23:48

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

I would have thought they would have avoided posting the mug advert again after the problems it caused last weekend.

 

Les.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

The “heat in an engine room” posting has probably been corrupted because the poster copied and pasted from word into the reply to box.

 

This was explained to me in an email by David Clark the other day.

 

Rather ironic as were were told to copy / paste to prevent the frequent log out issues some some having.

This reply will have to be relayed by David as none of my posts show up either like Stub Mandrels, probably because the web master thinks I’m a naughty boy for waking the moderator up the other day with the heads up on two corrupted posts.

 

John S.

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Hi Les

From a communication I received I gather it’s not the advert that is the problem, but would be posters doing something that the website doesn’t like – not content  - just not following the required procedure with pasting text.

Keith

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Keith,

                 As I assume that the advert comes from “MyHobystore” I would have thought they should know the correct procedure. I have just had a look to see if I could find information on what to avoid when pasting text but could not find it. I have noticed a few times over the last week when the list of posts show an update to a thread but there is no update for that time. I have not seen it happen to a number of updates at about the same time as it did with “Stub Mandrel’s” last night. As this is such an interesting forum I am prepared to live with the problems that the web pages suffer.

 

Les.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

There is a button on the editor to paste from Word.

This strips out all the word code.

 

I don’t know why the mug advert is appearing, I don’t get it with IE 8.

 

What happens is the Word code messes up the page so you will get random elements appearing on the page.

 

regards David

 

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

And there was I thinking someone had something to say about the topic.

I had also noticed that stub mandrel’s posting had not appeared last night.

My machine has now been rebuilt and is now working.

The hardest and messiest job was honing the gib strips – must buy some barrier cream for any work like this in the future. I’d forgotten how messy wet and dry with metal could be!

Adjustment was merely time consuming. Ball drivers and the appropriate sized metric spanners were a boon here.

One adjust left to do – the leadscrew gear does not mesh as well with the previous pinion and I will machine the collar which is between the gear and the leadscrew.

The main benefit to doing the work myself and not getting it prepared by Arc was that I now have a better understanding of what all the parts are and do.

Next, must order some metal to make use of the machine.

Bob

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

Oops, forgot to add to this.

Metal ordered and delivered – very impressed with the service from Macc Models and Chronos – delivery to Ellon within 2 working days.

I decided to stick with David Fenners book, The Mini Lathe and have started to build the dividing head he described.

The only problem I faced was deciding which cutting tool was which – it wasn’t totally obvious to a raw beginner like myself. Searching the web was the best solution.

Must buy a work coat since I’ve ruined one shirt already. Luckily it was an old one.

Turning seems to be very therapeutic. I now have half a bucket of oily steel wool! Anyone ever found a use for it?

I borrowed a 16 mm drill for the body of the device and used this insted of the 17 mm drill specified – shouldn’t matter. Turned the taper slightly longer to compensate. The taper plug which I then turned actually fitted!

Using the lathe to ensure that taps and dies are square makes life much easier. Wish I’d got one before!

Tried some brass this evening – nice not to be using oil but the brass shards fairly manage to stick to the layer of oil from before – messy!

Used the knurling tool for the first time. Next time I will use it before I part it from the bar I was working on. It was then left too small for the knurling tool to get past the chuck. Instant result in use though. SWMBO wasn’t impressed.

Nasty job for tomorrow – cutting 3mm steel plate to size and shape without a band saw.

Bob

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I hope this doesn’t mess up the thread, but can you see my posting now?

 

I’m sure I didn’t do anything odd!

 

Neil

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Your OK Neil. Ian S C

[BogstandardParticipant @bogstandard]

What a total waste of space you lot have turned out to be.

 

Here is Bob, who is over the moon with his latest aquisition, and you lot come along and totally spoil it by spouting off about mugs showing up in a post.

 

Shame on you, and the admin for not stopping the hijack sooner.

 

 

Bob,

 

You are going the right way with your new lathe, cleaning it down (white spirits or WD40 is good for removing dragon grease), and adjusting it correctly to your own satisfaction.

 

They turn out to be a great little machine if you take the time to do what you are doing.

 

Having ‘fixed’ a few, most of the time, it is down to correct adjustment, not something wrong with the actual lathe.

 

Just enjoy it.

 

Bogs

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Don’t worry Bogs, a few of the crew here tend to wander a bit, but usually sort ourselves. I found with my large Taiwanese lathe that other than cleaning the grease of, very little adjustment was required, and my Rexon mill was already cleaned when it arrived. Then back in the 1980s Chinese was available, but the Taiwanese stuff was head and shoulders above it, now the Chinese have caught up. Now the Govt wants a free trade agreement with China, we don’t see much Taiwanese stuff here, and the stuff from else were is far too expensive for the average modeler. Ian S C

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

Thank you for the encouragement, Bogs!

Next project was to make a pair of alloy wheel hubs for my RC Piper Pawnee.

Ran into a little problem slicing up 1.5″ aluminium. Parting tool would only go in anabout 9 – 10 mm.

Checked the blade out on 3/4″ aluminium – no problem!

Back to David Fenner and have built the parting tool holder he describes for parting with the machine in reverse.

It worked on 3/4″ aluminium but didn’t have time to change to the 100 mm chuck.

Will try tomorrow.

Bob

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

Thank you for the encouragement, Bogs!

Next project was to make a pair of alloy wheel hubs for my RC Piper Pawnee.

Ran into a little problem slicing up 1.5″ aluminium. Parting tool would only go in anabout 9 – 10 mm.

Checked the blade out on 3/4″ aluminium – no problem!

Back to David Fenner and have built the parting tool holder he describes for parting with the machine in reverse.

It worked on 3/4″ aluminium but didn’t have time to change to the 100 mm chuck.

Will try tomorrow.

Bob

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

Hi Bob,

If the parting tool stops cutting as you cut into the bar the most likely cause is that the tool is too high and it has run out of relief.

Mike

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

That was the first thing I checked – made a tool height gauge before starting anything else on the lathe. The C3 parting tool which I purchased with the machine worked beautifully on brass and aluminium 1/4 to 3/4″ in diameter.

I’ve just noticed the way I’m mixing my units in these posts.

Metric or imperial, I don’t mind which I use!

Bob

[Anonymous]

“Next project was to make a pair of alloy wheel hubs for my RC Piper Pawnee”

 

Hi Tigermoth,

 

Given the quote you’ll no doubt recognise the aeroplane in my avatar then. The Tiger Moth isn’t a bad aeroplane either, apart from the ailerons. It’s what I learnt to power fly on, G-AHIZ was my first solo aeroplane. Used to fly G-ANOO from Thurleigh, near Bedford, until we sold it. Was a bit of a challenge operating on a concrete runway though, with only a tailskid and no brakes.

 

Regards,

 

Andrew

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Hi Andrew, think it was the Canadians that put a tail wheel on the DH 82. Used to service the occasional Pawnee topdressing aircraft. They are now used as glider tugs here in NZ. Topdressing has gone turboprop.

If you get it right you can make a good parting tool for a small lathe with the carbide tip of an old circular saw blade, the tips also make great ordenary tools. Ian S C

[TigermothParticipant @tigermoth]

Hi Andrew

My Tiger Moth is 1/4 scale and the Pawnee is about 1/5 scale. I also have a 1/4 scale Jungmeister and a 1/6 scale Mark 9 Spitfire.All very good flyers.

The Pawnee dipped a wheel into a rabbit scrape and the hub collapsed. Hopefully when I make up aluminium hubs they should withstand the rigours of my arrivals. The Pawnee is a very nice slow flyer, even slower than the Moth.

Hi Ian

The only problem for me with the saw blade tooth would be welding it to a support. However that may be possible via a friend. . . . .

Bob

[Anonymous]

Hi Ian,

 

Hmmm, didn’t know that, but I hope the Canadians fitted brakes too! No brakes and a tailwheel would be rather exciting. One would certainly need to be nifty on the rudder pedals. I have seen one Tiger Moth with brakes and a tailwheel; just didn’t look right.

 

I wouldn’t swear to it but I think most Pawnees in the UK are also used as glider tugs. The one I’m sitting in, in the avatar, is a glider tug. If there is any crop spraying left in the UK it’s very low key now. There was a flurry of activity in the 70’s and early 80’s but then it died equally quickly. Our fields tend to be quite small, are odd shapes and are mixed up with other crops, livestock, houses etc. A few cases of dogs, cats, kids, washing and gardens being sprayed brought a lot of pressure to bear. I did once fly a Pawnee with spray gear fitted, G-BILL, originally owned by Bill Bowker, who was one of crop spraying pioneers in the UK. Nice aeroplane, 260hp, very smooth and two blade prop so good climb rate. The only snag was it being on a Public Transport C of A, so the paperwork took longer than the flying!

 

Regards,

 

Andrew

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

Hi, Bob W (Tigermoth),

 

Interesting to read about your new C3 – despite all that has been written about the ‘chinamen’, there are a lot of people out there who use them.

 

 If you are like many owners, you will find out after a time that there are some shortcomings with the C3, depending on the supplier – I know I made loads of modifications and additions to mine. If you are interested, there is tons of info on mods, improvements etc on the web (Google 7 x 12 lathe) – the two sites below have lots of useful info, and might give you a few ideas.

 

The best improvement I made was (I think), replacing the headstock shaft with better (taper-roller) bearings, but I understand ArcEuroTrade does that anyway with their machines. Another good mod was to put ballbearings in the cross-slide/saddle drive, and also to modify the drive-nut under the cross-slide to take out back-lash – this gets steadily worse on some models, as the nut wears.

 

http://gadgetbuilder.com/

http://www.mini-lathe.com/

Keith

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