Introduction & Facing Questions

[KaneParticipant @kane]

[KaneParticipant @kane]

Hi everyone!

Quick introduction…. I got into model engineering around 10 years ago at the age of 15/16 with the intention to build a 5" gauge Simplex loco with only limited tools and a Myford ML7.

This progressed until the frames/stretchers/buffer beams were complete, but then came time to start machining components in the lathe. As you can imagine at this age, I had other things on my mind and so the completed frames have been sat on a shelf in the workshop for the last 10 years or so.

However recently I've had a renewed interest in model engineering and rather than diving straight in at the deep end again, I think it may be wise to take things a little more slowly this time around.

So I have decided on building a simple Elmers #25 Wobbler.

Today I dusted off the myford and decided to try a simple job of facing a piece of 3/4" square brass bar (how hard could it be!?)

I have seen articles of turning a round bar into a square, so I thought turning a square bar into a rectangle might not be so hard!

So I gripped the bar in the 4 jaw chuck and centered by eye as much as possible and made sure the tool was at center height…Away we go….

Nope… the top slide and crossslide were wobbling a good 2mm or so as the tool started to cut into the uneven (hacksaw) surface.

I wound the top slide off and cleaned the guide rails and tightened the screws up, much better.

First question:

Do the screws on the side of the topslide need to be tightened in a certain way to make sure the topslide moves parallel to the chuck face? Or are they just there to provide friction and reduce movement?

After facing the first side of the bar I held a steel rule up against the faced edge and it appears domed (convex), so placing it on a flat surface the bar wobbles. Is this due to wear in the lathe itself, or just a setting up issue?

I need to reduce the size of the 3/4" bar to 1/2" x 5/8" x 1-1/8" for the cylinder of the wobbler. Is facing the bar in this way a reasonable way to go about this?

I have a vertical milling attachment/slide for the lathe (but no milling tools) if this would be a better option?

If i continue with facing, how do I hold the remaining edges flat against the face of the chuck to keep them parallel, when the width of the material is not wide enough to protrude from the chuck jaws? Do I need to use some packing material that is already parallel?

After todays 'learning experience' the shopping list so far consists of:

A dial test indicator

A new tool holder (preferably quick change)

Some HSS tool steel to make some new lathe tools (or are pre ground ones preferable for the beginner?)

Any other essential items I should have?

I have The Amateurs Lathe – L.H Sparey and Using the small Lathe – I.C Mason, are there any other recommended books?

Sorry for the long post, I can't believe a simple facing job turned into so many questions!

Cheers,

Kane

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