Word to the Wise

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Oops…

 

I finally got around to making the jacking screw for a little machinist jack tonight. I found some free cutting stainless steel that comes up to a bright polish and thought it would make a good contrast to an oil blacked base.

 

Well it cut wonderfully, creating long single curls of swarf, nice surface finish, with a 20 thou (0.5mm cut).

 

But could I get an HSS M6 die to cut it? Barely. I took off a 5 thou to ease things for the die and it got worse, I had obviously really badly workhardened the surface.

 

So I switched over to some tougher steel, EN24T at a guess. the surface finish was awful, so I thought I’d better sharpen the tool – that’s when I noticed it was a flat topped tool for brass with zero rake.  No wonder it workhardened the stainless!

 

Moral – don’t assume you have the right tool in the toolpost , even idf it looks right at a glance!

 

Neil

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Key word there Neil,  ASSUME???????

 

   Regards  Ian.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Hi Neil,been there done that, thought that seeing stainless is so tough I’d take the thread down in stages with a die, first cut OK, second cut? nothing came off. Cut the threaded bit off, set the die to full depth, good thread, cut once you don’t get a second go.Ian S C

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi Neil,

May I suggest that any tools to cut Brass, you clour witha dab of yellow paint?

I use those small pen type touch-in paints sold for cars and colour-code an awful lot of things, e.g., caphead screws and the fitting Allen key as I always seem to pick up the wrong size. I also dont believe in complete sets of spanners on walls like some “show – workshops” seen in the mags. I find it much more convenient to have `dedicated` spanners in a box/rack special for the mill or for the lathe. Even these I colour one end so if they end up on the bench, I know instantly where they belong when I have a clear-up.

John.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Posted by Circlip on 25/02/2010 07:42:05:

Key word there Neil,  ASSUME???????

 

   Regards  Ian.

 

You know, my wife keeps saying just that!

 

dab of yellow paint?

 

Good idea, I’ll do something like that. I also try to keep some ‘favourite’ tools to fit the various machine tools. But the little men keep hiding them under the bench!

 

Neil

 

 

 

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