Turning in the Mill

[doubletop]

I wanted to make a set of rollers to test my loco on, much like Zee did for his "Small British Loco". These rollers just needed a groove turning in them for the wheel flanges. This would normally be done in the lathe with a parting tool. The trouble is my little Lorch just can't take parting off. The tool either needs to be too small, and fragile, or the whole setup just judders away with a fine line between tool breakage and a very poor finish.

The rollers I wanted to make were to be 19mm aluminum. Then a moment of inspiration; I realised I can get the bar into the mills ER32 collets and mount the tool in the mill vice and use the table as a cross slide and the quill and the top slide.

OK the job is sitting way to far our from the chuck but with plenty of oil and slow feed it went well. I now have my rollers I just need to try them out.

You'll see that there are two in there that are from the efforts from the Lorch.

Loco ready to go

The great thing about this is my mill has variable speed control 100-2000rpm so I now have a way of turning big flywheels that would never have fitted in the lathe.

(now please let us know why we shouldn't do this?)

Pete

 

[Blogwitch]

Pete,

If it works, and there are no safety issues, which as far as I can see, there are none, then go for it.

This is what machining at home is all about.

Getting the job done without hurting yourself.


John

 

[Dan Rowe]

Pete,
I did a very similar setup for the very same reason, the only lathe I had operational at the time was too small for the job so I turned my mill into a vertical lathe as you did.

Dan

 

[doubletop]

Thanks guys I thought I'd be OK and not get any "whoa don't do that". Part of the fun of this hobby is the intellectual challenges it throws up by way of problem solving withing the limits of your equipment. As they say there are many way of skinning cats.

Pat; when I say large flywheel I mean about 7". I understand that Stuart models are sized for the Myford Super 7, just about ubiquitous in the UK, but I couldn't do one on my lathe as it only has 65mm centre height. But with the mill I could do a flywheel at a low speed. (OK John understand "why would I?")

Pete

 

[Bolster]

The other day I turned a stub arbor in one of my mill's collets, it was about 2" long, and I got a bit of a taper on it, a couple thousandths. I was machining it from a steel bolt.

Just for the sake of my curiosity, would you measure your rollers and tell me if there's any taper on them?

 

[doubletop]

Bolster

I was only using the mill to put a groove in the rollers using a parting tool. so it was just in 2mm and out again and not up and down the shank.

Pete

 

[Kmot]

Bolster, Check this out, about head twist in the mill:

http://swarfrat.com/MillSpindleCenteringScope.htm

 

[imagineering]

Hi Pete,
I've got a slightly larger Lathe just across the Valley if you need it.
Accuracy leaves a lot to be desired, but it's there for the use of.

Most of the Model-Rail guys use standard Ball Bearings, (two per Wheel), for a testing/running frame, but I guess you've already thought of that?
No need to cut Flange Grooves that way

Come on over & have a look at the CNC'd SEIG some time.
977 8800 - Murray.

.

 

[doubletop]

Hi Murray;

I wondered when I'd find you on here. We must catch up as you are less than a km away and I do want to come over and see that CNC mod of yours.

I'll give you a call

Pete

 

[Bolster]

Bolster, Check this out, about head twist in the mill:

http://swarfrat.com/MillSpindleCenteringScope.htm

I like it! Putting on my want list.

 

[doubletop]

And then issue 172 of MEW turns up with an article on fitting a Myford chuck/faceplate to a mill for turning. It references a similar article in a US magazine that proposes mounting several tools along the bed on the X axis by way of a quick change tool post.........

 

[imagineering]

And then issue 172 of MEW turns up with an article on fitting a Myford chuck/faceplate to a mill for turning. It references a similar article in a US magazine that proposes mounting several tools along the bed on the X axis by way of a quick change tool post.........

I expect to see it made & displayed at the next HVMES Meeting Peter . . .

.

 

[doubletop]

Murray

I'd need a Myford first, but the principles have been tested using the ER32 collets.

Pete