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For the machinists amongst us!

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Orcade-Ian:
Just a quick note to tell you of a workaround.  I needed to reface a very badly pitted exhaust valve from a Fairbanks Morse stationary engine - 7/16" diameter.  I didn't want to use a 3 jaw as I knew it would chatter (slightly worn jaws) but only had a 12mm 5C collet.  Slid some heat shrink sleeving on the valve stem and warmed it up to shrink it.  Fitted the collet perfectly and produced a lovely finish on the valve seat face!  The heat shrink sleeving is so thin and the collet has so much radial contact that it was a very rigid set up.

I used to be an engineer but I'm OK now!

Ian

Laverda Dave:
That was a good workaround Ian. The lathe is the best tool I have ever bought, so useful. I used it this week to enlarge a centre hole in a 20mm stainless washer by 3mm. Turning it up in the lathe ensured it was circular and it fitted perfectly.

Orcade-Ian:
I agree Dave,
I always had access to a lathe (well, from my early 20's anyway) and bought my first Myford in about 1978.  Later moved on to a Harrison L5 and then the Harrison 140 in the early 90's, which I still have.  I bought this one when the College I was working at closed one of the workshops and it came with a hell of a lot of stuff, including the collet attachment.  I use it almost every day!  The other thing that gets almost constant use is the Startrite bandsaw - even just making a wooden frame cradle to support the 550 while the front wheel was removed.  Those will be the last to go of all my pieces of equipment!
How else could you have enlarged that washer - apart from filing?

Ian

Shetland Biker:
someone up in Shetland is selling a Myford laithe just now

Orcade-Ian:

--- Quote from: Shetland Biker on April 13, 2024, 07:27:44 PM ---someone up in Shetland is selling a Myford laithe just now

--- End quote ---

If you are in the market for one and familiar with lathe work - or keen to learn then they are a great asset.  Unfortunately Myfords usually sell for a lot more than the larger machines - mine is still 3 phase which obviously puts most people off but I use a Transwave converter.

Ian

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