nice little "pip" on that one.
Originally Posted by george wilson
Member
nice little "pip" on that one.
Member
Hi David,
Acme taps are about $50 apiece. They work fine, but the bigger problem with acme is that it takes several orders of magnitude longer to thread than just using a die and standard universal threads. I'm very slow compared to someone like Johnny, but it takes me most of an hour just to single-point turn acme threads. I thought very hard about making these for sale, but the truth is that I sincerely doubt the market would bear what I'd have to charge to make it worth taking time away.
If George is willing to turn some, I'd take him up on it as it's just not possible to get the sorts of knurling he does in any other way. Having said all that, though -- I have quite a few of the screws I bought from Johnny left. I wont be using them, so you could have a few for $8 each plus shipping. I have a half-dozen or so 5/16-18 (good for smaller stuff) and a few 7/16-14 as well. I know I have at least a few in 360, and also some of the smaller ones in both stainless and 932 bronze. If you let me know what you'd want, I'll check the exact specs and sizes for you.
Easiest if you drop me an email (raney at daedtoolworks.com). I'm pretty irregular about checking in here for PMs...
raney
Member
I thought the taps were more like $100.00 each. Is that a Chinese one? Haven't looked in a while. I got a good collection some time ago. I make my own for special needs,anyway.
I've decided to re contour this cap screw. Will re-post it when done.
Member
George,
McMaster has them in the $50 and up range - though you may be right that they're often closer to $100 -- depends on sizes.
I'm not 100% sure where they're made, but I really don't think they're chinese. McM doesn't carry a whole lot of these things in import versions, and if there is a big price discrepancy (which usually indicates an import and US/EUR version) I always spend more. I like to use my tools more than once.
That knurling is gorgeous.
edit - just found the reference to turning knurls from a 4-flute tap. Very smart idea.
Last edited by Raney Nelson; 10-27-2010 at 3:39 PM.
[OP]
Guest
Raney - I'll send you an email. I'm really trying to avoid ever buying a metal lathe - at least until I know i'm somewhere permanent and have the room, so if george makes a couple for sale, and I take some of your old stock off your hands, all the better - it'll put me that far ahead on really the only piece of the plane I can't do by hand.
I think you are right about trying to come up with an hour plus (for packing, etc) of your time and charging for it. People want things, but they don't necessarily want to pay for them. I have no qualms about putting $400+ worth of material into a good plane (i haven't had to pay that much yet, just because I've gotten good deals on wood), but I would imagine a lot of people do. It's such a rewarding thing to produce that it's hard to describe - i get far more thrill out of it than furniture.
Member
David,
the more important 'truth' is that I just have limited time, and I like making planes much much more than making LC screws. I make a batch when I need to, but the idea of doing them more often for sale just doesn't appeal at all, even if I could make money at it.
I think you're in Pittsburgh area, no? It might be worth your time to look around at the local machinist community for a good manual machinist who's okay with piecework. Lots of retired guys out there who have a lifetime of solid skill and experience who still like to take interesting projects on in their spare time. Turning screws like these is a toddle for an old hand on a decent toolroom lathe.
Member
I re contoured the cap screw. I had gotten into a contest with myself to see how quick I could make the screw. This new contour is more like it.
I like to make the top curves swoop down next to the knurl(actually BELOW knurl level) like in the plane I just posted above. Takes me a minute to"get back into it".
Member
cripes that's fast. What do you use for a lathe, George? And are you profiling with a round-nosed HSS blank or something else?
Last edited by Raney Nelson; 10-27-2010 at 3:52 PM.
Member
It was freehand so any lathe would do that had a chuck. My best and most used lathe is a Hardinge HLVH. I just put a horizontal bar into the tool holder,to rest hand turning tools on. I made them out of 1/4" square W1.
Member
OK, I'm not even commenting on the HLVH. Jealousy is so mild a term. I was thinking two things with the lathe question, which is that I'd like a collet closer (I'm a bit surprised you do this in a chuck) and the other that the bearings on my old 10" logan make it really hard to get that smooth undercut inside the knurl with any but the absolute lightest cuts. It takes me a good bit of time, and I usually do it with a toolpost mounted cutter. I have been meaning to make up some gravers for this sort of thing, but I need to be able to do them in stainless as well and I'm not sure how well they work in really hard materials. Guess I should get around to it sooner.
Do you freehand in harder steels too? Inconel, even?
Member
I haven't used my W1 cutters in stainless. I make old style things,and don't like stainless personally. You should go buy some 1/4" square X 6" long HSS cutter blanks and make up some tools with handles. I ought to do that myself,actually! Except,I need to be able to file to shape some tools before hardening. The ball tool was made by using a small endmill applied at an angle to get clearance,then hardened and drawn to med. straw.
If you don't have collets,you could make a steel sleeve to hold the threaded end of your cap screws in. Just slit the sleeve. I have only had collets in the past several years. All the planes I posted,now in the FAQ section,were made on a 12" Atlas,or a 10" Jet with ordinary chucks. You won't hurt the screws held in a sleeve in your 3 jaw chuck.
Member
George,
I have collets - but I run them in a Bison 5c chuck. A closer is a luxury I think often about, but my spindle won't handle 5c and I'd rather not mess with 3at or MT collets.
Not suggesting you need an HLVH for good work. I'd be in real trouble if so. Just suggesting I'd like to have one.
Member
My 16" lathe is a cheap Grizzly. I bought it in 1986,and it has done everything I needed it to do. I used to only have it,and did a lot of nice work on it with no collets at all. I do have all the 5C collets from 1/64" to 1 1/8" with the HLVY. For the 16" I have collet chuck that uses much larger collets. Can't recall their model now,as I've only used the HLVH for some time.
The HLVH is quite a tall lathe. I am tall,and it helps my back to be able to use the HLVH. I don't know why they made it so tall. Some people have to stand on a riser to use it.
Some years ago I was fortunate to get the HLVH cheap. It is a 1964. I messed with fixing it up off and on for 3 years.
Last edited by george wilson; 10-27-2010 at 5:09 PM.
Member
and maybe not as period as you'd like; but the price is right.
http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware...,61644&p=61644
Member
David, I believe your "unnamed source" uses 8-32 threads (if my memory serves me correctly) Don't hold me to it... Please!
This is one of the exact reasons I am saving for a metal lathe... It's frustrating trying to find something that is so specialty like this. I do like Derek Cohen's solution... If I ever get off my butt (and don't have any homework) I might give that a shot for my "in progress" Infill plane. Let us know if you come up with a supplier...
I know what I am willing to pay, I also am not willing to share that information in a public forum (Don't want to shoot myself in the foot)
Though at this point it's looking like a $3000 lathe and the time spent to learn machining, and valuable space in my tiny shop area. The machining part/ learning part interests me greatly... the $3000, and loss of shop space isn't terribly exciting to me!
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