Threaded lidded box options

[Nick Fournier]

Hello,

I'm looking to make a few lidded boxes to hold shaving gear when I travel and I'd like the lids to thread on. Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment or skills to hand thread. So, I was thinking that I could use a piece of PVC pipe as a spline. Do you think this would work? Also, any ideas for other material as PVC is likely a little thicker than I'd prefer.

Thanks.

[David Gilbert]

When you go to one of the big box stores you will see that they have PVC connectors with threads, both the male and female sides. They also come in different sizes. I have seen some urns where these were used for sealing them up.

I haven't actually done anything with the threaded adapters but have used PVC couplers for my vacuum chucks. Using scrapers at relatively low speed works well. You need a light hand because the PVC can be very catchy!

Cheers,
David

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nick - like Dave said, there have been a number of folks posting urns that use the threaded PVC connections. Worth checking into...

Check out this thread: Box Elder Urn

[Joe Hillmann]

An interesting way that I have seen to cut threads is to put a cutter into the headstock with a single tooth the shape of the threads you want to cut. The work piece is mounted off center to a piece of threaded rod that has the same tpi as you want on your piece and you turn the work piece into the cutter, The nice thing about doing it this way is you don't have to worry about how fast you are feeding it into the cutter, you can stop spinning the work piece any time you want with the cutter running and it wont damage your piece.

Here is a quick sketch of what I am talking about.

Bitmap in Graphic2.jpg

[Nick Fournier]

Thanks for all the comments. It looks like PVC is the way I'll go, I really hadn't though that I could turn it down on the lathe.