08-01-2013, 03:39 PM
Hi,
Thanks Big Al; I cut the 9 mm thread on the counter-shaft end easily enough using the die.
Due to the usual bad weather; Christmas and the New Year work stopped on this project but today I was amazed that I could get into the workshop and garage in comfort; no wind; rain or frost in fact it has been mild but still a black hole.
I wanted to cut a key-way into the end of the counter-shaft but firstly I needed to make a jig for the lathe to hold the shaft securely in position on the cross slide. My initial intention was to simply pack the shaft and clamp it in position but as there are so many excellent tutorial videos on "You Tube" I thought I'd have a look for a bit of inspiration. Sure enough I found an excellent video so I can't take any credit whatsoever for the jig design as I merely copied. I like the thinking behind the jig as it takes out the messing around of aligning the shaft in relation to the end milling cutter; as the weather is due to return to dire tomorrow I wanted to get this job done today.
I have plenty of angle iron off-cuts so cut a length of 1"x1" and a length of 2"x2" and aligned them as shown in the video but I welded along the "V" taking care to quickly turn over and apply similar weld to the opposite side to balance distortion.
All sharp edges were fettled and after dinner I successfully cut the key-way; I thought I had done an excellent job until I picked up the matching clutch plate to find the original key still in position. During my rush to beat the weather I had cut the key-way to match the belt pulley; I had even measured the loose key at 6mm going to the trouble to drive over to Rufforth Auto Jumble last Saturday morning to buy the correct end milling cutter. I bought an expensive solid carbide cutter for the bargain price of £6 and was delighted at this.
I'm so used to handling motor shaft keys at 6mm and as it is usually freezing in the workshop I popped in to measure the key before buying the cutter. The width of the new key-way should have been 4mm. I thought for once I had beaten the weather but no the weather wins. Every time it turns mild I go mad trying to get jobs done.
I've now got the choice of either making another counter-shaft or making a stepped key. Perhaps I should stop trying to work when the weather is mild because most of my big projects thus far have been completed whilst I've been frozen; soaking wet or blown around by high wind; I wish I was kidding but I'm not.
All is not lost as I now have the key-way jig and the video is seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVgZol6Mfvo
What's knitting like as a hobby?
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks Big Al; I cut the 9 mm thread on the counter-shaft end easily enough using the die.
Due to the usual bad weather; Christmas and the New Year work stopped on this project but today I was amazed that I could get into the workshop and garage in comfort; no wind; rain or frost in fact it has been mild but still a black hole.
I wanted to cut a key-way into the end of the counter-shaft but firstly I needed to make a jig for the lathe to hold the shaft securely in position on the cross slide. My initial intention was to simply pack the shaft and clamp it in position but as there are so many excellent tutorial videos on "You Tube" I thought I'd have a look for a bit of inspiration. Sure enough I found an excellent video so I can't take any credit whatsoever for the jig design as I merely copied. I like the thinking behind the jig as it takes out the messing around of aligning the shaft in relation to the end milling cutter; as the weather is due to return to dire tomorrow I wanted to get this job done today.
I have plenty of angle iron off-cuts so cut a length of 1"x1" and a length of 2"x2" and aligned them as shown in the video but I welded along the "V" taking care to quickly turn over and apply similar weld to the opposite side to balance distortion.
All sharp edges were fettled and after dinner I successfully cut the key-way; I thought I had done an excellent job until I picked up the matching clutch plate to find the original key still in position. During my rush to beat the weather I had cut the key-way to match the belt pulley; I had even measured the loose key at 6mm going to the trouble to drive over to Rufforth Auto Jumble last Saturday morning to buy the correct end milling cutter. I bought an expensive solid carbide cutter for the bargain price of £6 and was delighted at this.
I'm so used to handling motor shaft keys at 6mm and as it is usually freezing in the workshop I popped in to measure the key before buying the cutter. The width of the new key-way should have been 4mm. I thought for once I had beaten the weather but no the weather wins. Every time it turns mild I go mad trying to get jobs done.
I've now got the choice of either making another counter-shaft or making a stepped key. Perhaps I should stop trying to work when the weather is mild because most of my big projects thus far have been completed whilst I've been frozen; soaking wet or blown around by high wind; I wish I was kidding but I'm not.
All is not lost as I now have the key-way jig and the video is seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVgZol6Mfvo
What's knitting like as a hobby?
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
