On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:23:43 -0400, Bill Schwab
wrote:
snip
What I believe to be the face plate is (if I gave it a fair shake with a
quick inspection) not a thing of beauty, but it should serve. Is that
for the lathe analog of clamping to a mill table? Dare I ask how to do
precision setups on it? I suspect that most of my work will start out
held in the chucks. A few years from now, when I start spending money
againg, I will look for a 5C setup of some sort.
snip
==============
Get some of the old time machinists books from lindsay. They go
into using the faceplate in some detail.
http://www.lindsaybks.com/prod/sub/machine.html
Other posters have indicated using tool makers buttons to
accurately locate hole and other features, but these can be a
pain if you don't need "toolmaker" accuracy.
A good layout and a "pump staff" in combination with mag base
dial indicator will be adequate for most everything you are
likely to do. Old lathe books [reprints] have information on
pump shafts also, but these tend to get very fancy. I suggest
using a 24 inch long piece of 1/8 drill rod with a point about
like a center punch ground on one end, held in the tail stock.
You need only the slightest prick punch to locate the point of
the rod. Then use a spotting, not center drill to start hole for
best location accuracy.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PARTPG=INLMK32
An optical center punch is worth its weight in gold. I like the
Skidmore but the others are good also.
http://www.skidmoreengineering.com/i...s/Page1171.htm
http://store.flexbar.com/merchant2/m...e=Center-Punch
The location accuracy won't be any better than your layout lines.
Buy one of the cheap black granite surface plates and a space
block set. A Vernier/dial height gage is also good, but you have
more flexibility with the space blocks.
You will also need a right angle iron so you can turn the part
through 90 degrees to get the other direction/axis.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PARTPG=INLMK32
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...PARTPG=INLMK32
FWIW -- make sure you have good light in your layout area.
Unless you need to hold long stock through the spindle you can
clamp a collet vise on the face plate and get a good inexpensive
collet set-up. 5c collets come in hex and square in addition to
round. You can also bolt a block to the face plate and clamp
with a pinch bolt or setscrew. Trade-off is time v money.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3
http://www.hhip.com/products/product...ctID=3900-1621
sometimes you can find these on sale with a set of starter
collets.
A 3 jaw chuck is for speed, the 4 jaw and face plate are for
accuracy. Also much of what you do in a hobby/home shop will be
easier between centers [e.g. cutting a thread to fit a part] as
you can remove and replace the workpiece and not lose location.
If possible sign up for a intro to machining class at your local
community college.
Unka' George [George McDuffee]
-------------------------------------------
He that will not apply new remedies,
must expect new evils:
for Time is the greatest innovator: and
if Time, of course, alter things to the worse,
and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better,
what shall be the end?
Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman.
Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).