"DoN. Nichols" wrote in message
...

[ ... ]

Hmm ... 1.5" diameter is probably a pretty good size for some
projects -- especially lathe ones. You'll want to get as long a rod as
you can afford/(transport home) and have some way to cut it. The
typical 4x6" horizontal/vertical bandsaw works well for this. I've got
both 1-1/2" round 12L14 and whatever the hex size is which just barely
fits through the 1-3/8" spindle bore. Grips nicely in the 3-jaw chuck.

Of course, for smaller projects, having something closer to the
desired size is helpful -- in spite of a machinist friend at work who
always used to claim "the best metal is in the middle" as he took a 3"
chuck of round brass stock to make a 1/2" diameter part. Lots of chips.
:-)

Hacksawing is one of the ways I get exercise.

However, even with such exemplary lifestyle I doubt I shall live long enough
to machine anything out of a 1.5" bar on the Taig, 0.005" at a time. I made
further enquiries with that wonder of a company, Fastenal. Their catalog
shows only the 1.5" round in 12L14. A phone call to the branch here in town
revealed that they could get 3/8", "but 10 feet length would be below the
minimum order". The same company, branch 50 km away, can apparently sell
single 3 ft rods of 3/8" just under $8.Which in US sells under $3.

It's back to the doughnuts!

[ ... ]

O.K. Yes the finish varies with the intended function. Black
oxide is nice for some materials, Polished parabolic flutes nicer for
others, TiN coated for letting the chips flow out from yet others. My
usual bits (the 118 piece set of number/letter/fractional and the cobalt
steel set of number-size screw machine length bits are both polished,
though not parabolic flute. The two sets which make up my stock of
metric sizes are black oxide, and I don't use them often enough to have
an opinion for my usual materials. My metric tap-and-drill set has
everything TiN coated, but Cleveland brand bits and taps, so I know that
they are good.

The 61-80 number sized set is polished -- if I examine them in a
microscope. Otherwise, they hard enough to even see. :-)

I got a black oxide set of 118 degree point stub drills specifically for the
Taig. They cut incomparably better in steel than the CT TiN. The chips come
out of the holes ever so easily even if the hole is quite deep. The TiN cut
for about 1/2" and then the chips stop flowing and the rubbing starts (I am
talking certified mild steel now). No amount of lubricant seems to change
that.

[ ... ]

Was the workpiece hollow or solid metal? If solid, check
whether your drill press vise has a horizontal V-groove, ideally with a
Vertical one meeting it in the fixed jaw. These give a good grip, and
the vertical V-groove gives access to the area which you want to
cross-drill. (For that matter, you can take a short piece of material the
same diameter, face off the ends and drill through the center just the
size to accept the drill bit which you intend to use, and drop it down
the vertical V-groove after inserting the workpiece in the horizontal
V-groove. Then Tighten the vise and drill guided by the existing center
hole. (If you're going to drill a lot of holes like this, make the
guide out of drill rod, and harden it after machining (facing and
drilling), so it will last longer. Probably a good idea to use a
countersink to chamfer the hole at the upper end at least -- and
probably both ends so you don't have to worry about which end is up.

It was solid. Yes, there is a horizontal v-grove but the 5/16 diameter
cylinder all but disappears in it and the vertical groove is not large
enough to allow 3/16 drill through. Also, I am not sure how one would center
the drill if the piece were held this way. Can you be certain that the
vertical groove always centers automatically on the diameter of the piece
held in the cross-grove (which would be mandatory if one used the guide made
as you suggested)?

I used to drill similar pieces held in the horizontal v-grove *before* I cut
them off. I tried to let them stick out to the side of the vise which
allowed for proper centering and center drilling. Even then, the problem was
that one had to let the piece stick out quite a bit to be able to get the
chuck down to the piece without the top of the vise interfering. This was
all well and good for center drilling but when one came to use the twist
drill more chatter and rubbing resulted. I tried making an improvised
machinist jack to support the end sticking out but it did not seem to help
all that much. Mind you, it was a pretty miserable excuse for jack !

With the advent of Taig I was hoping that these problems were a thing of the
past now that I could face off the opposite ends of the cylinder. Apparently
not so.

[ ... ]

What you want for the Zen quality is a small shaper -- say a 7"
one. You sit there watching the ram move in and out, with the workpiece
moving sideways just a little during each backstroke. And the tool is a
simple HSS lathe bit which you can grind as you wish.

Due to recession I shall have to stay with the Taig and chanting a mantra.
BTW I wonder if one can make a mandala out of the steel wool and assorted
chips.

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC