Wes wrote:
David Billington wrote:

Wes wrote:
Yesterday was good. Worked on a nose protector for my lathe.


Time well spent. I did much the same some years ago for the L00
fitting on my older lathe when I was making a mount for metal
spinning mandrels, I made it in steel though which made cutting the
keyway more interesting with a tool in the toolholder and moving the
carriage. Worked well though and has a 1" x 8TPI thread in the face
to mount the mandrels on.

Did your tool have any rake?

What kind of things do you spin? Bells for musical instruments?


I wonder if you need the keyway anyway, as it's only a protector can
you not just relieve the inside taper to clear the key. From the L
fitting drawing it looks like you have some room on the taper before
and after the key to support the protector or are you looking to do
a "proper job" for the challenge of it.

I could run a long endmill down to relieve it as you suggest.
However, I've always wanted to try cutting a keyway with a lathe.
After all, it is for my entertainment.

Wes

Wear a leather glove on the hand you crank the carriage with . A short stiff
boring bar works well to hold the cutter - be sure it's centered in the bore
or the keyway will be angled ... I ground a couple of degrees of relief on
my cutter last time I did this .

--
Snag
"90 FLHTCU "Strider"
'39 WLDD "PopCycle"
BS 132/SENS/DOF