Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

One time I fit 10 pounds of **** into a 5 pound can.
"Mike" wrote in message
...
Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some
dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some
dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

Unless you can mount it to a vertical rotary table and use the lathe like a
mill it sounds physically impossible to me.

Well, you could rotate the head stock to face the other direction. Might be
a bit hard to power that way. Ah, if you had an axle and a hub to bolt the
wheels to, and the axle would fit through the spindle, from the back side,
to be held by the chuck.....; I hope the shaft is a tight fit and/or the
lathe is heavy and well anchored. Also, get someone to take pics, from a
safe distance, for the group.
Respectfully,
Ron Moore

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some
dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

Mike wrote:
Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

First take off your tailstock, then get an old axle that your rim will
fit on.
Chuck it in the 3 jaw, if it's not long enough for the rim to overhang
the end of the bed make an extension from a length of pipe bored so the
axle spline will fit in. Secure it with a setscrew.
Support the axle with a steadyrest. This will allow you to file out the
dings with a good aluminum file and polish the rim.
Engineman

"Mike" wrote: (clip)How can I do this (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Forget the lathe. Mount a rim on the rear wheel of your car, and start the
engine. Use a jack stand as a tool rest, and wood gouge as a cutting tool.
(Did I mention jack the car up?)

On Tue, 11 Oct 2005 01:58:14 GMT, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:


"Mike" wrote: (clip)How can I do this (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Forget the lathe. Mount a rim on the rear wheel of your car, and start the
engine. Use a jack stand as a tool rest, and wood gouge as a cutting tool.
(Did I mention jack the car up?)

Also, block the other three wheels, and as a safety measure, park
loaded dump trucks touching both bumpers.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

or just mount on a wood lathe - some of us, like Leo and I have suitable
equipment for this.
"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Mike" wrote: (clip)How can I do this (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Forget the lathe. Mount a rim on the rear wheel of your car, and start
the engine. Use a jack stand as a tool rest, and wood gouge as a cutting
tool. (Did I mention jack the car up?)

Hmmmmm, The axle has a pressed bearing on it. Might make a good steady rest
with that.
wrote in message
oups.com...
First take off your tailstock, then get an old axle that your rim will
fit on.
Chuck it in the 3 jaw,
Support the axle with a steadyrest. This will allow you to file out the
dings with a good aluminum file and polish the rim.
Engineman

Mike wrote:

How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

Mount them excentrical, switch to highest speed, power on and see the
bed beeing suitably deformed?
Or what?

Nick
--
Motor Modelle // Engine Models
http://www.motor-manufaktur.de

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some
dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

Get out the cutting torch, and make it into a "gap bed" lathe G.

LLoyd

On Mon, 10 Oct 2005 20:11:22 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm,
"Mike" quickly quoth:

Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

Step #1: Carefully hacksaw the ways...

Oh, never mind.

2 thoughts, a la (our old friend, Rube) Goldberg:

How about cutting off a full-floating axle housing and axle, mounting
it to a stand, then welding a sprocket or pulley on the axle stub,
belt a motor to it, then using that as a pseudo lathe?
Lotsa work.

Easier, is to use a trailer stub axle mounted vertically, hang tool
rests over it, and move a tire-mounted rim by hand. Alternatively,
bump a rubber-pulleyed motor onto the rim/tire to rotate it, perhaps
with an old tire.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
* Scattered Showers My Ass! * Insightful Advertising Copy
* --Noah * http://www.diversify.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------

On Mon, 10 Oct 2005 20:11:22 -0500, "Mike"
wrote:

Got some 15" aluminum car rims that need a little work to remove some dings
and scrapes on the outer rim. Plan on smoothing and polishing rims while
mounted in the lathe. How can I do this in a 13" lathe without jacking up
the head stock?

Borrow a brake lathe.

Get out a file and some sandpaper and dress out the dings and
scrapes. Don't bother with the lathe. Way too much work for the results
achieved, and if it's in a lathe you'll be tempted to remove too much
metal and will weaken the wheel.

Dan

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Mike" wrote: (clip)How can I do this (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Forget the lathe. Mount a rim on the rear wheel of your car, and start
the
engine. Use a jack stand as a tool rest, and wood gouge as a cutting
tool.
(Did I mention jack the car up?)



DANGER! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!!

Don't try this on a vehicle with Posi-Traction...

Seriously, mount the rim on a front axle, take a small motor with a 1/2"
shaft, slip a couple inches of old, rubber garden hose on the shaft, let the
shaft bear on the rim and file away...

Or, put an appropriate pulley on the motor and take a long v-belt (fan belt,
maybe?) around the rim and spin it that way.

Jerry