Ok, I am ridiculously satisfied with myself at the moment. I took a
perfectly good stainless steel bolt and turned it into a worthless example
of Vise Grip activity.

Santa brought a mini lathe to the La Londe household. Unfortunately the fat
bastidge didn't bring any tooling. Wanting desperately to play with the new
toy I cleaned all the grease off today and then began to think about
different things I might use as a cutter. I can tell you definitively and
with authority that a stainless steel bolt is harder than a cheap cold
chisel. LOL.

HOWEVER, a broken 3/8 HSS end mill can be turned into a crude mill bit by
liberal free hand application of a bench grinder and quenching periodically
in oil as it takes shape. I then proceeded to turn a perfectly good 2
dollar bolt into 10¢ worth of scrap stainless. I managed to turn the head
into a nice cylinder, and even face the end square to the sides before my
home made cutter got too dull because I pushed it too fast. OOooh! AAaaah!

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I have used a wood lathe to duplicate spindles and made dowels in my drill
press in a pinch, but that was a whole different experience. I am entirely
too satisfied with myself.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok, I am ridiculously satisfied with myself at the moment. I took a
perfectly good stainless steel bolt and turned it into a worthless example
of Vise Grip activity.

Santa brought a mini lathe to the La Londe household. Unfortunately the
fat bastidge didn't bring any tooling. Wanting desperately to play with
the new toy I cleaned all the grease off today and then began to think
about different things I might use as a cutter. I can tell you
definitively and with authority that a stainless steel bolt is harder than
a cheap cold chisel. LOL.

HOWEVER, a broken 3/8 HSS end mill can be turned into a crude XXXX bit by

^ lathe

liberal free hand application of a bench grinder and quenching
periodically in oil as it takes shape. I then proceeded to turn a
perfectly good 2 dollar bolt into 10¢ worth of scrap stainless. I managed
to turn the head into a nice cylinder, and even face the end square to the
sides before my home made cutter got too dull because I pushed it too
fast. OOooh! AAaaah!

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I have used a wood lathe to duplicate spindles and made dowels in my drill
press in a pinch, but that was a whole different experience. I am
entirely too satisfied with myself.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok, I am ridiculously satisfied with myself at the moment. I took a
perfectly good stainless steel bolt and turned it into a worthless example
of Vise Grip activity.

Santa brought a mini lathe to the La Londe household. Unfortunately the
fat bastidge didn't bring any tooling. Wanting desperately to play with
the new toy I cleaned all the grease off today and then began to think
about different things I might use as a cutter. I can tell you
definitively and with authority that a stainless steel bolt is harder than
a cheap cold chisel. LOL.

HOWEVER, a broken 3/8 HSS end mill can be turned into a crude mill bit by
liberal free hand application of a bench grinder and quenching
periodically in oil as it takes shape. I then proceeded to turn a
perfectly good 2 dollar bolt into 10¢ worth of scrap stainless. I managed
to turn the head into a nice cylinder, and even face the end square to the
sides before my home made cutter got too dull because I pushed it too
fast. OOooh! AAaaah!

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I have used a wood lathe to duplicate spindles and made dowels in my drill
press in a pinch, but that was a whole different experience. I am
entirely too satisfied with myself.

Congratulations, Bob! A useful thing turned into a little useless thing is
the first project most of us make. d8-)

Have fun. Make a bushing now that the useless cylinder fits into. Then
you'll have two useless things that fit together. That's when it really gets
satisfying.

--
Ed Huntress

On Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:07:22 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:

I am entirely
too satisfied with myself.

I don't think so. G

In article ,
"Bob La Londe" wrote:

Ok, I am ridiculously satisfied with myself at the moment. I took a
perfectly good stainless steel bolt and turned it into a worthless example
of Vise Grip activity.

Fun ain't it?


Santa brought a mini lathe to the La Londe household. Unfortunately the fat
bastidge didn't bring any tooling. Wanting desperately to play with the new
toy I cleaned all the grease off today and then began to think about
different things I might use as a cutter. I can tell you definitively and
with authority that a stainless steel bolt is harder than a cheap cold
chisel. LOL.

HOWEVER, a broken 3/8 HSS end mill can be turned into a crude mill bit by
liberal free hand application of a bench grinder and quenching periodically
in oil as it takes shape. I then proceeded to turn a perfectly good 2
dollar bolt into 10¢ worth of scrap stainless. I managed to turn the head
into a nice cylinder, and even face the end square to the sides before my
home made cutter got too dull because I pushed it too fast. OOooh! AAaaah!

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

A solid bronze .30 caliber boat tail spire point bullet, for no good
reason, no good reason at all.


I have used a wood lathe to duplicate spindles and made dowels in my drill
press in a pinch, but that was a whole different experience. I am entirely
too satisfied with myself.

Bob La Londe wrote:

Ok, I am ridiculously satisfied with myself at the moment. I took a
perfectly good stainless steel bolt and turned it into a worthless
example of Vise Grip activity.

Santa brought a mini lathe to the La Londe household. Unfortunately the
fat bastidge didn't bring any tooling. Wanting desperately to play with
the new toy I cleaned all the grease off today and then began to think
about different things I might use as a cutter. I can tell you
definitively and with authority that a stainless steel bolt is harder
than a cheap cold chisel. LOL.

HOWEVER, a broken 3/8 HSS end mill can be turned into a crude mill bit
by liberal free hand application of a bench grinder and quenching
periodically in oil as it takes shape. I then proceeded to turn a
perfectly good 2 dollar bolt into 10¢ worth of scrap stainless. I
managed to turn the head into a nice cylinder, and even face the end
square to the sides before my home made cutter got too dull because I
pushed it too fast. OOooh! AAaaah!

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I'm pretty certain it was the turned and knurled handle of this little
hammer which I made in my Junior High School metal shop class. That must
have been about 60 years ago.

http://home.comcast.net/~jwisnia18/temp/hammer1.jpg

I've still got it...

That was about the same time I learned (the hard way) not to wear a shop
coat with sleeves when working around a lathe, particularly when using a
lathe dog to drive the work and using a file to smooth it. Fortunately,
the sleeve tore off without taking my arm with it.

And that's why this "Bull Of The Woods" cartoon remains my favorite:

http://home.comcast.net/~jwisnia18/temp/BW001.jpg

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight.

I have used a wood lathe to duplicate spindles and made dowels in my
drill press in a pinch, but that was a whole different experience. I am
entirely too satisfied with myself.

On Dec 28, 11:07*pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?


I remember very well the first thing I turned. After 25+ years, it
still sits on my desk. My first lathe was a very used SB9, with a 3
jaw, tail stock drill chuck, latern tool post and several 1/4" tool
bits. I had little to no stock at the time, so I cut off a 4in. piece
of 1 1/2 inch very rusty, very pitted round stock. I chucked it and
got the first inch turned down to shiny steel. Then faced it and
drilled it out some.

Was it useful? Well, it sits there and reminds me of my humble
beginings in the metal hobby. It also holds a couple of pens or
pencils. And it is sometimes a conversation piece. A non-machinist,
after being told what it is, will usually say: oh. A machinist-type
guy will say: OH!!!!!! Do you mind if I look at it. Yea, it has some
use.

I went on to make many enjoyable projects and repairs from there.

Bill.

"Bill" wrote in message
...
On Dec 28, 11:07 pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?


I remember very well the first thing I turned. After 25+ years, it
still sits on my desk. My first lathe was a very used SB9, with a 3
jaw, tail stock drill chuck, latern tool post and several 1/4" tool
bits. I had little to no stock at the time, so I cut off a 4in. piece
of 1 1/2 inch very rusty, very pitted round stock. I chucked it and
got the first inch turned down to shiny steel. Then faced it and
drilled it out some.

Was it useful? Well, it sits there and reminds me of my humble
beginings in the metal hobby. It also holds a couple of pens or
pencils. And it is sometimes a conversation piece. A non-machinist,
after being told what it is, will usually say: oh. A machinist-type
guy will say: OH!!!!!! Do you mind if I look at it. Yea, it has some
use.

I went on to make many enjoyable projects and repairs from there.

Bill.

Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am 66 now, can not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning a bunch of
cannons. Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a cannon, boring out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and making a breech
lock out of a large bolt. The bolt would take a firecracker, or gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. Worked very well. Wonder what happened to
them.

On Dec 29, 8:04*pm, "Bill McKee" wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message

...
On Dec 28, 11:07 pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I remember very well the first thing I turned. After 25+ years, it
still sits on my desk. My first lathe was a very used SB9, with a 3
jaw, tail stock drill chuck, latern tool post and several 1/4" tool
bits. I had little to no stock at the time, so I cut off a 4in. piece
of 1 1/2 inch very rusty, very pitted round stock. I chucked it and
got the first inch turned down to shiny steel. Then faced it and
drilled it out some.

Was it useful? Well, it sits there and reminds me of my humble
beginings in the metal hobby. It also holds a couple of pens or
pencils. And it is sometimes a conversation piece. A non-machinist,
after being told what it is, will usually say: oh. A machinist-type
guy will say: OH!!!!!! *Do you mind if I look at it. Yea, it has some
use.

I went on to make many enjoyable projects and repairs from there.

Bill.

Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am 66 now, can not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning a bunch of
cannons. *Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a cannon, boring out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and making a breech
lock out of a large bolt. *The bolt would take a firecracker, or gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. *Worked very well. *Wonder what happened to
them.

The first thing I tried turning on a lathe got confiscated by my high
school shop teacher. He didn't buy my explaination that I was just
trying to see what all a lathe could do. All I had left was a little
bit more turning and the addition of a screen. ;-) I sure am glad I
survived the 70's.

"Jesse" wrote in message
...
On Dec 29, 8:04 pm, "Bill McKee" wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message

...
On Dec 28, 11:07 pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I remember very well the first thing I turned. After 25+ years, it
still sits on my desk. My first lathe was a very used SB9, with a 3
jaw, tail stock drill chuck, latern tool post and several 1/4" tool
bits. I had little to no stock at the time, so I cut off a 4in. piece
of 1 1/2 inch very rusty, very pitted round stock. I chucked it and
got the first inch turned down to shiny steel. Then faced it and
drilled it out some.

Was it useful? Well, it sits there and reminds me of my humble
beginings in the metal hobby. It also holds a couple of pens or
pencils. And it is sometimes a conversation piece. A non-machinist,
after being told what it is, will usually say: oh. A machinist-type
guy will say: OH!!!!!! Do you mind if I look at it. Yea, it has some
use.

I went on to make many enjoyable projects and repairs from there.

Bill.

Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am 66 now, can
not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning a bunch of
cannons. Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a cannon, boring
out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and making a breech
lock out of a large bolt. The bolt would take a firecracker, or gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. Worked very well. Wonder what happened to
them.

The first thing I tried turning on a lathe got confiscated by my high
school shop teacher. He didn't buy my explaination that I was just
trying to see what all a lathe could do. All I had left was a little
bit more turning and the addition of a screen. ;-) I sure am glad I
survived the 70's.

My dad owned a major machine shop. And he liked guns also.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

In my case -- I took a 1/4-28 slotted head machine screw, and
turned it to serve as an anvil for supporting a certain style of turret
terminal while it was being crimped into a PC board. (This after first
using a rather frightening (to a newbie) solenoid operated one with
commercial anvil and punch. I had never used a lathe before, and this
was a small South Bend in the electronics shop where I worked, so I took
advantage of its presence and the absence of anyone else to try my hand
at it.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

"Bill McKee" wrote in message
...

"Jesse" wrote in message
...
On Dec 29, 8:04 pm, "Bill McKee" wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message

...
On Dec 28, 11:07 pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I remember very well the first thing I turned. After 25+ years, it
still sits on my desk. My first lathe was a very used SB9, with a 3
jaw, tail stock drill chuck, latern tool post and several 1/4" tool
bits. I had little to no stock at the time, so I cut off a 4in. piece
of 1 1/2 inch very rusty, very pitted round stock. I chucked it and
got the first inch turned down to shiny steel. Then faced it and
drilled it out some.

Was it useful? Well, it sits there and reminds me of my humble
beginings in the metal hobby. It also holds a couple of pens or
pencils. And it is sometimes a conversation piece. A non-machinist,
after being told what it is, will usually say: oh. A machinist-type
guy will say: OH!!!!!! Do you mind if I look at it. Yea, it has some
use.

I went on to make many enjoyable projects and repairs from there.

Bill.

Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am 66 now, can
not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning a bunch of
cannons. Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a cannon, boring
out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and making a breech
lock out of a large bolt. The bolt would take a firecracker, or gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. Worked very well. Wonder what happened to
them.

The first thing I tried turning on a lathe got confiscated by my high
school shop teacher. He didn't buy my explaination that I was just
trying to see what all a lathe could do. All I had left was a little
bit more turning and the addition of a screen. ;-) I sure am glad I
survived the 70's.

My dad owned a major machine shop. And he liked guns also.

Where do you put the screen in a gun?

Oh!

In my high school people kept trying to make those in art class during the
section on ceramics. LOL.

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

snip
I have used a wood lathe to duplicate spindles and made dowels in my
drill press in a pinch, but that was a whole different experience. I am
entirely too satisfied with myself.

Congratulations, Bob! A useful thing turned into a little useless thing is
the first project most of us make. d8-)

Have fun. Make a bushing now that the useless cylinder fits into. Then
you'll have two useless things that fit together. That's when it really
gets satisfying.


I started with the bushings - to fit the knobs on the tailstock of the said
lathe...

--
Michael Koblic
Campbell River, BC

On Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:07:22 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
wrote:


So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

If memory serves I drilled a piece of 1/8" plastic for a bolt, mounted
it in the physics prof's Unimat, and turned a disk that was then used
to make an eyepiece (I was really big into telescopes at the time.)
Later I got brave and tried the South Bend that was in the corner of
that basement room. Never understood why it stopped so easily when
cutting, at first. Then I learned about the relationship between the
little pin, the bull gear, and the pulley. Worked a LOT better with
the pin engaged... :-)

Terry

Hummingbird feeder, of course? (There is a story behind that
comment....)

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Jesse" wrote in message
...

The first thing I tried turning on a lathe got confiscated
by my high
school shop teacher. He didn't buy my explaination that I
was just
trying to see what all a lathe could do. All I had left was
a little
bit more turning and the addition of a screen. ;-) I sure
am glad I
survived the 70's.

My first lathe project was in high school, making a screw
driver handle. Which actually was some what useful. The
screw driver ended up fitting the radiator petcocks at home.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
Ok, I am ridiculously satisfied with myself at the moment.
I took a
perfectly good stainless steel bolt and turned it into a
worthless example
of Vise Grip activity.

Santa brought a mini lathe to the La Londe household.
Unfortunately the fat
bastidge didn't bring any tooling. Wanting desperately to
play with the new
toy I cleaned all the grease off today and then began to
think about
different things I might use as a cutter. I can tell you
definitively and
with authority that a stainless steel bolt is harder than a
cheap cold
chisel. LOL.

HOWEVER, a broken 3/8 HSS end mill can be turned into a
crude mill bit by
liberal free hand application of a bench grinder and
quenching periodically
in oil as it takes shape. I then proceeded to turn a
perfectly good 2
dollar bolt into 10¢ worth of scrap stainless. I managed to
turn the head
into a nice cylinder, and even face the end square to the
sides before my
home made cutter got too dull because I pushed it too fast.
OOooh! AAaaah!

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal
lathe?

I have used a wood lathe to duplicate spindles and made
dowels in my drill
press in a pinch, but that was a whole different experience.
I am entirely
too satisfied with myself.

Probably a couple decades later, resulted in the arrest of
the new owner by ATF.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Bill McKee" wrote in message
m...


Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am
66 now, can not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning
a bunch of
cannons. Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a
cannon, boring out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and
making a breech
lock out of a large bolt. The bolt would take a
firecracker, or gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. Worked very well. Wonder
what happened to
them.

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
...
"Bill McKee" wrote in message
...

"Jesse" wrote in message
...
On Dec 29, 8:04 pm, "Bill McKee" wrote:
"Bill" wrote in message

...
On Dec 28, 11:07 pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

I remember very well the first thing I turned. After 25+ years, it
still sits on my desk. My first lathe was a very used SB9, with a 3
jaw, tail stock drill chuck, latern tool post and several 1/4" tool
bits. I had little to no stock at the time, so I cut off a 4in. piece
of 1 1/2 inch very rusty, very pitted round stock. I chucked it and
got the first inch turned down to shiny steel. Then faced it and
drilled it out some.

Was it useful? Well, it sits there and reminds me of my humble
beginings in the metal hobby. It also holds a couple of pens or
pencils. And it is sometimes a conversation piece. A non-machinist,
after being told what it is, will usually say: oh. A machinist-type
guy will say: OH!!!!!! Do you mind if I look at it. Yea, it has some
use.

I went on to make many enjoyable projects and repairs from there.

Bill.

Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am 66 now, can
not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning a bunch of
cannons. Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a cannon, boring
out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and making a
breech
lock out of a large bolt. The bolt would take a firecracker, or
gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. Worked very well. Wonder what happened
to
them.

The first thing I tried turning on a lathe got confiscated by my high
school shop teacher. He didn't buy my explaination that I was just
trying to see what all a lathe could do. All I had left was a little
bit more turning and the addition of a screen. ;-) I sure am glad I
survived the 70's.

My dad owned a major machine shop. And he liked guns also.

Where do you put the screen in a gun?

Oh!

In my high school people kept trying to make those in art class during the
section on ceramics. LOL.

In the mid 1950's when my brother was in high school, a kid made all of a
revolver except the cylinder. Teacher asked about it, and said you can not
do that here. Called in the kids dad and gave him all the parts and
instructions on how to finish it.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Probably a couple decades later, resulted in the arrest of
the new owner by ATF.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"Bill McKee" wrote in message
m...


Since I started using a lathe when about 8 years old and am
66 now, can not
remember the first thing I turned, but I do remember turning
a bunch of
cannons. Using 1.5" Round stock, making them look like a
cannon, boring out
to 5/16" so the 5/16 Ball bearings we had would work, and
making a breech
lock out of a large bolt. The bolt would take a
firecracker, or gunpowder
and a JetX fuse for propellent. Worked very well. Wonder
what happened to
them.




Could be. Maxi zip gun.

"Bob La Londe" wrote:

So what was the first thing you ever turned on a metal lathe?

Likely pins for a copy of a kant twist clamp I made.

http://www.garage-machinist.com/projects/Kant_twist.jpg

Wes
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller