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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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New Proxxon lathe question #1
On 2012-03-04, Bob S wrote:
Background: I have been messing with camera lenses and was talking about getting a lathe to make some adapters and maybe learn something and have fun. (If I just wanted adapters it would be far less expensive to just pay someone to make them.) My wife pre-empted my dithering about the "best" choice and got me a Proxxon 230 as a birthday present. So now I get to dither about accessories instead. What is its native threading system? For most lens adaptors, you will want metric threading capability. O.K. According to this: http://www.proxxon.com/eng/html/24004.php it is metric. You'll want the boring tool set -- since you need to bore the center out of your adaptors. No need for the die holder -- you'll be cutting non-standard threads for which you could not afford a tap or die. :-) The quick-change toolpost will be a big hell as you switch between turning and threading tools (internal and external). Get extra holders. I see four total to be a good choice for what you want to do. Both the 3-jaw chuck and the 4-jaw chuck will be good to have. But the lathe comes with the 3-jaw, so you don't need another until you start milling with a rotary table. And I don't see that as needed for what you are doing. Hmm ... if you are going to make bayonet mounts (which many cameras use for their lenses), you will want the milling capability, and the rotary table down from the milling section. I don't see a rotary table listed, so you would have to get one from the Sherline folks to have one of reasonable size. No need for the collet set for what you have specified you want to do --but as you get to doing other things, it will me nice to have. The fixed steady is probably not big enough for most adaptors or extension tubes. The three piece thread cutting set for sure. (And learn to grind your own tools from HSS lathe blanks. So, my first question is hopefully simple; should I get the Proxxon splash shield / chip catcher tray gadget? It looks like a sensible way to reduce mess, but I have no lathe experience. Where are you going to be setting up? I don't see you needing to use flood coolant, so the splash part you don't need. If you're going to be doing this in the dining room or other living part of the house, the assembly could help control where the chips go, so you can clean them up more easily. I see you likely to be using aluminum and brass, neither of which really need flood coolant, and the aluminum can benefit from a bit of WD-40 spritzed on as coolant, while the brass cuts dry very nicely. Brass makes nicer and smoother threads, but it costs more and weighs more. If you don't already have one, get a shop vac to clean up the chips. And in addition to the listed things on that site, you will also need: 0) *Absolutely* -- safety glasses for yourself, and for whoever comes to look over your shoulder. Spares for when the original ones get too dirty to see through. 1) Micrometers in mm (since the lathe is calibrated in mm). At the least 0-25 mm and 25-50 mm. The maximum capacity of the lathe barely goes over 50 mm, so probably not the 50-75 mm one. 2) Thread pitch gauges for metric threads. 3) Digital caliper will be convenient for quick measurements and for converting between inch and metric dimensions. Typical inexpensive ones go from 0-150 mm (0-6"). They will eat up batteries quickly, so plan to use SR357 or SR44 in place of the original LR357 or LR44 cells. They will last longer, at least. Beware that the "off" button does not really turn it all off, just the LCD display. It still keeps running internally to keep track of when it is moved, so it has the right reading when you turn it back "on". You can't trust it to provide as much accuracy as the micrometers, but it is quick to use and read. 4) A scissors style knurling tool to allow knurling parts for grip. A "bump" style knurling tool needs a much heavier and more rigid lathe to drive it. 5) A bench grinder for making your own threading tools and other turning tools -- and for re-sharpening what you buy. Probably lots of other things, but these are what I can think of at the moment. Certainly others will think of other things. FWIW, I have made lens adaptors in the past, and expect to make more. I've even made some with a much less capable lathe. Good Luck, DoN. -- Remove oil spill source from e-mail 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 --- |
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