Friday, Jun 9 2017
I have both a brass hammer and a soft (plastic headed) hammer. When I want to tap something into place in a lathe chuck or make sure a part is seated in the mill vice I find the handle of the hammers gets in the way more often than not. A piece of scrap steel that used to be the counter weight for a light on an arm looks to be just about the size I needed for the body of a handle-less hammer. I have to turn it down a bit to match the brass stock on hand that I’ll use for one of the hammer heads. I also have to order some Delrin for the other head.
![Threads](./t-171591537-0171.jpg)
Threads
![One end done](./t-171601646-0172.jpg)
One end done
The body has a rough finish at this point. I’ll make it prettier after I thread the other end for its head. Not that it will be very pretty. It is a hammer, after all. The threads are approx 17 mm with a 1.5 pitch. They didn’t have to match any specific spec, just each other. I was quite happy with the results, especially since this is the first time I can remember turning inside threads.
The improved lathe banjo I made makes setting up change gears for thread cutting much easier.
Monday, Jun 12
![Finished tool](./t-171631517-0173.jpg)
Finished tool
A bar of the generic acetal (Delrin) I ordered arrived this morning. I cut off a 30 mm chunk to turn down and thread. I also threaded the other end of teh body. When the parts were screwed together I turned down the acetal to match the diameter of the body, then skimmed a few thousandths off both head and body to clean up the tool. Good enough. It feels good in my hand.
![Lathe Tool rack](./t-171631521-0175.jpg)
Lathe Tool rack
This picture shows the light steel angle iron I riveted to the lathe back guard to hold my tool holders and tools. No more turning around and digging through a toolbox drawer to find the tool I need. I could use a few more tool holders.
Friday, Aug 11 2017
4” Machinists clamp
![Machinists clamp](./t-172231539-0199.jpg)
Machinists clamp
I’ve been busy scraping up the mastic on the garage floor that was left when I pealed away the carpet that had been there forever. Now that I’ve got it removed from all the areas I care about I’ve got some time to play with the lathe and mill. I made a machinists clamp. This one is 4” long and opens about 1 3/4". The jaws are not hardened. Jaws and screws have been blued.
I may make a smaller version. Not sure.
Friday, Aug 18 2017
3” Machinists clamp
I’m sure. The past several afternoons were spent creating 3” version of the clamp.
![3" body milled](./t-172281532-0205.jpg)
3" body milled
![Drilled and tapped](./t-172291501-0206.jpg)
Drilled and tapped
I started out by cutting a strip of 3/8” steel a little more than 3/8” thick. I squared it up in the mill so it was 3/8” square and about 3” long. The taper was milled at the same 10° angle I used for the 4” version. Holes were drilled for 1/4-20 threads in one piece. The other piece got a clearance hole and a partial hole about .200” in diameter.
![20 TPI Scratch pass](./t-172301331-0207.jpg)
20 TPI Scratch pass
![Test fit](./t-172301343-0208.jpg)
Test fit
I used 3/8” round stock. 2” was turned down to about 1/4” and then threaded at 20 TPI. Once the threads were cut the piece was cut off about 1/2” above the threads. The pieces were turned around and the 1/2” body was knurled. Unlike the 4” version I did not drill any holes through the knurling. Perhaps later if I find then necessary.
![3" pre bluing and 4"](./t-172301540-0209.jpg)
3" pre bluing and 4"
![3" blued and oiled](./t-172301557-0210.jpg)
3" blued and oiled
I put the clamp together. It clamps.
I took the clamp apart again for degreasing and bluing. I degreased with dish soap followed by TSP and a final wipe down with alcohol. WHen the alcohol dried I applied bluing. Once the bluing had set for a minute or so I washed the parts, dried them, and applied a thick coat of oil. The last picture shows the oiled parts.
Tomorrow I’ll wipe off the excess oil and put the clamp back together.