Over budget

[woodpig]

It's been a while since I'd done any wood turning and I decided to have another go but my old Lathe was much too big to remain set up in the shed. I decided on a budget of £300 for a new, smaller Lathe once I'd sold the old one. Having passed the old Lathe to a new owner I settled on a Axminster AT1416VS which was well over budget at the discounted price of £700! Still, it's a nice Lathe and I'm sure I'll have fun using it. I also decided I'd like some new tools but some of them are silly money for what they are so decided to make some of my own. It's nice when one hobby supports another!
This is what I've come up with so far. More to add to the collection as I feel I might need them!

 

[CHJ]

Very Smartly finished, looks like a useful collection of cutting options.

 

[chipmunk]

+1 - Very nice looking tools.
Are you using standard ER collets in your handles - they look like standard nuts? What sizes? ER20 and ER24?

Jon

 

[woodpig]

Yes Jon, ER16 on the small handle and ER20 on the larger one. Both in C16x100 chucks - £7.50 inc from HK.

 

[chipmunk]

Thanks, that's amazingly cheap.
I was thinking you'd made your own chuck from BMS and just bought the collet and nut. I guess that's still an option though.
I must admit I've been working on a monster hollowing rig knock-off recently with the hobby RCGT cutters you linked to the other day.

Sorry the pictures are a bit cluttered.
Jon

 

[woodpig]

That's a very impressive set up you've got there Jon!

I'm thinking I need to make a ball turner for my Lathe at some time. I have one for the metal turning Lathe but it can only turn small balls! :lol:

 

[chipmunk]

It works quite nicely but the undercutting performance needs a bit more work to get right.

I bought one of Simon Hope's bent cutter tips (mounted on the middle 16mm bar) and have made an articulated version (on the left hand bar) but that's quite long which is why I tried the cutter tips mounted on a piece of plate which can replace the articulated section but I don't feel I'm there yet.

I think I need to make a swan-necked bar. I've made these before in 1/2" and 10mm bar but never as big as 16mm but it just requires more gas I guess ;-)

I'm sure you could knock-up a steel version of Dave Springett's ball turning jig from Woodturning Wizardry and fit an RCGT cutter instead of the HSS scraper blade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9scH5rMySig

Jon

 

[woodpig]

These are the chucks from an eBay seller in HK. Price has gone up a pound since I bought them but £8.50 delivered is still good. Item number 0702105983768.

The shafts are only 16mm so you could easily fit them in a wooden handle, I will at some point.
The C16 ER20 is more useful as it takes collet sizes up to 13mm. The only slight fly in the ointment is that although both of the chucks shown are hollow the hole is only about 10mm diameter. This limits their usefulness somewhat unless you drill them out which is what I've done. I took the hard skin off with a glass drill then went s l o w l y with a standard 1/2" HSS bit.

Bending 16mm mild will take a bit of heat unless you're using stainless which will be a lot more tricky at home! I don't use anything over 1/2" if I have to heat and bend it.

 

[chipmunk]

Hmmm, if it needs drilling out and it's hardened it might be almost as well making the chuck part too.

I followed the instructions on Harold Hall's website for the ER32 collet chuck for my Myford and it's pretty straight forward really. One thread and a 8 degree flared bore. Then you just need the nut and collet.

I just saw that Axi have the swan-necked Big Brother shaft on offer at £25 so I've just bought one - that saves the hassle and gas
Jon