Technical Show What You Made With Your Lathe

Impressive work there fellas!
And the welds look great too, Fabber McGee

Have made some off-topic projects over the years..... will have to look up the pics.

 

Remote water pump for my V8 motorcycle. I also cast the housing in my home shop

 

Titanium is also as bad!

 

A cad distributor


But what's a lathe without a mill?
timing cover for a Renault 2.6L engine

for that same engine the head end plate and knurled plug

 

Most of the bits in this picture

 

Zirconium is also bad. The trick is to not leave chips build up, keep the amount of chips in the pan small. Then if you do get a fire it will be small. If it burns try to get unburned chips away from fire and don't try to extinguish it with water.

 

I've got a bagful of magnesium chips squirrelled away for a bonfire with my grandkids - when their parents aren't watching.

 

ago--
They didn't tell you stuff like that in the trade schools in the early 70's, if they did I must have been daydreaming about hot rods and didn't hear it.
Worked 30 yrs. in this shop and never did many exotic materials but you are so right about mixing water and magnesium(burning) .
Shop had no Halon, and in the heat of battle; you do crazy things.
In addition to your above cautions, let's clue anyone that's considering working with mag. to never, ever cut without an insert chipbreaker, or a dull insert. The thin ribbon coming off the part will build up heat and it will be just like putting a match to a fuse and things get real ugly, real fast.
Boss was not pleased, everybody else said cool, early break, as this cleared the entire building including our engineering dept. upstairs.
Doug
P.S.-- ALLWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES

 

Where I worked in a research machine shop cut plenty of Zirconium, we were required to keep no more than a quart of chips on the machine. Then you submersed them in a 55 gal. drum mixed with anti-freeze and water. They had fires before and this controlled it. We also had this powder to extinguish a fire. I had a few minor fires. You control them by segregating the un-burned chips away with a chip brush and let the small fire burn it self out. The worst thing was to mess with the burning chips, better to not disturb them. The smaller the chips( bandsaw fines) the worst. Saw a machinist have a band saw fire and he brushed the burning chips on the floor. It was like fireworks, by the time the chips hit the floor they were out. Also another machinist had small amount of Zirc chips on the floor and dropped a set up nut onto it and it ignited. Lots of fun, but we knew how to handle it.

 

We manufacture pipe and tube beveling machines and build some very custom ones for doing zirconium. Customer requires us to have bags of salt on hand when testing the machines and to pack the shavings in for shipment back to the customer. Was told it will put the fire out by melting and smothering the flame. Haven't had an incident to try it out. The first time we cut it years ago it looked like fireworks going off.

 

I deal with magnesium all the time. Everyone I talk to says be sure not to catch it on fire. Since these are castings never get any real amount of chips. Do get some sanding dust but never had it ignite. Is that because it is usually very oxidized?
Did not know that about titanium, but never had enough money to make anything from it.
Is there a use for zirconium on hot rods?
I'm trying to buy a lathe now. I use one often but time for me to have my very own. Even Mrs. Gearhead wants me to buy it.

 

I don't think there is any use for Zirconium outside the nuclear industry.

 

If it's cubic, can you give it to your wife fore Valentines?

 

nice job on that distributor!

 

Overflow tank mine is a craftsmen bench top from the 40s

 

A lathe is just useful. I told people 20 years ago buying $2500 computers, then having to buy again in a few years. Buy one $2500 lathe and its good for your entire life. But most didn't understand the comparison. lol

 

Yep--The possibilities are endless
Pushers, Pullers, Primers, Drivers, Turners
Transmission storage plug
Wheel Spacers

 

More

 

Made this last night. It's a brass plug that fills the hole in my pitman arm on my Model A.

 

Really neat. I like it.

 

Really excellent ideas guys. Keep them comin'.

 

Seems like all I make is chips and cuss words with my lathe!!!!!

 

Been there rusty
Just like woodworkers say"measure twice, cut once"

 

In the early 80s, I read a blurb that chips from a machine shop cost a $100/lb to make. That seems outrageous, but I have worked many days drilling 1/64 holes through 1" stainless with a finger chuck. (work all day and be able to hold the chips in the palm of one hand)