In total I've turned 10 buffers giving me a success rate of just 40% but for my first lathe based project I don't think that's too bad at all. One thing I did learn is that I really want some resettable handwheels. In the end I resorted to facing off the brass bar until the dial read 0 so that it was easy to count out the other measurements along the bar. I also know I really want a collet chuck for holding small items as doing the final work with the buffer held in the 3 jaw chuck by the locating pin was fraught with problems and in one case I ended up with it clamped out of centre somehow which ruined the buffer when I added an off centre notch around the front face.
Anyway, I'm really happy with how these have turned out and in retrospect I'm actually quite impressed that the success rate is as high as 40%, I thought I'd go through a lot more brass than that before producing four usable buffers!
If it were easy it wouldn't take months to learn. Mind you when I started most of my time was spent sweeping up, emptying swarf bins and making tea. I went back to college after spending three weeks cutting the hard skin from valve castings for a skilled man to finish.
ReplyDeleteCollet chucks are the only way for work of this size if you need to turn a face.
I didn't realize you weren't backing the crosslide off to return. I should have thought of that.
I would be pleased with these, a clockmaker would be appalled.
For small stuff think about watch and clock makers practice. they often use hand tools and a tool rest. Must be videos on the internet.
These were worth all the effort and the next ones will be a stroll in the park.
Looks to me like your tool isn't sharp enough.
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