Close-up steady for Hardinge

[BillTodd]

I've been playing around cutting some small threads and found I needed a steady rest:

It works better than I expected

Handy when single pointing an M0.7 x 0.175 screw thread

[Rob.Wilson]

  what you playing at Bill    


Now that small 

Good idea having a steady fixed to the head stock    ,,,,,,,, dose the part run on the steel finger and brass arm  ?


Rob

[DaveH]

Bill,

Wow  that is tiny 
 
DaveH

[BillTodd]

dose the part run on the steel finger and brass arm

The top finger (actually chrome plated brass) slides back in an attempt to make the job visible under the rest (it's almost impossible to see what one's doing anyway) . It forms a 90° corner with the main vertical finger.

[loply]

Would it not be easier to use a die?

Pretty impressed that you managed to single point it.

[PekkaNF]

Really like design and the idea of placing it inclined position on the headstoc. Looks soooo much cooler than my contraptions.

What lead to this? Dies hard to find this size? Did die cruble the screw or did you look for a chalenge?

PekkaNF

[BillTodd]

It was just curiosity really; I have been modifying the lathe, adding a soft start for the dog-clutch etc. so I can cut a two start 12tpi (6tpi lead) for a milling cutter arbour ( which is at the upper limit of the pitch due to the stress on the dog-clutch/gears ) and, inspired by  a thread on the PM board,  I simply wondered what was the smallest thread I could single point on the Hardinge.  (The machine is so good at single pointing, I find it overall faster/easier than a die for most parts)

It is also an interesting exercise in tool sharpening, requiring a microscope to check the edges and shape. I've just ordered some super fine lapidary abrasive discs to grind small carbide tools with the aim to do a M0.3

Bill

[philf]

Brilliant stuff Bill.

Are you going to single point a nut to match? 

How many passes did it take?

I'm just going in the workshop to see how I could fit a similar steady to my lathe.

Cheers.

Phil.

[arnoldb]

Very nicely done Bill   

I'm also getting things ready to single-point smaller-than-M2 threads; Somehow M2 is getting to be far too big for some projects I have in mind, and the pricing on small metric dies are just insane.

 , Arnold

[doubleboost]

Amazing stuff Bill
I did screw cut some 3 mill (now i have a die)
Be best if i keep to the bigger stuff
It is nice to see it done though
John

[steamer]

Oh man!  Now you made have to go and add another project to the list!

 

NICE!

Dave

[krv3000]

naw that is good