Improved outboard spider

[Brad]

I had an outboard spider for my lathe that I had made but I wasn't happy with it. The body was made of 6061 and the cross bolts were not square to each other. It would work but I wasn't satisfied with the quality of the build.
I had some 2.25" 12L14 on hand so I got to work.
Using my Sawzall I hacked off a 2.75" chunk.

After facing one end I turned it down a little to clean it up and reduce weight. I left it at 2.1" OD.

I removed the part, turned it around in the chuck and faced the other end. I needed a 1 5/8-16 thread 1" long. Once I got to 1.62" OD I added some layout blue and broke out the threading tool.


He threads ended up just a little snug so I had to put it back in the chuck and pick up a thread. I had never done this encore but it worked out well. Like an idiot I somehow made a much heavier than desired cut. Threads are a little loose but that doesn't bother me near as much as how rough they ended up. Dammit Brad.

It was now time to bore the thru hole. I used a series of bits to get to a 3/4" hole so my boring bar would fit. Taking .020 cuts iI finally got to a 1.2" diameter thru hole. His is big enough for any barrel I can imagine ever needing.

Next up was drilling for cross holes and tapping them. The first holes were easy. Just center the part and drill thru both sides. I got a neat little cheering tool for Christmas and it really helps.

Keith had suggested using a pin thru the first hole and some gauge blocks to get the second holes 90° to the first. I did my best Ian impersonation and came up with a viable alternative. I used the drill as a cross pin and let it sit across my vise jaws. A level kept it square fore and aft. Worked like a charm.

Other than the coarse threads I am pretty happy. Cross bolts are as close right as I can make them without a mill. Should be plenty good for my needs. This is far superior to what I made the first time.

 

[Stonecrusher]

Looking good. Half of working in a job shop is figuring out how to do something with nothing.

 

[KeithB]

Looks really nice Brad. I knew you would figure out the best way to make this tool. I always thought it was fun to make tooling so I could do better and different work, looks like you are having fun too. Good Job!

I like your center finder indicator for your drill press shown in one of your photos. Next time I have a few extra bucks I will include that in a tool order, it looks real handy.

 

[Brad]

That center finder has gotten quite a workout already. So simple to use yet so effective. It has made my drill press far more useful.

I considered a ring of knurling on the outer end of the spider for grin when screwing it into the spindle but decided that just wasn't needed.

 

[freebullet]

Lookin good!

 

[Ian]

How did I miss this? Great job, Brad!

Picking up threads isn't so bad if you use a flashlight and magnifying glass, and make sure you take up all the backlash in everything. The hardest part for me is getting the part true in the chuck again. I don't know how it happens, but I've had the "whoops, too deep!" thing happen a time or two myself, so I've learned to back off a few thousandths and do a dry run just to be sure before making a new cut. It's hard to really know where your threading tool is "at" until the half nuts are engaged and it's moving under power.

I like your level. I got a couple of little machinists levels that are hexagonal in cross section, real handy. Also I just got one of those tubing center finder thingies like yours because I'm so done with never getting a cross hole in the middle, it will be handy for drilling front sight holes in barrels and such.

Sooooo, is a .44 caliber barrel blank in your future????

 

[JSH]

I have a spider on my to do list. I looked at some aluminum and steel stock, man they are proud of that bigger stuff. I will come up with somthing.
My out board spider will have to be a slip fit. The threaded collar is also a nut that holds a gear on, and is part of my collet lock.
I had thought about making all of it up in two pieces. But to make it universal would be a lot of work for the convenience.

 

[Brad]

https://www.speedymetals.com/pc-272-8236-2-14-rd-cold-finished-12l14.aspx

23 bucks for a foot of 2.25" 12L14. I bet they have 1144 at a similar price, maybe a little more.

I have seen many spiders online that are a slip fit held in place with a few set screws.

 

[KeithB]

JSH - if you know what size and type of material you need I will be glad to check my scrap bin to see if I have anything that would work. If I do you can have it for the price of shipping. I keep some stuff around for small projects but honestly we are so cramped for space that sending a box of scrap to you would be good for both of us.

Edit to add: Brad you posted when I was typing. Not a bad price from Speedymetals. I made a spider for my manual lathe and then made bushings I could clamp in place that are a slip-fit for standard size stock. Just pull the stock through, it's a little faster when making multiple pieces and doesn't mar the OD. Might not be as useful on a lathe with a smaller spindle bore but I have a 2.25" bore in mine and running the screws in for 1/2" stock is a little awkward. Would definitely use the screws for dialing in outboard end of barrels and such but if you're just trying to keep the end of a long bar from flopping around bushings work great.

 

[JSH]

Brad thanks. I had them book marked from my ne of your other post. I did look and they were about the same as what was listed online locally. But, that is half price of what I looked at earlier this week!
Keith, thanks I will keep that in mind.
I am in the middle of another project at the moment.
Jeff

 

[Brad]

Keith, stock flopping around is why I have been limiting my purchases to 3' bars. At that length the flip hasn't been an issue but I did have a 6 footer that made me nervous enough to chop it in half.
Mine is intended for barrel work more than anything else. And yes Ian, I am looking at 44 barrels. Not gonna happen right away but the thought process has begun.

 

[KeithB]

Yes, you don't want to have too much sticking out of the outboard end. I have pictures somewhere of an 1-1/4" aluminum bar bent by 45 degrees when I had too much sticking out the end of my headstock and hit an RPM that was one gear range higher than I expected. I cut bars to 30"-42" long to prevent that and even then it flops a lot worse w/o outboard support.

I think in my new shop I will leave room for a bar feeder/support for the CNC lathe, that way we could use longer bars safely.

 

[smokeywolf]

Have used bushings more than spiders. Have even, when all the saws were busy, wrapped a rag around a long piece of round stock and stuffed it into the back end of the spindle so I could cut a piece off using a parting tool.

 

[Brad]

I can see where a bushing to fit inside the spider would be quick and easy. Leave the spider on he spindle all the time, slip the bushing over the stock, and push thru the headstock.
I use a few sizes most of the time so it wouldn't be tough to make a few bushings. I'm less concerned over the bigger stock than the snippy stuff like 1/4" Al. Bent a chunk of that once spinning it too fast hanging out of the spindle and it got my attention.

I have learned one thing with the lathe, if it scares me I don't do it

 

[KeithB]

I have learned one thing with the lathe, if it scares me I don't do it

Wisdom there.

 

[Pistolero]

Excellent job, Brad. I have never tried to pick up threads again. THAT
sounds pretty difficult.

Thankfully my lathe is the gunsmith model and came with this
feature, saving me a bunch of work. Now....will I do a barrel? I am thinking that
this loose 98 Mauser action that I have might like to become a rifle again. Trying to figure
out if I would actually use a .35 Whelen.

I was turning a too long piece of 3/16" stock.....learned that you shouldn't to that.
It bent, turned into a whip, ripped the nozzle end off of my spring-coiling air hose,
and gouged the sheet rock. A bit of excitement and a lesson. Don't leave skinny
stock long....cut it closer to final length. I shudder to think if I had gotten a body
part in the way, it was whipping pretty hard. The scar in the sheetrock is there as
a reminder. Cut off an inch of hose and reset the nut that holds it in place, good
as new. Lesson learned!

Keith, holy cow. Bending a 1 1/4" bar. That is a big yikes.

Bill

 

[Doughty]

It is my understanding that UPS charges extra for parcels over 54" (4 1/2 feet), so if ordering in foot increments, 4 foot lengths are the most economical.