Lathe fun

[Pistolero]

I picked up a Lyman 55 powder measure a while back for cheap because it had no
outlet funnel/adaptor. Just a big hole in the bottom. Useless as it stands, unless you are
charging shotgun shells, or maybe .577 Nitro Express..barely.

So, I decided to solve another problem with my new toy. Having fun.

I think it turned in nicely.






Aluminum sure machines nicely. This will work for .223 up to .45-70, maybe .50-70, haven't
checked yet, made it a bit bigger than the original .495 to the edge of the outlet. I don't load a lot
of .50-70, so not a serious issue.

Bill

 

[Brad]

Looks very nice Bill.
Good looking knurl.

 

[smokeywolf]

That should do the trick. Nice knurling job.

 

[Pistolero]

Thank you. I purchase a new knurling tool, clamp type on the advice of my tool and die maker friend.
He pointed out that the normal tools are really hard on the spindle bearings.

This is the first use, and I am really pleased with how it did. $40 unit from Shars.

The other thing that I am learning is that different cutters, speeds and feeds make
a huge difference in surface finish. Aluminum is pretty easy, but this is as machined,
no polishing. That pleases me, too. Still learning, but making useful stuff during the
process.

Bill

 

[Ian]

I have a 55 but rarely use it because neither of the two adapters fit very many of the dies I use, so it sits mounted on a bracket with the others, and if I'm bringing the brass to it one at a time to charge rather than screwing into a charging die on a turret or progressive, might as well just use the Belding and Mull since I have both hands free anyhow.

 

[Pistolero]

I have only rarely have used a powder measure that way, although I know that the Lee dies are set up for the Lee AutoDisk
measure, and have an AutoDisk. It is the only one I have used that way, never even thought to make an adaptor for Lym 55
for the Lee dies.....HMMMM?

I just picked it up because it looked handy for some pistol test work, and was real cheap. Small capacity, seems like it
will be easy to dump and refill. I think I gave $15 for it.

I picked up a couple of Belding and Mulls cheap, too. One needs some repair to damage the previous owner did to the handle
pivot, the other works normally. I don't understand using the spring from a garage door on that handle, and in my very
limited testing it was remarkably inaccurate. More testing needed, after I get a more sensible spring for that silly thing.

Bill

 

[KeithB]

Very, very nice machine work there Bill. Good Job!

 

[Pistolero]

Thank you, Keith. I really appreciate that comment, knowing that you are an expert in that area.

Before you joined here, I was using my Lyman 450 die retention nut starter tool,
and was wondering how you were doing. Excellent tool, and I enjoy it every time I use it. Glad you
are back in communication on this new site.

Bill

 

[Brad]

My Lyman 55 is used for small charges. It does a good job with 3-5 gr of flake powders. Everything else is dumped by my Harrels. The cavity on it is such that small charges of flake powders don't dump very consistently.

Was that 6061? It turns nice but I learned to watch for build up on the tool edge. That gets to be a pain with gummy aluminum.

 

[RBHarter]

Take this at face value from an airplane guy mentored by a pipe fitter . My resume includes some other things but metal work was near my least favorite and what it seems like I spent all my time doing .
Keep your aluminum and stainless tools segregated . Tools used for steel or brass will pull/tear aluminum causing the gummy effect . Similar results are had with stainless . At least with drills , taps and dies .

 

[KeithB]

If I may offer a few tips for machining aluminum:

1. Flood coolant. Since our CNC machines get used almost daily, we use a water soluble cutting oil on almost everything. Never have a problem with aluminum sticking to any of our tooling. A couple weeks ago we were working in another part of the shop while the CNC mill was running with a 1/2" carbide roughing mill cutting some 6061. The coolant ran low, with cut went dry, the flutes filled with aluminum, and surprise!, no broken tool but it left a melted gouge for a tool path. The cut apparently got over 1220F and literally melted the part at the point of contact.

2. Cutting oil. On the manual machines and for hand tapping we use one of several good aluminum cutting fluids. To prevent waste we usually apply it to a cheap Harbor Freight 1" bristle brush (we buy them by the box in several sizes) and use that to apply it to the part. These types of fluids generally work at the surface and don't need to be applied thickly; a thin film is sufficient.

3. Negative rake carbide. The negative rake doesn't allow what is called a BUE (built up edge) to form as easily as positive rake tools.

4. Positive rake HSS and carbide tools. When we hand grind HSS tools we always take the time to polish the cutting edges after grinding with the same type of stone you would use to put the final edge on a good knife. The smoother the edges and faces, the less chance there is for the chip to stick in a groove or pit and start the BUE. Check the edge of carbide tools, any little chips or notches can cause problems.

5. Sharp tools. Aluminum is soft, and it can be cut with dull tools, but sharp tools cut cleaner, more accurately, don't push the part around as hard, and leave a better surface finish. Sharp taps, sharp drills, sharp turning tools are good things!

6. Control your feeds and speeds. Watch your cut, watch how the chips come off, pay attention to the force needed to cut. If the chips stop coming off cleanly stop and figure out why.

We love machining aluminum for lots of reasons. But when we don't pay attention to the details things can go crosswise in a hurry. Hope this helps.

 

[Brad]

That is awesome info Keith. My lathe tooling for Al has largely been HSS. I have found that sharper is better as you mentioned. I keep in my that BUE is a real possibility so I check for it regularly. If found I remove the buildup and rehone the edge.
I need to look into some cutting fluid for Al. Never bought any as I have machined little Al.

 

[KeithB]

You can get away with turning and sometime drilling AL without cutting fluid, but I've NEVER been able to tap aluminum w/o using cutting fluid, even with a new sharp tap. If there is a machine tool store nearby it might be worth dropping in and making friends. A lot of the local stores here get small bottles of new cutting fluids to give away for free as test samples. When used a few drops at a time even a small bottle will last most home machinists for a long time.

Barring that, try MSCDIRECT, They absorbed ENCO a few years, I order many of my machine tools from them. They have real good customer service, they helped me dig up a part for 20+ year old bandsaw I bought from ENCO.

 

[Ian]

I wondered what happened to ENCO, that makes sense now.

Bill: If you ever work out the Lyman 55-to-Lee PTE adapter, make one for me and we'll call it even on the scope mount. I have an extra like-new B&M handle if the pivot hole in yours is damaged, or you can bush yours and turn a new pivot pin. The "garage door spring" is no exaggeration, I run mine without the spring at all and just operate the shuttle manually. I don't see how those things could last with that much force being put on them all the time.

 

[smokeywolf]

Best cutting oil I've found for aluminum is A-9. Can be had from Amazon. I stretch my A-9 by mixing in about 20% kerosene. Tapping compounds for Aluminum include A-9, Rapid-Tap and paraffin wax.
When tapping blind holes I will sometimes mash some wax down into the hole. Run the tap down and the wax is forced out, carrying the chips with it. I don't know about now, but a half century or more ago, they used to sell boxes of these little cylindrical wax plugs (plugs often pinkish in color) sized for #6,8,10 and so-on tap sizes. On a fixture plate with lots of holes or a stack of parts, you drop the plugs in the pre-drilled holes, then "go to town" with a tapping head.

In my shop, when machining aluminum, I use mostly A-9 applied with an acid brush. The A-9 is safe in a environment with somewhat limited air exchange and has a very tolerable odor.

 

[Pistolero]

I bought this lathe tool kit from Shars, and I discussed replacement inserts with my machinist friend.
He pointed out the rounded edge inserts are best for steels, and I (thinking of sharp like a knife) was
looking at some inserts with really nice, razor sharp edges. He explained that they were good for aluminum
and brass, and for fine finish cuts on steel, but use the rounded edge ones for normal to heavy cuts in
steel. I had a rounded edge TiN coated insert on the holder, had been doing steel, so I replaced it
with a brand new sharp insert for this job. Drills are high grade US made, very sharp. The final cone
cut was made with a longer reach HS cutter that I ground a while back for another project.

I am amazed at the inserts available on eBay for dirt cheap. Like 10 inserts, shipped for $4.89 or so.
Direct from China, but they seem to be as good as any.

I still use HS for some things, but these have been a good deal and cut well.

Thanks for the tips Kieth, but I cut dry, with lower feed rates, it seem to be OK. I understand that if you are
making money with a machine, the name of the game is parts per hour, with the added
importance of tool life, so coolant absolutely necessary. The mess and complexity don't seem to
be worth it for my hobby stuff. Since I am having fun, going a bit slower isn't any serious problem.

For tapping I have some Boeing brand tap goop. A blue waxy, extremely soft paste. More like very soft
shoe polish than anything else I can think of. Like wax crystals in a liquid carrier. Got it years ago
through a friend, seems to work well for aluminum. I used a bit of ATF for the knurling lube.


Brad - no idea what it is, almost certainly 6061, but just a chunk of scrap 3/4" rod I had
in the stock pile.
Bill

 

[Pistolero]

Ian,
Give me a detail description or a sketch and you are on. I presume this threads into a Lee expander through-hole die, and
then will fit the Lyman 55? My Lyman 55 took a .560 diameter funnel neck, make sure that will fit yours, not certain how consistent
Lyman was over the years, hate to make it fit mine but not yours. Not exactly sure what PTE means. Powder thru expander
probably. I assume thread in, not just slip into the aluminum funnel that Lee provides, right?

Getting ready for a vacation, so may not get to it for a couple weeks, but may find time earlier.

Bill

 

[Ian]

I'm getting ready for a two week vacation myself, starting Saturday, I'll PM you next month.

Gojo Creme hand cleaner works pretty well for tapping aluminum, but it's slow going, have to break and clear chips about every revolution.

 

[KeithB]

Ian, are you using hand taps or spiral point taps?

 

[KeithB]

Bill, that's a really nice looking set of tools. I use a trigonal carbide tool (far right in your set) in my manual lathe for most facing and turning. Six edges and more strength than a diamond or triangular. The laydown threading tool (2nd from left) is what we use when threading on the CNC lathe, get the right pitch size full profile insert and you can cut beautiful, burr free threads that need little or no cleanup. The left and right versions of the third and fourth tool in your set is what we use the most for general turning and facing on the CNC lathe. If I'd seen that set when I bought my CNC lathe I probably would have bought it instead of acquiring tools one at a time.

You have stated you have a good knurling tool, are you set up OK for boring?

Smokeywolf, thanks for sharing info on tapping pellets, never heard of those before. A-9 is pretty good. Lately we've been using Sgt Brown's cutting oil, it works on all metals as well as any fluid, it adheres well so it stays in place (brushed on) and mostly because local dealer had some surplus stock and marked the price way, way down.