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On Tuesday 03 April 2007, born4something wrote:

[ ... ]
Well, I did get the broken tap out!

Eureka! Great feeling when a broken tap is sorted!

It sure was!

Trying to get around that to bore out the center more screwed up my
boring bar and I am still trying to figure out how to hone it down on
the diamond lap - it looks right but doesn't seem to cut as before. I
had the impression that carbide would remove the part of the tap
sticking down into the bore - apparently not.

Cost me a few PCB drills to figure it out, but one pays for education
one way or the other :).

Hopefully there will not be a next time to experiment with the

alum :-).

Oh yes there will. That's unless you're about to quit and sell up
your shop! But with more experience you should go further between
broken taps.

Hopefully that is indeed traumatizing :). Painful lessons are the best
learned?

Color me optimistic anyway :).

All's well that ends well and I learned a bunch in the process!

Can't hope for much better.

Very very true!

Hey here's a laugh for you. I dropped into the local Bunnings
Hardware down the road looking for a tap. As a hardware chain they
don't rate in my books but they are walking distance. When I asked
where they'd hidden the thread cutting taps (I couldn't find them in
the self serve settup) they called the rep from plumbing. I started
for the door before I had to explain it all again... Stop laughing
Ian - they're taking over hardware in SA too!

Sounds like Lowe's yesterday, I asked about alum at the service desk and
spent 5 minutes telling the sales droids that "Yes, I have looked on
this isle, that isle and the other isle and that one too" Finally I
suggested he look up "alum" on the computer in front of him. Seemed to
surprise him that he could do that. Where *do* the get these
people?!??!?

Sigh...

Thanks & take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"90% of the politicians give the other 10% a bad reputation." -- Henry
Kissinger

Hi Mick,

On Tuesday 03 April 2007, Michael Walter wrote:

Hi Vicky,
Sorry about the tap,but you did learn a valuable lesson concerning
cheap tools..

Sigh, sure did :-(. Problem is at my current level of ignorance /
inexperience I really don't know what a good one is. Is spending $10+
for one from, say Enco, a "good one". Sigh, much to learn - the more I
learn the more it becomes obvious how little I know :-).

I have an ulterior motive for replying to you! Where
did you find the design for your centre finder?

I faked it as I went along :-).

Initially (in my ignorance and nativity) I thought I could just get one,
tape the button down and chuck it up :).

After the folly of that thought train became obvious I knew I needed
something that would allow me to center it. Not sure where the idea
for the mount came from, probably the mechanical center finder hacked
to hold the laser pointer (I got mine stuck in a end mill holder and
had to pull it apart to get it out - it was hollow for the spring
connecting both center and edge ends, just make it bigger to hold the
laser pointer :-). Some of the commercial ones out there are contained
in something similar so I am sure that provided some inspiration.

The initial idea was optimistic on the bored out center diameter, I do
need to update the drawing of it I posted to reflect that.

With the variance from straight on these things, it became obvious
really quickly that I needed much more room to move the
stuffed-up-the-snout laser pointer around in it to actually get it to
center. Glad all I had was a 1" round to work with, anything else
would have been too small I think.

HTH!

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and
murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit
suicide." - John Adams.

On Tuesday 03 April 2007, rancerupp wrote:

Vikki, I'm sure I missed it somewhere along the way but would you
mind telling me where you got the $1 pointers? Thanks. :)

Found them at a "Dollar Store" I just happened to see as I was running
errands. I don't even remember the name but I do remember where it
is :-).

These abound here in Seattle (popular because cost of living is so high
here :-). Bargain Bin, 99 cents store and probably 100 other names.

Really cheap Chinese stuff and ?almost? all of it sells for under a
dollar.

After wandering around in several of them and never finding any laser
pointers, I got bright and asked if they had them at this last one and
he had a whole case of them behind the counter :-).

HTH!

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
“He who does not punish evil commands it to be done.” --Leonardo Da
Vinci

Wow, what a pile of messages to wake up to :-)!

On Tuesday 03 April 2007, Ian Foster wrote:

G'day Vikki,
When you first reported on your laser edge finder developments you
said the beam size was disappointing. I take it from your pictures
that you have managed to narrow the beam.
Did you use a lens or a pin hole? How have you kept the focusing
device in place?

Upon the recommendation of John at GadgetBuilder I tried the pinhole in
a piece of kitchen aluminum foil which works really well to improve the
original spatter beam.

As for attachment, I used rubber cement on the end of the laser pointer
and the back of the aluminum foil - sorta like contact cement but
removable.

You can see this at the second entry under the temp stuff, specifically:



I've got an idea to improve on this using what is essentially a single
hole paper punch and the PCB drills. I got email from John that has
some pointers in it for improving this, but haven't done more than skim
it at this point (only starting on the second cup of coffee here :-).

To Others:
In Oz and now the UK Jaycar are selling Laser diodes with collimating
lens AUD9.95, or another module for AUD13.95. The forward voltage of
the diode is 2.3 volts so it could be powered from two AA cells
through a dropping resitor. Contact me it you need details.

MUCH better pricing than what I found, which was the impetus for using
the cheap laser pointers.

BTW I am NOT pushing Jaycar. I find their sales staff more useless
than those in machine tool stores. What is it about these kind of
people? (Other electronics stores are almost as bad, except for
Tandy) They act like they are doing you a favour by letting you have
some precious item from their personal collection. Haven't they heard
of up selling? "Do you want Fries (batteries) with that?" A few
questions about the customer's project would open up sales
opportunities. Thankfully I know enough (apart from the latest
gizmos) to intimiddate them back!!!
I'll write to Jaycar management.

Sounds like Radio Shack here (aka: rat shack, the floor sweeping
store, "How is your cell phone service" store, do you need batteries
store...) only somewhat better ;-). Where is the {some part} usually
results in the deer in the headlights look until you remind them they
have a computer to find out from. Etc. ...

Better get off the soap box before I get exiled to another group!

:-), I usually rant a bit coming back from a desperation run to rat
shack, problem is that the have it locally - overpriced, almost always
clueless sales droids, not great quality, but it will do when something
MUST do.

Heh, I'l shut up too lest we have to start a 2 person group over it ;-)
LOL!

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty
things" --Antoine de St-Exupéry

G'day Vikki,
When you first reported on your laser edge finder developments you
said the beam size was disappointing. I take it from your pictures
that you have managed to narrow the beam.
Did you use a lens or a pin hole? How have you kept the focusing
device in place?

To Others:
In Oz and now the UK Jaycar are selling Laser diodes with collimating
lens AUD9.95, or another module for AUD13.95. The forward voltage of
the diode is 2.3 volts so it could be powered from two AA cells
through a dropping resitor. Contact me it you need details.

BTW I am NOT pushing Jaycar. I find their sales staff more useless
than those in machine tool stores. What is it about these kind of
people? (Other electronics stores are almost as bad, except for Tandy)
They act like they are doing you a favour by letting you have some
precious item from their personal collection. Haven't they heard of
up selling? "Do you want Fries (batteries) with that?" A few
questions about the customer's project would open up sales
opportunities. Thankfully I know enough (apart from the latest
gizmos) to intimiddate them back!!!
I'll write to Jaycar management.

Better get off the soap box before I get exiled to another group!

One good turn deserves another.
Regards,
Ian

Andrew
The pound shops have a laser level for ?1, uses 2 x AAA cells. It is a spot laser shining through a prism to give a vertical line and has the push on, push off switch. see ebay item 170097006100

andrew franks <andyf1108@...> wrote: Malcolm, the little brass-mounted laser units are available from Maplin here in the UK, at about ?11 (add your own switch and 3v power source). The stock number is LE07H. Not as cheap as the US Dollar Store, but maybe worth a look?
Andy

Malcolm Parker-Lisberg <mparkerlisberg@...> wrote:
A much smaller centre finder can be made by removing the laser diode and mounting it at the end of perpendicular crossed flexures, rigidly mounted at the other end. Only two adjusting screws are then required, set at 90' to each other, giving independent X and Y adjustment, as the non adjusted setting screw slides across the flexure as the other screw is adjusted. The lasers in the cheap laser levels have push on push off switches and brass mounted laser diodes rather than PCB mounted diode. This has been on my 'to do' list for two years.

Victoria Welch <wrlabs@...> wrote: Hi Folks,

Got it together and almost calibrated tonight:



Under temporary working stuff - First entry: first prototype.

Initial results are encouraging!

Ended up having to bore it out more since these $1 laser pointers do not
have a vaguely centered beam.

Kinda pleased. Will sit down and finish the calibration tomorrow, was
kind of worn out tonight. Getting it close was a lot easier than I
expected it to be.

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"Walking on water and developing software to specification are easy as
long as both are frozen" - Edward V. Berard.

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Malcolm, the little brass-mounted laser units are available from Maplin here in the UK, at about ?11 (add your own switch and 3v power source). The stock number is LE07H. Not as cheap as the US Dollar Store, but maybe worth a look?
Andy

Malcolm Parker-Lisberg <mparkerlisberg@...> wrote:
A much smaller centre finder can be made by removing the laser diode and mounting it at the end of perpendicular crossed flexures, rigidly mounted at the other end. Only two adjusting screws are then required, set at 90' to each other, giving independent X and Y adjustment, as the non adjusted setting screw slides across the flexure as the other screw is adjusted. The lasers in the cheap laser levels have push on push off switches and brass mounted laser diodes rather than PCB mounted diode. This has been on my 'to do' list for two years.

Victoria Welch <wrlabs@...> wrote: Hi Folks,

Got it together and almost calibrated tonight:



Under temporary working stuff - First entry: first prototype.

Initial results are encouraging!

Ended up having to bore it out more since these $1 laser pointers do not
have a vaguely centered beam.

Kinda pleased. Will sit down and finish the calibration tomorrow, was
kind of worn out tonight. Getting it close was a lot easier than I
expected it to be.

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"Walking on water and developing software to specification are easy as
long as both are frozen" - Edward V. Berard.





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Thanks So much!!
--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "Chris Wood" <chrisw@...>
wrote:

Here's a kit that replaces the spindle gears with metal gears. The

gears

on the intermediate shaft are still plastic so there is something

to

break. They are the easy ones to replace.


Regards,
Chris Wood

LittleMachineShop.com <>
The premier source of parts and accessories for mini lathes and

mini

mills.
396 W. Washington Blvd. #500, Pasadena, CA 91103
(800)981-9663 * Fax (626)797-7934

________________________________

From: 7x12minilathe@...
[mailto:7x12minilathe@...] On Behalf Of JD
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 10:13 AM
To: 7x12minilathe@...
Subject: [7x12minilathe] H/L Gears



Is there anywhere I can buy Metal High/Low gears for the 7x12 mini-
lathe? If not where can i get the regular ones? Mine stripped

while

cutting steel.. Many Thanks

jonathan

John,

If you are looking for 11.4mm x 5mm button cells (**357, **44, *76
depending on the chemistry and drain) Radio shack sells 6 volt "n" sized
batteries which contain 4 cells. They might even offer the choice of
alkaline or silver oxide, it's been a while. Not as cheap as your pointers
but might be fresher.

Jeff

* REPLY SEPARATOR *

On 4/3/2007 at 5:48 PM John wrote:

The $1 pointers are available from (wait for it) your local Dollar
Store :-) These stores have slightly differing names but they're
common now. Sometimes they keep the pointers behind the counter and
you have to ask for them.

The pointers include 3 batteries of the type used in my DROs so the
pointers are slowly accumulating in my shop...

John



--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "rancerupp" <rupps@...> wrote:

Vikki, I'm sure I missed it somewhere along the way but would you
mind telling me where you got the $1 pointers? Thanks. :)

Rance

-
Demand Designs
Analog/Digital Modelling & Goldsmithing


jdemand@...
-

A much smaller centre finder can be made by removing the laser diode and mounting it at the end of perpendicular crossed flexures, rigidly mounted at the other end. Only two adjusting screws are then required, set at 90' to each other, giving independent X and Y adjustment, as the non adjusted setting screw slides across the flexure as the other screw is adjusted. The lasers in the cheap laser levels have push on push off switches and brass mounted laser diodes rather than PCB mounted diode. This has been on my 'to do' list for two years.

Victoria Welch <wrlabs@...> wrote: Hi Folks,

Got it together and almost calibrated tonight:



Under temporary working stuff - First entry: first prototype.

Initial results are encouraging!

Ended up having to bore it out more since these $1 laser pointers do not
have a vaguely centered beam.

Kinda pleased. Will sit down and finish the calibration tomorrow, was
kind of worn out tonight. Getting it close was a lot easier than I
expected it to be.

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"Walking on water and developing software to specification are easy as
long as both are frozen" - Edward V. Berard.






---------------------------------
Be a PS3 game guru.
Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.

The $1 pointers are available from (wait for it) your local Dollar
Store :-) These stores have slightly differing names but they're
common now. Sometimes they keep the pointers behind the counter and
you have to ask for them.

The pointers include 3 batteries of the type used in my DROs so the
pointers are slowly accumulating in my shop...

John

Here's a kit that replaces the spindle gears with metal gears. The gears
on the intermediate shaft are still plastic so there is something to
break. They are the easy ones to replace.


Regards,
Chris Wood

LittleMachineShop.com <>
The premier source of parts and accessories for mini lathes and mini
mills.
396 W. Washington Blvd. #500, Pasadena, CA 91103
(800)981-9663 * Fax (626)797-7934

________________________________

From: 7x12minilathe@...
[mailto:7x12minilathe@...] On Behalf Of JD
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 10:13 AM
To: 7x12minilathe@...
Subject: [7x12minilathe] H/L Gears



Is there anywhere I can buy Metal High/Low gears for the 7x12 mini-
lathe? If not where can i get the regular ones? Mine stripped while
cutting steel.. Many Thanks

jonathan

Is there anywhere I can buy Metal High/Low gears for the 7x12 mini-
lathe? If not where can i get the regular ones? Mine stripped while
cutting steel.. Many Thanks

jonathan

Yeah, I'm sure it is not, but I just thought that a Woddruff key might be used as raw material if one was so inclined to make your own rockin' holder. I use carriage bolts to make old style squre-headed bolts by turning off the rounded head, without using a mill (which I don't have yet!). Just thinking out loud. Ron. Keep makin' those lovely chips!


---- thb201 <hudakjm@...> wrote:

Vikki, I'm sure I missed it somewhere along the way but would you
mind telling me where you got the $1 pointers? Thanks. :)

Rance

--- In 7x12minilathe@..., Victoria Welch <wrlabs@...>
wrote:

Hi Folks,

Got it together and almost calibrated tonight:



Under temporary working stuff - First entry: first prototype.
Initial results are encouraging!

Ended up having to bore it out more since these $1 laser pointers

do not

have a vaguely centered beam.

Kinda pleased. Will sit down and finish the calibration tomorrow,

was

kind of worn out tonight. Getting it close was a lot easier than I
expected it to be.

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"Walking on water and developing software to specification are easy

as

long as both are frozen" - Edward V. Berard.

--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "Ian Foster" <fosterscons@...>
wrote:

I bought my lathe from Taig Machinery P/L in Canberra. A complete
package including steadies, 4 jaw chuck, TS chuck etc was available
for AUD920. Freight to Adelaide was AUD75.
Roger of Taig Machinery commented that he was having difficulty
getting the same quality machines for subsequent orders, other than
that he didn't offer much more information.

I really must look him up, but he's in a part of town I almost never
visit so it takes some organising.

Whilst my machine looks like a Real Bull, who knows?
Colour seems important to some, mine is a businesslike mid green,
very pleasant to look at!
BTW Ozmestore are noW selling minilathe packages for AUD598 which
includes face plate and 4 jaw chuck but no steadies or TS chuck. I
have bought a few things from them and they are OK but don't like you
walking in and looking at things. Had I waited until now I could have
bought my lathe from them and saved about AUD300. But would I have
had the quality?

I've been watching that listing - by my calculations ozmestore has
been shifting about 1 a week for at least the last 9 months. The
price was AUD655 up until only a couple of weeks ago. Even without
the steadies and TS chuck, its very tempting....

Cheers,
Andrew.

Hi All,

It seems HF made it official – you can buy the 8x lathe 44859 as a
Special Order item though their stores. Several members noted they
were able to do this using the 30% of coupon. My local store said no a
couple of weeks ago. I was told (e-mail) that "The special order
program was offered for a limited period only." I am not sure what HF
is up to but, it might be interesting to keep this in mind.

Maybe HF will list the X3 mill and maybe, just maybe, a good coupon
will also be available.

On a separate note – Cheers for HF – after 20 weeks, they said they
actually shipped the replacement screws for the lathe rests purchased
Sep. 06, delivered damaged in Nov. 06. There is potential here
<smile>.

Take care,
DBN

Hi Vicky,
Sorry about the tap,but you did learn a valuable lesson concerning cheap tools..
I have an ulterior motive for replying to you! Where did you find the design for your centre finder?
Thanks and regards Mick.

Victoria Welch <wrlabs@...> wrote:
Just to share the fun.

Got my laser edge / center finder holder all turned and bored out and
started drilling and tapping (4-40) for the set screw / power switch
holes. Went along nicely up until the final one (9th) where the tap
broke.

Nothing gets it out :-(. And of course it is one of the lower
(critical) ones :-).

I tried the 4-40 tap out of my little kit from the auto parts place and
it promply turned itself into a corkscrew :-). Broke too, but it was
soft enough not to shatter and I was able to get it out with vice
grips.

Sigh. I suppose that this isn't a real big deal since this is a "proof
of concept" thing and I can rotate the holder 45 degrees and put in a
new set.

Lessons learned: When wrists get tired from doing the tapping - take a
break rather than switch hands and cheap taps are a total waste of time
and money (now I know what a cheap tap is :-).

Only a minor setback as I now have the holder itself worked out and can
easily enough duplicate it.

Not a bad day!

Take care, Vikki.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K/7
"Windows, another fine product from the folks who brought you edlin." --
Unknown






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Hey here's a laugh for you. I dropped into the local Bunnings

Hardware down the road looking for a tap. As a hardware chain they
don't rate in my books but they are walking distance. When I asked
where they'd hidden the thread cutting taps (I couldn't find them

in

the self serve settup) they called the rep from plumbing. I started
for the door before I had to explain it all again... >Stop laughing
Ian - they're taking over hardware in SA too!

Too late John, Bunnings took over Hardware in SA years ago. I bought
my Frost taps from there the other day, good price. (Frost are OK
quality)
In SA the Bunnings stores have a tool section with its own checkout
partitioned off from the main store . I have bought a lot of things
from there eg the AUD13 drilling vices, reasonable quality drill bits
etc up to my bench grinder and drill press. They don't
sell "engineering" tools.
You had better get used to Bunnings, they are owned by West Farmers
who have made a strong bid in for Coles!
One good turn deserves another.
Regards,
Ian

Hi Ellis,

Naw. If you knew Bunnings you wouldn't even ask for a self cutting
tap. Even the thread cutting kind was a long shot. But I could sure
use a skyhook next time I get my 4WD stuck in desert sand with no
trees to winch off for a hundred miles! Got any 4 ton ones?

John


--- In 7x12minilathe@..., "Ellis Cory" <ellis103@...>
wrote:

John wrote.....When I asked where they'd hidden the thread cutting

taps (I couldn't find them in the self serve settup) they called the
rep from plumbing. I started for the door before I had to explain it
all again.......

I wonder if they confused it with a 'self cutting tap' ? They are

used here in the UK to plumb in an outlet, say for a washing
machine, without switching off water. A bracket is clamped around
the pipe and the tap assembly is screwed into the bracket. A cutting
edge on the face of the tap cuts into the pipe and seals it at the
same time. Many years ago, a friend of mine at a youth camp decided
to play a trick on one of the kids and sent him to a local store for
a 'sky-hook'. Unfortunately, we were in rock climbing country and a
sky-hook is the name of a piece of equipment. I try and make sure we
are all talking about the same thing now !!!

Ellis

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