Flyboy Jim's Parsell & Weed Engine

[crueby]

 

[Kim]

Nice screws there Jim!

Ordered my lathe riser block set today in anticipation of working on the flywheels.  While I was at it..... the longer mill column sort of jumped into the shopping cart.  Christmas came early this year! 

Sounds like you've been a very good boy, Jim! 
I think Santa will be happy to bring you those new items on your Christmas list!

Kim

[Flyboy Jim]

My lathe riser blocks arrived last Friday, so I could get started on the flywheels (there are two).

I was a little apprehensive about chucking them in the 4 jaw by just the hub, so decided to make a fixture to hold them.





I could then mount the rough casting on this fixture and chuck it in the 4 jaw. This would let me center it for turning.





This setup worked great.............except..............why does there always have to be an "EXCEPT"! The riser tool holder that came with my riser blocks only accepts 1/4" tools and all my good A R Warner lathe tools are 3/8". There's a 3/8" riser tool holder available, but I didn't have it. I will soon! Anyway, I had some 1/4" tools that came with my lathe, so pressed them into service. They sort of worked and required resharpening a lot (something I'm not real good at yet).
As Bill mentioned in his thread.......the Sherlines don't handle an interrupted cut very good. Once I got down to a steady cut things went better. I've come up with a solution for this issue which I'll show in my next post.



Jim

[Kim]

Your fixture looks like it worked pretty well there, Jim!
Did you turn it around and do the other side of the fly wheel too?

Kim

[10KPete]

Those Sherline motors must be very powerful. You guys seem to make some large parts without too much trouble. Your 'fixture' is a nice big faceplate. You will use it often I'm sure.

Pete

[Flyboy Jim]

Thanks.

Kim, I did do the other side, which will be the subject of my next post. As I said in my post, the Sherline lathe doesn't like a large interrupted cut (with marginal cutting tools) like this. I'll describe the solution shortly.

Pete, I dropped the Sherline into the "back gear" for the cuts. Well.............ok...........I don't have a "back gear" ................so I moved the belt to the lower geared pulley.  That seemed to help. This flywheel is definitely stretching the limits of these machines. However, as Bill mentioned in his P & W thread, it's enjoyable to work out solutions. 

Yes, I think my fixture will get a lot of use in the future.

Jim

[b.lindsey]

Nicely done on the fixture Jim. I may have to borrow that idea to finish up the second flywheel!!  It looks like the fixture eliminates most of the chatter too which was the main problem I had. I did find in the end though that a 1/4" carbide tipped tool seemed to cut best but that could have been a result of my set-up.

Bill