Author Topic: Cowells Adventures  (Read 6646 times)

Offline b.lindsey

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Cowells Adventures
« on: February 04, 2017, 10:12:28 PM »
OK, since some of you (you know who you are) were giving me a hard time on the other thread, I just started a new one. Just as well, the old topic title wasn't appropriate anymore anyway.

After some rearranging in the garage, I at least have a temporary home for little "C". Enough to play around with it a bit anyway. That said, I found a stray piece of aluminum rod and went through facing, turning (both manual and with the geared feed), angle cutting using the compound, and so on and ended up with a tool height setting gage. Would be better done in steel but didn't have any handy of suitable size.

Anyway, got a feel for the handwheels, changing speeds, adjusting the compound, and the autofeed, so that is a first step. More adventures to follow, and as you can see it now knows what a bit of swarf is.

Bill
« Last Edit: February 04, 2017, 10:16:07 PM by b.lindsey »

Offline crueby

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2017, 10:18:07 PM »
Nice!!
 :whoohoo:

(Zee, Jim, pass the popcorn!)

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2017, 10:22:41 PM »
I trust you guys and Jo were not expecting a full engine in one afternoon  :lolb:

Bill
« Last Edit: February 04, 2017, 11:40:17 PM by b.lindsey »

Offline crueby

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2017, 10:38:21 PM »
I truest you guys and Jo were not expecting a full engine in one afternoon  :lolb:

Bill

Oh no! Not at all. We were going to give you the evening too....   :ROFL:

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2017, 10:55:11 PM »
Su..........weeet!  :whoohoo:  :whoohoo:

Jim
Sherline 4400 Lathe
Sherline 5400 Mill
"You can do small things on big machines, but you can do small things on small machines".

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2017, 11:12:17 PM »
Awe gee. It's all dirty now.

As it should be!  ;D

Engine tomorrow right?  :stickpoke:
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline philjoe5

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2017, 11:48:53 PM »
Nice!  Is this lathe on the scale of the Sherline?

Cheers,
Phil
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.  - Mark Twain

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2017, 11:59:31 PM »
That is a great adventure Bill.  Once again, best of luck with it.

-Bob
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My Engine Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/Notch90usa/videos

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2017, 12:05:23 AM »
Phil, slightly smaller perhaps but yes, comparable. The main difference is all steel or cast iron construction and traditional speed control and threading via the geared head and change gears.


Bill

Offline steve-de24

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2017, 12:59:44 AM »
Bill,
Good to see you've cut metal with it and the lathe's working ok.
One difference between yours and my older lathe is that Cowells have gone over to a more sensible dial marking for a metric machine. Yours looks to have 50 increments around the circumference of the dial, of 0.02mm each, with major intervals at 0.2 and 0.1mm.
For some reason my older dials are divided into 40 increments with major intervals at 0.25 and 0.125mm - I suspect they couldn't resist  overlooking that 0.025mm = 0.001 inch. However there has been the very odd occasion when working in fractions of 1/8th of a mm was convenient.

Steve

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2017, 02:16:09 AM »
You are correct Steve, 50 divisions per rev. with major divisions at .2, .4, .6, .8, and 0 and intermediate marks at .1, .3, .5,.7, and .9 (less numbers) and smaller lines at each .02mm.

Bill


Online Kim

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2017, 05:42:48 AM »
Very nice Bill!  And congratulations again on your newest addition! :)
Kim

Offline Jo

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2017, 08:03:37 AM »
 8)

The important question: how does it feel in comparison with your Sherline?

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline steamer

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2017, 01:31:05 PM »
Nice!    Smaller lathes have a feel all their own, and for small parts is so enjoyable to use.

Dave
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Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Cowells Adventures
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2017, 01:57:35 PM »
Jo, I would have to say it feels incredibly smooth overall. The lack of a true handle on the compound may take some getting used to but in use it is far more rigid than the Sherline compound which is a separate attachment without adjustable gibs. From a power standpoint I would say they are about the same, though I haven't tried the back gear yet. I suspect that will provide a lot more torque when needed. Today I want to give the collet adapter a try and the QC toolpost as well. More on that later.

Dave, yes I think the Cowells will be used more for those small fiddly parts and for making small fasteners when needed too.

Bill

 

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