16-04-2014, 07:45 PM
Hi,
Thanks Refugee; yes the points you mention can cause lathe chatter as can many more such as blunt tool or tool not on center height. Experience helps a great deal and a lathe novice would think taking a lighter cut would eliminate chatter but a tool likes to get its nose into the work whereas a light cut can tend to rub rather than cut especially if the tool isn't in good condition and set correctly.
I went into the garage this morning full of enthusiasm in the hope of quickly joining the drive belts; by dinner time I had failed miserably. I had spent ages cleaning up angle iron and strips of metal to use as belt jointing clamps but in practice although I could easily control joint length each time I tried to nip the joint together it moved out of alignment; the hot hide glue was behaving like a lubricant. Grease proof paper was being used to prevent the glue sticking where it wasn't wanted and this paper was mostly to blame for the failure because it was hiding the glued joint. The idea was good but in practice didn't work as expected; I abandoned this method.
After dinner having given the problem some thought I set about making a pair of wooden belt clamps. These two clamps being about as simple as possible to make whilst giving perfect belt alignment. Each clamp was made as a channel to give a friction but not tight fit to the belt sides and two plywood strips were cut to act as pressure pads. Once the wooden clamps were made they were given a heavy coating of "Briwax" wax polish ensuring all the contact surfaces were fully covered then excess wax was removed and the clamps given a good buffing with a clean cloth this also applies to the pressure pads.
The hot hide glue was warmed until it flowed from the brush without breaking into blobs; one end of the belt was inserted into the clamp channel and both belt ends were quickly given a generous coat of hide glue then the joint was quickly clamped. The motor belt could be joined at the bench but the mandrel belt needed jointing on the lathe; I expected the mandrel belt to give me a lot of grief but in fact these clamps worked very well indeed. Both belts are now fully jointed but I'll leave the clamps in place for at least a full day then fingers crossed I've got the belt lengths correct and at last I can try to power the lathe. I've just cleaned the tools and I'm a bit stuck now until the glue hardens; tomorrow I could start sorting the three guards out; the Lorch is just about completed; guards to add and adjustments to be made; check all fasteners then I've got a lovely lathe all ready for some action.
Kind regards, Col.
Thanks Refugee; yes the points you mention can cause lathe chatter as can many more such as blunt tool or tool not on center height. Experience helps a great deal and a lathe novice would think taking a lighter cut would eliminate chatter but a tool likes to get its nose into the work whereas a light cut can tend to rub rather than cut especially if the tool isn't in good condition and set correctly.
I went into the garage this morning full of enthusiasm in the hope of quickly joining the drive belts; by dinner time I had failed miserably. I had spent ages cleaning up angle iron and strips of metal to use as belt jointing clamps but in practice although I could easily control joint length each time I tried to nip the joint together it moved out of alignment; the hot hide glue was behaving like a lubricant. Grease proof paper was being used to prevent the glue sticking where it wasn't wanted and this paper was mostly to blame for the failure because it was hiding the glued joint. The idea was good but in practice didn't work as expected; I abandoned this method.
After dinner having given the problem some thought I set about making a pair of wooden belt clamps. These two clamps being about as simple as possible to make whilst giving perfect belt alignment. Each clamp was made as a channel to give a friction but not tight fit to the belt sides and two plywood strips were cut to act as pressure pads. Once the wooden clamps were made they were given a heavy coating of "Briwax" wax polish ensuring all the contact surfaces were fully covered then excess wax was removed and the clamps given a good buffing with a clean cloth this also applies to the pressure pads.
The hot hide glue was warmed until it flowed from the brush without breaking into blobs; one end of the belt was inserted into the clamp channel and both belt ends were quickly given a generous coat of hide glue then the joint was quickly clamped. The motor belt could be joined at the bench but the mandrel belt needed jointing on the lathe; I expected the mandrel belt to give me a lot of grief but in fact these clamps worked very well indeed. Both belts are now fully jointed but I'll leave the clamps in place for at least a full day then fingers crossed I've got the belt lengths correct and at last I can try to power the lathe. I've just cleaned the tools and I'm a bit stuck now until the glue hardens; tomorrow I could start sorting the three guards out; the Lorch is just about completed; guards to add and adjustments to be made; check all fasteners then I've got a lovely lathe all ready for some action.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
