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Follow-up Question from Thread holder at GS 2015


WeekendMiniaturist

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(uh oh...)

 

I lost a screw for my needlework stand thread holder clamp.  I remember on the last day, I took it out of my case and was going to drill it so I could finish sawing out the center of it with the jewelers saw, but I did not complete this operation, and I definitely do not have this piece with my other metal items.  I got distracted by the clock... and started cleaning up, wasn't paying attention and probably threw it away.

 

In the instructions from the class, "Large Thumbscrew 1/4" brass"

 

What kind of brass do I purchase? 

I am hoping I can purchase brass from K & S from Hobby Lobby or train store.

 

Common Brass also known as rivet brass, cheap and standard for cold working (per Wikipedia.)

 

The Brass piece is turned, and threaded... and this leads to the next question... where do I purchase the 0-80 tap & die?   Is this a Rio Grande / Gusswein / Micromark item?

 

Thanks -

 

Tamra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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For both I would buy from Enco, this is a mail order machinist supply house that mainly deals with small shops and indivdals.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM

They have the 0-80 taps and dies. They sell brass, it is known as screw machine brass, free machining brass or alloy 360. They sell it in 6 foot lengths. You might want to ask on one of the Home Shop Machinists forums if there is a free shipping code for this month.

If that is too much metal for you try Metal by the Foot, they will cut it to whatever size you want. They may have a minimum

http://www.metalbythefoot.com/

Other options, use the larger 5/16" stock if you have an extra piece....... Or buy a 1/4" brass bolt at hardware store and turn it down.

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Thank you for posting the specific tap & die...I'm purchasing supplies and hoping to be back on the project next weekend - it is dependent upon arrival times of various materials....

 

Tamra

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Bill - I have another question please.  I didn't get to see Michael making his knurled washers for the rosewood stand.  I have *always* wanted to be able to knurl miniature pieces.   Did you make the tool?   

 

Thanks!

    Chris

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Chris, I'm not sure when Bill is leaving for his Tune and Paris teaching events... but I was looking at the Rio Grande catalog.  See page 309 for Lathe Millgrain tools.

 

I think this is the kind of tool that Michael was using.  Unfortunately I did not get a photo of a lot of tools.

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I spend a bit of time over the weekend looking at mill grain tools and found these ones

http://www.gesswein.com/p-3029-large-millgrain-wheels.aspx

And an interesting discussion on it here

http://www.bamboorodmaking.com/html/hardware_-_knurling.html

I am going to a local jewelry tool shop on Wednesday and am hoping they will have some of these, and then I guess practicing on how to use them will be the next step.

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Oh ... that is one sweet set of knurls... can't imagine finding them in a bottom of some drawer when I'm auction hunting... Please do not kick me off the forum for posting this comment, but I think we could easily CNC knurled patterns on round stock...

 

I'll add that to my class list of objectives at the local community college.  I went for a walk through on Monday... they are purchasing a 5 axis CNC at $135 k... I would not even need the 5 axis for the knurls.    I may become a perpetual student to have access to their machine shop.

 

Tamra

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Thanks for the link to your wonderful set Bill, I doubt if I will ever come across them here.

I went to the shop in Pretoria today, they had the small hand millgrain wheels, I bought one and just tried it out on my lathe at a slow speed and it worked great, the little hand wheels are also a lot cheaper than the lathe millgrain tools.

They only had one profile in different sizes, when I go to the US again I will invest in some more of these in the other profiles.

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Elga, have you sourced the handwheels?  Inquiring minds want to know... :).  I need a female bead for another project.

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Tamra, he said they only have the one profile, it looks like a female wheel to me, I looked at a few websites, none of them says anything really about the profile, just lists the sizes. I asked for the widest wheel which turns out to be a size 15 and France stamped on it. Oh and it is teensy tiny, you can scarcely see the wheel, this is going to be fun though :-)

Here is the best link I could find, I bought one with a square shank, I see here they offer them in round shanks as well.

http://www.gesswein.com/p-3028-french-millgrain-wheels.aspx?cpagenum=&sortfield=&sortdirection=&perpage=

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I just noticed that Bill mentioned a book in his PM post...looks interesting, there are some reprint copies on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Small-Shop-Profitable-Deventer-ebook/dp/B00NG0ADMQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435776404&sr=1-1&refinements=p_27%3AJohn+H+Van+Deventer

And one to download on Archive.org

https://archive.org/details/makingsmallshop00devegoog

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Milgrain literally means 1000 grains, and it was traditionally used on jewelry, especially on the edges of wedding bands in the first half of the 20th century. The profile is traditionally round beads or indentations, but they're also available in oval. I assume the larger milgrain tool with the rope is an adaptation. Knurling tools appear to have diamond shape, straight, or left or right hand patterns, but the ones I found are too big for miniatures. On a dvd I have of a clock/watch repair person, he takes a tiny diamond cut file and rolls the tiny nut under it to create a knurled edge. Less precise, but it did create a knurled surface that made it grippable. Gesswein doesn't explain the sizes, but Rio Grande does. Size 1 is 0.1mm. Size 15 is 1.5mm. Not sure what size 0 would be.

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Also, Mike Yurkovic said the tool they used in class was Pete Aquisto's. I've emailed Pete to ask the details but haven't heard back yet.

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I have made knurls using two identical files.  One file is laid on a flat surface (double tape helps keeping it from slipping) The piece to be knurled is held in a shaft on top of the fie. The second file is placed on top of the piece to be knurled (the teeth of the two files must run crosswise of each other). Hold the file in your hand and put pressure on the middle of the top file with your first two fingers. Push forward on the top file and allow the piece to roll. It takes practice but I can usually get a nice diamond knurl pattern.

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Thanks to you all for the information regarding materials and tools. Missy just reminded me of this forum this afternoon, and I was wondering about some of these same issues. Thanks again!! I just found a Taig locally, and was wondering where I can find the appropriate collet set(s) and drawbar. Does anybody have a used equipment they'd like to get rid of?

 

Thanks,

Michael

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Pete Boorum sells the Taig lathe together with the Sherline WW collets, think you have to specify though that you want it like that.

The tool Bill made for the class also uses the WW collets, I have lots of ideas for how to use the tool for all kinds of tecniques.

http://www.smallerthanlife.com/

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Thanks Missy and Elga for the information, that's exactly what I needed to know!

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Hi Michael, good to see you on the forum again.  I think the headstock has to be modified to accept the Sherline WW Collets and drawbar.  As your taig sits today, do you have the ability to put the Sherline 3-jaw or 4 jaw chuck on the Taig?  I do not know who the Taig is modified, but the use of the WW Collets with its drawbar, and that tapered "chuck" was a really sweet experience - as no jaws to hit your hands when you are working on tiny pieces.

 

As your taig sits today, is it threaded to accept a sherline  3 or 4 jaw chuck?  It appears that it all comes down to threading.

 

Elga, the indexing fixture was made to be used on a Sherline, Taig or Unimat.  If I recall, I think you have Sherline lathe, and mill attachment.  In class I used both the Taig Milling set up and the standalone Sherline Mill set up with the indexing jig... of course we did not have a uni in class, but I know one of the students did have a unimat. 

 

I ordered/ received my gravers,  and am in the process of making my own hand turned handles this week.  I have to go to the hardware store to purchase some copper end caps in 1/2" diameter - thought I would use a copper endcap as my ferrule... unless someone has another suggestion?  Yeah, I know that handles are not that expensive, but at least I'll see my bench, and it can be part of my goal to have 100 hours on my jet mini lathe.

 

Tamra

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Mike, please do not take this the wrong way, as I truly think we should all have as many lathes as the pocketbook and bench space allows, if you already have a sherline lathe, why would you want to alter a Taig to accept the Sherline WW collets?

 

(I'm confused.)

 

Tamra

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Tamra, you remember right, I have the Sherline lathe, but no mill attachment. I have the small Proxxon mill on permanent loan from our miniatures club since the beginning of this year as we don't like leaving the really expensive equipment at the community hall that we rent once a month as other people use it for other activities too, I will be able to use the indexing tool on the Proxxon mill though, so all good there, I am really looking forward to making the sewing stand and thread holder later this year.

I plan on using the indexing tool soon for doing dovetails on the post for the three legs of a tilt top table that I am teaching in Norway in October, Janne who is hosting the class told me last week that she bought the tool from Bill, yeah, now I must just remember to do the prototype to fit my metric collets and the class blanks to fit the imperial collets she bought from Pete!

A Sherline mill is on my wish list, right now our exchange rate with the dollar is at it's worst...and mini travel to either Chicago or Castine next year is first on my list of priorities to budget for!

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I don't think the headstock is modified for the collets - not sure, but the headstock simply requires a spacer to use the Sherline chuck. The threads are the same size, but the threaded area on the Taige is longer.

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