Jump to content

Turning a brass oiler


Bill Hudson

Recommended Posts

This is my progress of turning a brass oiler. I start with 1/4" brass rod.  To turn the tapered spout I first step turn it.

 

 

Then using the hand wheels fine tune the taper. I free hand turn as I feed the tool with the feed wheel I back off with the cross slide wheel.

 

post-35-0-27780800-1436917962_thumb.jpg

 

Then I use the same wheel manipulation to form the body.  First a series of steps then smooth the high spots with the tool manipulated with the hand wheels.  I do not use gravers. I have been using this method for many years and fine it easier and faster for me.

 

post-35-0-66556200-1436917975_thumb.jpg

 

Then the whole oiler is finished off with a fine file and wet to dry paper.

 

post-35-0-09014300-1436917999_thumb.jpg

 

The oiler is then reversed and held in a collet while I recess the bottom.

 

post-35-0-70614100-1436918013_thumb.jpg

 

And the final product with the spout slightly bent. 

post-35-0-87605400-1436918025_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a wonderful project Bill, and I'm looking forward to trying this someday.  Did you bend the tip with jewelery pliers?  the kind with rounded ends?

 

This is a great project for intro to metal turning...

 

Thanks!

 

Tamra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

​I'm not sure I would offer this as a introduction to turning class.  Turning the fine tapered spout is quite challenging. Your tool must be very sharp and right on and a delicate touch must be used.  If not the fine tip will climb on top of the tool and destroy all your hard work.  Destroying several in attempts to turn the taper quickly eats up the brass rod stock. (speaking from experience). Once I learned to coordinate the two hand wheels I was finally able to cut the long rough taper and then finish it off with the second fine taper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice Bill, and I find it interesting that you use the hand wheels to do the final shaping on your piece.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice Bill, and I find it interesting that you use the hand wheels to do the final shaping on your piece.

 

Well Elga,  I did not know about gravers until I met Bill R. so I learned to do it this way. For me it is actually meditative.  It requires my mind to be concentrated just there and no where else. If my mind wanders I will screw it up every time. There is just something about turning brass, the feel; I feel each wheel working as I adjust them to the shape I am turning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I was thinking that using the two wheels on cross cutting slide is like using an etch a sketch. 

 

If an oil can isn't a good intro to metal turning, what would be good rudimentary exercises in metal turning?  Should we start a new topic?

 

Tamra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking that using the two wheels on cross cutting slide is like using an etch a sketch. 

 

A good description. ;)

 

If an oil can isn't a good intro to metal turning, what would be good rudimentary exercises in metal turning?  Should we start a new topic?

 

 

Tamra

 

Probably the most popular exercise is turning a brass cannon barrel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our sons played with one of those cast iron toys with a cannon barrel when they were young.  I have no idea where that item is....for a miniaturist do we attempt to miniaturize it to the proper scale? or do we attempt to duplicate it at the present size? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are some simple cannon drawings. They did not scan well but the information is there. The scale bar is in 1' increments.

post-35-0-23748800-1438917816_thumb.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Bill for posting this example.

 

Oh goodness, how would I drill the inside of the cannon out?  I have a drill bit that I use for pen turnings, but do not know what is required for brass cannon.  I think this would be a very challenging first timer project.... hmmmm...so much to learn!  I think I could manage the outside dimensions.  Do you drill the inside last?  It would be my instinct to do the outside turnings first, then drill the inside, but I could imagine that the inside is tapered too to flow or be similar to the Outside dimensions.

 

Tamra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:rolleyes: Tamra the bore is straight, just like a gun barrel, it would blow up if the bore was larger at the back end. .  I would Hold the blank deep in a chuck and bore (drill) out first and then mount the muzzle to a live center. To start with I would probably go for small scale, maybe a couple inches long. Any metal cutting twist drill would work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh goodness... it is a good thing I'm not in charge of making guns.  <shudder>  I am not a pistol packing kinda lass... my only gun is a lead crystal pistol paperweight...If I have to carry and /or learn about guns, it is time to change my environment - but I am willing to turn a cannon barrel...

 

As you can see I've been living a sheltered life - my only dangerous activities are letting me loose in a fabric or fiber store and letting me play in the woodshop with all those saws with motors.

 

Nice links Elga, where do you find all of these links?  I think Youtube is amazing!

 

Thanks -

 

Tamra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pleasure Tamra...where do I find the links...I normally do a Google search, in this case I typed in turning a brass cannon...this was the results, the youtube links usually pops up first, next I clicked on images, I find that an image search takes you quicker to the type of websites you are looking for.

https://www.google.co.za/search?q=turning+a+brass+cannon&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAGoVChMIo9vf6MGZxwIViFo-Ch0uqQRY&biw=1024&bih=649&dpr=2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

The ReStore produced a fine specimen life size oiler for me today.  It was my $4 find of the weekend.  I can now reduce and try this project as I have something to measure!  I think this one is a kind of tin, as it doesn't feel heavy enough to be steel... but I will make my miniature of brass; and once I clean out the life size oiler, I will replace it with cutting fluid and it can remain as part of my bench.

Tamra

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/7/2015 at 9:45 PM, ElgaKoster said:

Tamra, here are youtube videos on turning a canon, part one and two

 

 

Discussion from another forum

http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/showthread.php?2721-Model-Cannon-Project-(lots-of-pictures)

And this one from 1798...just for fun :-)

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~kimler/hi322/Rumford-boring.html

I don't know what to say about this that would be positive. It is a very long, crude way to build it with a really crude end result. This could have been turned on a lathe is far much time with exact scale detailing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks Bill H for the review of the You Tube Video; I haven't watched this particular video.  If I make a cannon, I am more likely to use a written instructions then You Tube, as I just do better with the written word.  My friends in the unimat forum have sent me some links for the Cannon Project that included a Popular Science of Popular Mechanics article (one or the other) that resonated with my learning style.  I think Edestaal also made a cannon kit with instructions...   

My husband and son have been collecting the little buggers... cannons, at local auctions, so I have a a couple of models that I can look at too.  

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...