Saxophones Pork Tales: Saxophone Repair DIY Adventures.

Life around the barn.

Tales from a pig that likes to stick his nose into everything.

Paint that S. How difficult could it be ?

1) Search the net.
2) Find the color.
3) Order color.
4) Study task on University of YouTube, aka; For destruction by DYI presented by pro tech.

Do the cleaning & prep.

Paint and cleanup / detail the edges with hard cotton swabs. Sounds easy……

Yeah tha guy Matt makes it look easy.
Anyone remember your first experience cooking bacon crispy while still in the frying pan !

 

[mark_addy]

Yes I’m aware of this technique. Still worthwhile mentioning. Someone else may benefit from the technique if they didn’t already know.
I don’t have any 8 TPI taps . Besides the existing thread was ?? And not close to 1-1/2 8 TPI.
Most likely that chuck is for a wood lathe. Honestly it’s a pile of junk. I’ll probably use it as a faceplate only. I need a MT3 dead center or a MT3 to MT2 adapter.

My tap is 1-1/2 x 8, but I think the postage to-and-fro might be a bit prohibitive 🙂 (And I think mine is BSW form - that might be a concession to a UK development of a USA (South Bend) lathe). I could have posted you a sleeve too if you were a bit closer. I also have what we sometimes call a 'jumper' (MT2 up to 3), as it can be handy to be able to stick a big drill in the small tailstock and very-ground-down stubby old Morse drills are cheap on ebay and ideal for the job.

What don't you like about the chuck - are the jaws wobbly? It's slim, which can be nice but I guess might make it less rigid? I have a couple of similar old 'Burnerd' ones, a little deeper, which are (were) good quality but the jaws are not incredibly deep for the kind of oversize nonsense I sometimes present it with - so the 8" Polish (I think?) 4-jaw ridiculousness has rather taken their place.

 

[PigSquealer]

My tap is 1-1/2 x 8, but I think the postage to-and-fro might be a bit prohibitive 🙂 (And I think mine is BSW form - that might be a concession to a UK development of a USA (South Bend) lathe). I could have posted you a sleeve too if you were a bit closer. I also have what we sometimes call a 'jumper' (MT2 up to 3), as it can be handy to be able to stick a big drill in the small tailstock and very-ground-down stubby old Morse drills are cheap on ebay and ideal for the job.

Nice thought of offer, but I agree too. I’m good with just cutting with lathe. That tap here is well north of $100/£75. For once or three times use ? I can but a partial finished mounting plate at $65.

What don't you like about the chuck

The range of jaws have no overlap. Say a 4” x 4” square. No matter how the jaws are indexed you’re stuffed. They either lack in closing or opening.

 

[PigSquealer]

Ongoing lathe maintenance and upgrades….
In the furnished pile was a knackered dead center.
Grinding is the way to dress the point, but I don’t have a grinder attachment, so….

Using some stones from die grinder in tool rest.

Yes I checked the runout. And no I didn’t need to use a rest steady 😉

After multiple passes with coarse stone. I made a few polishing passes with a old broken fine stone.

The first stone used ⬆️ was re-indexed a few times. These flat spots will be dressed of using the dressing wheel next to it.
I did check runout beforehand.

The stones are quite rugged. They have to be for use @ 26,500 rpm.

Just before the finishing passes. I checked the runout again. .0019 wasn’t too bad at all for 4” away from chuck. Adjustments made and proceeded to final.

Checking alignment to tail stock.

Was it worth twenty minutes to save a $15 tool ? Yeah, I never leave a tool store with just $15 less in my pocket.
It works just fine too.

 

[mark_addy]

Great things going on here - I like the way you saved your centre. I tried to make a toolpost grinder out of an unwanted angle grinder which took odd discs, but the bearings were not good enough. I have a half-finished project for an alternative way to do it, somewhere, so this is a memory jog! Do you think your chuck would be more useable if you had some bits of flat bright bar to hand to use as shims? That can all turn into a bit of a juggling act I guess.

 

[PigSquealer]

Do you think your chuck would be more useable if you had some bits of flat bright bar to hand to use as shims? That can all turn into a bit of a juggling act I guess.

Depends on size, weight and metal to be cut. Roughing out a bit maybe. It’s a matter of risk assessment. Review, plan and keep your fingers crossed. Add some rubber chicken for good luck 🤪.
….it’s only time.

Got the 5mm through hole in my poor man’s collet done. Hard arse metal. Turned using back gear and HSS bits. Like 75rpm and, well to much time.

 

[PigSquealer]

I’ll add that I needed a few things for the house. Too hot & too lazy to venture out in the hot weather. ( I’ve been working 9-10:00pm to 3-4:00 am to beat the heat). Home goods ordered. Needed to add $4 to purchase on Amazombie purchase for free shipping.
So I added a MT3 to MT2 adapter and a MT2 dead center. Under $20. The new center…🤨. You can have cheap. You can have good quality. You can’t have both 😉

 

[PigSquealer]

No time to continue machine shop adventures. Two 1960’s MK VI baris hit the floor today. Need to remodel the bench to accommodate 1+ meter cannons…..it’s all small stuff 🤪.

 

[mark_addy]

What's disappointing about the centre? I've been lucky with most Chinese stuff I have gone for, which admittedly is 'not much'. My shed works on an ER25 collet set, for which I have a few different holders - they seem OK-enough. Drilling long holes is a pain - I have pumped soluble / mistic / whatever your slang for it is, which helps a lot in such a case (though I have never done enough to need to play with what we call a 'gun drill' with a hole down the middle). It's a sacrilege but my lathe bench is not quite level, which helps wonderfully with the coolant return arrangements!

(If I drew attention to my lathe bed's levelling feet, I would be lying by implication regarding my careful attention to their proper employment.)

I'm not sure I would put 'Mark VI' and 'hit the floor' in the same sentence; as a fairly-conventional religious person I am not supposed to have any truck with superstition, but... 🙂

 

[PigSquealer]

What's disappointing about the centre? I've been lucky with most Chinese stuff I have gone for, which admittedly is 'not much'. My shed works on an ER25 collet set, for which I have a few different holders - they seem OK-enough. Drilling long holes is a pain - I have pumped soluble / mistic / whatever your slang for it is, which helps a lot in such a case (though I have never done enough to need to play with what we call a 'gun drill' with a hole down the middle). It's a sacrilege but my lathe bench is not quite level, which helps wonderfully with the coolant return arrangements!

(If I drew attention to my lathe bed's levelling feet, I would be lying by implication regarding my careful attention to their proper employment.)

I'm not sure I would put 'Mark VI' and 'hit the floor' in the same sentence; as a fairly-conventional religious person I am not supposed to have any truck with superstition, but... 🙂

The center tip looks like it was finished by a grade school student using a hand stone & file. I’ll need to dress it before use😕.
My collet needs are 0,5- 3mm. and not often. Not worth $350 investment. Especially on an old lathe that’s-/+ 0,2(.0025) at new.
Drilling beyond 10mm / 3/8” diameter or depth. Yeah, lots of lube and keeping the bit clean & cool. Not sure, but I’m guessing gun drilling (specialty bits) starts at same range and up ? I don’t need but a passing hole. Something better than a bench motor. This being for long hinge rods that need reducing to accommodate smaller dies / threads.

“Hit the floor”, Slang, AKA goods came in / on the shop floor. The work area. Similar to on the counter, the “counter top”. A work surface or place where business is conducted. Product is transferred in or out. IE ; it’s sitting on the counter ready for pick up.
Or, “it’s still sitting on the counter / floor and I haven’t touched it yet.

 

[mark_addy]

You've reminded me that my tiny 'watchmaker' lathe (that's a grand term for something odd and basic - it has no change gears and just one speed for the leadscrew via a very strange worm-drive arrangement) has a solid spindle (!) which is really incovenient. I suppose I ought to make a spare, hollow one for the sort of purposes you mention. I did make a tailstock die holder, which is kind-of essential since it won't cut threads any other way. Then again I could just do that sort of thing on the big (which is to say, err, small) one in the shed as you propose.

(Thinking about it, I might have a spare MT3-to-3C collet adaptor/closer if that would fit you and if you could be arsed to make a draw bar and start collecting the odd rusty collet on ebay? PM me - would be happy to send if useful.)

Despite your safety-first discouragment up-thread, I just bought one of those cheap Chinese micro-torches to try to get over my hot-work phobia. In case my intended safety inspection with a cup-full of soapy water and a brush is not as conclusive as one might hope - it's been nice knowing you 🙂

 

[PigSquealer]

You've reminded me that my tiny 'watchmaker' lathe (that's a grand term for something odd and basic - it has no change gears and just one speed for the leadscrew via a very strange worm-drive arrangement) has a solid spindle (!) which is really incovenient. I suppose I ought to make a spare, hollow one for the sort of purposes you mention. I did make a tailstock die holder, which is kind-of essential since it won't cut threads any other way. Then again I could just do that sort of thing on the big (which is to say, err, small) one in the shed as you propose.

(Thinking about it, I might have a spare MT3-to-3C collet adaptor/closer if that would fit you and if you could be arsed to make a draw bar and start collecting the odd rusty collet on ebay? PM me - would be happy to send if useful.)

Despite your safety-first discouragment up-thread, I just bought one of those cheap Chinese micro-torches to try to get over my hot-work phobia. In case my intended safety inspection with a cup-full of soapy water and a brush is not as conclusive as one might hope - it's been nice knowing you 🙂

Your watchmaker lathe reminds me of a drill motor clamped into a bench vise. Whatever gets it done.

The MT2 with 1/2” chuck was under $10. Handy helpers. The MT3-3C adapter is available locally for $19. The drawbar / adapter set is $145 and requires some fitting. Rusty scared collets on eBay ? No thanks. New $15-$25ea , six sizes should cover my needs.
$250 will achieve what ?

Viewing the evening news I couldn’t get the sound turned up quickly enough. Something about a shed near Manchester ?

 

[Woodpad]

Recently they lost the mill and now the shed?

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WOd8f6ybNwg

 

[mark_addy]

Recently they lost the mill and now the shed?

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WOd8f6ybNwg

It would be lovely to have such space - unfortunately most of my activities have to fit inside a 12' x 8' shed. Practice time happens at the foot of the stairs, which is less-joined-on than most of the rest of the house and (thanks to a couple of coat racks) somewhat less reverberant than the alternatives - kitchen, bathroom or toilet 🙂

 

[PigSquealer]

unfortunately most of my activities have to fit inside a 12' x 8' shed.

What do you think the average work area is of most technicians ??
12’ x 8’ is more common than you might expect. Some get by with smaller work areas. Some stores/ shops are a just a bit larger than a workbench. I feel for these people…
My area is 9’ x 16’. You probably imagine a larger space. Like SquealWorks barn is massive.
Reality….
To work I have to move horns inside or outside sometimes.
I’ve had two customers here at one time. Testing space gets challenging. Often done on back patio that’s shaded. Neighbors don’t mind providing it’s before 8:00 pm. One neighbor actually said they liked hearing players.
I don’t allow playing before 10:00am or after 7:00 pm. None on Sunday. (If playing is needed they go inside the house).
Yes I’m open 7 days. Things happen on Saturday nights that need to be fixed for Sunday night.

 

[PigSquealer]

Oh, I did finish the lathe maintenance and poor man’s collet project.
New options on hand done.
The $9 MT2 Jacobs chuck now has a 5mm hole through it. All with good accuracy and now a straight arbor for baisic spindle chuck use.

The MT3 adapter has its benifts as well.

 

[PigSquealer]

@mark_addy I also have this MT2 attachment. A 3-jaw 3”(?) chuck with 3 rollers added. Basically a live center unit use in tail stock until now. With the MT3- MT2 adapter. I can quickly remove the rollers. Install the tool into spindle head. Then nd have

 

[mark_addy]

@mark_addy I also have this MT2 attachment. A 3-jaw 3”(?) chuck with 3 rollers added. Basically a live center unit use in tail stock until now. With the MT3- MT2 adapter. I can quickly remove the rollers. Install the tool into spindle head. Then nd have
View attachment 36296

Hey, that's nice. From somewhere I have (did I buy it? half make it? I can't remember) a live tailstock centre with the same thread on it as the lathe spindle, so it'll hold small chucks at the 'wrong' end - which I suppose is along the same lines. Half the time I make tools because a lump of free material comes along and I think 'oh, that might make a so-and-so'. There are some 4"x2"x14-ish bits of cast iron at work which got snapped as part of a 'reinforce CI with clever glue and carbon fibre' Civ Eng project for Victorian railway bridge remediation. I keep thinking I might make a boring table. I am middle-50s and still apparently believe my time is worth nothing and I have no cash whatsoever, as I felt at 20. I don't suppose that feeling is likely to change much now, and that's OK - everyone needs to find an identity somehow or other!

(I was going to make a wisecrack that my 12x8 is already full of motorbike bits. But then I saw the rear wheel and mudguard poking out in yours 🙂 ).

 

[PigSquealer]

Hey, that's nice. From somewhere I have (did I buy it? half make it? I can't remember) a live tailstock centre with the same thread on it as the lathe spindle, so it'll hold small chucks at the 'wrong' end - which I suppose is along the same lines. Half the time I make tools because a lump of free material comes along and I think 'oh, that might make a so-and-so'. There are some 4"x2"x14-ish bits of cast iron at work which got snapped as part of a 'reinforce CI with clever glue and carbon fibre' Civ Eng project for Victorian railway bridge remediation. I keep thinking I might make a boring table. I am middle-50s and still apparently believe my time is worth nothing and I have no cash whatsoever, as I felt at 20. I don't suppose that feeling is likely to change much now, and that's OK - everyone needs to find an identity somehow or other!

(I was going to make a wisecrack that my 12x8 is already full of motorbike bits. But then I saw the rear wheel and mudguard poking out in yours 🙂 ).

I love waking Dug on trash day. It’s like shopping at the scrap yard 🤪. Look at a bit poking out of one’s can and dream….what can I make from that ?? Bad addiction to have. Largely because the item price is affordable and I have reasonable labor rates🤦‍♂️

The bike number plate & taillight belong to a 1961 Matchless G12 650. The ‘73 Moto Guzzi, ‘69 Triumph outfit and two Yamahas sit in front of it. So I consider that as storage space.

 

[arbin]

I’ve got a 18 x 40 shed. Present from my incredible wife. Filled with bikes, many guitars, my horn, and the normal overstock of tools. One 10mm socket I’ve attached a gps locator though I’ll still lose it. What I don’t have is any kind of lathe and you guys are making me feel very inferior.

 

[PigSquealer]

I’ve got a 18 x 40 shed. Present from my incredible wife. Filled with bikes, many guitars, my horn, and the normal overstock of tools. One 10mm socket I’ve attached a gps locator though I’ll still lose it. What I don’t have is any kind of lathe and you guys are making me feel very inferior.

You sir have an awesome wife 🤩 That’s one heck of a gift !!
Funny you mention 10mm sockets. I think they have built-in a GPS blocking mechanism ?? A 10mm is the one and only spanner and socket I’ve replaced several times. Oddly my box has only one🤔
You really need a small lathe ! You really shouldn’t look at dealers like this for making a $50 part 😂

Lathes from LittleMachineShop.com

Lathes from LittleMachineShop.com are fundamentally better machines than most others on the market with better drive systems including powerful and quiet brushless motors, reliable belt drives that remove the threat of broken gears, re-engineered rigid and accurate columns on mills, and improved...

littlemachineshop.com