Can you machine Rebar with a metal lathe ?

[@Xynudu]

I put this video up, only after noticing there is nothing on YT regarding the subject. Plenty of talk and BS in forums, but no actual fact finding videos. I like to touch on subjects outside of the box, so here it is, and I hope you get something useful out of it. Cheers Rob

[@chrisconley3579]

xynudu dude, Ive totally asked myself this exact question. thank you. really.

[@licespray]

+xynudu We had to cut a thread in some of this stuff and it was a pain to do in regards to a nice finish. Here we are 3 years later and they still havent been used lol.

[@Xynudu]

It's interesting reading the comments on this video - the most by far of any video I've done. Some people just seem to miss the whole point of the video. The video simply asks and answers the question "can you machine Rebar". The answer is obviously "YES". End of story. I'm not suggesting you pass up on decent machine grade steel to use Rebar,. However, it's certainly not the most difficult material I've ever machined. Cheers Rob

[@jtjjbannie]

+xynudu Indeed you can. But rebar is common steel. It's not like a hardened steel. It really all depends on your application. Good video.

[@Jackle61]

+jtjjbannie Not all rebar is the same. There are different grades of rebar that have a higher carbon content which makes it much harder and a lot more brittle.

[@jtjjbannie]

Jackle61 That's good to know. I did not know that, but it makes good sense that there would be given all the different applications.

[@KingNast]

+MrTo YouBoy rude.

[@KingNast]

+jtjjbannie Way to miss the point. P

[@scottvincent7666]

I’ve commented on a few of these rebar videos already. Rebar is a trashy unpredictable metal. I use it often...therefore I know what I’m talking about. It’s good to have it around for a lot of things! Just be careful what you use it for. Any metal I can machine and weld I use. Just don’t overestimate rebar and get yourself hurt or ruin something expensive. I use it for fire pokers, coat and hat hooks. Air hose hooks, tent stakes and such. It could be machined to use as parallels or “go/no go gauges” and such. Never make a tow hook or pry bar from it. I would assume that spacers or thick shims could be utilized from it.

[@ssss-df5qz]

This reminds me of the cartoons where they make a singular bowling pin from a whole tree...

[@cannonball666]

Or a single toothpick. lol

[@tobiasgertz7800]

@@cannonball666 you beat me to it.

[@pyr666]

you are a braver man than I. rebar is the mystery meat of metal. not only will 1 bar be different from the next, but the metal can change across a single piece.

[@Xynudu]

+pyr666 Yes, the standards only apply to strength and dimension as I understand it, so the metal could have any range of elements in it. But it's still steel, and can be machined regardless of what's in it. It might be a bit more difficult, but I'm sure any half decent machinist could handle it OK. It's not my metal of choice, but the video simply shows that it can be machined, and 90% of what's said about Rebar in forums is BS. Rob

[@johnferguson7235]

+xynudu A very nice demonstration, I appreciate your videos because you have very practical demonstrations. You explanations are direct and the advice is straight forward. There are many applications where expensive high grade materials are just not necessary.

[@mrfrog3350]

Hello from Detroit.I just found and subbed to your channel.I like you Australians and your can do attitude.And the fact that you guys put superchargers on anything with an engine. I've never machined re-bar, but never thought that I couldn't.That stuff is always free on C-list around here. I love it when people want to give away metal that I used to pay for.I'm guessing you've watched MrPete222.I'm a big fan of his.

[@JamesDedmon]

Rob, you always show that the "experts" are not always correct. You ingenuity always amazes me on taking what some folks consider junk and make usefull items out of it. In the states that is what us country boys have done all our lives. Thanks for sharing.

[@Xynudu]

Hi James. Why buy when you can re-purpose ? Lot's of "experts" around :) Pick any subject. Cheers Rob

[@riflemaster1000]

If it's made of metal you can machine it. as the ol boys in my shop would say " there ain't nothing made of metal that's broke"

[@TomDaghdha]

I like your impression of forums, sums up a lot of what you read, often speculation rather than any real experience, and 'textbook' practices only

[@royreynolds108]

It is interesting to read these comments about reinforcing steel ie. rebar. Yes it is mostly high carbon steel because a lot of it is made from steel railroad rail which is high carbon steel. The rails are cut to an appropriate working length; slit under the head and above the base yielding 3 pieces from each length of rail; and then these pieces are heated and rolled to the desired rebar size. It is usually denoted in size by fourths of an inch. And yes rail can be brittle.

[@pitman342]

Good video. Have machined and threaded rebar many times for foundation anchors. Personally I prefer to use a 4 jaw independent chuck with it.

[@FredMiller]

Nice piece Rob. I really like to repurpose old material to new applications too. As I am building my latest model steam engine I used a piece of a 1.5" 2' long steel pin I found in Lake Ontario. I found it while snorkeling around the remains of a very old wooden pier that coal ships used to tie up to. The pier was over 150 years old so the steel bar is at least that old. It actually machined really nicely. Thanks for sharing your rebar video. Fred

[@Xynudu]

Fred Miller Hi Fred. Some of the old steel can be really bad, you have to judge it by the way it machines. I used some from an axle once and found it had hair line fatigue cracks all through it. Tossed it in the recycle bin. Luck of the draw. Cheers Rob

[@daveprototype6079]

I am also on the shores of lake ontario

[@martinaltria5863]

xynudu do you know how old the axle was ? it may have been made from flat stock and "blacksmithied" in to the round bar...

[@Xynudu]

It was very old - from a horse cart, so probably 1800's. The composition was very stringy, so it may well have been hand forged to shape. Cheers Rob

[@swarfrat311]

Rob, I like your use of re-bar. Recycle everything! It for some reason the handle on the chuck brakes, it's a simple to make a new one. Thanks for sharing the handy tip. Have a good one! Dave

[@4BoltClevo]

When I used to work for a steel mob years ago, we had 'r' bar and 's' bar. The 's' bar was used for swimming pools and was a lot softer so the steel fixers could bend it by hand to fit all the curves in the pool. I'm not sure if they were different alloys or whether the 's' was just 'r' bar that was annealed. The 's' was limited in what sizes you could get, and 12mm was the most popular. In fact, I can't actually remember if there were any other sizes other than 12mm.

[@Xynudu]

***** Interesting info. I'm sure there are many variations in Rebar. The stuff I used is 16 -18 mm diameter depending on how you measure it. The Bro-inlaw has some much larger diameter Rebar that he wants me to turn down as a replacement handle for his 6" bench vise. I haven't seen it, but it must be huge to reduce sufficiently for that job. Cheers Rob

[@Xynudu]

metalhead2508 OK. Duly noted. Don't want any nasty surprises of that magnitude. Cheers Rob

[@Xynudu]

metalhead2508 What sort of deflection (bend) will it break at? I've bent some to 90 degrees and not had it break. Will a straight bar break at a fulcrum point ? Cheers Rob

[@Xynudu]

metalhead2508 Ok. Thanks for that information. All very interesting. Cheers Rob

[@gregbrodie-tyrrell3473]

Rob, in earlier days I spent some time around users of concrete reinforcing rod. We called it "reo", although the Americans call it "rebar": because it's reinforcing bar, I suppose. But that aside, I have seen this steel modified for certain uses. I have seen pairs of blokes with what was obviously a purpose-built machine, which had two chucks at one end and two vises at the other end. Blokes in overalls and gloves (and probably bored witless as well) would pick up two six-metre lengths of reo, chuck 'em at one end and grip them with the vises at the distal end, and press a button, or hit a switch, or whatever. The steel rotated for an obviously predetermined time, and the result was that both pieces of reo were given a full-length twisting, which obviously work-hardened the rod, and gave it different bending resistance or "Young's Modulus" or something. (They would then chuck the twisted rods into another pile, grab two more, and spend the rest of the day wondering how to get out of this job, I suppose.) I have heard this stuff referred to as "twist rod", for obvious reasons. This work-hardening would obviously make the stuff more difficult to machine. Not all reo is treated this way, and the piece you used was obviously not treated in this way, because it had longitudinal ribs that were parallel instead of spiral. So the people who were saying "Nah, you can't machine that stuff!" may well have been referring to the work-hardened material rather than the product in it's "raw" state. You may want to consider this, and if you find a spiral piece of reo, try and machine that for comparison, perhaps? Not preaching, just sayin'...

[@Xynudu]

Greg Brodie-Tyrrell The ribbed Rebar you buy would I expect be what most people would use. I've not seen twisted Rebar, although a search shows Ransome bar was used early in the century. Interesting comment, but a new one on me. It would take a hell of a lot of force to twist Rebar to any significant degree from my observation. Cheers Rob

[@quantumbox01]

Thats a really nice piece of machining youve done there, a smart job :) I could learn a thing or two from your videos

[@waynepeden7400]

Grade 40 rebar is a little on the soft side. Makes it real good for bending to form cages and shapes for foundations but it has a tendency to smear when machined. Grade 80 is noticeably harder so it machines to a reasonable finish and can still be bent, if it's done carfully. Ungraded rebar is made from absolutely ANYTHING they find to throw in the smelter and is generally very brittle. It has a tendency to snap when a bend is attempted and don't machine worth anything. Hard spots, soft spots, warpage, you get the idea.

[@coreyshier7526]

Very Nice project. you gave it a much better handle than it had. Here's a suggestion: before taking it out of the lathe give it a little polish with some fine emery cloth as it spins.

[@johnferguson7235]

The higher strength rebar used in structural beams and columns is made with good quality steel. It must meet standards for elasticity, ductility, and tensile strength. It is hot forged. If you want to work with rebar look for the higher grade structural rebar (grade 60 or 75 US, grade 500 Aussie) not the stuff they put in slab floors or sidewalks.

[@ldwithrow08]

Rebar is just a mild, low carbon, ductile open hearth steel. Mostly it is designed to be easily formed into the shapes needed to reinforce concrete and with a texture that will grip the concrete after it sets up. It has pretty good tensile strength. But not much shear strength. No reason you couldn't machine it.

[@chaosopher23]

Whatever works to get a job done is a good idea. I was able to hold 0.002" on a 9" length of 3/8" 1018-ish steel on a South Bend 13" x 60" that had a 0.011" dip in the ways... still not sure how I managed that trick, but I did it consistently. That piece of chewing gum disguised as steel was then turned down to 5/16" and then threaded to 24 threads per inch for use as a lead screw in a positioning device. All with high-speed steel cutting tools! I made 30 of them with only two that ended up in the scrap bin. Lathe was born in 1930 and used a leather belt to drive it. It was fun to use! Now, I've got a Dalek project that I'll need to get a local machine shop involved with, as I'm changing careers to writer. Body is getting old, mind still likes to have fun.

[@9sec93lx]

That's quite the ambitious project there Robert. Turning down a # 5 bar all the way to 6 mm. I think I would have repurposed an old bolt or screwdriver shank in a smaller diameter. But it's good to know that you can use Re-bar for projects that don't involve concrete. Thanks for the lesson. Tommy

[@Xynudu]

Best Racing Tips Win At The Dragstrip I originally went through my box of high tensile bolts, but there was nothing of suitable diameter/length. So I used Rebar - it was a good opportunity to show the "experts" that it is possible to machine this stuff and get a reasonable finish. Cheers Rob

[@david9783]

Your lathe is very nice,and does not look so "cheap".I would be happy to own one! And rebar IS very tough stuff.Cheers from South Carolina,USA!

[@Gottenhimfella]

The only reservation I would share would not be about rebar itself, but just a caution to those who only have one chuck, if it's a self centering chuck in good condition (whose proud owner is keen to keep it that way for an extended period) Gripping anything irregular in such a chuck will eventually be detrimental to its gripping accuracy, and particularly to the parallelism of the jaws. By this I mean that they will probably develop a 'bell mouth', so that they do not grip right to the tips, and consequently it becomes easier to wrench the workpiece out when working without tail centre support. Returning to the first point, namely gripping accuracy: Self centering chucks are actually a bit of a kludge. The shape of the teeth on the back of the jaws has to be a compromise, because the teeth they engage take the form of a spiral, hence there can only be (at best) line contact, not face contact. Irregular workpieces tend to overload those contact patches, and over time, the scroll and the jaws wear more irregularly than if the chuck was kept only for bright-drawn, centreless ground, or turned workpieces. Four jaw chucks are much more rugged, grip a lot more securely (so they do not have to be overtightened, which avoids straining the jaws), and their accuracy is more a function of setup than of manufacture, so that would be my first choice for machining castings, rebar, and even black (hot rolled) engineering rounds. If all I had was a three jaw (a good one, which I wanted to look after) I would personally wrap it in something malleable, like thin lead flashing, or perhaps wrap some single-core copper conductor around it, at two widely spaced locations, before gripping it in the chuck.

[@bearsbugs]

Gottenhimfella Or get another chuck for the lathe and keep one dedicated for machined and cold rolled only, and the other dedicated for hot rolled steel and other rough stock. Once the one for rough use is worn to the point of useless it is time to get a new one for the smooth stock and use the old one for the rough stuff.

[@legaliseme]

+Bear Peterson indeed sir, can't believe this chap is risking valuable carbides on such a shoddy job though!

[@Daledavispratt]

Looks like that "cheap Chinese lathe" did a fine job there...and I'll bet if you need a part for it, it's not only available, but inexpensive too. Nice video.

[@davidendres7808]

Hey mate if you put an apple cider vinegar pertina on it it may not rust great video I have learnt a lot thanks

[@not2fast4u2c]

That turned into a nice handle !!! Now we know re-bar will work

[@justinavery9793]

Something is quite satisfying about watching that rebar turning down.

[@CARBIDE76]

I have machined rebar on my lathe, but due to the extremely rough surface, I find that a negative rake tool and moderate to high speed, low feed works well.

[@dominadorbudiao]

Rebar or what other terms as deformed bar used in building construction is machinable, but it will bend for prolonged used this is not compatible for a drill chuck key handle i am just sharing thru my own experience as a Machine Shop practitioner for almost 43 yrs of my entire life,,,i replace all of my drill chuck key handle by using tool steel rod without machining you can buy it depend on what size you need and walla all you need is to forged both end with a hammer

[@tonymengela]

Why are so many people anally challenged over this video? I think its a great representation of the fact that it can be used! seriously though if your worried about the hardness and equal composition, all you have to do is bur it in a fire and let the fire die. It will anneal it and equal out the composition. You can harden and temper it later. Ive made simple tools from rebar, even hammered out little carving knives that worked quite well actually. The problem we have on you tube anymore is people who are book smart but experience dumb.

[@weldor007]

+tonymengela Annealing rebar made from scrap doesn't really work and definitely won't "...even out the composition." Metallurgy doesn't quite work that way. You might be able to harden rebar slightly because it definitely has a higher carbon content than most steels, again, because of the scrap material used that often contains cast iron. It is terrible material to weld for the same reasons, high carbon content and inconsistent composition. It is difficult to thread with a die and very hard on tools. I can base that on 45 years in welding and fabricating. The man that explained that to me had an additional 50 years in the trade, beyond mine. Perhaps a better argument might be : If better material is available to work with, why would you use rebar ? Yes, you can machine it, if that's all you've got. During the Russian Occupation of Afghanistan, the rebels made musket barrels from rebar - good for one shot.

[@tonymengela]

Kevin Michael East have you ever done it personally?????? Or are you talking from some book? I have personally worked metal from making my own to machining Inside and outside machinist. I have done black smithing as a hobby. take your stupidity somewhere else. "some guy explained it to you" well he obviously never worked it... Sure its never the same from foundry to foundry but thats what you get to find out when you burn it and anneal it, the degree of how workable it is... What you book stupid people dont realize is the rebar itself has to fall within a hardness and flexibility standard to meet building code. So yes it may be different elemental formulas because of the scrap they are working from but it still has to fall with in a standard. that is why you anneal it to its softest base and see what you are working from... I did not learn this from some cheese dick or a fucking book. I learned this from REAL EXPERIENCE take your you tube degree and stick it real deep in your ass

[@KingNast]

+tonymengela I swear, some people like to disagree just for the sake of disagreeing. Better to ignore people like them, and leave the "doing" to people like us. It seems like people think rebar is made by throwing a bunch of random scrap into a crucible and hope for the best. It holds up buildings, for fucks sake. Like you said, it's made to a standard. Of course they're going to analyze every batch and adjust the formulation to meet their guidelines

[@tonymengela]

KingNast Thank you for your reply... it gets lonely out here,,, so many people idea and book smart but no real world knowledge

[@rlewis1946]

Really enjoy your videos! Best wishes from Buffalo, NY on this Christmas Day! Roy

[@Stefan_Van_pellicom]

I make the first cut on rebar a lot faster and deeper : 1200 rpm , 1,5mm doc and a feed as hard as the 2hp motor will take. That results in a clean cut and no broken carbide inserts.

[@Squat5000]

Good video! Such a simple topic, I am surprised that nobody else has done a comprehensive test. I have worked rebar before when I need to. I like carbide tooling with it, but it is extremely TOUGH. Most of what I have seen here in the states is a softer but far tougher material. Tool life is great, but part durability is even better.

[@Xynudu]

Cody Smallwood I centre drilled/bored some of this Rebar out to almost it's full external diameter, and it sure was tough and sticky to drill. The lathe was in bottom gear, even when stepping through a range of drill sizes. It's tough stuff for sure. Cheers Rob

[@riphaven]

i did this last week on my lathe, took me two days with my 7x10., next time ill try annealing the steel before i turn it see if that helps. but it was fun.

[@gc6329]

Annnnnnnnd uh- Lol I had too, anyways, I think it's kind of silly how many people in the comments seem to have missed the whole point of the video.. At the same time, it doesn't really surprise me lol. Great vid mate! Glad someone finally dispelled that silly myth

[@TrulyUnfortunate]

Why would you not be able to machine rebar? Some of the crap I cut in my 25 years as a machinist makes rebar a pleasant prospect.

[@NILESHKUMAR-xr9ng]

TrulyUnfortunate ...True mate. I deal with it every now and then for silo holding down bolts. Piece of cake to machine if you know what you doing.

[@Wooley689]

Strange finding this, I played with turning down some left over rebar a month ago. I was actually pleased with the turning and finish. Who knows what the stuff is. Have to be sure chuck is good and tight otherwise, as I experienced, the rebar tends to chatter when turning down the nubs which can loosen the jaws. Next I think I'll try to super finish the material to get a really smooth slick finish.

[@Xynudu]

Very little on YT about machining Rebar. It threads OK (for end plates) so it must machine OK. I finished off with a home brew carbide tip, but HSS would probably do a better job. The finish was still as good as cheap black (rolled) steel can give. So worth playing around with just to see. Rob

[@Wooley689]

xynudu I did find out from an old fella who is a blacksmith, as well as tool and die man, that rebar is high carbon steel so if that helps anyone out.

[@bpwkendall]

I appreciate the creativity mate. I'd just like to see the rebar cut on something better that a desktop lathe. But you have inspired me to give it a shot on my full size

[@Xynudu]

+Kendall Mitchell I don't see how a full sized lathe is going to make any difference on small diameter stuff like that. Rob

[@bobwarren3898]

Of course you can machine rebar. I have a center punch I made from a piece of rebar almost 50 years ago. I annealed the rebar in a furnace first, then casehardened the finished punch before tempering about an inch of the pointed end. Anything's possible with the proper techniques.

[@bullfidde]

great work! 👍 if you want to find out which grade of steel and the manufacturer of a rebar. just count the ridges on one side of it. cheers!

[@russelallen5342]

I make practice points for my arrows out of scrap rebar on my 1935 Craftsman lathe. Works good and the price is right!

[@W4BIN]

I am not a machinist, but I would have ripped all of the rough surface features and rust off with a belt sander before chucking it in the lathe. I would have drilled the button that he cut off and welded it on the end of the shaft instead of pounding it. I do weld.

[@mandiandsean2003]

Thanks for posting this. I had wondered the same thing for a while. Rebar isnt hard to find where I am and I have been looking for things to do with it. Not afraid to chuck it up and try making some things with it.

[@georgecurtis6463]

I learned how the safety switch works !

[@joegood164]

very gratifying video, thanks. Always wondered how rebar would turn.

[@AnttiHarri]

I don't know about machining, I'm just watching these videos for kicks but I do know about rebars. Most of them are hot rolled and the most common procedure (in Europe) is called "tempcore". The resulting steel is not homogenous: it's harder on the outside and more ductile in the core.

[@DaveSmith-cp5kj]

Some people act like part of the rebar is steel, and the other part is aluminum. Rebar is pretty homogeneous, and I doubt anyone will be making anything that remotely comes close to causing this piece of metal to fail. I have successfully used rebar in bolts of 9mm AR-15 bolt faces. If it is good enough for firearms, it should be good enough for whatever you are doing. Heck, I have even cut up rebar to shoot out of shotguns. They are a mix of metals, but it still is steel.

[@taunteratwill1787]

No, the lower grades are usually iron but you may call it steel. Personally i call it schlewakomiadronage.

[@raymondo162]

You may improve the finish if you use a cutting oil..............??

[@TerryTalton]

I'd have probably grabbed new steel for that job. Thanks for opening my mind to the possibilities a bit. :)

[@oldman6744]

I am thinking that the process of making the raised parts on the rebar may have had a work hardening effect on the out side of the rebar. It can be a lot harder then the inside.

[@Xynudu]

+Old Man It's hot rolled, so it's going to be harder on the outside regardless. Cheers Rob

[@thomascoughran1374]

Rebar is usually not on the radar! Great video...

[@jonahbrady744]

You could build the end up with weld instead of flattening it and machine it to match the other end would look tight

[@JimiHendrix998]

Good video... just a thought. ...would it not be better to grind off all the corrosion, seams and the external grippers to leave a cleanish cylinder - shaped bar using a disc grinder with appropriate roughing abrasives...you would not need to wear or damage your expensive precision tools of carbide or tool steel to remove the external excrescences. and could just use the lathe as intended. ....?

[@Xynudu]

ThePigvincent You could do that. My carbide tooling handled it quite OK (Mitsubishi inserts) but do whatever floats your boat. The video is just a demonstration of what is possible, and to put the BS artists to rest on the subject. Rebar is not something I would go out of my way to use normally. Cheers Rob.

[@2LateIWon]

Im not a machinist So take this for what its worth. But could you use and angle grinder while its in the lathe to get the ribs or irregularities off. Then make a few passed to true it up?

[@Xynudu]

+2LateIWon You could, but it would make a gritty mess that would be bad for the lathe. You could cover up to protect it, same as with a tool post grinder. I would only use Rebar if nothing else of suitable hardness was immediately available. The video example is only to dispel myths about the machinability of Rebar, and not a recommendation for it's universal use. Cheers Rob

[@2LateIWon]

+xynudu. oh ok good to know. I'm just starting to look into machining and I'm starting to gather information right now. I've enjoyed and learn alot from your videos and others. Thanks for taking the time to do so

[@davidsiebert8051]

Please sir, a question from a newbie... Would it be possible to discuss or add to the description some info on speeds and feeds??

[@Xynudu]

Hi David, it's been dealt with by many other channels eg, : kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKPGdaVojLRpftE I try not to double up on common topics. Cheers Rob

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

G'day mate. Top quality video as usual. I hope you enjoy the chuck key. I need to purchase three or four myself as even though I have a place to put my chuck key I never put it there. I find that you can get steel in many unexpected places. Like auto struts, each has a nice rod down the center. Thanks for the video.

[@Xynudu]

cerberus Auto strut centres - that's a new one for me. I must look into that. What diameter are the rods roughly? I have machined FWD car drive shafts. These are about 20+ mm in diameter, but the ones I machined (Mitsubishi) had about a 5 mm layer of case hardening over the entire shaft. Needless to say it made machining extremely difficult, even with carbide. Cheers Rob.

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

xynudu The diameter varies but should be close to 5/8 - 3/4. A little bit hard too.

[@Xynudu]

cerberus That sounds like pretty useful stuff. Would have to be quality steel to prevent bowing under pressure. Thanks for the tip. Cheers Rob

[@pjdambra]

Why did you cut off that nice shouldered end? Flatten one instead of two.

[@mikescott6052]

The Patons in Darra Pakistan have been making automatic weapons including barrels from rebar for over 100 years..

[@breakingtoast2255]

long sworf your old tafe teacher must be proud lol good job anyway mate great idea

[@denisatkins3145]

YES YOU CAN I HAVE DONE IT FOR 12 YRS, FROM 1/2 - 3/4

[@w8ye]

My experience with rebar is the material I had on hand was rather soft and very tough. The machinability index was poor. With this combination the finish was terrible and even a decent ratio (length to diameter) piece will bend on you in the lathe and cause a wreck.

[@Xynudu]

w8ye There are many grades of Rebar. The stuff I have gives a reasonable finish without much effort - as per the video. But I hear plenty of weeping and wailing from others not so lucky :) I just put up the video for comments, and all are welcome. Cheers Rob

[@lrs2856]

Old valve stems will be perfect for this task. Find one with correct diameter. Insert unto key, heat ends red hot and flatten end with hammer.

[@bluehandsvideo]

Nice! :) Reminds me that I want to fix one of mine. It didn't break, but it sure bent quite a bit. I have a slightly different idea in mind. I wouldn't have thought to leave the one end bigger and would have flattened both ends.......nice touch! :)

[@censusgary]

It seems like a ton of work to get a short rod of cheap steel. It's quite interesting, though.

[@Xynudu]

It was only a demonstration, that I used to make something. Purely to prove the no-sayers wrong. Cheers Rob

[@karlphilipp93]

I don't get it. I saw a movie on this in high school metal shop back in the 70s. It's known as Friction Welding. I can't believe no one has ever seen or heard or this before.

[@tonywalker8030]

So what you plan on doing with those shaving.

[@MrChisni]

Good Man , keep up the good work ...Melbourne down under

[@tonyw8001]

This is Australia it's called Reo

[@thegrimjeeper3427]

Crazy question could you not just use an angle geinder and remove the ribbed section and then use your bits to really turn it as to not ruin your carbide?

[@Xynudu]

Yes.

[@TheSuckerOfTheWorld]

8:40 Those are some really long chips.

[@cdrive5757]

Rob, despite my agreement that this project may seem to border on the old analogy of chucking up a tree trunk to turn a single toothpick, I "Do" get your point. I, for one , have never even considered machining that stuff. Probably because it looks so damn nasty and the scraps I've salvaged are always rusty, bent, and encrusted with construction "fecal matter"! ;-) That said, if it weren't for your video I would have spent the rest of my life ignorant of the fact that all ReBar are not created equally! I always thought it was all the same shit. Now I know it comes in various grades of shit! .... Sorry, I couldn't resist the humor. ;-)) Thanks Again! Wakodahatchee Chris

[@Xynudu]

We all live and learn Chris. That's what makes life interesting. No one knows it all ;) Cheers Rob

[@coreyschmidt1647]

Nice! I'm impressed with the finish you got. Not bad for a Chinese lathe. Its defiantly no Bridgeport but is definitely loads better than anything from china just 10 or 15 years ago.

[@Xynudu]

+Corey Schmidt That lathe is 11 years old. Rob

[@coreyschmidt1647]

Even more impressive

[@prairiewanderer5040]

+Corey Schmidt There shouldn't be a problem getting a good finish on any Chinese lathe, since finish is basically a function of tool type, depth of cut, and feed rate. Accuracy and repeatability is a completely separate issue. :) That said, for the average home shop user the Chinese lathe is more than adequate.

[@crunch9876]

+Dillon Flannery as is manufacturing from any country including US........

[@rdizzy1]

+Dillon Flannery "turning capitalist?", they were communist, not socialist, two totally different things, and the workers there have no rights, are paid like garbage, and are worked so hard that they frequently sleep at the job location. If they don't reign in the capitalistic greed soon, the workers will revolt.

[@leeknivek]

I really like your spring power feed cover. Did your lathe come with that - or did you make it?

[@Xynudu]

+Kevin Keel They came with the lathe. Really great item, but they do reduce your travel to the headstock by their fully compressed width. I did a video about them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4bcdKuvZtV0ba8 Cheers Rob

[@albertrasch4793]

Xynudu (and those of greater knowledge than I), Thanks for sharing this interesting piece of information, and taking the time to document it! Would it help if the piece was acid washed before machining to remove the rust and scale? Would that save on wear and tear on the inserts or HSS steel cutters? Thanks! AAR

[@Xynudu]

+Albert Rasch Yes, removing the rust would save wear on any cutter used, including carbide. Cheers Rob

[@mack255]

There is no such thing as scrap in my book . Until you can't get a hold in it anymore its usable.

[@UPGardenr]

Thanks for posting

[@burnieking1401]

G'day Rob! Was thinking, would it have been more efficient to attack the rebar on your lathe with an angle grinder first just to get it a bit smooth before subjecting your cutting bits to it? Interesting video, will have to remember it.

[@Xynudu]

+Luke Burnard Hi Luke. Yes, you could do that, or even use a bench grinder on it. Cheers Rob

[@grantw.whitwam9948]

Why not just use a small angle grinder to take off the rough.

[@Xynudu]

Grant W. Whitwam Do whatever floats your boat. Rob

[@gringoanon4550]

I made a holder for my angle grinder to fit on the tool post of my cheap Chinese lathe, after I dressed the grinding wheel, I could get down to tenths of thou, just like the old Universal grinding machines I used to operate. Funny what you can do if you have too, you just have to put shield under the grinder to collect the grinding dust.

[@1ton4god]

Because the last thing you want on the bed of your lathe is little chunks of abrasive cuz if they get caught between the lathe and the bed it will destroy it. I'm not a machinist but that's one thing my buddy has taught me about his leg is don't ever get a braces around leave. If you do make sure you cover the bed up and catch all the material that comes off of it.

[@southjerseysound7340]

@@1ton4god you can clean most of it off on a bench grinder. The main thing you want to get rid of is the 2 big ridges and some if the raised sections. After that it cuts fairly well.

[@bowtie4ever96]

would ceramic work? I used ceramic on a keyed pto side of a crankshaft to get it to 1" diameter to my surprise it didn't hurt the ceramic

[@Xynudu]

+bowtie4ever96 I've never used ceramic. Rob

[@bowtie4ever96]

it cuts nice and I mostly use a HHS bit

[@bluetoad2001]

excellent little project

[@111fishkiller]

Almost could have used additional support.

[@theshit1224]

so uh.. I started watching this video and uh.. well uh.. it's kind of helpful and uh.. relevant and uh.. I like his collection of scrap and uh.. I just wanted to say thanks for the vid and uh.. keep up the good work

[@Spamlure]

Thanks for your great videos, Rob. It's good to see your work. Just a question, though. Why weren't you using coolant?

[@Xynudu]

Spamlure Not necessary because I used carbide cutters for the whole job. You can use coolant with carbide, provided it's a continuous flood system, which I don't have. It's not recommended to apply coolant to carbide with a squirt bottle as it requires a constant application for the cutter to work properly/uniformly. Dry works fine. Cheers Rob

[@bearsbugs]

xynudu Have you ever tried a siphon mist coolant system? it will about double the life of your carbide vs running dry.

[@bearsbugs]

Bear Peterson but they are a bit of a mess.

[@wayneparris3439]

Rebar is poor quality steel, that is why no one likes to work with it. The last stop on the way to rust is rebar. It is very inconsistent, you may be working with it and all of a sudden hit a hard spot or a soft spot. You are much better off selling your current stock in exchange for some scrap steel of a better quality. It is NOT better than mild steel, it is worse, it is made from old tin cans to car bumpers and it is not well mixed. It is fine for holding concrete together but not much good for anything else.

[@Xynudu]

wayne parris I take it you've never had much success machining Rebar? Rob

[@member5488]

Rebar has set specifications like anything else in construction. The ASTM has classifications for rebar with grade 40, 60 and 75 having a minimum yield of 40k, 60k, and 75k PSI respectively. There is no reason to think of rebar as being any different in quality than any other mild steel that is the same alloy. I've never machined it, but all the rebar I have ever handled cut, welded, bent and behaved like mild steel. Also it's ludicrous to think that there isn't some level of concern for consistency in how a product behaves when it's performance is responsible for holding up bridges and skyscrapers, because amazingly, side walks, driveways and home foundations aren't where most rebar ends up..heh

[@Xynudu]

Dead right on all counts. Thank you for some serious informed comment. Cheers. Rob.

[@wayneparris3439]

Rebar is the lowest grade of steel. Purity is not a requirement, consistency is not a requirement, as long as it can meet the test for yield it passes. It is a mechanical requirement, not a chemical one. I have forged it and machined it. In both instances, it behaves poorly. There is a reason it is the least expensive steel available, it is among the lowest quality steal available. Sorry but that is the truth. Quality material is not expensive, it just costs a little more than rebar.

[@member5488]

You haven't handled much mild steel rod or bar stock if you think it's noticeably more consistent than rebar. I see obvious cobbled areas and have mild steel break while bending at similar rates. The last full stick of solid 3/4 I bought had at least two feet of obviously visible flaws in it. Is rebar high quality? No, but it doesn't seem much different than typical mild steel rod bought for cheap at the typical pipe and steel yards. Now if you want to compare it to anything that is actually considered machine grade, then yeah, it's junk, but thinking it's some how vastly inferior to mild steel is giving mild steel too much credit.

[@lisag2771]

How did you chuck it to minimize runout before starting? There’s no decent surface to indicate on.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Lisa, I could only get it close by eye, because there is no surface to indicate on.

[@lisag2771]

@@Xynudu I used a machinist square and the face of the chuck to get me close. I’m making some pin hinges for a gate. So it’s two parts and I’m concerned about them lining up.

[@Xynudu]

That's a good way to do it.

[@kikealvarado7366]

Tanto trabajo para al acabado final, caerle a martillados. aficionados!

[@hoseinqadam]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video :)

[@spiderfogz]

Those tools are stuck out pretty far on the tool post

[@markgrevatt4867]

Wow that's a really nice lathe i bet that wasn't cheap to purchase. Would love 1 if tyese lathe's

[@Xynudu]

Mark Grevatt Actually it is quite a cheap lathe - $1100 AUS new. No longer sold in Australia, but still available in Europe and the USA (Boltins Tools CA). It's a CQ9325 also sold as the HBM450. Cheers Rob

[@toast47624]

Forums inevitably devolve into a popularity contest. Nuggets of info can be found but you have to wade waste deep in a sea of shit to find them. I did my best to lower the tide line in a long range shooting forum years ago. Sadly facts get in the way of a good story. I eventually gave up. Your experience seems to line up with my own and I too from time to time machine rebar with about the same result.

[@Xynudu]

It's a pity, I totally agree, but that's the problem with forums. Unlike KZbin you can't hide the stupid comments. Thankfully my viewers keep comments interesting without any ego trip problems. If there is an issue it generally is from a non regular viewer out to make a name for themselves. Easy fix. Straight to the sin bin - all comments hidden for life. Cheers Rob

[@chaseme81871]

seen this video, and made me think of something i have allways wanted to know.... can you weld rebar? i have never tried,or seen anyone do it.

[@Xynudu]

+chaseme81871 Yes, you can arc weld it. I've done it plenty of times with an AC stick welder using GP rods. The welds have held up OK. The weld can be brittle though, so low hydrogen rods work best on it. There are probably specialty rods for welding it. Rob

[@Xynudu]

+chaseme81871 For best quality welds the Rebar should be preheated with a gas torch, but I doubt that gets done very often. Rob

[@chaseme81871]

hey thanks for your answer. i have always been curious.

[@michaelfarber6307]

rebar gets welded all the time. in the field and in rebar fabrication shops. I don't know about the process tho

[@MrChisni]

Of course you can,as long as you know what you are doing

[@oohsam]

This is fantastic! thank you bloke!

[@want2seeall]

3 R's. Reduce, reuse and recycle. What ever you have on hand and make it work.

[@farrellhunter]

While you were heating the bar to flatten the end why not then reheat to a dull orange then drop it into oil to case harden and help prevent the bar from rusting as rebar is notorious for rusting. Then again you mustn’t like your brother-in-law that much?

[@tonywalker8030]

I think I got it, use a red brick to remove the hard surface, then use the lathe.

[@tommytaylor2647]

hi rob what lathe are you using i am new to this and i would like some advice

[@Xynudu]

Tommy Taylor The lathe is a CQ9325 10 x 18. It's no longer sold in Australia but is available in Europe and the USA (through Bolton Tools CA). For hobby use a 9x20 or 10x18 is a good handy size. Smaller is OK as well. Once you go larger than 10" swing you lose the ability to work very small items easily, so think about how big you really need it to be. Cheers Rob

[@antoniolewis1016]

I tried to turn on captions because I couldn't understand anything this guy was saying. They defaulted to German.

[@tonymarshall5477]

not sure that does the 3 jaw much good

[@ZONNEKAT]

Question : Are you satisfied with your " cheap " Chinese lathe ? I want to buy one in the future .

[@ZONNEKAT]

I just found your other video's Thanks for the info !

[@Xynudu]

zonnekat Yes, it's a good strong lathe for the price and size. I don't intend to change it any time soon. Nothing is perfect, and obviously there will be weaknesses with whatever you look at. Cheers Rob