The Simplest Way to Make Gears on a Mini Lathe

[@lewsdiod]

Came in from being recommended your mini mill video, and I love appreciation (and tricks!) for the cheapo-end of machining! One can get far with starting small and upgrading and learning along the way - no need to be deterred by the sour chirps of pro-grade sturdy-birdies. Big ups to them for inspiring me towards these hobbies though, with those clean chips and slices and all. Thanks!

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

Glad you enjoyed! Welcome to the channel!

[@SoDakFab]

@@Someone_Should_Make_That samething for me. One thing is that you admit your mistakes, that is very admirable. We all need to fail before we can succeed. Cheese.....I mean "Cheers", lol.

[@emmanuelgillot2520]

Bro, respect for daring the spring washer joke

[@RichardBetel]

That one took me a hot minute.

[@king_james_official]

​@@RichardBetel huh? is there a joke hidden in the comment??

[@RichardBetel]

@@king_james_official You understand that spring could mean an elastic device, or a season, right? Personally, I was so shocked at the dad joke that I had to do a double-take to be certain he really did make a joke about using a spring in the wrong season.

[@king_james_official]

@@RichardBetel oh i did get it. very good one actually. i thought you meant that there's another layer of joke in the op's comment with the word "daring", but you were just talking about the spring joke

[@ImB4k4]

My favorite way to keep taps straight is with a spring-loaded tap guide. It goes in the chuck of your drill press or mill, and has a spring-loaded end with a tapered point. You get it and the part aligned, put your tap with tap wrench in place, and bring the quill down until the point pushes into the divot on top of your wrench or tap, depending on tap wrench style. It holds the tap straight and even provides downward pressure as you turn, and if you run out of spring travel as you go, just move the quill further down to follow your tap.

[@rlbrlb5109]

one of my first projects on my created on my mill was a spring loaded tap guide.

[@hg2.]

Well done! You are the envy of arm-chair/would-be machinists everywhere.

[@maddsmish]

Your videos are hilarious, thanks for sharing. I love all of the little jokes you put in.

[@sterlingian07]

Great video! I recently bought my first mini lathe so mess with at home and have had a blast. Best thing I’ve learned is to use ground carbide inserts for aluminum, the ones that have a mirror finish. They’ll be labeled TCGT with the G meaning ground. Good luck!

[@Lathegeek]

That's a great video! You asked for suggestions but I believe you conquered your project! Looking forward to more of your work! Thanks again for such an educational video!

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

Thanks for watching! Very glad you enjoyed!

[@bpark10001]

The tap typically has either a point machined on its back end, or a cup. Either way, you mate this with center on tailstock which keeps everything in line while you crank the tap (or hold the tap still while you hand-rotate the spindle).

[@rowdyriemer]

Recently, with a stepper motor project, I braided the wires between my stepper motor controller and my Raspberry Pico W board to cut down on the rat's-nest-iness.

[@quadpop4643]

If you use high speed steel in place of carbide it does well on the little lathe like you have and leaves a better surface finish.

[@bpark10001]

Forget the stepper, unless you gear it down a lot & use friction to keep backlash out. Or use it to make an index plate from thin aluminum. Use the index plate to manually rotate & index the gear blank. A wimpy machine can make tooling to handle high loads & provide high rigidity. (If you have XY small mill or engraving machine, you can make index plates on that, drilling a circle of holes in a disk.) Lacking that, you can laser print or use compass to mark magnified circle of holes, manually center punch & drill a GIANT plate (1 foot in diameter) to minimize errors, then use that on the workbench to make small plate which is more accurate & goes on your gear cutting setup. Always provide way to clamp gear spindle in position during the cut so the indexing device does not need to bear cutting loads.

[@Herr_Bone]

For fixing a threaded rod in the 3 jaw chuck, I use a long nut that fits the rod and cut in a slit. Then it is easy to fix it straight without a problem and with no damage.

[@ThisIsToolman]

Use a coupling nut and a jam nut to hold the all-thread. Also, you need to grind-in the 3-jaw.

[@DagoMongo]

This video is a perfect example of ADHD! So many side quests, that I forgot what I even wanted to do. 😂 Nice info. Thanks!

[@MadHatter123456]

You really got me with that spring washer joke :D Great content overall, subscribed!

[@teaes3248]

Great content. I appreciate the jokes and the this old tony styling. Also the Canadianness of it. Power fist indicator and Ziggys potato salad container in the background of a shot haha. Subscribed!

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

True north strong and free! Welcome to the channel!

[@whyiseverythingonfireagain1190]

As someone also running a very cheap hobby shop in the basement i got two pieces of advice: but a noga indicator stand. Yes they're expensive but the second you use it you'll understand. I have three or four of the bases you use but i wish I'd never spent money on them and just got the noga first. If i break it I'll replace it, I'm never going back!

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

This is a great call. It’s surprising how annoying dealing with the cheap stand is haha

[@whyiseverythingonfireagain1190]

@@Someone_Should_Make_That honestly don't get how I put up with the style stands your using for so long. I wish the noga had a stronger magnet, it's fine but I have one starrer base that's crazy strong. If the noga cost $200 it would still be worth it. I promise it will change your life

[@christianmontagx8461]

The flashing light reminds me to a hotel in Edinburgh I was 6 years ago with a girlfriend. Disco feeling in the bed room :)

[@GaryPArmstrong]

4 jaw-independent chuck will solve most of the eccentricity problems. Then use soft jaws to grip the shaft. Soft bits of Aluminium can do the trick. Don't use copper as it work hardens unless you soften it quite often. Brass is also good but expensive. The least known trick when machining Aluminium is use Kerosene and use a small brush to brush it on. You will not cause a fire but remove the aluminum swarf and kerosene and do not leave it lying around especially on rags. I would use HSS to cut aluminum and use 300 feet per minute to set the correct speed. The formula for machining different materials is feet per minute times 4 Divided by the diameter of the material. So if you are turning aluminum with a diameter of 40 mm, then convert to inches = 1.1/2"Dia. For Aluminium it's about 3 times faster than for mild steel = 300 feet per minute x 4 (4 is the Common Denominator for this Formula) 1200 RPMs but we must then divide the RPMS by the actual diameter of Aluminium to be turned which 1.5 " to get you RPMS. so 1200 RPMs divided by 1.5" = 800 RPMs using a sharp HSS tool with a neutral to slightly negative rake and brush on Kero or CRC also. when cutting threads better to put on the thread bevel before machining before cutting thread. Your clamping material was not thick enough to clamp your dividing head as I noticed one bending. There is a hell of a lot more knowledge that goes into using a metal lathe properly. With stick out on a lathe where practicable is to use a center in the end of a shaft, if it extends out of the chuck by 2/3s the length of the chuck jaws Now you can teach me to use CAD with my lesson to you about machining. LOL Just hope it helps as there is great danger when machining materials even on very small lathes if things are not secured properly as great forces are exerted from cutting pressures.

[@Chromevulcan]

Using an ER Collet will allow you to hold threaded rods

[@jacobjacob5898]

@ 6:21How I was taught to cut pre-threaded material was either to use a deep collet and pray your major diameter is nice and concentric or make a threaded bushing.

[@x_SSWRLSS_x]

i like the "this old tony" style to your video

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching!

[@Thelemorf]

If you have taps with a center hole, use a rotating center to center it instead of the drill chuck. That way you can have the tap wrench mounted and to the entire thread in the lathe

[@gregbetts8057]

"spring washer " oh so fucking sad ... spat my coffee half way across the desk , thank you for that fantastic bit of wit . great videos by the way , and canadian fella makes it much more interesting . thanks , keep it up

[@bewaretheintertubes]

It won’t help you with this current build but maybe it will in the future: your 3d printer is probably capable of making gears your metalworking equipment can’t (yet). Printed Harmonic gears can be very low backlash and double helical gears are surprisingly strong. Hopefully this helps me get some more content in the future!

[@zackman62t]

I just bought a cheap quick tool changer, its a life changer and for 120 bucks it pays for itself in time the first time you use it.

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

I’ve been eyeing one for a while now. I really should get one, they seem extremely useful.

[@midwestmotorbikes2696]

Def subbing for this kind of content. Brought out the Arduino and everything. I personally own a mini lathe and want to make gears so you def should do a follow up on this video and make like helical gears or something lol keep up the great content!

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. I’ll for sure keep that idea in mind. Electronics + machining is a whole lot of fun in my book!

[@Bigredkarl]

I am so gonna use that spring washer joke

[@lohikarhu734]

You'd be better off with a tooth belt drive for the "gear reduction" part

[@GordLamb]

Your videos are great and friggin' hilarious. :)

[@martinathome296]

On your request for suggestions on how to keep the tap aligned (at 10:36) - make a tap follower. KZbin has lots of how to make videos if you need ideas

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

That’s a good call. I’ll add it to the project backlog!

[@zslemp]

for your tap to get it straight you need Big Gator Tools V-Tap Guide or a Tap Aligner.

[@rickpalechuk4411]

Oh yah, ctc money, the second currency of Canada Isle 37 for the winter washers Stay warm Cheers

[@EOTG_AK]

For machining the threaded rod could you use jam nuts then hold the nut in the chuck?

[@dubstepscratch127]

Like that stepper motor setup. Any chance i can hire you to make one for my sl1000 lathe.

[@Thelemorf]

If you want to use a endmill as a make shift reamer, grind away the cutting edges and leave only one of them.

[@cccbbb3161]

Wonderful, thank you. But would you please give me a link to the software (if possible simple and above all tried and tested).

[@spacemansabs]

saw another guy with a mini lathe get an DRO for the end stock that looked like a modified digital caliper. Might save you some Canadian Tire bucks on Duct tape in the long run.

[@The-Marshal]

Are the cad files available online?

[@bullzebub]

it kind of looks like the carbide insert is a bit over center of the of the work?

[@EOTG_AK]

Do you share your code for the stepper drive anywhere?

[@gordonollerenshaw7784]

What size gear cutter did you use please

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

Hello! They’re dp16 cutters

[@stevekgoodwin]

A friend said to say maybe add a "I'm sure you know how to $VIDEO_SUBJECT, but... for those of you who don't..." next time. Me, uh I mean my friend knew nothing about gear cutting. Nice channel.

[@noobstopped]

Hi do you have a review of this mini lathe by chance?

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

Hello! I unfortunately don’t have anything other than the unboxing and first impressions video. But I’m still using the lathe and it’s does everything I need it to. Is there any particular question you have about it?

[@HERETIC529]

You need an electric brake to hold the gear once rotated.

[@hewelgeduwelbeh7418]

very interesting, I want to imitate it, can you send the Arduino code and wiring cable? Thank You

[@robertpeters9438]

I wonder if a follow rest would reduce the chatter?

[@Kruzhh]

looks like this young tony to me

[@4uomni]

Please name of CAD you used at 1.32 minute - p

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

That would be Autodesk Fusion!

[@4uomni]

​@@Someone_Should_Make_Thatthankyou for your response

[@JayJay-sg7zl]

What language u use to code and coding is not boring

[@Someone_Should_Make_That]

This was done using the arduino language. It’s based on c++

[@simonconvey9645]

Buy yourself a set of High speed steel lathe tools. Way better than carbide on small machines. Carbide tools are NOT sharp, just hard, They need a high tools pressure to work. Tiny lathes have neither the stiffness not the HP to apply the required tool pressure.

[@chriskwakernaat2328]

best thing to use is NOT carbon tools. speed of the lathe is WAY too slow to get any advantage.

[@lohikarhu734]

Get yourself some center drills.

[@eCitizen1]

"Not nearly as complicated as it seems"