Tube cutting on lathe

We use 1/2" EMT and cut the bundles in a horizontal bandsaw. The factory sure bundles them very tight.

$265? Your time must be worth peanuts to even think of using a lathe to avoid that expense.

I can't believe you haven't already tried a wire wheel for deburring. Seriously you should hire someone that has at least 3 months experience at low tech fabrication to teach you the basics.

Whoa! Man you're tighter than two coats of paint.

Skilled person to lop off tubing? Arf arf. It must be a hullabaloo there when it comes time to change the filter in the shop vac.

Easy then. Roller support on the long side. Feed tubing through lathe. Make a stop that you can release to rotate 90 degrees and back to alignment with an expanding rubber piece to hold the tubing in place. If you wanted to make it more automated you could install a couple carbide pieces that would de-burr the inner lip before the rubber section expands. You would also want a stop that can be lifted up to stop the tubing in line with the first operation.

Tubing feeds into lathe. Hits the first stop. Operator drops the stop and uses a V shaped carbide to deburr both inside and outside edge. Operator feeds the tube onto the end stop and locks it in place. Parting tool on the tool holder cuts the tubing off. You can even have the tool shaped so it deburrs the outside for the next step. Operator unlocks the end stop and rotates it out and uses a simple hand tool or powered handpiece to de-burr the inside. Remove finished part and repeat. Almost like a screw machine.

The parts CAN be deburred with a wire wheel but the edges need just a bit of chamfer.

I have to watch every penny, especially to conform to new regulations, increased taxes, increased medical insurance and increased costs in general...AND, I have to compete with the China, Germany, Spain and even Russia. I've had many products stolen and produced overseas. Our gov. doesn't care about patents or American manufacturing in general.

I'm in the inner city, a lot of my people are very low skilled but have pride and like the feeling of accomplishment, of having a job and producing something, feeding their families and contributing to society and the community. Most have to be trained to read a tape measure. Have you ever taught someone that has no concept of fractions to read a tape measure? I have people that can't count yet alone do multiplication or division. None can run machine tools or even a chop saw, I have to get a mechanic or machinist or a supervisor to do those jobs...that's not part of production. BUT---some of the e4mployees are absolute ARTISTS making product!

Good idea!