Threading Stainless & Drill Collar Suppliers?

Guys,

I'm sure I saw somewhere some small collars for fitting around dril shanks to give a positive stop when drilling blind holes. I canno however find them in any of the usual suppliers websites (nor can remember the correct name for them). Does anyone know where I can get set?

One other thing I noticed during my recent machining project was ho difficult it seemed to put an M6 thread on my 303 stainless stee shaft. I was using a tailstock die holder, but had to turn down th shaft a bit before I could get any kind of thread on the thing. I hav ended up with something useable, but it has flat tops to the thread Looks terrible. O.K. I admit I am using an old workshop set of carbo steel dies, but have never had much trouble threading other things. really need to get a decent set of taps and dies...any reccomendations

Also, my lathe is Imperial, but it seems difficult to easily get an imperial nuts and bolts these days. Do you guys use metric fastener now, or what? What I am getting at, is should I be buying metric tool (reamers, mills,etc.)? I have just ordered a set of Dormer coate drills 1-6mm in 0.1 increments, and a set of Presto 6-10mm in 0. increments (as reccomended on this forum some time ago by the way) That range should cover both imperial and metric holes I will need t an acceptable accuracy.

Cheers,

Garth

-- DR_

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DR_G
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Called drill stops , there are some for sale on ebay, plenty of other suppliers on google.

Depends on type of imperial fasteners, we still use the full range of BSW and BSF and occasionally UNC at work and have no problem getting them. There has been metion on this newsgroup of suppliers before, Namric, Sheldon etc.

Regards

Andy

Reply to
andyengine

If you have only the a lathe and gears to cut imperial threads and you only want this one a 6mm thread is very close in pitch to 26 tpi and would have been better than taking the shaft diameter smaller just to get it started, just try and screw cut one and if need be clean the last cut with your carbon steel die. Cheers Colin

Reply to
colin.wildgust

Andy,

Drill Stops. Thanks I have found them now!

So regarding the Metric or Imperial question: is it easy or desirabl to just replace imperial with the nearest metric size on things lik model engineering plans, or are there other issues?

Regards,

Garth

-- DR_

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DR_G

303 stainless is not really worthwhile for home workshop projects - if you can possibly afford it, use 316 instead. 303/304 is perhaps (there are conflicting opinions) good for some production uses, but not for home workshop stuff.

Sharp new carbon steel dies are fine for stainless - you should be able to pick up a set of small metric ones including M6 pretty cheaply, but don't go for the ridiculously cheap ones. They may not last very long, but they are so cheap that it doesn't matter.

M6 male threads are not 6mm outside diameter, that's a nominal rather than an actual figure - iirc it's the diameter they would be if the sides actually met at a point, but they are in fact rounded off and the real diameter is less. Turn a 6mm bar down to 5.85mm for a full thread, and 5.75mm is a reasonable compromise between good thread depth and ease of cutting. You can go less too.

It's a good idea to cut or file a short taper at the shaft end, makes starting much easier, and you can cut it off later if need be.

Lubrication is good too, in fact essential for really good results - the horrible smelly green stuff, whose name escapes me at present, is okay.

It's best to reverse the thread every half turn to clear the threads. I don't use a tailstock dieholder - when tapping on the lathe I use an ordinary diestock, pressed against the empty tailstock to give initial pressure and an accurate flat angle; makes it much easier to reverse direction, turning 2 1/2 turns forward, 2 turns back, and so on, thus advancing 1/2 turn per cycle. I also use a bar in the holes in the chuck to turn the lathe spindle by hand, rather than under power.

All this assumes that you want the best results for a few threads - if you are in production then the methods are different.

-- Peter Fairbrother

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Peter Fairbrother

Of the common grades 303 is free machining, 304 is a bitch and 316 is in between but is the only food grade of the three mentioned.

Reply to
John Stevenson

If you mean the square holes for adjusting the jaws, that is not very good for the chuck. A handle that fits in the back end of the spindle is a better solution if the lathe is not too big.

Reply to
Charles Lamont

Peter, Charles,

Thanks for the advice. I am not talking about large volumes o components, just general workshop stuff and models.

Do you know of a quick reference chart for threading e.g. what o.d. yo need for a specific thread?

Cheers,

Garth

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DR_G

Get a Zeus book,it'll have all the info you need, it's small pocket siz

and laminated.

Alla

-- Allan Waterfal

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Allan Waterfall

Myford do a very nice laminated workshop wall chart, for about a fiver.

--

Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"

Reply to
Chris Edwards

Why?

A handle that fits in the back end of the spindle is

It's on my to-do list.

-- Peter Fairbrother

Reply to
Peter Fairbrother

Allan,

Yep, I've got one, but I can't find the o.d. for threading externa threads in it.

Cheers,

Garth

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DR_G

Chris,

I'll have to have a look for that - it must be the cheapest thin Myford sell!

Cheers,

Garth

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DR_G

Because the chuck key is provided for rotating the jaw adjuster. Using it as a device for rotating the spindle puts side loads on, and accelerates the knackering of the square holes, the square bit on the end of the key, and the fit of the adjuster in the chuck body. 'Course, if you can afford not to take care of your own kit, that is your affair, but in my shop you take care of my kit, OK? And next time I see you leave a key in a chuck, you will be getting your cards, sonny.

Reply to
Charles Lamont

Nope, using a round bar does none of those.

It might, in another lifetime or two, wear the middle of the square hole somewhat - but that doesn't affect the corners of the hole, or the fit of the key.

As there is no motion of the adjuster relative to the chuck body, I don't seee how it couild affect the fit either (not that the fit is crucial to theaccuracy or operation of the chuck anyway)

'Course,

Not guilty, y'r honour.

-- Peter Fairbrother

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Peter Fairbrother

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