I've had my metal lathe for a couple months now and would like to turn some arbors that will fit the drive head which happens to be MT3. What type of metal should I use and should I heat treat it after turning or leave it annealed? Thanks for any help you can give me on this!! Michael
Turning your own MT3 Arbors?
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I make a lot of tooling and parts out of W-1 Drill Rod. It can be used stock (not heat treated) or heat treated. And, it's cheap. The next step up is O-1 Drill Rod. I like the drill rod stock because it's ground to within a thousandths and it's straight. W-1 is easier to HT. It's not as picky as O-1 for temp/size and pre-heat.
You didn't say what kind of arbors you're trying to make. These are pretty cheap too. A lot cheaper than a new "good" chuck or spindle so I wouldn't harden them.
If you start with 1", you could make an MT3 taper AND up to JT3 taper. Your MT3 taper should be 0.9380 at the large end.
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Low carbon steel such as cold or hot rolled, or unhardened carbon steels is acceptable for MT accessories in many cases. For the home shop, most items will not get the use or abuse that industrial items will.
The only thing I can think of that might not be adequate would be an application such as a Jacobs Taper adaptor, and would try even that. If it doesn't last 100 years, make another one.Jim H.
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As JCHannum says, for a home shop you can probably use almost anything; they won't get enough use to matter. And, if they do, make another one.
Personally, I'd probably use 1144 (Stressproof). It turns to a beautiful finish, much better than what I can get on drill rod, and it's stronger than generic "mild steel."
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Just made a 7/8 arbor for the H-mill. MT3 taper. Took an evening or so, including shrinking on a removal collar.
I am not sure what the material is, might be stressproof, it was the right size when I wanted to make an arbor.
Warped 0.005 at the far end after cutting the keyway, which isn't too bad. With all the spacers and cutter cinched up tight its half or less than that. No worse than the commercial 1" arbor I have.
If you want to cut the tapers, fine. But for most things it may be easier and handier to get an end mill holder, and then turn up various arbors to fit in it.
That will be one base unit and a bunch of easily made adaptors that fit in. Makes some things faster and less of a hassle.
For one-off, stick an oversized rod in the chuck and turn the needed size on the end. If you mark the jaw #1 position, you can put them back in accurately enough for most purposes, also.CNC machines only go through the motions.
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Thanks for the replies!!
Sorry, I didn't even think about mentioning what I want to make the arbors for!
I want to be able to set up sanding disks on my lathe and change grits relatively fast so I was going to buy some 8" aluminum disks I found at WoodCraft for $15 a pop and turn the arbors to fit the disks. That way all it wouldn't be much different than swapping out a collet. Just break the nut loose, tap the draw bar with a mallet and spin the draw bar out.You talent is God\'s gift to you.
What you do with it, is your gift back to God! Leo Buscaglia
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I think a Weldon end mill adaptor would be really easy for you....very quick to change
Leave adapter in, undo setscrew, pull out disk and shank, put in new, tighten. No banging the taper, no drawbar diddling, 30 seconds and you are there.
I think I would get the largest shank version I could, 3/4 inch would be good. Turning up the shanks would be easy, and the disks are easily faced.
Depth could be made very consistent, by sinply setting the flat so that the back of the disk is against the end of the adaptor.CNC machines only go through the motions.
Ideas expressed may be mine, or from anyone else in the universe.
Not responsible for clerical errors. Or those made by lay people either.
Number formats and units may be chosen at random depending on what day it is.
I reserve the right to use a number system with any integer base without prior notice.
Generalizations are understood to be "often" true, but not true in every case.
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If you can find some scrap taper shank drills they will work.
I have done it before. Take broken drill and cut drill part from taper shank. Shanks are not as hard as flutes, I have sawed them off by getting close to the shank.
Person that told me about doing this said the shanks are different steel than shank, which is why shanks are softer.
Russ
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Quick and dirty, I put correct taper drill in the spindle backwards with taper out, Put my compound at approxmiate angle, adjust tool post to square..
Work compound slide back and forth adjusting till you get it right (not running), remove tapered drill and insert bar stock to cut it from, set the end diameter stroke compound back and forth cutting and soon enough you got a correct taper.. All by hand..
I have done this about twenty or so times, the fast way.. Of course you could always purchase a taper follower... it goes on the back of the slide and tracks the setting exact using the feed, not manual like this method...
Or is that what you asked? That is how I have done it, but I am mostly self taught..
Ohh, and I polish it with 1000 grit emery paper, have not heat treated any of them, getting the flat cut right is easier on the mill... Materiel used, old large bolts, stainless shafting, drill rod, CRS stock..
David
[This message has been edited by ibewgypsie (edited 03-21-2004).]
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The local shops sell me what they call shafting, when I want something clean and straight to start with. I haven't had any problems machining it, and it hasn't warped on me either. CRS has amazed me how much it changes when cut. Not my choice for arbors and such.I seldom do anything within the scope of logical reason and calculated cost/benefit, etc- I'm following my passion-
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