FACE MILL ARBOR

(JUL 2006)

..work done man

The nice SECO OCTOMILL cutter that I fount on ebay needed an arbor, MT3 to fit the X3 spindle.

the projects start thinking how to make it, how is the MT3 angle....

this is the plan: (the face mill 80mm is just on the left of the calculator)

note the two MT3 units, (arbor, and center) used as "reference" MT3 sources to understand how many degrees is the MT3 taper

RESULT :  1.26° per side (total 2.52 if measured on a table)

the compound of the lathe MUST be perfectly turned at 1.26°

first step is to cut a bit of 30mm round bar off.. easy step

next step mount the piece into the chuck and make a hole with a centre drill to turn with a live center on the tailstock.

the turning is going on, removing few mm of steel from 30mm OD to about 27mm

after few roughing lines and few of finishing the inner diameter of the face mill is achieved !

now it is time to make the taper, MT3. the finishing is done turning at 1000/1500 rpm, with a rounded nose HSS toolbit.

after the precise facing of the mill end side, the lathe work is done and it is time to cut the piece from the rest of the mild steel bar.

Using a hand saw whilst the workpiece is turning very low (30 - 50 rpm) is the easier way to do it (watch out that if the saw goes out from the workpiece is easy to damage the lathe)

the arbor is now re-mounted on the chuck but facing the opposite way, ready to be drilled on the draw bar side. it is not important to have lot of precision because the draw bar can "swing" into the spindle, anyway I aligned the workpiece on the axis, using a DTI.

after that, the centre drill will make the tapping center hole to thread the M12.

the arbor  and the M12 x 35 bolt ready to get a  thread

threading operations start with positioning of the piece on the lathe checking again with DTI the position of the center: note the IRON BRU tin strip used to prevent scratches on the top side of the arbor (the side on the chuck , now)

Drilling a 10.3mm hole deep as the marker made on the drill bit (a piece of adhesive tape)

The tap (dormer 509 - 12mm) is ready to work mounted directly on the live center and held in place (against rotation) by a wrench.

Here you can see how I made the tap, just rotating manually the spindle with his wrench, each half turn of the spindle I have to turn half a turn of live center forward else the "link" back of the tap/live center will be loose. Alternatively a "tap spring guide" could be used, but I don't have it!

ok, the bolt seems work fine in my FIRST thread (I am not joking, this is my first thread ever made !!!! )

repositioning of the workpiece on the lathe, with facecutter side on the chuck (note again the IRON BRU tin stripe), the drill bit (10.3mm) is the same as before since the draw bar of my sieg x3 is a M12.

the second thread is easier than the first, I learnt the lesson!!!

mounted on the SECO OCTOMILL 80mm face cutter