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Turning End Bolts


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  • 5 weeks later...

Alex,

 

That's great that you can make your own end bolts. Making all the parts yourself is very "one of a kind craftsmanship" . If I had the machinery I would try some of that stuff myself. I've been following the different steps on your blog. I really like what you have done with your reed manufacturing. Definitely a lost art. I sometimes think that if I could travel back in time I would look in on all the concertina factories that I could find and see what happened first hand.

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Hi Alex, Really enjoyed your bolt-making article. One thing struck me though, I use a late from time to time and sometimes I turn fine shafts that flex under a cutting tool. How I have always fixed this is with a traveling steady, fixed to the back of the tool post, and which moves with the saddle. Each cut, you re-set it to support the next cut. I may have misinterpreted the problem, but it may be worth a try. Best wishes, Dave.

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You can also do this by making a hollow cutter mounted in the tailstock. The size of the central hole defines the diameter of the finished piece. I got the idea of this method after Geoff Crabb showed me the machine he stall has that came from the Crabb workshop.

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That sounds like a good piece of kit Theo, was it designed for Crabbs, or is it a known tool? Do you have drawings? Dave

That sounds similar to a box tool... I thought I might have to make one, but decided to try just turning the bolts conventionally first, and found that it works fine as long as I cut to final diameter in a single pass.

http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/workshop/Machine-Shop-Work/Tools-for-the-Turret.html

Edited by alex_holden
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Same principle Alex, but the Crabb tool that I copied is much simpler. Imagine an end mill with a hole up the centre and you have it. I made one very simply from a bit of silver steel bar, bored, filed some rather crude cutting edges on the end and it works.

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Same principle Alex, but the Crabb tool that I copied is much simpler. Imagine an end mill with a hole up the centre and you have it. I made one very simply from a bit of silver steel bar, bored, filed some rather crude cutting edges on the end and it works.

 

What an ingenious idea - I suppose working with brass, you'd not even have to harden it. I use a similar sort of tool to make thumb bush recesses on recorders, but never though about using one to make bolts.

 

Adrian

Edited by adrian brown
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  • 1 year later...
On 8/25/2017 at 1:54 PM, OLDNICKILBY said:

Oh You do make hard work of things I sell 12 of these bolts for £12 an d a set of Taps for £3 Talk about using the " Whipped Cream and Boxing Glove method to kill the Cat "

Alex your time is more valuable than this

Nic

I could use a set of these and the taps. Please check your PMs

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

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Made a steel replacement bolt for an old Wheatstone duet 30 years ago or so.  The originals were NS. And some had already been replaced after breaking.  Not knowing about the availability of appropriate dies, and only needing one, I cut the threads on my lathe with the gear box set for 44 or 42 tpi, the way I was taught in high school.  Can’t remember which but found whatever I used was a very good match.  Very sharp, very centered threading tool and very light cuts worked well. But I’ve seen too many broken brass and NS screws, so I bailed on them for non traditional  stainless steel socket head bolts ( sick of people scratching things up with slipping screwdrivers, or buggering up the slot with a bad fitting screwdriver.).   After 80 plus instruments, I love these things.  I may have lost sales for being too modern, but I have never had a shortage of customers.  I provide a tool kit of the 4 driver sizes I use,  so people don’t have to hunt them down.    

   I admire great craftsmanship, and also the ingenuity of the older generations.  I just have a soft spot for screws that don’t break.

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