jmb Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 As some of you enjoy "nuts and bolts" stuff (I do) I figured I'd present the "Readers Digest" version of machining a case. This exercise will use the "1530" style as an example as I seem to be obsessed with/fascinated by these at the moment. I started out with a slab of 3/8" thick 316 stainless and centered it up in the 4 jaw chuck in the lathe: The case is then drilled and bored out to the initial size of the diameter of the rehaut: Face off the top of the "slab" leaving a [censored]/stub of the proper diameter for the crystal - Why the H3LL is "FLANG3" censored!!?? I next set the desired angle on the lathe's compound and machined the face of the rehaut: After this step I test fitted the crystal: The "slab" is then flipped around and "indicated" in. This operation uses test indicators to make sure the bore is exactly centered and the surface has no "wobble" or is running true in the plane: The interior features are then machined: An old movement is then test-fit. After this step the back-side was then machined/dished to the proper thickness and the threads cut in the case for the case back. This completes the "interior" of the case. Chapter 2 will cover milling the external features of the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vafarmer70 Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 I am going to have to figure out where in North Texas you are and come see this. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Very interesting process, and some of your pics have given me some ideas with regards to a possible project (I'll PM you offline sometime about it). Not sure why flange is censored for you, but I can honestly say that I have heard the term used when describing the appearance of a specific female anatomical detail in situ with a pair of thong undies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sander Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Wow, very interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intrigued Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 What a brilliant post! I love this sort of information, this is a great project and it's fantastic to see it explained so clearly. Thank you very much, Justin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Oh I'm going to love this series... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Wowie! This is a skill that I wish I had. Maybe I should go buy a lathe and teach myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 That's how I did it! Then I took some classes at college to make sure I hadn't picked up too many bad habits... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krpster Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Great idea for a series. How do you find the 316 for cutting? The one time I had an SS project on the lathe/mill I found it to be quite a PITA....very slow going. Looks like you have quite a lathe there. Nice 4 jaw chuck too. Looking forward to chapter 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 This is so incredibly awesome J! Thanks for taking the time to show the step by step process!! Looking forward to the following chapters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted May 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 krpstr, I don't care for it. I think the next one will be made from 303! Lathe is a cheap Chinese 9 x 20 with a few "modifications"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seafoam Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Hey, is that the "Ultimate" version? Very cool J!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 This is so incredibly awesome J! Thanks for taking the time to show the step by step process!! Looking forward to the following chapters! ...somebody's going to be shopping eBay for a lathe soon...Red...anybody...RED??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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