How do i achieve this?

[Bangkok Mick]

Do you intend to produce many of these to close tolerances? Since they're mostly decorative you could just rough out the majority of the material with plunge cuts and a parting tool, then smooth the steps with a file and emery tape. If you need to keep close enough to a plan for some reason you could figure out how far to plunge each step.

Here's a shoddy representation.


Although the way i'd do them would just be to cut the bulk material free hand with the carriage and crosslide handwheel and file it smooth.

I know there's a great temptation to try do everything in clever and overly technical ways, but it's just not worth it for these one-off jobs. Keep it simple.

Plunge cuts cleaned up with file and emery cloth is exactly what I used to make my mini shisha pipe and I was pleased with the result.
Cheers Mick

[Fergus OMore]

As you have called yourself 'Piper' and show a strangled octopus you should know what a chanter and drones looks like.

So the question is how did they make them? Actually, it is simple enough if you forget these dreadful carbide inserts and think that there are other things which remove metal or wood. What carves nice shapes in pipes and a lot of other things is not fancy carbides or fancier exotics but plain and simple 'form tools' in carbon steel or better high speed stuff.

I made me a left hand and right handed pair of form tools to do my chanter and drones in ten minutes.

You don't need fancy stuff, you need form tools.

Sorry but first things first.

Cheers

Norman

[DaveH]

is this a devise that can be purchased or do you have to build one to fit your own lathe? sorry for the dumb questions.
Kev

Hi Kev,
You can buy them, but most guys tend to make their own. There are a few different designs some easier to make than others.
One that seems to have become a favourite is the 'Steve bedair'  one.
His site shows how to make it  http://bedair.org/Ball/ball1.html
 
DaveH

[piper1]

is this a devise that can be purchased or do you have to build one to fit your own lathe? sorry for the dumb questions.
Kev

Hi Kev,
You can buy them, but most guys tend to make their own. There are a few different designs some easier to make than others.
One that seems to have become a favourite is the 'Steve bedair'  one.
His site shows how to make it  http://bedair.org/Ball/ball1.html
 
DaveH

Thank you Dave I will go and have a read.

Kev

[DaveH]

Kev,
There are some on here - here's one
http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,548.0.html
 
DaveH

[piper1]

As you have called yourself 'Piper' and show a strangled octopus you should know what a chanter and drones looks like.

So the question is how did they make them? Actually, it is simple enough if you forget these dreadful carbide inserts and think that there are other things which remove metal or wood. What carves nice shapes in pipes and a lot of other things is not fancy carbides or fancier exotics but plain and simple 'form tools' in carbon steel or better high speed stuff.

I made me a left hand and right handed pair of form tools to do my chanter and drones in ten minutes.

You don't need fancy stuff, you need form tools.

Sorry but first things first.

Cheers

Norman

Thanks Norman, I would love to see a picture of the end product.

[piper1]

Kev,
There are some on here - here's one
http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,548.0.html
 
DaveH

 

[DaveH]

And Bob did one http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,9158.msg100724.html#msg100724
 
DaveH

[DaveH]

And if you wish to buy one http://www.serepton.co.uk/
 
DaveH

[Fergus OMore]

I made me a left hand and right handed pair of form tools to do my chanter and drones in ten minutes.

You don't need fancy stuff, you need form tools.

Sorry but first things first.

Cheers

Norman

Thanks Norman, I would love to see a picture of the end product.
[/quote]

Heavens! I made the pipes scores of years ago. No one wanted the supply of African blackwood and Brazilian. rosewood( under the bed ) so it went to a musical instrument repairer whose wife bought the bass saxophone.

Maybe, we'll meet up- we've a date a bit North of you in April. In my opinion you should be getting a little tool and cutter grinder if you are unhappy about hand grinding form tools.

Probably, I'd knock up a graver with a 1/8th bit( bit) of hss square and only sharpen one face. I recall that I was using a knocked about school lathe with a bit of steel rod as a rest in the tool post to steady things!

It's not Fancy stuff. Pipes were made and bored with the shepherd's wife's steel  knitting needles and ground on the sandstone wheel and honed on the kitchen window sill.

It may be basic but that is how things CAN be done.

I'll be in touch.

Norman

[unc1esteve]

Sorry I can not remember the particular tubal cain video.
Here is a link to get started.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/freehand-turning-103759/
Do a google search on turning freehand on a metal lathe.

[piper1]

Sorry I can not remember the particular tubal cain video.
Here is a link to get started.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/freehand-turning-103759/
Do a google search on turning freehand on a metal lathe.

Thanks Steve

[piper1]

And if you wish to buy one http://www.serepton.co.uk/
 
DaveH

Thanks again Dave.
I've just seen one that RDG TOOLS do which suit my budget at the moment or I might and wait and see if Santa brings me lol.

[Jonny]

No need for a ball turner since doing one offs and no need to set up.
Far easier and twenty times quicker making or using a ground up form tool or even a carbide radius works extremely well I do it daily but limited to 9.5mm depth. 2 mins for above shaping tops polished, really simple.

[piper1]

No need for a ball turner since doing one offs and no need to set up.
Far easier and twenty times quicker making or using a ground up form tool or even a carbide radius works extremely well I do it daily but limited to 9.5mm depth. 2 mins for above shaping tops polished, really simple.

Thank you, would you have any more information/pictures about a ground up form tool setup please.

[Jonny]

You have a couple of options, one may be to grind a hss tool up to required shape but that's probably ok if doing a few or more.
If its one or two off I would just use a selection of normal tools and literally rough it out to shape then an easy sand in maybe even file amazingly easy.

To do the shaping in 1st piccy dead simple, set your favourite tool at an angle plunge in and profile. The angles left should be finished item.
Radiuses have to keep an eye on what your doing by eg moving carriage 1/2 pace of cross slide so working the two together and constantly altering as curvature changes.

Other way is to set top slide to cut specific angles maybe in conjunction with opposite side of tool.

[Fergus OMore]

To do a ball handle form tool is by drilling a cone in a bit of softened file- then cut it in half and temper it again.

This is how Chaddock did the Ball handles on the Quorn.

N