Turning aluminum on a wood lathe

[slodave]

I need to prototype bushings for my shift knobs in order to expand which vehicles they can fit. Sticking with the Porsche crowd, I need to make a bushing that can adapt to the shift boots of later models ala the 924/944/968..... I really don't want to ask my client that makes produces the other bushings in quantity to do one offs. They are busy with military and commercial aerospace contracts. Since I have a lathe, I figured, why can't I freehand the prototypes. After being told by a few people that this could not be done, I went ahead and bought a used boring bar with one end having a 45* removable cutter and the other end having a removable 90* cutter. I took an old wood turning handle that I had made, but never used, bored a hole on it and shoved one end of the bar in.....

First project was to thin some aluminum tubing for another project....




Second project was to make the proto bushing. I did not have to bore the hole in this one.


Done! Some chatter in the groove, since I used a parting tool designed for wood to cut it. I have to buy a couple more metal tips to adapt.


The above is good enough to go ahead and create an integrated shift boot to test with. I may actually have to have my client machine the correct hole in it to test fit to shifters - afterthought....

All in all, you can turn soft metal on a wood lathe, freehand!

[Mark Henry]

Good job. Soft aluminum can be machined with woodworking tools to a point, what you did works as long as you don't need a close tolerance.

I have used a router with a jig, and you can use a jigsaw on sheet goods. You might be able to use other wood tools but I'll leave it at that BTW WD40 is a good lube for aluminum.
You have to be real careful not to try this with anything hard anodized.

[billjam]

Love seeing this type of stuff. Gotta make do with what you have sometimes. I used my router for making aluminium flanges for intake runners. Not for the feint-hearted, but perfect results if you are careful.

[ckelly78z]

You are braver than I am. I wouldn't like using a loose tool, and tool rest to lathe any metal. I have almost exclusive use of the Willis metal lathe, and the Willis upright mill set up in my prototype lab where I work, so I get spoiled by that.
I do remember using the wood lathe in high school, but didn't like the way it worked and always preferred metal.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by billjam

Love seeing this type of stuff. Gotta make do with what you have sometimes. I used my router for making aluminium flanges for intake runners. Not for the feint-hearted, but perfect results if you are careful.

[slodave]

I found a cool article from an old Popular Mehcanics article online last night. I think it was from 1953. Talks about turning soft metals with hand tools and even has a chart of the ways to use wood tools for shaping. I'll post the link when I get home later.

[Scott Douglas]

6061 sheet can be cut on a table saw with carbide tipped blades if you don't have a shear around.

As an ex-machinist, you won't find me doing what Dave has shown being done. I value my fingers too much.

[intakexhaust]

Whew Dave.....

I don't know how slow an RPM you can get your wood lathe down to, but that would be my first concern. Metal spinners for platters are often done and with an outboard head set-up. But you're doing something completely different. Some of those articles from that period are rather loose and risky machine practices. There's many ways to modify and slow down a wood lathe if one doesn't have correct speed. (No reason to discuss here).

Tooling and support: Free hand is nutz on small metal and quite different than turning small wood pieces... as you have plenty of experience in wood. Even scarier that you're doing a bore. If I had to suffer the worst consequences, would rather take a hit from an exploding piece of wood vs. metal projectile or hand held chisel that flew after a mis-angle on the turned stock.

For the most primitive and to securely hold the chisel, at the very least, 'sandwich' the chisel and end between the tool rest and then a flat piece of metal above. You could even use threaded end U-bolts. NOT LIABLE AND DO NOT SITE ME SHOULD THE WORST HAPPEN TO YOU!

Next bet would use be using a cross vise and give one some micro feed by screw action. Configure and fabricate a thick metal adapter base to the wood lathe. I have no idea what brand or type of lathe you have but there's many ways to adapt a cross vise, even with a heavy wood block riser set on the bed.

Since you mentioned the 1950's era, check out some older Atlas or Craftsman 109 lathes. They made many of them for the basement hobbyist. Lots of those folks rarely used them, have nominal wear, still found in good tight condition.

Be careful!

[slodave]

My wood lathe is infinitely variable. 1 RPH(our) to super fast. I found a comfortable speed. Considering we can turn soft stone on a wood lathe, I really don't see why aluminum is much different. I do know that I'm in a small group that is doing this.

[aigel]

Neat.

If you need a prototype and you can create a drawing, this place is awesome. 1 day turn if needed 3 day standard:

www.protolabs.com/

Even if you would have something like intake runner spacers to machine (as above), you could do it for not much (setup is more on the first part, additional parts are much less).

G

[look 171]

Originally Posted by billjam

Love seeing this type of stuff. Gotta make do with what you have sometimes. I used my router for making aluminium flanges for intake runners. Not for the feint-hearted, but perfect results if you are careful.

how are those finger tips?

Could you have mounted that on a larger board and use toggle clamps to hold the piece down?

[slodave]

Neat.



If you need a prototype and you can create a drawing, this place is awesome. 1 day turn if needed 3 day standard:



www.protolabs.com/



Even if you would have something like intake runner spacers to machine (as above), you could do it for not much (setup is more on the first part, additional parts are much less).



G

Thanks for that. I actually enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to make/machine my own parts. Very rewarding when you can do something like this and with good results.

As for the danger factor, I don't recommend trying this at home. If you don't know what you are doing, I can see how one can let the blood out.

I have been turning wood for about 15 years now and I am very comfortable taking on wood challenges that sine eiod turners wood avoid. I have zero metal lathe experience, short of watching the CNC machines at my clients shop and watching some of the guys use the old analog machines.

[look 171]

Dave,

How did you get that so straight if done freehand?

[creaturecat]

That's dangerous stuff there.
There is no room for error.
I say: Don't do it, Dave.
Hire someone.

[slodave]

Originally Posted by look 171

Dave,

How did you get that so straight if done freehand?

Years of practice and experience! Seriously.

Originally Posted by creaturecat

That's dangerous stuff there.
There is no room for error.
I say: Don't do it, Dave.
Hire someone.

Too late, I already did it. No reason to spend money on this, when it can be done in my shop.

Now, you wanna see danger.... This is the parting tool (for wood) I used to carve out the channel in the bushing. It's about 1/16" wide. It worked, but I'll have to get a more appropriate cutting tool to do that again.

[look 171]

I have slammed a few tools on the tool rest as I use my finger as a guide along the flat part of the tool rest. Scary stuff, but I continue just so I can finish. No more lathe work. Easier to just farm it out.

[billjam]

Originally Posted by look 171

how are those finger tips?

Could you have mounted that on a larger board and use toggle clamps to hold the piece down?

As slodave already mentioned, don't try this at home!
I have 50 years experience in making and machining stuff, so I have a good understanding of what is possible and what's not, and the risks! This is definitely not for beginners.

In the picture below, its not obvious what the process is, but basically the flange on the plastic block is being used a a guide for freehand cutting the same shape on aluminium plate that is bolted to it. The small roller on the cutter follows the shape of the plastic block as the part is held against the cutter and rotated by hand.
It is scary if you don't know what you are doing, SO DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by billjam

As slodave already mentioned, don't try this at home!
I have 50 years experience in making and machining stuff, so I have a good understanding of what is possible and what's not, and the risks! This is definitely not for beginners.

In the picture below, its not obvious what the process is, but basically the flange on the plastic block is being used a a guide for freehand cutting the same shape on aluminium plate that is bolted to it. The small roller on the cutter follows the shape of the plastic block as the part is held against the cutter and rotated by hand.
It is scary if you don't know what you are doing, SO DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.

My set-up was similar, sorry I can't find a pic.
Tricks are: a jig like above, to rough cut it just slightly oversize, apply constant pressure but not jam it in, never run backwards, eye protection mandatory and mainly for the phenolic you need a good size dust collector and mask.

Once the outside was done I cut the inner holehole on a lathe. You can see the clean cut of the outer shape, that was done on a router table.

To the OP if you are going to do more of this work you can often P/U an old manual table lathe for around $500, but get a good one like a Southbend or Logan.

[slodave]

The problem is.... There is no space for a lathe in the shop. Maybe a small table top, but is have to find space to store it when not in use and there is really no space either.

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by slodave

The problem is.... There is no space for a lathe in the shop. Maybe a small table top, but is have to find space to store it when not in use and there is really no space either.

If you need real small and you are just doing small things get a Taig lathe.
They only take up about a square foot and a half of table space.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Taig+lathe&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=_KWwVIKqMYP2yQT_-oCYBw&ved=0CDkQsAQ&biw=1745&bih=890