White metal casting for restoration

[Peter Connan]

I guess it's doable but I am concerned that there is no direct link between rotation and feed.

I think the idea of doing it in a lathe has merit, but I would rather control the process by hand (both rotation and feed), using a guide as discussed earlier. White metal cuts really easily.

If you want to go the extra step and have it controlled, get a piece of pipe large enough to fit around the housing and have a 5mm wide groove rotary laser cut into it, then attach this to the housing and run a "bracket" from the carriage with a pin that fits into this groove, so that rotating the housing drags the carriage?

[plunger]

I guess it's doable but I am concerned that there is no direct link between rotation and feed.

I think the idea of doing it in a lathe has merit, but I would rather control the process by hand (both rotation and feed), using a guide as discussed earlier. White metal cuts really easily.

If you want to go the extra step and have it controlled, get a piece of pipe large enough to fit around the housing and have a 5mm wide groove rotary laser cut into it, then attach this to the housing and run a "bracket" from the carriage with a pin that fits into this groove, so that rotating the housing drags the carriage?

From research Ive done some guys simply do this by cranking the carriage while the lathe is at its slowest speed using markers on the chuck and bed to give an indication of hand crank speed. Obviously it needs some practice and you cut to depth in one pass.The idea of using gravity to move the carriage is to try keep some consistency. You could just tie the rope to the carriage and not bother with the spool . It just hast to be greater than the bed stiction and friction caused by the tool dragging. Speed relative to the spindle is the trick here.

I would also just do it by hand.

[mygoggie]

I think a simple way to do this on a lathe without having to adapt too much could be as follows. You probably need to do one pass only. So it will cut to depth on one pass. I would set the housing up on a face plate . I would put it in the slowest speed possible.
I would rig a simple spool on the carriage wheel. This could be piece of pipe ,anything that would hold a rope. 9Think mini car rim) Then I would hang a pully or sheath above the lathe and attach a rope or cable to the rim or spool attached to the carriage wheel. Then I would tie some weights to the end of the rope.

All you are trying to do is get the carriage to move forward fast and consistant . Then I would set some stops up and start in the oil hole and end in a groove machined just before the end of the bush. This is not even needed really.
With a internal grooving tool set at depth if you start the lathe and let gravity do its thing it should pull the carriage forward and with a bit of adjustment it could be set up to do a course thread suitable for an oil groove.

Or am I way off thinking clearly here.

No your idea is good. I will give it some thought!

[mygoggie]

I guess it's doable but I am concerned that there is no direct link between rotation and feed.

I think the idea of doing it in a lathe has merit, but I would rather control the process by hand (both rotation and feed), using a guide as discussed earlier. White metal cuts really easily.

If you want to go the extra step and have it controlled, get a piece of pipe large enough to fit around the housing and have a 5mm wide groove rotary laser cut into it, then attach this to the housing and run a "bracket" from the carriage with a pin that fits into this groove, so that rotating the housing drags the carriage?

I had a look at this @Peter Connan and my thoughts are leaning towards a horisontal table turned by hand and a vertical internal cutter lowered by hand. And lots of pills or liquids .... for the nerves you see?

[plunger]

I had a look at this @Peter Connan and my thoughts are leaning towards a horisontal table turned by hand and a vertical internal cutter lowered by hand. And lots of pills or liquids .... for the nerves you see?

Im too embarrassed to say I didnt understand this technique.

[Spiceman]

Im too embarrassed to say I didnt understand this technique.

Maybe I can say now I don't understand any one of you three.

[mygoggie]

Im too embarrassed to say I didnt understand this technique.

Maybe if I say rotary table instead of horisontal table?

[mygoggie]

Maybe I can say now I don't understand any one of you three.

Wha hahahah. Yeah, however I have never understood any single one of the "skoner geslag" ....

[Spiceman]

Wha hahahah. Yeah, however I have never understood any single one of the "skoner geslag" ....

Fortunately I have an excuse. I had an academical matric. No technical school where I grew up. The bit of technical knowledge I have often need to make me understand things discussed by people with years of training and a lot more years of experience.
The "skoner geslag"........ eish........ A good friend (oom) told me, "just love them, don't try to understand them".

[JJJ]

So am I "seeing" the cutter in a stationary drill press/mill with the workpiece on a rotary table?

And the left hand - rotary table - not knowing what the right hand is doing - drill press feed?

Pse make a video .

[plunger]

I could see this done in a bridgeport using a round slot drill and a dividing head. If the head of the bridgeport was cocked over at 70 degrees and the the dividing head was a universal dividing head you could attach the feed to the feed screw via gearing . It would be similer to manual thread milling.

[grips]

Lathe on a coarse thread setting and boring bar. If you cannot get the speed low enough turn the chuck by hand.
Have cut grooves in brass shackle bushes this way.

[mygoggie]

Lathe on a coarse thread setting and boring bar. If you cannot get the speed low enough turn the chuck by hand.
Have cut grooves in brass shackle bushes this way.

The issue is the groove needs to exit at a very specific position on the edge of the bush so it will have to be a very specific thread and VERY course. Thanks for the advice!

[mygoggie]

So am I "seeing" the cutter in a stationary drill press/mill with the workpiece on a rotary table?

And the left hand - rotary table - not knowing what the right hand is doing - drill press feed?

Pse make a video .

This is one option I am seriously considering. Brain is furiously working on other schemes and plans ...

[mygoggie]

Just to add some cream to the cup of coffee, as I was assembling the transfer case the weekend I discovered the same bush for the front outlet, well hidden away in the casing.

So, off to making some more casings and casting ...

[Francois Theron]

Is it a surprise or a shock?

[mygoggie]

Is it a surprise or a shock?

Disgust as I had most all assembled ...

[grips]

The issue is the groove needs to exit at a very specific position on the edge of the bush so it will have to be a very specific thread and VERY course. Thanks for the advice!

Then I am afraid the good old scraper needs to come out.

We did 800kw electric motor white metal bearings by hand. Scraping them and making oil passage. But that were easy as the were enormous.

Seeing that you made a copy of the oil grooves marking them in the bush and do it with a small hand scraper should not me that difficult.

[Spiceman]

Just to add some cream to the cup of coffee, as I was assembling the transfer case the weekend I discovered the same bush for the front outlet, well hidden away in the casing.

So, off to making some more casings and casting ...

That bush doesn't look bad. Is it worn?

[ghouwens]

You need to look at your phone!

Your casings are ready. I need to go through to Walmer in a little while so can drop them off if you want.