The Home Machinist!

Hi. I have never been a pro machinist like some of you folks but I did take a few classes in community college way back when. I'm an oldster now and have a cottage business rebuilding motorcycle carburetors. I use my Grizzly which I bought from a fella nearby used, to make tools and small parts. My main thing is I don't have 220v where I am. The Chinese 4015 works pretty good, as long as you keep in mind its limitations.



Got a few minor mods, more coming.



Part of the bench under my Grizzly.



One of the many modifications.







Parts and tools I have made using the Grizzly. Sure, the mill part is pretty lame, and the backlash on all the shafts is something like 1/2 turn, but I will work on that and I just use the old rule of always take out the backlash and front up the screw to the workpiece. Works pretty good.

chipmakerkid,
Welcome to the Chaski board.
I was impressed by your comment on controlling backlash. It tends to be a stumbling block for some folks.

Harold

Harold -- Thanks for the reply, and the welcome. I agree, backlash is a problem, along with the many other hurdles of using one of these machines. I hope to do some things about it, at least minimize it some, but a guess since a grizzled old-school fella first taught me, I am not too scandalized by backlash. I also noted the issues with the nylon tower gear that another user posted. I disassembled my machine almost completely before using it, and noted that potential weak area. Just for the record, I wasn't tooting my own horn, I just want(ed) to encourage the users of 3-1 machines, seeing how much bad press they get. A lot actually. So I am surprised at how much this thing will do. I started doing stainless steel a few weeks ago, both turning and milling. Not bad. Nothing like the LeBlond and Bridgeport, naturally, that I learned on back in the 70s, but for essentially a toy, pretty darn good.

Mike

Hey welcome! I am one of those that is negative on 3-1 machines, for limitations, and Chinee junk in general.

Having said that, few people have the real need of a good lathe or mill in any form, so within its envelope, a 3-1 can fill the bill for many parts making applications. It is when you press beyond the hammer and chisel menatality, that getting above these small machines, and setup limits, will move you to larger envelopes of work.

Got any more projects?

Sure. Mostly carburetor related as I say. However,



This one is a stainless steel valve seat cutter pilot I did a couple weeks ago. Did the handle, too, oak.



This is the MOT for the carburetor steady bracket shown a few pictures above. Also stainless steel.



Here I'm creating a throttle shaft for a set of Mikuni racing carburetors for a Laverda triple. That's a 12" table, small but very useful.



You can see the finished throttle shaft in this picture, black oxidized. One of the stainless steel steady brackets is also shown to good effect here.



And here is the other side, this time showing the other steady bracket and the choke rod made from 5mm rod and sporting a Delrin knob. Pretty ain't it?

Mike

Very nice work.
The true mark of a craftsman is his ability to do excellent work on less than perfect equipment. Looks like you can!
Do not apologize for your equipment. We each have what we can afford, or what will fit our requirements. I'd love to own an EE Monarch, but I've gotten by nicely for many years with a Graziano. As the old saying goes, "any port in a storm".

Harold

Harold -- Thanks for the kind words and pleasant welcome. The G4015Z does what I need it to. Not making any space shuttle parts. I even have some vintage NOS Anilam glass scale DROs I am planning on fitting up. But not until I do something about the backlash.

I would argue the point on the space shuttle parts. It works, you do well.

I have a Honda K-5 with the 4 carbs. I dread takeing it apart as it was stored badly, and has varnish through and through. I would like to restore it to running condition.

Any tips you may have for me on vacuum balance when I do this thing? I dont have the 4 gauge set. Mebe an idea on making a flowtube with plexi and fittings to monitor the dial in process. I have some plexi that is 1 1/4 thick, enough to machine a block that has 4 tapered bores for the sight glass, like a gas flow meter for TIG x4.

steamin 10 -- Well, I happen to have a booklet that goes into these carbs. That's my line, carb rebuilds and powersports how-to booklets. I have several on the SOHC CB750. carbs, tune, charging, ignition modfications. Visit the link below. I am also doing a 75 CB750 carb set right now for a gentleman. The picture shows the completed set with the fuel lines arranged for use with inline fuel filters. This set also got zinc replating, which I do in-house. I have a nice setup with an industrial ultrasonic (25GHz, 500W), soda blaster, the works. You might even be interested in having me do them for you. I will include a link to my brochure. I also have high performance and racing carbs for these bikes. Have a pic of your bike? Stock, rat, daily rider, chopper, cafe?




online shopping cart http://www.motorcycleproject.com/motorc ... ook.html#7



carb rebuilding brochure http://www.motorcycleproject.com/motorc ... e%20ad.pdf

But back to your question re manometers. There are many different kinds of manometers. They also vary a lot by whether they are calibratable and whether they have damping valves. I use a set Honda sold back in the day, full American made Marsh instruments calibratable bourdon tubes with factory adjustable inline dampers. But there are also mercury, instrument fluid (water and alcohol and red dye), glycol, steel sleeve, steel ball (I like these), and of course, electronic. I think most folks on the bike forums are buying the $100 ones from the UK these days, Morgan Carbtune.

http://www.carbtune.com/

They're fine, as are any of them really. I would only stay away from the really cheap bourdon tube jobs (mechanical gauge) that do not have calibration screws like my Marsh. Everything else is equal. I favor the steel ball for compactness, sold by Suzuki. Quite a few folks are making their own, too. I think a search would turn up a few of those. Let me know if I can help you.

Mike

Hello chipmakerkid,
Very nice workmanship. (The Sign of a Master Craftsman)
Ken.

Ken -- Thanks for the note, and for the kind words. So you're in Mesa, AZ? I worked there for a while, about 3 years in fact. Lived in Phx for over 20.

Mike

Chipperkid: My machine is 79 bone stock, about 20K mi, and was just parked in a corner many years ago. My son bought me this one, cause it matched the last 750K I had. He is selling his low mile 02 Road King, because every other time he rides it 3-400 miles, it has to have some little thing looked at ar replaced. Mostly sensors going haywire. He spent his first summer getting the bugs killed in it. He is going to get a Ricer too. He had some 4 Crotch rockets, and knows he likes the speed/power the ricers have.

Anyway, I know the Honda 4s are very sensative to carb tuning. I had done all my own service and valve setting back in the day. I never had to tear one apart, except when a hard landing broke the gencase and coil. It worked out ok tho.

I had used the 4 BB type vacuum guage, with ease. I havent seen one in years, but I havent looked either. I am more likely to try to build one than buy one. My experience with them is they are good til you take em apart, then you have to lock em up and paint the screws when fine tuned again.

steamin10 -- Ah, a DOHC, I thought you said it was an earlier model SOHC. Very fussy carbs those on the DOHC.

Mike