The Home Machinist!

Well folks it's a new year and I'm hoping for a good one. One of the things I'm going to be pushing for this year is the extinction of ethanol in motor fuel. Here in my state they're threatening to raise it to 15%. I'm sure many of you have got horror(as well as expensive) stories of ethanol damage....

Brian, That was true many moons ago when the quality of threads was much better but even then plumbers would always use duck butter(pipe dope) to insure against leaks. Splitting fittings usually happens with 1/8" female fittings, there isn't much wall thickness on those. I guess you can tell I ...

Hey Chris, Bubble flare is what is used on import brake lines. double flare is where you form a bubble flare and then using the 45deg. flaring tool and push the bubble in. This folds the metal in on itself creating the double flare. The portion that you're pushing in forms a gasket in essence. When ...

Double flare is the only tube connections I use.Don't leak,can be reused many times.
You can get the tools at the auto parts store. They're a little pricey but they are WELL worth it.

One thing I had thought about was a rotisserie motor used on BBQ's The downfall would be no speed control. I think you're on the right track with the wiper motor, you'll have several set speeds and if used with a variable resistor you can vary those. Most are permant magnet type so reversing is just...

I figured that was a givin'(well maybe not here). I can certainly understand wanting to rebuild that one. The jaws don't look like they were worn that bad,do you think they were using for grinding work and it got abrasives in there? How was the scroll? I had to sell my pre CBS Strat a couple of year...

I'm sure what we want is the load to be spread evenly across the length of the jaws to eliminate chatter and hold the workpiece true. I think that guy with the spring shims has got it figured out. Placing your nylon in about the same place I think is going to be the sweet spot. Right now I wish I ha...

Nice thing about the internet, many ideas can be kicked around. My best ones, I stole from others! Comparatively few bother to grind chuck jaws. Chunks of nylon work. I found, just where the load point is on the jaws, how the chuck is tightened, makes a difference. I test jaw contact with a ground ...

Thanks roundnose, That was enlightening. I'm gonna make a set of those expander shims. I had also thought of using nylon. Late model Harleys use a nylon pin on the upper end of the clutch cable and I found one of those when I was digging up those springs, but I think the shims are a way better way t...

Glenn, I did some research this morning to find out much difference there was between loading on the outside vs the inside this is what I came up with. I don't feel that there's enough difference to justify boring holes in my jaws. Lets face it if .0005 is going to be a problem you're gonna buy a ne...

Now folks, I've been showing you how to regrind your chuck jaws, but the process starts at the spindle,it has to be true and it's bearings in good order. then the true the chuck mount. Most times that is as far as you will have to go. Hardened jaws are tough and don't wear much with proper use. This...

You can also just chuck up a washer at the back of the jaws and grind up to it. Then remove the washer and grind the last little bit using a die grinder or remove the jaws and touch it on a bench grinder. Yeah, I had thought of that also. Tell me what you think of this idea. Those are lifter oil fe...