Page 1 of 1

Why you need a lathe

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2024 2:09 pm
by cheb
When all you can get easily and quickly are isolation valves with compression fittings and it's to fit a flat faced bsp threaded fitting. The problem is the compression fitting tapers to an edge and not a face.

Image

A bit of brass scratching later:

Image

I did two, one for hot and one for cold. The cold one has been fitted and is leak free. Now I proved it works I'll do the hot, I didn't want to risk wasting water I've paid to heat .

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2024 3:15 pm
by Silly Car
It does somewhat beggar belief that isolation valves are not readily available with flat mating surfaces, especially given the number of taps which are supplied with flexi hoses attached.

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2024 3:18 pm
by kendo57
I need a bigger lathe

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2024 3:27 pm
by porter_jamie
Good work my man

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2024 4:07 pm
by cheb
There's flat faced valves available but I don't like buying plumbing fitting from random sellers. Partly quality and partly 'picture for illustrative purposes only'

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2024 4:08 pm
by cheb
kendo57 wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2024 3:18 pm I need a bigger lathe
What lathe do you have? That's a 1964 Harrison L5, ex college. I don't get anywhere near what it's capable of.

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2024 8:42 pm
by kendo57
I have a nice Myford Super 7, its done me ok but it does have its limits . The biggest pain is the hole through
the spindle which is only about 14mm.

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2024 6:11 pm
by kendo57
Colchester student is a bit of a sore point with me, i had the chance to buy a minter for £1500 with loads of accessories.
Unfortunately when it became available i was being treated for an illness and lathes were not top off my thoughts.
So i told a friend about it and he bought it , one day i hope he will get bored and sell it to me.
Picture of said lathe below
Image

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2024 7:15 pm
by cheb
That looks lovely.

I started with my late paternal grandfather's ex WW2 repair lorry Atlas lathe. The spindle bore on my Harrison is 3/4", annoyingly small.

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2024 11:08 pm
by Cousin Jack
Screwdriver wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2024 5:02 pm You're putting an isolating valve where tap should be.

Nothin' wrong with doing that but that's why they are different. I had exactly the same issue when fitting a water filter for a neighbour. Flexi hoses are the worst of both worlds. Compression one end, tap fitting the other...
I fitted an isolating valve and a tap. I don't trust taps.

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2024 12:11 am
by MrLongbeard
kendo57 wrote: Sat Aug 17, 2024 6:11 pm Picture of said lathe below
Go and slap him upside the head with a shovel and hide the body, if that picture hadn't shown in running I'd say it'd never had been turned on.

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2024 12:44 am
by ZRX61
I had three SouthBends at one point, A 9in, a Heavy 10 & a 13x60.

Re: Why you need a lathe

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2024 11:13 am
by cheb
Another reason. I needed a drill with a 43mm collar for a single job. I've an old Wolf drill, courtesy of a skip, but the collar was 44mm.
Off we go. I ended up using friction drive, it was an awkward shape to clamp and I was only doing light cuts. Frightful bodge, lightly clamp the drill chuck stud in the tailstock chuck and off we go.

Image

Done:

Image

And I got to use these, left handed calipers. A boon and a blessing on a lathe.

Image