Re: Turning brass domes--what do I need??

Posted by Jeff Young on
URL: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.254.s1.nabble.com/Turning-brass-domes-what-do-I-need-tp2591p2598.html

I’m 100% with Derrell.  Knock-off Chinese tooling is just a way to get a headache.  (I went down that road first with a Taiwanese mill.)

Most of my machining experience is at 12”-to-the-foot scale, so I’ve never used a Sherline.  But they certainly look the business.  I’d try and find some of it second-hand to defray the cost.  (I bought my Bridgeport mill and Clausing lathe each with about 50 years on the clock.)

Having both a mill and a lathe will greatly simplify things, but you can do a lot on just a lathe.  (For instance, you can even cut the bottom of the dome by mounting the dome offset from the centre of a surface plate and using a boring bar.)

Derrell’s list is pretty good.  An indexing fixture would also be nice, but not necessary.  

Use HSS tooling (it gives a better surface finish than carbide).

I’m a self-taught machinist.  Some things you’ll mess up, but it’s not like a musical instrument where it takes years before you have any proficiency at all.  Other things you should be able to knock out on your first go.  

Plus, you’ll be mostly working with brass, which is one of the easiest materials.  (Steel is much more sensitive to cutting speeds, while aluminium can be hard to get a good surface finish on.)

Cheers,
Jeff.