project - riser block - metalworking benchwork

Riser block for TAIG lathe

Aluminum bar 1" x 2 1/2", shoddily hack sawed to length
Located, center-punched, center-drilled, drilled, countersunk, deburred all holes (some threaded 1/4-20 to mount assembly to table bed from beneath the base plate).
Did my best to file the ends to square them off, files did a great job
Re-hack sawed using a Starrett blade with 18 teeth / inch. Just needed to remove a tiny strip to equalize earlier cut done with a shit hacksaw blade
draw-file to finish with single cut mill bastard file
I was just so surprised I got this far this fast
once finished, install, rejoice!

This end was easy, since it was cut with industrial saw perfectly level. I just cleaned it up by draw-filing
I tried my best, for quite some time to level this end which was really badly cut (I should know, I'm the one who cut it. I didn't have the good Starrett bi-metal blades at that time. So when you hear me say "shit blade" it was prior to getting the good Starrett blades in the mail :).
I took a square to the edge and saw it was WAY off, so I scribed a new edge all around the part and got cutting
As I got tired, I started to drift on the far end. Good blade this time.. bad operator..

You can see the cutting fluid I used to quiet the operation. A little cutting fluid helps cut, too much just makes a mess and paste of chips which clog the cutting action
starting to see the high spots get touched first
Just have to get rid of this little gap (which I didn't.. cause it was good enough for rock and roll).
I enjoy tracking in the outdoors, I was surprised to see I could read the saw and file cuts, but seeing my fingerprint stand out on a finish I didn't even know was possible with a simple hand file.. really surprised me.
1 inch thick piece of ground steel which is powder coated. It's actually a piece from a larger machine which wasn't needed anymore. I started by installing the leveling feet. Then I located the holes I need to secure the new riser block to the table. You can see the new DC motor and mount off to the left. I had to remove it to lift the plate to the drill press to make these holes.
this is a wood drill press.. I think the table would have snapped off if it wasn't for the extra supports I piled underneath.
the new holes are perfect, the riser block will be flush with the front edge once installed.. oddly camera angle makes everything look crooked
details on the files I've been using.
this one for roughing
this one for draw-filing (the other flat smooth one in the case with the others just gummed up too easy on aluminum)
Had to clean it up a little more.. but told myself I wasn't going to go crazy.. just a little more..
Aluminum scratches so damn easily.. eheh.. some file marks in the low spots I didn't bother with. This was practice, not really faces anyone will see once installed anyhow. I know.. the chamfers around the holes look like crap.. they were done by hand with a deburring tool. I need to go back and just set the depth stop and finish them all neatly on the drill press..
Needed to shorten some of the screws so they'd fit. Time to break out the jewelers saw. This little tool is impressive. Later on, when you see the motor mount steel plate being installed. The slot was cut with this little saw. So this little screw didn't stand a chance if I could cut through 1/4" thick plate steel with ease.
Yes.. I noticed the screws aren't the same length too.. damn photos.. ehehe
Going to re-file that slot and oil it so it won't rust again. You may also notice I'm fond of reusing quality scrap metal when I can. The motor mount was cut on left hand side. From a larger plate by hand. It's not a great cut. Practice, practice.. but also know where precision is needed, and where it isn't. I'll fix it once I finish my 2x72" belt sander project :)
3/8-16 threaded holes to be able to adjust belt tension as needed. Unlike previous setup, I won't need to change pulley positions with DC controlled motor. So it's a one time setup until I need to replace the belt. It may not look like it, but those 2 holes were the hardest part of this project, cause I couldn't do it with the drill press.. ended up having to start with a 1/4" hole and step up 1/16" up until I got to 5/16" (tapping size for 3/8-16). I was holding a drill by hand and pushing into the work. Nowhere near as much force as a drill PRESS can generate. Nowhere near as stable, which meant binding. Patience and a good trigger finger for speed control and it got done. Not ideal and from what I've heard, with more powerful drills, can be quite dangerous to the operators health.
I didn't bother leveling it. I'd like to turn some bushings to protect screw threads and also keep it level. Although the important thing is that it is vertical and aligned with lathe pulley
which by some fluke of nature.. it is.
now all I need is to turn both pulleys. This motor is from a Sherline lathe, so the pulley supplied is for a bigger V-belt.
This is the original TAIG headstock pulley which I'll upgrade while I'm working on my friend Greg's larger lathe at his shop. I also need to use it as a reference to grind a custom lathe tool bit to machine the new V-grooves in the pulley for the motor side, which is going to be made from scratch.
to be continued...

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