Tool Time

[Scott_Conger]

I needed another pulley arrangement for a special carb part setup and I fortuitously found these pix of a Levin setup on eBay...it was even attached to an identical jackshaft that I have. Given that, how could I not copy it??...being that they make pretty much the best equipment in the world of its type, and I cannot spare the gelt for it, I decided to make my own...I think it turned out really well after I figured out how the original was built and worked. The dollar bill the fellow included in his 2 photos provided the scale I needed. I decided on miniature ball bearings for the idler wheels instead of bronze plain bearings. Just the barest of "tweeks" on the screws socks things down very solidly...it is very cleverly designed as I'd expect from a Levin product:

s-l500.jpg (21.42 KiB) Viewed 26749 times

s-l500 (1).jpg (28.54 KiB) Viewed 26749 times

Here's my version:

[Craig Leach]

Hi Scott,
A gentalman I used to race with has a son that makes piercing jewelry. I don't understand why someone would intentionaly insert metal into thier
person. I spend a lot of time trying to remove the metal I accidently stick into mine. He uses a Unimat lathe/mill I'll bet you are familiar with
them. They may not be persision enough for what you do?
Craig.

[speedytinc]

Quality work. Looks professional.

[Scott_Conger]

Craig

in my younger, snootier life, I'd have turned my nose up at a Unimat. I'm older/wiser and now have an appreciation for them and what they can accomplish...they're perfectly adequate for what I do, but having been an apprenticed watchmaker as my first adult job, I have an abundance of watchmaking equipment that can and is repurposed for carb parts. Otherwise, you'd be seeing Unimats in the background

John

thank you

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Speaking of Unimats, there is a fellow on an antique phonograph forum that I also haunt, who has converted one, (or maybe a Sherline?), to play cylinder phonograph records. He uses the Unimat(?) as the "base" and has added stepper motors and such, (that I don't understand), as well as an electronic pick-up to unable the playing of cylinder recordings.

Playing an appropriate tune.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iD_RUP2qhg

[Scott_Conger]

Just picked up this tap/die set...dates to pre 1912 and is a fractional set from 7/64 to 1/4 in 1/64 increments. Some real oddball stuff, and yet will see service in due time due to the kind of work I do. Was very pleased to get my mitts on it and for a very good price, too.

[Rich Eagle]

Weren't those the greatest?
Thanks for showing it.
Rich

[BE_ZERO_BE]

 
It's Italian !!

PBR - Perico Baroni & Raimondi 12" x 40" Lathe.
Made in Italy in 1966.
 

 

[Scott_Conger]

very nice, Bob
what I wouldn't give for a larger heavier lathe...

[Scott_Conger]

Dies making carburetor gaskets:

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Beautiful work.

A friend of mine knows a guy who has made some very nice and fairly intricate gaskets using his wife's Cricket machine. My wife has one, but I'm probably not smart enough to program it to make gaskets, or much of anything else.

[A Whiteman]

My wife has one, but ....

she would be so mad I'd end up on the couch for a week if I used it? (like the time I used her good 'dress making' scissors ...)

[Kevin Pharis]

My dad scrounged one of these up a while back. It cut the paper gasket material surprisingly well… but the design software was miserable when it came to generating a mechanical drawing with specific dimensions and relations. Also found that the software couldn't accept any of the “typical” file formats either. Maybe there is a better software option out there that overcomes this setback…?

[Scott_Conger]

Best addition to a 9" lathe, ever

I have a full compliment of collets in 1/64" increments for my lathes but due to spindle size, you're limited to 1/2". I purchased this gawky looking thing which holds ER-32 collets and I can now go up to 3/4", or the size through my spindle. It will hold stock to .0005 TIR with no adjustment or confirmation or .0002" TIR with a gentle tap on the part. I could not be more pleased.

It requires fitting, so requires you to know lathe work and is not a drop-in tool. Mine had several quirky deficiencies which I was able to work past, considering that remediation of those deficiencies was easy, and the low price of the tool made fixable shortcomings as received, all but a certainty. There was nothing that could not be remedied and when done, the thing is highly accurate and repeatable from installation to installation. While nicely ground and capable of great precision, finding the precision in the tool is up to the purchaser and his/her ability to fit it correctly to the lathe. Purchase and shipping from UK came in (as I recall) under $100 which is an absolute bargain. I highly recommend it for small lathes with threaded spindles, for anyone who is capable of very close work.

[Scott_Conger]

The correct tools to set fuel level in Stromberg and Zenith brass carbs without altering the carbs by drilling holes or otherwise defacing them

While brass carbs frequently have odd-ball or obsolete threads in their construction, the 2nd pictured tool required fabricating the missing knurled packing nut and that was one of the zaniest threads I've ever come across and took no small amount of doing to make the nut to match the thread on the casting. I think it came out well.

[Craig Leach]

I noticed that homemade tools where mentioned @ one point. Anyone seen one of these it's a homemade Gingery lathe. David J. Gingery
published a series of books on homemade tools starting with a primitive forge & casting machine parts. Then making a lathe, shaper, mill
& other tools. I picked this up with the castings already done & mostly finished. Just because it's cool & I've only seen one completed. now
I have more lathes than I have room for so if anyone is interested??? I would part with it pretty cheap?

Craig.

[Ed Fuller]

Scott,

Those carburetor tools are really neat. Are the period originals or something you made?

Craig,

I’ve read some of David Gingery’s books about making all of your own shop tools starting with casting parts and building the lathe. Then, using the lathe to create all of the other machines. That’s really neat to actually see one of the completed lathes! If I were closer I’d be seriously interested !

[Scott_Conger]

Ed

period tools
very hard to find

[Bryant]

This hand held sand blaster is magical. I just finished up all my wheel felloes and I love it. About $56 new on T bay. I just screen some play sand thru some window screen into a bucket and blast away. Makes pretty good cheap media that Iam not worried about recovering.
Bryant

[Bill Dizer]

Please be sure to wear a good respirator when sandblasting using any media, but especially silica sand. When sand is used, it will fracture into glass like shards of dust that when inhaled do permanent lung damage and can kill you. The glass particles will cut your lungs, and cannot be coughed up or removed, and continue to do damage! A dust mask isn’t enough, use a good fitting painters type mask. I wear one always when blasting regardless of the media. I usually use the black slag type but it is very aggressive.

[Bryant]

Good advice. I use all necessary PPE. I also have two 4’ shop fans at my back to blow everything away from me. When blasting it’s also good practice to angle the media stream so it deflects away from you and not back at you.

Bryant

[1925 Touring]

An old delta unisaw i repainted at work. Heavy as sam hill and would probably survive the blast of an atomic bomb.
I cleaned and degreased the dirt and grime off and sprayed a coat of grey paint on. First time airbrushing.
Seems to be oroginal except for the new paint. The signage on it is in good shape or the age. It was saved from an old factory by my boss's dad years ago.

[Bryant]

Nice work! Looks like a great time tested built to last machine.

Bryant

[JohnM]

I probably used one just like it in my highschool shop class fifty years ago. No, that can't be right.

[Duey_C]

I'm not keen on re-painted things anymore but I have to admit that looks really nice!
Nice saw!

[A Whiteman]

Well, sometimes refinishing can look good:

[A Whiteman]

Tool Warning!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1TrL4XWyH4

[Bryant]

What is it?
Works like a slide hammer
My guess is for prying and pulling nails

Bryant

[Craig Leach]

That would be correct & still made today as I understand.
Craig.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Yes, a nail puller.

If you use it, be CERTAIN that when you grip the lower portion, just above the "foot", that none of your hand laps over the small ridge above the handhold. It's one of those mistakes that nobody makes twice!