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Posted by Joe Corona on November 2, 2008, 9:31 am
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I just got a 7x12 mini lathe,I want to practice on cheap plastic
meterial before I become proficient enough to work on metal.Do you
think
plastic is a good material to learn basics of turning and if that is
the case what type of plastic do you recomend, and some suppliers. I
tried the internet,but the choices are limitless and many suppliers
deal with
other companies
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Posted by RoyJ on November 2, 2008, 10:20 am
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Any of the higher density plastics will work: Delrin is wonderful, but
ABS or PVC are decent. Delrin is available from www.mcmaster.com in
rods, a selection of 1/2", 3/4", and 1" rods shouldn't cost over $20 or so.
But the cost of plastic is usually more than the similar parts in
aluminum. I'd just get a chunk of 1" 6061-T6 and start cutting away.
Joe Corona wrote:
> I just got a 7x12 mini lathe,I want to practice on cheap plastic
> meterial before I become proficient enough to work on metal.Do you think
> plastic is a good material to learn basics of turning and if that is the
> case what type of plastic do you recomend, and some suppliers. I tried
> the internet,but the choices are limitless and many suppliers deal with
> other companies
>
>
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Posted by F. George McDuffee on November 2, 2008, 11:44 am
Please log in for more thread options On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:31:31 -0500, Joe Corona
>I just got a 7x12 mini lathe,I want to practice on cheap plastic
>meterial before I become proficient enough to work on metal.Do you
>think
>plastic is a good material to learn basics of turning and if that is
>the case what type of plastic do you recomend, and some suppliers. I
>tried the internet,but the choices are limitless and many suppliers
>deal with
>other companies
>
----------------
click on
http://www.freemansupply.com/video/products/machwax.htm
http://www.freemansupply.com/
http://www.machinablewax.com/?gclid=CMTmwIT51pYCFQNHFQodfzLW2g
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=505-3626&PMPXNO=944154&PARTPG=INLMK3
google on <machinable wax> for >5,700 hits.
You can recycle with a double boiler.
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Posted by Jim Wilkins on November 2, 2008, 12:50 pm
Please log in for more thread options > I just got a 7x12 mini lathe,I want to practice on cheap plastic
> meterial before I become proficient enough to work on metal.Do you
> think
> plastic is a good material to learn basics of turning and if that is
> the case what type of plastic do you recomend, and some suppliers. I
> tried the internet,but the choices are limitless and many suppliers
> deal with
> other companies
PVC water pipe machines pretty well, except for the tangle of stringy
chips. Don't let it extend very far out of the chuck without tailstock
support because the tool can dig in and jam, possibly stripping gears.
That's one disadvantage of learning on plastic rather than aluminum.
Steel isn't THAT bad as long as you start with shallow cuts. Some
hardware-store steel rod doesn't give a smooth finish.
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Posted by Tim Wescott on November 2, 2008, 3:57 pm
Please log in for more thread options On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:31:31 -0500, Joe Corona wrote:
> I just got a 7x12 mini lathe,I want to practice on cheap plastic
> meterial before I become proficient enough to work on metal.Do you think
> plastic is a good material to learn basics of turning and if that is the
> case what type of plastic do you recomend, and some suppliers. I tried
> the internet,but the choices are limitless and many suppliers deal with
> other companies
Find your local scrap yard and look for steel bar -- mine usually has
odds & ends that look like they're from a machine shop. They're not so
good with aluminum, but I've found some useful chunks.
If there's much surface rust grind it off before you use it to dull your
tools with.
Or find your local machine shop and ask if they have odds & ends that
haven't made it to the scrap yard yet -- some folks will be so tickled
that you're wanting to learn that they'll give you stuff for free, some
will chase you off with a stick (don't go to the latter kinds of places
more than once each).
--
Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com
Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
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> meterial before I become proficient enough to work on metal.Do you think
> plastic is a good material to learn basics of turning and if that is the
> case what type of plastic do you recomend, and some suppliers. I tried
> the internet,but the choices are limitless and many suppliers deal with
> other companies
>
>