Project Assembly

[Ji Gantor]

This is a side track but just so interested members know what is possible with a Chinese lathe, tools and a little knowledge can do.
Last year my son was in grade 8. He had to make a Greek sword for his SOS class assignment. So over Easter we both spent all 4 days in the turning shed from 8.00am to 5.00pm in an attempt to get the job done on time.

Hollywood started by searching the internet for a picture of said sword, while I looked through the pile of billet for some thing we could use.

He found a design and I found the following bar stock.
Doesn't look like much.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

We both figured out that the handle would take the most time to do so we marked it out and Hollywood started turning.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

I can hand shape wood pretty good so I started on the blade.
Because it is a dangerous weapon we could not make the blade out of steel (School Rules).

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

After finishing the handle Hollywood went on and turned up the counterweight.
I had finished the blade so I painted the counterweight in a traditional brass paint.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

Next Hollywood turned his attention to the guard.
He turned it and I milled and painted it.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

At 5.00pm on Monday after noon we assembled the Greek sword Ji and Hollywood style.

Looking good.
Even his mother that is our greatest critic said "Looks nice, now you can start on the kitchen tiles"

Hollywood received an A for the assignment and received an A for metal shop even though this work of art had nothing to do with metal shop.

My son will never forget his 4 days off working in the turning shed. I know he would have preferred to be watching cartoons but every now and then when one of his good friends is around he always shows them the sword and speaks with pride. That is the greatest gift a student can give.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

Not bad for a 13 year old lad.
I set the bar stock and tools up in the lathe but he did all the turning, drilling and smoothing.

Look at the work in the handle. It took two days to complete.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

Milling
I can not stand milling, it is too slow.
However I do love what it makes.

A lot of years ago I had to attend a Punk party. I looked through all the jewellery shops but I could not find a cross the size I wanted, so I decided to make one out of 10mm billet.

The surface was like a mirror but Hollywood saw it and now it is as you see it. He tells me that those marks are "Street Cred" funny it looks more like the cross has been through quite a few exorcisms to me, but what would I know I don't have any "Street Cred"

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

Fine milling on the back of the cross allowed me to connect the chain.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

My cheap Chinese die holder broke over the Anzac Day weekend. All the tool shops were closed  but I needed to get a job done, so I found some steel bar and started turning.
Now I know this one will not break.

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

The clamp that holds my light onto my work bench broke so I just turned one up. Every one that sits at that bench always askes "Where did you get that"

Ji

[Ji Gantor]

I use a lot of punches with all the things I have to fix and it is really cool when you make one specific for a job.
I have always been fascinated by knurling. It is the same process as threading a spoke. The knurling tool is pushed into the metal and the metal flows up into the grooves making the pyramid shapes that give grip to an object.

Pretty cool stuff.

Ji

[490 tez]

 ;Di might be a newbe but i love cnc machined shit, home made triple clamps billet every thing sorry i might be showing off a bit  but nothing beats a cnc smoking in 5 axis with swarf going every where 

[vmx42]

Hi Ji,
All very entertaining, but do you have any suggestions on how you get so much shed time. Are your days longer than mine, or is it something simple?
VMX42

[490 tez]

  some pople have me time i have bike time !!!!!!!!!! to mums distaste some times but yer still seem to need more time