Thank you. I started watching your videos when you only had about 10 videos. You have come a long way ; production value is fantastic. Your dry pan humor is so entertaining. I try to prevent being linear in thought at work. Watching your videos always reminds me that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Keep up the good work sir.
What I like about your videos is you show what you are going to do how it works and its aparent advantages. Lots of youtubers just show a quick picture of thier big new wonderful thing then the go through a long build sequence and you get to the end and find out what it is they built and what it does and its usually a piece of almost useless junk.
Thanks for the kind words it means a lot. FYI the speed handles are press fit and loctited with green. I have a pair of hex die holders for my lathe, both are 6 point sockets. One machined to allow hex stock to be attached and welded the other has a knurled ring pressed on door smaller sizes. Both float on a arbor that mounts to an MT 3 adapter on my lathe. My tap and die sets are Craftsman the standard is so old Carter was president, 20 years ago I went to Sears and ordered a metric set so I had these before I started setting my shop up. Like you I prefer to use a die on one off standard thread size jobs in not exotic material just quick and easy
Handy! I have an Ace set like that, bought in 1968 when I was an apprentice, from a tool guy who came to the machine shop once a month. They have served me well all these years, even though they have been heavily used.
Easier than cutting a hex in a rotary table with a M. hand book calculation. These days we use Mastercam software and a CNC. But old school ingenuity is the way to go. Thanks for the video, Mr Pete.
I appreciate being able to go back and re-watch your older videos as projects come up in my own workshop. “I’ll bet Mr. Pete has already described how to approach this.”
Thanks Mr. Pete. For those small diameter threads I use a die holder that's a slip fit to a long dowel pin mounted on the tailstock. This allows the die to spin freely when I want it to stop cutting. It's handy for stopping on a shoulder. Have you ever tried a Hardinge tool room lathe for threading? Their compound with the engagement lever is the Cat's Meow for threading on a manual lathe. They also have an adjustable threading stop block that disengages the half nut for getting up to a shoulder at high rpm without those heart stopping crashes. : )
Hi Mr Pete . I had to make a bushing for a hitch ball on a heavy duty hitch . Instead of a chrome socket that I knew was too hard I ended up using an old impact socket . That stuff cuts like butta !!
I made one of these but used a hex bolt hole pattern to the size of the die and t milled out to the hex lines using an upright hex 5c holder block. The corners have 1/4" holes on the hole pattern centers which gave room into the corners to mill.
Hi mr.pete. lathe tools are good since we do not have a mill yet. We use Geometric and Acorn Dies here. We could use a hex holder for our dies on the general Machine Shop lathe, this would be fun to do one of. We know and like Jim at Sawlog, he is making us a 7/16 speed wrench for our Kurt 3.00" Thank you have a GREAT weekend Lyle, Lance & Patrick.
I guess you could have held the die holder on a die, threaded on an appropriately threaded bolt locked in place with a nut and perhaps a washer to protect the die. You can mount the bolt into your chuck by double nutting the bolt to fit in your lathe chuck. Either way should work fine depending on what you have in stock.
Another great video mr. Pete and I neat idea. You sure are a great teacher... Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming we like watching as much as you like making them. 😊
I notice that you have commented a couple of times about steel stock that is some sixteenths of an inch being odd size. Well, the old guys at the threshing shows tell me that line shafting was always some number of sixteenths of inches in diameter. 20 years or so ago we had to sort out a bunch of donated line shafting to build a line shaft for one of the shows. We had 3 different shaft sizes and dozen of pulleys. All with sixteenth inch dimensions, so maybe that is true..
May be I do things in over kill method but the set screw seems a bit small to retain the hex drive specially when power threading Any ways I think I would drill between the two parts and press in some round stock so the torque between the two parts is not on the set screw
Another great project @mrpete222 can you tell me do you power feed when going up to the stop i have been told yes and no my lathe has a clutch for the power feed but not what damage it might did if used all the time
This is very helpful and clever. It would be helpful if you gave the rpms of the lathe and the type of material that you are cutting. I am often uncertain of the best speed for cutting metal.
Keep up with your metrics! Always enjoy the way you resolve things. Wish I owned a lathe and a milling machine, here in Argentina that kind of machinery costs a "king's ransom". Even chinesium crap costs a fortune =(
I don't know that doing that would really be fruitful unless you really knew what alloy you were starting with. At least in my experience, getting a bunch of zinc in the melt just makes drossing dramatically worse without flux; I don't think I've ever seen him using flux. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen anyone doing aluminum casting on YT using actual flux. That said, Zamak #3 is nominally the same as those ubiquitous Alumiweld low-temp brazing rods for aluminum. So scrap zinc castings can actually be used to that end, even if their geometry makes it difficult.
Just curious. I know Aluminum and Zinc are mixed for certain alloy's like Zamak. ?? I've not done any casting myself. Every time I throw out metals, I'm thinking; Should I be keeping this?
Zinc-bearing aluminum alloys are a thing, though I don't know if any of those are really used for casting. There are gravity-castable aluminum-bearing zinc alloys like ZA8, but like zamak die castings, those would be a majority of zinc. I suppose the prospect of casting with primarily-zinc alloys depends on how much zinc scrap you have. I suppose a lot of us are just after volume and are relatively unconcerned with the alloy properties; however, if you had reason to try to tweak your melt toward the properties of any particular alloy, you'd really need to have a fair idea of what you're starting with in the first place. The temptation to just make a guess and fudge it is pretty hard to resist, but unless you're measuring things out and doing some analysis of the cast material, it's easy to fool yourself into thinking the changes are repeatable or beneficial. For example, there are plenty of people who suggest adding random extra amounts of copper to Al melts to increase hardness. Add a little too much, and in the right mold conditions, you might notice that shrinkage will be dramatically reduced. One might think that's an added benefit unless they cut the casting and realize that the shrinkage decreased because macroscopic grain formations actually cause voiding inside the part. It's remarkably brittle and looks like a spiky metallic geode inside. Another way to look at it: Desirable properties may require considerable precision to obtain, but undesirable properties are often very easy to produce casually. One might hope to achieve the strength properties of 7075 aluminum alloy by adding zinc. Without control of the alloy components, it would be difficult to achieve that goal; however, adding any significant amount of zinc does reduce the corrosion resistance. I guess I'll stop rambling now. Sorry.
Good job. Could you have cut a hex in solid stock using the digital read out on the bridgeport ? I know you can do a P.C.D to get the corners, but can you cut the flats ?
If you want to shut up the haters you might consider making quick change tool post holder for your mini band saw. I'm not sure how well a rigidly fixed version would work with the smaller sized tool posts so may be one where it just acts as an anchor and you rotate the saw down to contact the work would be better. A toolpost grinder with an integral quick change tool post mount is another project that I have wanted to do when I get the time.
I was just wondering how to hold the amputated die handle and clean the o.d. up... then u go and chuck a large bolt up ha u r the utube shop teacher ... although I might part a socket and press fit it in nor sure yet
All that for something you already had the perfect tool for but you cut it up in 3 pieces .Die nuts are not for “cutting threads” they are for repairing ( chasing ) damaged threads hence the hexagon shape to use a spanner etc. and mostly done in a vice rather than a lathe . Die “ buttons “ cut new threads and the split ones are handy for adjustment but I sincerely hope you already knew that.
I've seen a few other designs for die holders, but yours is much more practical. I'm hoping to make one with a Morse Taper for my lathe. I'm looking @ every angle so that I dont ruin the adapter.
@@mrpete222 I'm learning what I didn't know. I learned basic stuff in prison...then later I worked as a Machinist Helper for a little bit. What I really learned was that I wanted to learn more. Wish I could have stayed on longer @ Bear's Machinery, but it was short lived. Now I have a South Bend Heavy 10 Tool Room Lathe. A gift from my cousin's husband. I'm cleaning it up so I can start making things. I know I lack a lot in knowledge, but I'm eager to learn & take my skill to the next level. I haven't seen video's that explain as much as yours do. So distance learning is where I'm at. Aloha, Chief
Thank you. I started watching your videos when you only had about 10 videos. You have come a long way ; production value is fantastic. Your dry pan humor is so entertaining. I try to prevent being linear in thought at work. Watching your videos always reminds me that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Keep up the good work sir.
What I like about your videos is you show what you are going to do how it works and its aparent advantages. Lots of youtubers just show a quick picture of thier big new wonderful thing then the go through a long build sequence and you get to the end and find out what it is they built and what it does and its usually a piece of almost useless junk.
Thank you very much
Thanks for the kind words it means a lot. FYI the speed handles are press fit and loctited with green. I have a pair of hex die holders for my lathe, both are 6 point sockets. One machined to allow hex stock to be attached and welded the other has a knurled ring pressed on door smaller sizes. Both float on a arbor that mounts to an MT 3 adapter on my lathe. My tap and die sets are Craftsman the standard is so old Carter was president, 20 years ago I went to Sears and ordered a metric set so I had these before I started setting my shop up. Like you I prefer to use a die on one off standard thread size jobs in not exotic material just quick and easy
Handy! I have an Ace set like that, bought in 1968 when I was an apprentice, from a tool guy who came to the machine shop once a month. They have served me well all these years, even though they have been heavily used.
Easier than cutting a hex in a rotary table with a M. hand book calculation. These days we use Mastercam software and a CNC. But old school ingenuity is the way to go. Thanks for the video, Mr Pete.
Making your own tooling is one of the joys of machining. Thanks.
I appreciate being able to go back and re-watch your older videos as projects come up in my own workshop. “I’ll bet Mr. Pete has already described how to approach this.”
Nice to be able to use those dies on the lathe now. Thanks for sharing
Love these “ project” type of videos mr Pete please keep them coming 😀
Thanks Mr. Pete. For those small diameter threads I use a die holder that's a slip fit to a long dowel pin mounted on the tailstock. This allows the die to spin freely when I want it to stop cutting. It's handy for stopping on a shoulder.
Have you ever tried a Hardinge tool room lathe for threading? Their compound with the engagement lever is the Cat's Meow for threading on a manual lathe. They also have an adjustable threading stop block that disengages the half nut for getting up to a shoulder at high rpm without those heart stopping crashes. : )
Hi Mr Pete . I had to make a bushing for a hitch ball on a heavy duty hitch . Instead of a chrome socket that I knew was too hard I ended up using an old impact socket . That stuff cuts like butta !!
Haha the portaband in the lathe made me laugh
Thanks pete!
Great looking project Mr. Pete. I made this my July 4th celebration instead of fire works!!
You are THE man! I love how you walk step by step through your projects.
Thanks
Cut a 6" extension off 1\2 drive put a socket on it and thread away. Been doing my hexagon dies like that forever. Works well.
I made one of these but used a hex bolt hole pattern to the size of the die and t milled out to the hex lines using an upright hex 5c holder block. The corners have 1/4" holes on the hole pattern centers which gave room into the corners to mill.
Good solution
Thank you for another great video Mr. Pete! Seeing as this is all so new to me I really appreciate that you explain the steps.
Thanks
I always like it when you explain the steps taken to complete a job. Thanks much. :-)
Hi mr.pete. lathe tools are good since we do not have a mill yet. We use Geometric and Acorn Dies here.
We could use a hex holder for our dies on the general Machine Shop lathe, this would be fun to do one of.
We know and like Jim at Sawlog, he is making us a 7/16 speed wrench for our Kurt 3.00"
Thank you have a GREAT weekend Lyle, Lance & Patrick.
Great work. Nice to have in shop. Thank you for sharing.
👍
Love your videos Mr Pete! The re-purposed visor shield is also great safety tip🏆
I like the details as well! Thank you for posting.
I am going to keep my eyes open for a hex holder. Thanks for the tip.
nice straightforward solution.
What a great tool. I will have to build one. I wonder about building one that has a #2 MT so I could get rid of the Jacob's Chuck... hmmm
What an awesome man full of energy !
I guess you could have held the die holder on a die, threaded on an appropriately threaded bolt locked in place with a nut and perhaps a washer to protect the die. You can mount the bolt into your chuck by double nutting the bolt to fit in your lathe chuck. Either way should work fine depending on what you have in stock.
Thanks
Grate Video! I will have to make one of these. I enjoyed the last one where you used a socket to thread with.
Excellent idea. The idea I had was complicated, but your idea is way easier to manufacture. THX.
Cool idea! I was hoping to see you press-fit the insert into the diestock, but with the set screw in place, it's not going anywhere!
THANK YOU...for sharing, flea market time to look for a hex handle. Like these tool-making videos.
You do am awesome job with your informative videos. I really enjoy them. Very grateful for what you share
Another triumph Mr. Pete.
Another great video mr. Pete and I neat idea. You sure are a great teacher... Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming we like watching as much as you like making them. 😊
You sure keep busy. Great video. The die holder is a perfect project.
Yes
A good hex die holder / handle is all you need. The round dies will drop right into it and they fit just fine.
I notice that you have commented a couple of times about steel stock that is some sixteenths of an inch being odd size. Well, the old guys at the threshing shows tell me that line shafting was always some number of sixteenths of inches in diameter. 20 years or so ago we had to sort out a bunch of donated line shafting to build a line shaft for one of the shows. We had 3 different shaft sizes and dozen of pulleys. All with sixteenth inch dimensions, so maybe that is true..
That is surprising to hear, thank you
May be I do things in over kill method but the set screw seems a bit small to retain the hex drive specially when power threading
Any ways I think I would drill between the two parts and press in some round stock so the torque between the two parts is not on the set screw
A wonderful idea! I'm inspired yet again, for I have a lot of those small hex dies. Thanks, Mr. Pete! :-)
Nice job. I just bought a porta band for that same reason.
😄👍👍👍
Making one is much more enjoyable then buying one anyway I think, turned out nice Mr. Pete.
A great project for the home shop guy. When should thread cutting by the lathe be done versus using dies/taps?
Those hex non split dies we call die nuts ,here in Oz .
Yes
"Milwaukee time" Happy days :) Best wishes and happy Easter to you and yours from down under, Mr Pete.
lol
Great project Mr. Pete. I will like to make one of these. Thanks for sharing.
Joe
Another great project @mrpete222 can you tell me do you power feed when going up to the stop i have been told yes and no my lathe has a clutch for the power feed but not what damage it might did if used all the time
Power feed until I get close to the stop
mrpete222 thanks for that
This is very helpful and clever. It would be helpful if you gave the rpms of the lathe and the type of material that you are cutting. I am often uncertain of the best speed for cutting metal.
Keep up with your metrics! Always enjoy the way you resolve things.
Wish I owned a lathe and a milling machine, here in Argentina that kind of machinery costs a "king's ransom". Even chinesium crap costs a fortune =(
That's surprises me. It's pretty reasonable over here
Nice video. I started one of my own today video should be out next week.
👍👍👍👍👍
Watching in Alabama!
My Imperial set is Hex. Wonder where the dies were made ... ? Nice idea on the socket. I'll go that route.
So you save metal like those zinc handles for mixing in your aluminum casting stock?
No
I don't know that doing that would really be fruitful unless you really knew what alloy you were starting with. At least in my experience, getting a bunch of zinc in the melt just makes drossing dramatically worse without flux; I don't think I've ever seen him using flux. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen anyone doing aluminum casting on YT using actual flux.
That said, Zamak #3 is nominally the same as those ubiquitous Alumiweld low-temp brazing rods for aluminum. So scrap zinc castings can actually be used to that end, even if their geometry makes it difficult.
Just curious. I know Aluminum and Zinc are mixed for certain alloy's like Zamak. ?? I've not done any casting myself. Every time I throw out metals, I'm thinking; Should I be keeping this?
Zinc-bearing aluminum alloys are a thing, though I don't know if any of those are really used for casting. There are gravity-castable aluminum-bearing zinc alloys like ZA8, but like zamak die castings, those would be a majority of zinc. I suppose the prospect of casting with primarily-zinc alloys depends on how much zinc scrap you have.
I suppose a lot of us are just after volume and are relatively unconcerned with the alloy properties; however, if you had reason to try to tweak your melt toward the properties of any particular alloy, you'd really need to have a fair idea of what you're starting with in the first place. The temptation to just make a guess and fudge it is pretty hard to resist, but unless you're measuring things out and doing some analysis of the cast material, it's easy to fool yourself into thinking the changes are repeatable or beneficial.
For example, there are plenty of people who suggest adding random extra amounts of copper to Al melts to increase hardness. Add a little too much, and in the right mold conditions, you might notice that shrinkage will be dramatically reduced. One might think that's an added benefit unless they cut the casting and realize that the shrinkage decreased because macroscopic grain formations actually cause voiding inside the part. It's remarkably brittle and looks like a spiky metallic geode inside.
Another way to look at it: Desirable properties may require considerable precision to obtain, but undesirable properties are often very easy to produce casually. One might hope to achieve the strength properties of 7075 aluminum alloy by adding zinc. Without control of the alloy components, it would be difficult to achieve that goal; however, adding any significant amount of zinc does reduce the corrosion resistance.
I guess I'll stop rambling now. Sorry.
Good job. Could you have cut a hex in solid stock using the digital read out on the bridgeport ? I know you can do a P.C.D to get the corners, but can you cut the flats ?
Nice Die holder, I like the idea.
When I watched your video yesterday of the dies in the die holders, I was thinking how similar that one die Holder was to what I made.
Those were very nice die and tap sets that you showed yesterday.
Thanks for sharing another useful video. regards from the UK
Awesome video! Very interesting! Those cheap dies are good for plastic or aluminum
If you want to shut up the haters you might consider making quick change tool post holder for your mini band saw. I'm not sure how well a rigidly fixed version would work with the smaller sized tool posts so may be one where it just acts as an anchor and you rotate the saw down to contact the work would be better.
A toolpost grinder with an integral quick change tool post mount is another project that I have wanted to do when I get the time.
Always enjoy the fabrication of tooling by you Tubalcain. Could not find video 552.
I have to make one of these...brilliant
considered milling the hex pocket using an end mill and the hex collet chuck?
I get a lot of good ideas from your videos
Thanks
Perfect timing Mr. Pete. I’ll be making one next week.
Good 'ol RUclips. Twenty minutes after watching this video, I finally got the notification. Good old RUclips!
Nice video Mr. Pete, very instructive.
I wanna make one. But me lathe don' work no mo!
Oh well. Thanks Lyle it is indeed a pleasure.
Nice project mrpete!
You do a very nice job mr Pete.. I only have a round die holder and only buy round
dies makes sense don’t it ! Ha ha !!
Great video, great project! Thank you Mr. Pete!
It's kinda nicely made really... So lets saw it off!
I was just wondering how to hold the amputated die handle and clean the o.d. up... then u go and chuck a large bolt up ha u r the utube shop teacher ... although I might part a socket and press fit it in nor sure yet
😄😄
Always a pleasure. Cheers
What's wrong with using the die you have to Mark out holes to drill for the hex corners?
Drill the holes then mill the flats between the holes.
Nothing wrong at all but there are many ways to skin a cat. Not every one has a mill. :-) regards
my job requires tons of external threads on soft materials.. I spent a week making die holders for almost every one i use .
Great job Lyle.
All that for something you already had the perfect tool for but you cut it up in 3 pieces .Die nuts are not for “cutting threads” they are for repairing ( chasing ) damaged threads hence the hexagon shape to use a spanner etc. and mostly done in a vice rather than a lathe . Die “ buttons “ cut new threads and the split ones are handy for adjustment but I sincerely hope you already knew that.
That was awesome Mr. Pete
Beautiful job.
😀
I notice that the hex dies are not split with an adjustment screw?
5:12, 1.5 inches is almost exactly 38mm fyi
Thank you Lyle
I've seen a few other designs for die holders, but yours is much more practical. I'm hoping to make one with a Morse Taper for my lathe. I'm looking @ every angle so that I dont ruin the adapter.
Yes
@@mrpete222 I'm learning what I didn't know. I learned basic stuff in prison...then later I worked as a Machinist Helper for a little bit. What I really learned was that I wanted to learn more. Wish I could have stayed on longer @ Bear's Machinery, but it was short lived. Now I have a South Bend Heavy 10 Tool Room Lathe. A gift from my cousin's husband. I'm cleaning it up so I can start making things. I know I lack a lot in knowledge, but I'm eager to learn & take my skill to the next level. I haven't seen video's that explain as much as yours do. So distance learning is where I'm at.
Aloha,
Chief
Flat bottom holes make my lathe go round!
Nice job. Mr. Pete
can you please tell me what color lock tight did you use Thank You
Red
As always .......*Loved it!*
As always well done.
making stuff to make stuff ! great vid. thanks
What power lens do you prefer on your optivisor?
Number three
Ur right full of good ideas
Thank you!! Great idea!
would have looked better with a 6pt trimed off impact socket.
"Hex" of a project, Professor
Good Vid, but why does the hole in the rear not look in centre?
It's simply the way the end was cut- it's not been machined flat.
16:54 oh no! Not to half inch through, anyway.
Another great how to demonstration, edutainment, video. Lots of projects for me once I can get back in the shop.
Good health to you
@@mrpete222 Thank you, sir!
Thanks for sharing sir..
👍
Great shop safety pic at the beginning. @mrpete222
👍
Really enjoyed the video! Thanks, Later, Murph
Thanks
3:43 WHAT IS A DIE COLLET
10:35 - Harking back to the HS shop teacher days?
Great idea!