MAKE | Lathing zen – making a vaccum hose adapter

Hot Topics:

By Collin Cunningham
Posted 2010/02/03 @ 3:39 am
Category Craft

I don’t quite know why, but viewing detailed production process vids like this one, can induce a decidedly blissful, even zen-like state in my brain – and I’ve heard others report similar effects. Gfixler’s above video, documents some quality time he spent with a Sherline 4400 CNC mini lathe – mistakes, mishaps, and all -

I needed a way to hook my shop vac hose to the square tube aluminum extrusion I recently made into a manifold for the Loc-Line tubing I’m using as a vacuum system for my mini mill. Here’s how I did it.

Some might say it’s a lot time to spend producing something as mundane as a hose adapter – but the satisfaction of using your own brand of hardware makes it very much worthwhile.

In the Maker Shed

6 Responses to Lathing zen – making a vaccum hose adapter

Rick on February 3rd, 2010 at 8:53 am said:

Never Never NEVER touch swarf with your fingers.

Taking it off a moving lathe is an even bigger NO NO – I know the warning is on the screen but it showed it being done and that’s bad.

Many Many people get deep cuts from swarf every year and many looses fingers by thoughtlessly pulling it out of the way with their fingers or even tools if the machine is working.

You only get 1 set don’t risk them!

Learn good habits not bad habits.

Reply ↓
- Collin Cunningham on February 3rd, 2010 at 11:54 am said:
  
  You are very very right.
  
  Reply ↓
- mightyohm on February 3rd, 2010 at 3:24 pm said:
  
  What is the correct way to remove swarf?
  
  Stop the machine, remove it, and restart? Sounds like a pain.
  
  Is there a way to keep it from collecting in the first place?
  
  Reply ↓
  
  jammit on February 3rd, 2010 at 3:57 pm said:
  
  Where I work at, we use our best judgment. Our options is to use an air gun to blow the swarf away, or we can stop the machine and pull it out with pliers and gloved hands, or we leave the machine running and use a stick to poke it out, or we leave the machine running and adjust the flood coolant jets to better blow it out. We almost never remove swarf with bare fingers. If we grab a nice handful and it gets caught when we pull the swarf out, it’ll cut your fingers. We mostly do steel milling, but even plastic can get a sharp edge to it.
  
  Reply ↓
Anonymous on February 3rd, 2010 at 3:47 pm said:

well for starters he should at least be using gloves. this would be a lot more dangerous if he were lathing metals.

Reply ↓
- japroach on February 3rd, 2010 at 9:19 pm said:
  
  No, don’t use gloves when working on a lathe.
  
  This is plastic so the swarf will not cut him, and his hand isn’t that close to the workpiece. But still not a great idea.
  
  Just use a chip brush (paint brush) next time.
  
  Reply ↓