• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.

Tips/Techniques using emery on a lathe

Tips/Techniques
Dabbler

Dabbler

ersatz engineer
I'm not a safety shark - you do you and accept the consequences. but...

Not everybody has had the luxury of having formal machine shop training, and there is one technique that can get you killed on lathes strong enough to pull you into the rotating work. "strong enough" might well be 1.5 HP. I don't know what the minimum is.

On Youtube, you will often see guys wrap emery cloth almost 180 degrees around a rotating work piece. IF it grabs, your hand can get you wrapped up in your work. There is a infamous video on the internet (no, I won't provide you a link) of a Russian machinist that was killed in that way.

For an excellent and very short (2:07) video on this subject, this Australian guy shows exactly what I was taught, and why:


I'd hate to lose a friend due to not saying anything about this.
 
slow-poke said:
Dabbler, thanks for posting, I just learned an important lesson.

I'm going to explore possible introduction to machining courses/workshops in the Ottawa area, I'm sure I would benefit.
Click to expand...
I would be very interested. When I started down my current path, I had hoped to find something in a local Highschool. Unfortunately that’s not an option theses days.
 
slow-poke said:
Dabbler, thanks for posting, I just learned an important lesson.

I'm going to explore possible introduction to machining courses/workshops in the Ottawa area, I'm sure I would benefit.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that something compiled by one of our life long machinists could be even better - especially if critiqued by other members.
 
darrin1200 said:
I do better with hands on interaction.
Click to expand...

It's still a worthy thread. All of us could benefit. Even those who think they know everything.

I appreciate your honesty about your learning proclivities. But it's a mistake to think that a teacher is going to be perfect. Remember the old adage - those who can - do, those who can't - teach, and (edit per @jorogi) those who can't teach - go into government. Of course, there can be amazing teachers. But I question their widespread availability in this day and age of CNC - which is what they teach at local schools.

On the other hand, nothing says you couldn't do both.

I also wonder if there is an old hand in your area that you could visit a few times?
 
Last edited:
jorogi said:
You missed the last bit,

Those who can't teach - go into government.


The other adage that I like and think is more accurate is - if you want to really learn something - teach it. But I would add "well" to the end.
Click to expand...

I liked that so much that I edited my post to include the first half of your post and gave you credit for it, but not the last - no matter how much I do agree, and I do!

In fact, I barely scraped through my engineering thermodynamics class, but did well in advanced thermo. I ended up teaching thermo for a while. That's when I REALLY learned Thermo!
 
The only other thing I cringe at concerns lathe file usage... This is the last thing, I promise.

When I worked in a few machine shops (most to learn, on weekends, filling in, and to help out friends), THERE I learned about not using a lathe file right handed. It was the only thing shown to me about using a lathe.

The shops I worked at said that any apprentice reaching over a spinning chuck with their left hand would be shown the door.

It isn't all that hard to learn to use the file left handed (that is the left hand on the handle, the right on the file end). That way if the file grabs it is sent past you on your left. And the other bonus: you don't get wrapped around the spinning lathe chuck, as all of you is away from it.
 
My father, a tool and die maker made sure we knew this from a young age. One of his coworkers had a file driven thru the palm of his hand and halfway up his arm...
On a lighter note, a guy I worked with took a rubber mallet and hit a turning piece of stock. It bounced back and knocked out his front teeth.
140mower said:
Better yet, never use a file period without a handle, its just begging for stitches, not to mention uncomfortable as hell trying to hold the tang and take a decent cut.
Click to expand...
 
Dabbler said:
I'm not a safety shark - you do you and accept the consequences. but...

Not everybody has had the luxury of having formal machine shop training, and there is one technique that can get you killed on lathes strong enough to pull you into the rotating work. "strong enough" might well be 1.5 HP. I don't know what the minimum is.

On Youtube, you will often see guys wrap emery cloth almost 180 degrees around a rotating work piece. IF it grabs, your hand can get you wrapped up in your work. There is a infamous video on the internet (no, I won't provide you a link) of a Russian machinist that was killed in that way.

For an excellent and very short (2:07) video on this subject, this Australian guy shows exactly what I was taught, and why:


I'd hate to lose a friend due to not saying anything about this.
Click to expand...

"There is a fair chance your gonna die" sounds much more serious when delivered in a friendly casual aussie accent

I've never had formal training on the metal lathe. I'm sure that there is at least one other person like myself who reads the forum, so thanks very much for posting this, since my brother's lathe can indeed kill me. Now my brother did lecture me a few times about using emery cloth on the lathe reinforcement is good to have, along with another fellows instruction.

This has me thinking maybe just maybe those plastic deformation finishing tools that are the current rage on the youtubes might not be a total waste of time making.
 
Susquatch said:
I barely scraped through my engineering thermodynamics class, but did well in advanced thermo. I ended up teaching thermo for a while. That's when I REALLY learned Thermo!
Click to expand...
The problem with Thermo (otherwise known to many in our age bracket as “Steam”) is that it’s usually your first introduction to Engineering, along with “Statics.” The concepts introduced in Thermo aren’t difficult just different, and it takes the better part of half the semester to get your head around them.
 
I use a file as a backer for emery cloth on the lathe -- Left handed -- most of my files have golf balls for handles -- actually, quite comfortable.
 
Crickeyes, there's a few loose roo's in the paddock there!

Fine with his safety bit on using emery, but he DIDN'T PROTECT THE LATHE!

When using emery in the lathe, and I don't do it often, its like a constant cloud of abrasive grit falling down on the bed and cross slide. You can see the particles drop. Far far worse than grinding (which really only sends lots of abrasive when dressing).

What I do is cover everything with paper towel held down by pot magnets and carefully remove them so as to no drop the large and quite visible quantity of abrasive collected.
 
Mcgyver said:
When using emery in the lathe, and I don't do it often, its like a constant cloud of abrasive grit falling down on the bed and cross slide. You can see the particles drop. Far far worse than grinding (which really only sends lots of abrasive when dressing).

What I do is cover everything with paper towel held down by pot magnets and carefully remove them so as to no drop the large and quite visible quantity of abrasive collected.
Click to expand...
Substitute a portion of a Pet Pee Pad misted with water (the plastic backing keeps the lathe bed dry) and the dust won’t blow away when you’re done and remove the pad.

I’ll post pics once I dig out the box of pads.
 
Mcgyver said:
When using emery in the lathe, and I don't do it often, its like a constant cloud of abrasive grit falling down on the bed and cross slide. You can see the particles drop. Far far worse than grinding (which really only sends lots of abrasive when dressing).

What I do is cover everything with paper towel held down by pot magnets and carefully remove them so as to no drop the large and quite visible quantity of abrasive collected.
Click to expand...

That was my first thought too. I worry less about myself than about my lathe ways. I used to use a large cloth to cover them, but often worried about reusing them and the potential to reverse the cloth. Now I use disposable deep textured overlapping paper towels, roll them up, and burn them when done.

For polishing, I use my old lathe.
 
ChazzC said:
Substitute a portion of a Pet Pee Pad misted with water (the plastic backing keeps the lathe bed dry) and the dust won’t blow away when you’re done and remove the pad.

I’ll post pics once I dig out the box of pads.
Click to expand...
Pet Pee Pads:
Pet Pee Pads.jpeg


1/3 of a Pee Pad covering bed (absorbent side up, plastic film side down):
Pee Pad Covering Bed.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top