Using your drill press as a lathe

[mhorowit]

I've seen articles on using your drill press as a lathe. They describe how to chuck a piece of tubing to turn down it's diameter. In that case, the center line of the work ran thru the centerline of the drillpress chuck.

Has anyone seen a scheme for chucking a piece that does not line up with the center lines? For example: you want to remove the external threads from one end of a brass elbow -MikeH

[1938BF50]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

Mike,

Sketchy at best. You could lightly press fit a mandrel of the correct diameter into the ID of the end you want to remove the threads from. Chuck that mandrel and then with drill turning fairly slow, file the treads off with a clean new file. Do you have time drop it in a box and send it to me with pic?

Mike C

[mhorowit]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

Mike,

Sketchy at best. You could lightly press fit a mandrel of the correct diameter into the ID of the end you want to remove the threads from. Chuck that mandrel and then with drill turning fairly slow, file the treads off with a clean new file. Do you have time drop it in a box and send it to me with pic?

Mike C

MikeC - thanks for the offer - I'd like to give it a try first. Attached is a picture of the brass elbow. The exercise is to remove the threads and reduce the diameter of the end with the tapered thread.

Building a mandrel - is there something like an expanding mandrel with a 1/4" shaft that would fit in both the brass elbow and the drill chuck? - MikeH

[mhorowit]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

I wonder if I stacked a bunch of grommets (slightly smaller in OD than the ID of the elbow) on a 1/4" bolt, washer, then nut to squish it down... the result would be to push outwards on the inside of the elbow. Worth trying - MikeH

Note to self: wear goggles and armor vest - this could fail dramatically!
Note to self: see if I can slow the drill press down; it's too hot for a flack jacket!

[1938BF50]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

Mike,

The short answer is, yes, there are expanding mandrels....expensive. Your proposed mandrel may work fine. Another option is Mic the ID and file(in drill press) a pc of aluminum or steel that is close in size. File a slight taper so you can lightly tap it into the brass fitting. Keep it simple and file away.

Mike C.

[flybikefarm]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

Just tap the inside to a 1/4 or 5/16 bolt and chuck the bolt in the drill. George

[tawadc95]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

buy a new part or better yet a lathe

[mhorowit]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

buy a new part or better yet a lathe

I'm adapting something to something else, so a new part isn't available.
A lathe would be great. space. - MikeH

[N96337]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

This sounds like a great way to lose some fingers, or at the least get hurt... I'd say there's a better way.......
JH

[mhorowit]

Re: Using your drill press as a lathe

Ended up forcing a 7/16" dowel into the fitting, slowing down the drill-press and using a file to reduce the diameter. - MikeH