Just a quick follow-up to the previous shaft post… I cut the shaft to length on the horizontal band saw, and then chucked it in the lathe (and had Frankie do a quick check before I started) and then cut down the other end so the bearing would fit. It’s not perfect, but close enough. I’ve still got some of the shaft left if I need to make another one. The main thing is, I got some good experience using the lathe, which will come in handy if I end up turning my own knobs to fit on the potentiometers.
One bad thing… we had thought the shaft was steel and would work well for the magnets I plan to use, but… it’s not magnetic! I’ll probably end up drilling (er, lathing) a hole in the shaft to thread a steel bolt into so I’ve got some material I can stick the magnet to.
2 replies on “Turntable Lathe(ing!)”
it’s stainless steel I guess. this might or might not work if it has high nickel content:
Instructions:
1. Strip 1 inch from both ends of your insulated wire, using the wire stripper.
2. Wrap the insulated wire around the stainless-steel object multiple times without overlapping the wires; form a coil around it. Leave enough wire to easily reach your battery.
3. Place the object to be magnetized on an insulated surface, such as wood, rubber or cement. Don’t hold the object while magnetizing it.
4. Connect one end of the wire to the positive terminal of your battery. Depending on the battery type, you will wrap the bare wire around the terminal and screw down the connecting cap.
5. Put on your safety glasses. Hold the other end of the wire with the insulated needle-nose pliers. Brush the bare end of the wire against the negative terminal of the battery. The battery will spark when you do this. Repeat this action three to six times.
6. Disconnect the wiring from the positive terminal of the battery. Unwrap the wire from around your stainless-steel object. It is now temporarily magnetized.
Thanks! I’ve actually got an alternative idea in mind, which solves connecting it to the platter. It’ll require a bit more work on the lathe though… hopefully we can get that figured out this week.