The Learn to Turn Lesson 2 "Pivoting and Doing The Jig"is finally finished!

In Lesson 1 you learned many important basics of running the 8mm lathe. You already have a much better foundation than most people who own these lathes and I'm sure you realize how valuable these machines can be in a shop. Well it's time to take it to the next, much higher level.

In Lesson 2 you're going to make some quick jigs and tooling that you'll use for years to come. We're going to pivot an arbor between centers by using a drilling flag that I show you how to make quickly out of scrap material laying around the average shop. Turning between centers is the most accurate way to do any lathe work but it sometimes takes some special tooling to do certain jobs this way. We will make a few of these tools at little or no cost. You'll use hand gravers to turn your own runners out of wood and brass which are used for finishing and polishing pivots. You'll learn to turn accurate tapers "free hand" so these tools will fit perfectly in your tailstock. You'll begin to see all of the possibilities the standard tailstock really offers. You'll make your own "dogs" with built in clutching capabilities for safely and accurately drilling arbors between centers. Most importantly you'll learn some important tooling concepts and will realize that with a little imagination you can design and build most of your own tooling to tackle just about anything that comes your way, without having to spend a small fortune on commercial tools, and, these techniques also carry over to most other types of lathes.

I've enjoyed making the Learn to Turn Series more than any other videos I've done in the past. The lathe is the one tool that allows the average repairman a chance to become completely creative. It gives us the opportunity to restore rather than just repair an old movement. It was the advent of the "turns" that made the watch and clockmaking industry possible. These old turns were used with a bow and hand made gravers. Turning was done between centers and although primative by todays standards these early lathes were instrumental in cranking out parts that most watch and clockmakers today are hard pressed to turn out on the best of lathes with the most expensive tooling available. Why is that? Because these horologists from our past learned to be creative. They learned the fundamentals of machining and applied these fundamentals to the design and fabrication of tooling when required and if need be, they could be completely self sufficient and independent. They weren't just watchmakers but also machinists and tool designers. You'll learn some good common sense approches to pivoting and lathe work in this video but more than anything else you'll begin to learn some tool design and fabricating techniques that will make you a much more confident and independent watch or clockmaker.

Nearly Two (2) Hours in length!

If you enjoyed Learn to Turn Lesson 1, I know you're going to love Lesson 2. Please give it a try!

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