Tailstock pressure pad.

[olderdan]

I am sure this is not a new idea but I cant find one on the forum.
A simple turning job done at one setting (a decent part off will suffice) for this purpose, obviously for live centres only.
A big help when setting up in the 4 jaw to have something that stays in place while adjustments are made. Its main purpose however is to provide extra security when taking heavy cuts on a part on which you have less than an ideal secure grip.
Like this perhaps.

Or maybe you do not want to centre drill for some reason or perhaps a second op in soft jaws.
When toolmaking I made one for support for turning heavy die housings up to 18 inches dia, I witnessed one of these get away and a 1cwt of metal bowling along the shop is a sobering sight. You know you have got something right when the other turners copy it and its use becomes the norm.

[mklotz]

Modelmakers often use this technique as the only means of securing small delicate parts for turning. Typically, the part is pressed against a faceplate with a suitable friction-generating material between part and plate. It works especially well for very thin parts that can't be clamped in a chuck without distortion. If they need turning work done on the circumference, this technique, perhaps augmented by a sacrificial piece of wood between part and plate, does the job nicely.

[Toolmaker51]

When pressure alone won't suffice, there are hardened 'grippers' that drive parts. Grinding and finish turning also use 'face-drivers', exactly like woodturners do, just indenting the surface at each end. Otherwise, the process is identical to olderdan's pressure plate.
Workholding & Positioning - Fairlane Products
Which reminds me of face turning flat gaskets and seals. You can rubber cement material to plywood, or clamp as olderdan describes. Plate does need to be close to intended edge, cutter is simple as a pointed X-acto or scalpel held like a boring bar. If doing several, cut one side of all, then use that as a register for the other cut.

[tonyfoale]

I haven't made a separate piece like yours to add to a rotating centre for this purpose but I have a bull nose rotating centre with a flat end, which does the same job.
I might just copy your piece to use with a smaller centre for when the bull nose centre gets in the way. At the moment when I want to use the small centre I have a hardened round button which is centre drilled on one side which I interpose twix work and centre.

[jrouche]

I haven't made a separate piece like yours to add to a rotating centre for this purpose but I have a bull nose rotating centre with a flat end, which does the same job.
I might just copy your piece to use with a smaller centre for when the bull nose centre gets in the way. At the moment when I want to use the small centre I have a hardened round button which is centre drilled on one side which I interpose twix work and centre.

Yeah. That is what I have done before. I do like this pad though. I will be making one. JR

[DIYer]

Thanks olderdan! We've added your Tailstock Pressure Pad to our Machining category,
as well as to your builder page: olderdan's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Tailstock Pressure Pad by olderdan

tags: machining

[xynudu]

A pressure pad as in the video is good if the work job has symetrical/parallel faces, but it's better to use a dead or live centre to press against irregular stuff. A centre actually works just as well on all jobs.

If you don't have a pressure pad you can often also just use the face of a collet if the piece is the same diameter.

[jdurand]

Regarding gaskets, for a product we were making in California (and maybe here in the future) we needed a food grade gasket of a specific size. With supplies getting tight even then, it was hard to find anyone offering customs made from food-grade soft plastic. Tried Chinese ones but their sizes were similar to what we needed, not exact and the plastic was too hard.

So... I turned a punch out of a piece of drill rod. Two parts, the center to cut the hole slipped through the center of the larger outer one. Use an arbor press to cut against a scrap piece of plastic and it worked great.

The gasket material is a dense closed cell foam used to wrap apples, pears, etc.

[NeiljohnUK]

Nice, I recently had to make a pair of slightly different sized cutters for punching holes in zinc oxide surgical tape, to fit around slightly different sized rivets on my sons RN issued parade bayonet scabbard, they use it to protect the white material from the brass polish they have to use on the rivets, luckily 8mm stainless tubing was just the right size to make them from, turned a pair of nylon handles to suit, and a 1/2" tube 'U' to store them in, will post photo's when I get a chance.

[DIYer]

Thanks NeiljohnUK! We've added your Hole Punch to our Miscellaneous category,
as well as to your builder page: NeiljohnUK's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Hole Punch by NeiljohnUK

tags: punch