Buffer heads

[Garry Coles]

Hi everyone
Still plodding on with my 3 1/2 William, but the spring cleaning in the jungle (garden) has stopped me getting at my lathe and Co for awhile.
Back on it now the garden looks better. And this brings me to my question about machining the buffer heads. What is the easiest way to machine the front radius ? I thought about grinding a cutting tool to the profil of half the diameter, but that will be 1/2in wide and this will cause a lot of chatter. Has anyone got any thoughts on this please.
Cheers
Garry

[chameleonrob]

I know two ways, depending on how good you want to get them. the easiest way is to face off the buffer then turn the compound slide so you can take a cut at about 5^o to the face, the point you want it to meet the flat face is about halfway between the outside and the centre, then while still in the lathe carefully file the corner between the flat and angled faces off, if you look really closely you can see it isn't perfect. the other is a little more involved in that you need a bar the same radius as you want the buffer face attacted to the cross slide and the lathe main body (this can be on a peice of anlge located on the back of the lathe parralel to the bed and running the length of the lathe) with this bar parallel to the bed set the tool point at the centre of the buffer face, with the longitudinal feed disengaged face off the buffer face with cross slide (use the compound slide to control depth of cut) and hay presto one perfect buffer.

rob

[Peter W.]

Another way is to use a bit of trigonometry and work out the
X and Y coordinates of the part circle. I think I used about 15 points on my buffer heads.
You cut the concentric circles with a normal lathe tool, then smooth the steps with a file and then various grades of emery paper.

It really doesn't take as long as you might think !

[ron]

I found it quite easy to do the Tich ones just using files and finishing with emery.
Ron

[chris vine]

Hi,

You could make a little template, radius gauge from a piece of brass. just mark it out an file to shape.

Then just using the cross slide and saddle traverse handles and a bit of wangling and testing with the template and you will have it pretty good in no time at all. It will probably be easiest if you face it from the centre outwards.

When you have the shape about right, you can finish it off with a file and some emery/wet and dry.

Chris.