Smoke box door

[Jon Nazareth]

Has anyone out there ever machined up a smoke box door?  If the answer is yes, can you pass on any tips, please?  I'm thinking of machining it up in brass as I have a piece that may suit.

Jon

[753]

John

The method I use is to turn a spigot first say 0.375dia, shape the door front and the rounded edge, part off leaving enough to trim. Chuck the spigot and face the back of the door drill centre hole. Now hold the door in outside jaws and turn off the spigot and form the raised centre plate.


Mike

[Jon Nazareth]

Mike
Thanks for the reply but, can we expand on this, please?

Chuck material and turn a spigot.  Remove from chuck and grip by the spigot and machine the front of the door(the face that shows).  How do you machine this outward face without producing chatter marks?  This is the operation that I'm having trouble getting my head around.

Jon

[753]

John
The cause of chatter can be large area of tool face, material not held tight in chuck, or tool not held tight. Maybe I did not explain clearly.

You chuck your material say 2in dia, turn the spigot say 1/2in long x 3/8dia. Form the door face on the remaining material and form the radius on the door edge, then part off or cut of with hacksaw leaving enough material to trim. Now put the spigot in the chuck and face the rear of the door, drill the centre hole. Now hold the outer edge of the door with outside jaws in the chuck, turn off the spigot leaving enough material to form the raised centre of the front of the door.

Use a tool with a small radius on the nose, and sharp to turn brass.


Mike

[Jon Nazareth]

Mike

I've got it now, thank you.
Do you turn the show face of the door with a small cutter and then blend in with a file?

Jon

[753]

John

Yes, if the door face is curved you can form the shape roughly by turning and finish with a file and emery

Mike