Driver blanks for 622

It has taken a week longer than I wanted to turn the drivers for 622. These are made from 303 stainless steel, which I’m fairly convinced is almost the limit for my little Sherline lathe. Certainly, all tools need to be sharp, and shallow cuts are de rigeur. Along the way, I have seen a steady improvement in the quality of the output. From the first sample, which was frankly not very good, to the last ones, which are quite acceptable.

I wound up cutting seven, and will keep the best four. One is so bad I will only use it for experimentation! The first couple exhibit significant chatter on the tyre.

Along the way, I learned that I can get two wheels out of a one-inch piece of stock, and that anything longer is not a good idea because you want to part this hard material close to the chuck. I also figured out the best sequence of steps to balance speed with accuracy. Here, then, are the instructions for when I need to cut more drivers:

4 thoughts on “Driver blanks for 622

  1. Rene::

    You may want to consider using a 4-jaw chuck or getting the Bison 3-jaw chuck to replace the existing Sherline one.

    .vp

  2. Rene::

    You mentioned that the stock was being pulled away while performing the cutoff operation. This could be due to the reduced gripping capability of the 3-jaw owing to the fact that it is a scroll-type.

    .vp

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