A Manual of the Hand Lathe / Comprising Concise Directions for Working Metals of All Kinds, Ivory, Bone and Precious Woods

by Egbert P. Watson

In polishing round work, such as rods or shafts, it is much cleaner, and more expeditious, to make a pair of clamps like [Fig. 28], and put the emery and oil on leather pads between them. The clamps consist of two straight pieces of soft or hard wood, lined with leather, though some use sheet lead.

The leather catches the polishing material and holds it, and, at the same time, keeps it continually applied to the shaft. The clamps are slipped over the same, and the ends held in the hand. This utensil also gives a fine finish to the work, making it smooth and even. It must be carried regularly along from end to end, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, so as to cross the lines, or avoid making a twist in the polish like a screw thread, which would otherwise be given. A very beautiful and brilliant luster can be given to a shaft of iron or steel, after it is nicely finished, by holding a sheet of fine sand paper, covered with chalk, on it. The glaze that this gives, makes the work glisten like silver, but it also takes off all the grease, so that the shaft is very sensitive to moisture, and is quickly rusted.

Fig. 28.

This discussion about polishing has led us away from the consideration of chucking, which we shall enlarge a little more upon.

The chuck is a very necessary and even indispensable auxiliary when chasing. Threads cannot be caught in the jaws of a scroll chuck, because, if set tight enough to hold the work, the threads are jammed so that they will not run in the part they were fitted to. If a piece, having a thread cut on it, like [Fig. 29], is to be turned outside, it is very easy to chase the cap first and then the cup it fits, so that the cap can be screwed into it and turned off where it belongs; it will then be true, and is easy to mill on the edge.

Fig. 29.

It must always be borne in mind that the chaser must be sharp. If it is not, drunken threads will be the rule, not the exception.

The chuck shown in [Fig. 30], will be found very useful for holding metallic disks, small box covers, or anything that requires merely a slight clasp; it is also useful for holding round plugs, pencils of wood, or penholders, to drill in the ends. It can be made eccentric with the mandrel of the lathe, if desired, so as to turn a piece on one side, or drill in a similar manner in the end of a plug. It is merely a piece of boxwood bored out, bored with holes, which are sawed down into slots, so as to form a series of jaws, which are sprung in by sliding the ring down on them. They are so easily made that a great many can be provided.