My 2.165 IE 55Mm Die stock build

[Frank S]

As usual when ordering specialty tooling such as taps and dies the newer stuff often has infused metric with imperial measurements.
My 1" 20 TPI round die happens to be just one of those measuring in at 2.165" or 55 mm so obviously I needed a die stock for it as well
So I made it nearly the same as my other one



One thing I always do when dressing an edge with a file on a lathe my file goes under the part and the tang is away from me. Doing this reduces any chance of an accident happening is the file should strike the chuck instead of possibly being hung in a jaw and tossed at me being under the part it would be pulled away from me there is also no chance the end of the file being hung into the side of a rotating jaw either

[DIYer]

Thanks Frank S! We've added your 55mm Die Holder to our Tapping and Threading category,
as well as to your builder page: Frank S's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

55mm Die Holder by Frank S

tags: die holder

[Christophe Mineau]

Good advice with the file, I need to remember that ! (the hardest part being to change your habits...)

[Frank S]

Good advice with the file, I need to remember that ! (the hardest part being to change your habits...)

It won't be hard if you ever have one tossed at you. back when I had several employees in the fabrication/ machine shop I owned at the time, one of my lathe operators, a machinist of about 25 years, was breaking the edge with a file when the end of it struck a jaw and sent the file across the shop. Fortunately that was all it did, I saw what happened and quizzed him about it. He said he was taught in machinist school to stand to the right of the tool post and hold the file away from his body incase it were to be struck by the jaws.
I told him that I was autodidactic in almost everything except for how to wind the crank on a forge blower and swing a hammer against hot metal so everything i knew about machining I had to learn on my own, one of the things is if it is spinning away from you, it is impossible for something to be thrown at you.
There are a lot of things in my life I don't do "according to Hoyle" I do them according to Frank.
Most guys who come around my shop to do this or do that over the years and created the acronym, WWFD its kind of flattering at times.

[neilg4dbn]

Hi Frank, that's a good tip about filing on the underside with the lathe running forwards. I usually run my lathe in reverse with the file handle away from me but on top of the workpiece when dressing edges. Your method is probably safer as if I drop the file it might get snarled up with the part and jaws. using your method, it would just drop safely into the chip tray if I make a fumble and let go of the file. Also a time saver as I wouldn't need to flip the lathe into reverse.