chasing threads

Chuck Ellis

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Messages
6,997
Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee
I have a potential job coming up that will include cutting threads in a turned box.. I've never cut threads before... is there a tutorial somewhere about chasing threads? I looked in the search, but didn't find anything.
 
I have a friend who does it frequently. He says you must use very high speed on the cutter to get it clean. That's all the help I can offer. He is a machinist and his home-built lathe is like nothing you have ever seen so his technique wouldn't help you.
 
You need to chase threads at around 150rpms. I know one person who cuts threads at 500 rpms, but he has been doing this for years. I've tried it at this speed ONCE and I made a nice set of rings instead of threads.

You also need to use very dense wood, maple and walnut are way too soft to cut threads.

Packard Woodworks sells a set of thread chasers that comes with instructions.
 
chuck, mike mahoney cuts some threads for a burial urn in his excellent dvd, "hollow forms and urns". he doesn't use a machine, as i've seen richard raffan use (and which must be expensive to purchase) but a hand held thread chaser. you may be able to borrow this dvd from a friend, rent it at smartflix.com, or buy one as i did.
 
Hi,

Here's a link to a newsletter from my woodturning guild, which has an article on how to make your own thread cutter from a bolt, and tips on getting started.

http://www.gvwg.ca/docs/Newsletter2007/Nov2007.pdf

I tried it out, and it works great! If you choose to make one yourself, I suggest putting a handle on the bolt as my hands were killing me after turning the threads keeping a tight grip on it! :eek:
 
Thanks for all the responses... I did actually look up the Sorbey videos.. found them by accident and found very informative..

Gari,
Thanks for the PDF turorial... I've copied it and cleaned it up.. took out the photos that were irrelevant to the project and made a copy to take to my shop for future reference.

If I get this project, I will be turning 200-250 little threaded boxes over the next month or month and half.. I'm going to have a pretty sharp learning curve on the threads, but from the Sorby video, think I can do it with some practice. I'm probably going to get sick of threaded boxes, but hopefully, I'll get good at it.:):)
 
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