Is there any Hope

[Tiny James]

I was doing some research over the weekend for a thread cutting system as I do find threading wood and some times Acrylic a bit of a hit and miss affair when using a tap and die.

So The research lead me to Simon Hope thread cutting system. But before I buy (birthday, in June) I would like to know if anyone has this system and if it's any good also my lathe has a top speed of only 2000 RPM will that be OK with a cutter?

Here is the link

Useful Tips on The Hope Easy Set Threading Jig - YouTube

this is a better video

Turning a Wooden Thread - Simon Hope Easy Threading Jig | Stratos XL - YouTube

James

 

[Geoff Kent]

Looks like an expensive bit of kit!Does not appear suitable for pens as the threads look way to coarse.I would suggest practice,practice,practice makes perfect.

 

[Penpal]

Many handy books on this subject,if you are handy you can make a sliding die holder and cut on the lathe with far better control than that cutter in my opinion. I n Aus I bought a device that holds different stock sizes that slides and is used by hand and a die holder with different sized dies. On U tube demos will enlighten you further,not rocket science. Have fun with care.

Peter.

 

[alpha1]

A tailstock die holder will help. I hold taps in the tailstock the same way as you hold your drills.

 

[Pierre---]

As far as I know, one can't fine thread wood with taps, and it is tricky with dies. The best way I found was to use a machine I made, quite like Hope's, but with finer mother screws (mainly 1mm pitch, and 2mm for double entry), home made bits and a 10000rpm router at one end. It works fine for wood.

But for acrylics, ebonite (which I use a lot), alumilite, galalith or any plastic, my experience is that taps and dies are accurate, much easier to use, and the job is more quickly done than with a threading machine you always have to set. If you have problems with these materials, I would advice to practise. Buy a bunch of cheap aa blanks, and make one-cartridge boxes until it is an easy matter.

 

[wm460]

Looks like an expensive bit of kit!Does not appear suitable for pens as the threads look way to coarse.I would suggest practice,practice,practice makes perfect.

512.60GBP or $512.60 aussie peso's

 

[Tiny James]

would you upload a photo of your threading jig please [MENTION=1339]Pierre---[/MENTION]

James

 

[Pierre---]

Not sure my workshop is the best place to take a photo, James: I am not really messy, but maybe one or two things are not in the correct drawer

 

[Curly]

Clever using a small lathe bed extension Pierre. A couple of hardwood boards will do the same as long as one has the tools for making it. Nicely done

Pete

 

[Tiny James]

Thank you so much [MENTION=1339]Pierre---[/MENTION] as they say A pic is worth a thousand words

I've ordered my chuck adapter today and I'm looking for a x,y vice as the one I've got in my basket is a bit sub standard

James

 

[Pierre---]

Great ! James, I hope you will show us the finished machine!

 

[alpha1]

Seems a lot of work when a tail stock die holder. Which is what I use works fine and is simple to use. Phil advertises a floating die holder on his web site. Taps I chuck up in the Mt2 3 jaw drill press in the headstock with out any issues. I have a myford ML10 lathe that is ideal for screw cutting threads but its so much easier using the tail stock die holder I don't bother.

 

[Curly]

Seems a lot of work when a tail stock die holder. Which is what I use works fine and is simple to use. Phil advertises a floating die holder on his web site. Taps I chuck up in the Mt2 3 jaw drill press in the headstock with out any issues. I have a myford ML10 lathe that is ideal for screw cutting threads but its so much easier using the tail stock die holder I don't bother.

Cutting small fine wood threads with a tap and die is problematic at best. The wood will usually crumble and tear out as you try to cut it. Single pointing on the metal lathe is better because you can take multiple passes shaving off a touch each time. Live cutters (thread milling) as used in those jigs can cut clean threads in a pass or two once everything is dialled in. I believe James does not have a metal lathe so a jig like Pierre has made is a viable alternative.

Pete

 

[alpha1]

I have never cut a thread in wood. I have only threaded acrylics or ebonite. I take your point. I never thought of that I do most of my pen turning on metal lathes so screw cutting a thread is a fairly simple process. I would of thought it would be fairly difficult to get the pitch right with a set up like James is looking to build. But I don't really know anything about that type of set up I might be wrong.

 

[Pierre---]

Curly is right. For sure, taps and dies are easier, but the set up I made is mainly for wood, or for pitches my metal lathe cannot make, I only have to find an appropriate mother screw. Threading wood on a metal lathe is doable, but tricky : to get clean threads, the tool has to be veeeeery quick, so you have to adapt a router on the tool holder and put the wood in the chuck.
Dave, it is not difficult to get the pitch right with my set up : due to the X Y vice, I can even make double or triple entry threads very precisely. At least when the learning curve is at its highest point, when the tool is sharp, when everything goes right, when God wants and if I don't hiccup when threading.

 

[alpha1]

I am intrigued I am interested to know how its done. Is there any info out there showing how these jigs are made or jigs in use. I am going to have a go at cutting threads in wood some thing I have not done before..

 

[Pierre---]

This jig is home made using scraps (you guessed that I suspect...) and simple metal and plastic shaping. I only bought a screw that could hold my chuck (with the pen in it), but an ER32 would work fine too if not better. The photo tells you more than what I can say, I think anybody able to make such a jig will understand how to do, it is the same principle as Hope's jig, which is fine for threading wood for boxes for instance, but a wee bit too coarse for pens.
How it is used is fairly simple too : As in Hope's, you choose and set the correct mother screw at the far end of the jig, you will reproduce its pitch. With the xy vice, you make the tool touch the pen, you add the depth of the thread, you make the router run and turn the mother screw. That's it.

Check Hope's site or YouTube channel to see how it works.

 

[Tiny James]

As Curly has said cutting thread in wood is near to impossible and also I don't have a metal lathe but cutting the thread required on such a lathe is not a good idea. So after much research I have decided to make a thread cutting mill.

Triple start tap and die's are expensive 13 mm is around £190.00 12 mm is £180.00 and you can't cut wood with them very well
I have a die holder for the tail stock on the lathe also I bought the collet chuck.

collet chuck is £130.00
die holder is £ 53.00

So it's a cost of about £550.00

So a thread cutting jig is a cheaper option

I do have some taps and die but not Triple start, I have read some where that a thread cutting jig you can cut two start and triple start threads. and a plus side you should also be able to even use the jig and router to cut a tenon on the pens.

James

 

[alpha1]

I watched a couple of YouTube videos I understand what you are trying to do now. I have some sets of triple lead taps and dies but I haven't got round to using them yet.