I'm no machinist - need help turning a steel part to remove air gauge

[ctshooter]

I'd like to replace the gauge on my Cricket 2 with a Wika that actually shows the pressure level rather than a few pretty color bars. I was reading another thread where someone said to get a 27mm ratchet head and turn the outside down until it fits to unscrew the air gauge. 

I've only got a HF mini lathe, and have never had much luck on steel with it, only softer metals. So I manage to take a little bit off, but the hardened steel is just eating the bits and I've made very little progress.

Any help on how I can turn this 35mm outer diameter down to ~31mm from someone who actually has a clue what they're doing? 

 

[provels]

I'm no metallurgist, but maybe heating red hot with a torch and air cooling would anneal it enough to make it workable.

 

[jking]

I'd swing by the local machine shop and see if they could it. Such a simple job they probably wouldn't charge you and if they did I bet it would be minimal. 

Jking

 

[nervoustrig]

Annealing it first is a good idea, as long as the wall doesn’t have to be made so thin that its strength becomes a problem. I doubt that would be an issue for removing a gauge

Otherwise use a grinding wheel to reduce it. Cover everything but the chuck so the grit doesn’t get into the carriage and such. Freehand will suffice…you don’t need precision down to a thousandth of an inch. Just stop from time to time and take a measurement with calipers and keep going until you reach the needed diameter.

 

[ctshooter]

Annealing it first is a good idea, as long as the wall doesn’t have to be made so thin that its strength becomes a problem. I doubt that would be an issue for removing a gauge

Otherwise use a grinding wheel to reduce it. Cover everything but the chuck so the grit doesn’t get into the carriage and such. Freehand will suffice…you don’t need precision down to a thousandth of an inch. Just stop from time to time and take a measurement with calipers and keep going until you reach the needed diameter.

I was thinking the grinding wheel as well. Just wanted to hear someone confirm it before I went that route.

 

[shambozzie]

@ ctshooter. If you need this tool shoot me a pm and i will drop it in the mail. 

 

[ctshooter]

@shambozzie - thanks - appreciate the offer. Let me give it a shot with the grinder and see how it goes. 

 

[MrHomebody]

As already mentioned above. 



Being a non machinist also with a HF mini lathe, I’ve turned down things just by grinding. Using something like a grinding stone on a Dremel, an angle grinder, file, sand paper etc.

 

[bandg]

As suggested above, I've turned down many things using a drill press and a Dremel cut-off wheel. When you get close to the size you need, holding a good file lightly against the part will slow the reduction and smooth the part a lot also. A mini lathe and angle grinder wheel should make short work of it.

 

[ctshooter]

Well problem solved.

I started with it mounted in the mini-lathe with the dremel. After going through two grinder wheels I realized this would take forever. Had a lightbulb moment when I remembered I had bought some carbide inserts for my tools. Much better - steel wool time.

Took a lot of small passes, but mission accomplished. 

 

 

[ctshooter]

OK - does anyone know how to bleed the air out of a Cricket?

No worries - figured it out.

 

[kayaker]

Nice job I need to make one of those one of these days it was a good reminder for a rainy day

 

[guod123]

Very simple to make stand on left side of grinding wheel with a 1/2" carriage bolt about 3" long put a washer, lock washer and nut on it.(square holds socket everything else on the outside) Turn drill forward while letting grinding wheel do its thing. As you see in the pics not much left by the time the socket will fit.