Author Topic: Shop gadgets  (Read 4863 times)

Offline mklotz

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Shop gadgets
« on: July 24, 2012, 09:03:29 PM »
 Like many of us, I stick small tools in holes bored in a block of wood. However, this doesn't work well with certain tools. For instance, it's hard to select the right jeweler screwdriver if you can't see the tips. So I made this holder out of some well-aged boxwood I had lying around.



The turned recess exposes the tips of the tools for selection yet the whole block can be picked up as a unit without having tools fall out.


Commercial chuck spiders can be expensive. I made this one



for machining thin disk-like parts. The slots allow it to slip over the jaws and the spacers (two sets shown) hold it (and the part) a fixed distance from the chuck face with good support for machining.


I'm not sure where I acquired a whole bagful of brass key disks but, never needing so many, I took some of them and made this adjustable spacer by stringing them on a screw which is soldered to the bottommost disk. A finger nut tensions the disks on the screw.



In use, one simply swings aside the unneeded portion of the spacer to provide the right height stack under the clamp.




Finally, if your chuck is hard to remove, make yourself a "banjo" wrench from 3/4" plywood.



The slots fit over the chuck jaws and distribute the force on all three jaws - much superior in my mind to using a crescent wrench on one jaw or slamming a jaw into a block of wood on the ways.
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Regards, Marv
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Offline lazylathe

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Re: Shop gadgets
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2012, 02:01:23 PM »
Thanks Marv! :ThumbsUp:

I especially like the simplicity of the brass disk spacer gadget!

I guess i should also do something about my screwdriver situation!
A plastic tub seems positively archaic next to your fancy Boxwood holder! :NotWorthy:

Andrew
A new place to hide my swarf!

Offline SmoggyTurnip

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Re: Shop gadgets
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2012, 05:32:43 PM »
Very nice. How do the spacers get attached to the spider?

Offline mklotz

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Re: Shop gadgets
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2012, 05:42:53 PM »
Very nice. How do the spacers get attached to the spider?

There are holes in the spider.  Each spacer has a matching tenon that fits into the hole.  Thus, once the workpiece is mounted, the spacers are completely trapped and can't fly out.
Regards, Marv
Home Shop Freeware
https://www.myvirtualnetwork.com/mklotz

Offline Dean W

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Re: Shop gadgets
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2012, 11:33:52 PM »
Good stuff, Marv.  I have a bunch of those brass tags, and now I know what to do with them.  I got a bag of them
when I worked maintenance at a rock plant.  They were to ID me when I had a lockout on a machine so I could
work on it.  Used to carry a number of them in my pocket for that, along with a box of Master locks in my tool box.
I like your spider, too.  Very useful tool.
Dean
In beautiful N. Idaho, U.S.A.

Shop Projects:
http://www.deansphotographica.com/machining/projects/projects.html

chuck foster

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Re: Shop gadgets
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2012, 11:38:34 PM »
as always marv your postings are brilliant ................ thank you

chuck

 

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