Monitor Steam Engine

[zeeprogrammer]

oh God , I'm starting to sound like you

What are you saying there Cletus? I'm starting to think a face-off is coming. The seconds (and winners) can be Lou and T. 
I have no fear.
On second thought...I do have some trepidation. I'll have T stand in for me. Then you're done. 
Crap...I suppose that reinforces your comment.

Russian Vegetable Pie!
Delicious. Well worth the fun in a day or two due to the cabbage.

How's the cabbage situation?

Hard to tell. It was followed up the next day by some kind of bean dish.
That extends the fun but differentiation is difficult. 

[zeeprogrammer]

 

You can see the problem here...
(No the vise isn't clamped. This is just a 'what if'.)



Once I have the part milled square I have to drill/tap four holes on each end.
Even if I'd scaled the engine I'm thinking I'd have a problem.

I have two options...
One for now
One for later

Here's the first option...



What do you think? Do-able?
Anyone have other suggestions?

The 2nd option...sigh...that would be the new mill I hope to get in the spring.
I suppose I could wait for it and work on other parts.
Fooey.

Man my pictures are crap. Yet another thing to work on.
At least last night I managed to clear the shower trap and make T happy.

[mklotz]

Do you have collets for the mill?  If so, lose the chuck and use the collets to gain a bit of Z(ee) room.

Another possibility is to mount the workpiece in the 4jaw on the lathe, offset for each hole.  I don't remember if you have a lathe big enough to do that.

Mount workpiece, suitably shimmed, to lathe carriage and drill/tap with lathe?

Visit nearby, well-equipped MEMer with workpiece taped to bottle of fine Scottish produce?

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Marv.

I'd love to lose the chuck. I don't think I have collets that will take the drill size.
I did think about the 4-jaw. But the piece would be out by 5 or so inches. Mini-lathe. 
I thought about shimming to the lathe carriage.  That should be fun.  But still an idea.

Visit nearby, well-equipped MEMer with workpiece taped to bottle of fine Scottish produce?

Getting a fine Scottish produce past T would put an abrupt end to this hobby...and me. 
We were in Scotland about a year or two ago. Excellent time. I want to go back.

I'm still on option 1.

Thanks Marv.

[crueby]

Some random thoughts:

You could always do the end spacers as two shorter lengths, and join the with some sister pieces at the joint.

For those angle blocks in your later picture, do they have mount flanges to bolt them to the table? If they can be rigidly mounted the clamping to them would work. Can you drill bolt holes in the bottom of ther angle blocks to bolt through?

If your 4 jaw can mount to the table, thhat could be a thinner vise. On the sherline there is an adapter that holds the chuck to the t slots in the table.

Or clamp another bolck in the vise, clamp the part to the end of that?

Lots of ways to skin the kitty, its a creativity test to see how many parts you can use for the Rube Goldberg machine.

But, remember that I was a software engineer, this is a hardware problem!

[zeeprogrammer]

But, remember that I was a software engineer, this is a hardware problem!

Once a software engineer, always a software engineer. 
All you can do is take another angle. Can't go back.
Speaking from another software engineer.

But I have to disagree about the 'hardware' problem. 
I straddled the fence in school. I know 'hardware'. If you get my meaning.

This is a 'mechanical problem'. They think different. 

No. No flanges to bolt through. But not sure why I can't clamp. It may be more of a 'do I have enough clamps'?

Well...1st job is to square it up. Then I'll play and try.

We'll figure it out. 

I did think about breaking it down. But not yet. Gotta study all angles.

Thanks!

[crueby]

Same here, my original degree was combination hardware and software, very handy mix for doing firmware, worked on everything from high speed electrophotographic printers to photofinishing machines to desktop inkjet to digital cameras. Lotsa fun till the company, Kodak, imploded a few years ago and I took early retirement. Now making stuff that is fun for me!

...............

If you can run clamps (parallel or C) from the tops of thehorizontal  flanges to the bottom of the table, the clamp the part to the vertical flanges, you should be gold. I've done that to clamp things like boiler shells to the mill. As long as the table has a place to clamp to without hitting the feed screw.  Or use hold down clamps if you have them in the t slots onto the flange.
Since you are just drilling small holes in the end of the part, there is not a huge amount of force on it.

A way that kozo would use: make a drilling jig with the holes in right relative places, and fences that can be clamped to the part, and use a taller drill press, or even a hand held drill. If the jig is thick metal it keeps the drill in place on the part.

[PStechPaul]

If you have a toolmaker's vise (ground square on all sides), you could clamp the work in it and lay it on its side. You'd have to clamp the vise to the table, but otherwise it should hold the piece square and plumb to the spindle for drilling.
 

 

[Jasonb]

Zee you say that you have some collets to fit the spindle, if so just knock up a couple of adaptors to hold the drill bits in the largest collet.





Other option is to drill the angles you have so they can be bolted to the mill table which will locate the stretchers in teh same place each time so you only need to locate once and then all the drilling can be done at the same settings

[AOG]

Zee I used to run into the same problem when I had a mini mill. I have another solution that will work but you will probably cast aspersions upon my parentage afterwords. I assume from the pics you have the standard mini mill not the solid column model. If so tilt the column and then then tilt the work to match. I usually used 45 degrees because I have the appropriate angle blocks. It sucks to tram it afterwards but it will get you more headroom.

Tony

[Jack B]

Hi Zee. Go to second picture in #166. Remove vise. Push angle away from you so it extends about 1/2 inch over back edge of table. Square it and lock down on table with two straps. Now push other angle plate against the right side of  it with about 2 inches hanging over back of table lock down with straps. Two c-clamps will hold your part any length you want. This is quick and easy way to hold long pieces that we used for years.      Good luck   Jack

[Hugh Currin]

Zee:

How about a drill jig? Make up a "cap" to clamp over the end of the bar. Drill correctly spaced holes in the cap. Finally, clamp to the end of the bar and use a hand drill for holes in the bar. If the cap is 3/4" thick or so it'll keep the drill, and holes, perpendicular. (If you need to tap, just re-drill the cap and use as a tap guide.)

Or get the new mill. :-)

The build is moving along and I'm quietly following. Thanks.

Hugh

[Bertie_Bassett]

id second jack b's suggestion, mount your angle plates at the edge of your table and clamp your part to the plates. iv even done it with just a solid block clamped to the table and a G clamp to secure the work piece.

looks a bit crude, but if set up properly works a treat and gets the job done.

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks crueby. If I have you right, it seems you're talking about my second picture. I just didn't show the clamping. Right? (P.S. I did 6 axis robot controllers for a while. Now I design banknote validators. Yep...if any of you go to a casino or use kiosks...I could be the one taking your money.  )

Paul. I don't have a machine vise. But thanks for reminding me. I will add that to my mill equipment list. (Unless 'she' takes my cheese again.)

Jason. That's a workable idea. Thanks. I can see a lot of potential in that for other things too.

Tony. My only issue is my fear of the thing dropping. The square column has only one big bolt and is pretty top heavy. I guess it could be clamped. I'm at work now but I seem to recall having done some modification back there.

Jack. Sounds similar to what crueby was saying but you get more height. If needed I can try it.

Hugh. That sounds similar to crueby's 2nd suggestion. Also a good idea. (But I like your 2nd suggestion better.  )

Thanks Bertie. If I understand things right...you're the 3rd that seems to be suggesting the same thing. A good thing.

Thank you all very much for taking the time to post your help. Very much appreciated.

Hopefully I get shop time this Sunday.

Tomorrow is Cabin Fever! 

[Tennessee Whiskey]

If you take my place at the Saturday night dinner,  you'll be hung over Sunday 

Cletus