Squaring up stock on the mill.

[Doc]

I a made a little vid about squaring up stock on the mill.
It just shows how I was taught many years ago. I know there are other way to properly square up stock but they all have the same basics.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqow6t8lfiQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqow6t8lfiQ</a>

[ShopShoe]

Doc,

Thank you for posting that. I have got a few roughing end mills and like them too, even on a small mill-drill. (Smoother cutting with less load on the small machine, rather than huge material-removal rates)

I notice you mention 3-flute cutters. I have been trying cutters with odd numbers of flutes and they seem to have less chatter sometimes: What further thoughts do you have about that?

ShopShoe

[Mosey]

Doc,
I'm wondering about your shirtsleeves wrapping around the mill spndle?
Mosey   

[Doc]

I notice you mention 3-flute cutters. I have been trying cutters with odd numbers of flutes and they seem to have less chatter sometimes: What further thoughts do you have about that?

ShopShoe

The thing with 3 flute compared to 4 is the secondary relief with a 4flt in aluminum at a higher speed you get more heat. On aluminum you should be using a 3 or 2 flute endmill. And the chatter my be better but I guess I never really  gave that much thought  but that is a good point.

Doc,
I'm wondering about your shirtsleeves wrapping around the mill spndle?
Mosey   

  Yes I kind have been breaking my own rules I have always said no long loose shirt sleeves and absolutely no gloves in the shop.
It only takes one moment of inattention. I need to change my ways I've been wearing that old sweat shirt when I shouldn't be. Thanks for the word of warning I need to be a little more vigilant and if it's chilly in the shop turn up the heat a little.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks for the video. That's the general method I use but I got a couple of tips out of it (the drill bit for one).
I use a hammer but the wrong one and I liked the tip on feeling the parallel for seating.

I sometimes use a strip of leather against the side that hasn't been trued. (Most/all of my parts are on the small side.)
Any thoughts on that?

[jadge]

Personally I wouldn't use a drill bit, I'd use a length of drill rod instead. If nothing else my jobbers drills (Dormer) are not parallel; the shanks are consistently 1-2 thou smaller than the tip diameter.

Odd numbers of flutes can help with chatter problems. Modern cutters sometimes try to reduce chatter by having variable angle and indexing of flutes.

Andrew

[zeeprogrammer]

Personally I wouldn't use a drill bit, I'd use a length of drill rod instead. If nothing else my jobbers drills (Dormer) are not parallel; the shanks are consistently 1-2 thou smaller than the tip diameter.

Newbie warning. Does it really matter? I think it's about getting force on one place in order to keep the other side pressed and square on the fixed jaw.
But again...I don't have the experience.

This is, to my mind, basic stuff which is interesting to us learning.
Or maybe you're saying it's better to use something that's parallel throughout?

Thanks.

[Doc]

Thanks for the video. That's the general method I use but I got a couple of tips out of it (the drill bit for one).
I use a hammer but the wrong one and I liked the tip on feeling the parallel for seating.

I sometimes use a strip of leather against the side that hasn't been trued. (Most/all of my parts are on the small side.)
Any thoughts on that?

Carl for small parts I like using a set of soft jaws that I can mill steps and such to hold smallish parts.

Personally I wouldn't use a drill bit, I'd use a length of drill rod instead. If nothing else my jobbers drills (Dormer) are not parallel; the shanks are consistently 1-2 thou smaller than the tip diameter.

Odd numbers of flutes can help with chatter problems. Modern cutters sometimes try to reduce chatter by having variable angle and indexing of flutes.

Andrew

Andrew if you check your vise I would bet mony that you have way more movement that .002 so even if you put something on the movable side not parallel it will square up to the back jaw the purpose of putting a dia on the movable side is to allow part to roll up or down to square up to the solid jaw. So really anything on the movable side to allow you material to move up tight against the solid jaw.   

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks for the video. That's the general method I use but I got a couple of tips out of it (the drill bit for one).
I use a hammer but the wrong one and I liked the tip on feeling the parallel for seating.

I sometimes use a strip of leather against the side that hasn't been trued. (Most/all of my parts are on the small side.)
Any thoughts on that?

Carl for small parts I like using a set of soft jaws that I can mill steps and such to hold smallish parts.

Yes. I've made a set...not currently on my vise. But doesn't the same idea still apply?

[Doc]

Carl yes it does you just need to use a small dia for small parts.

[petertha]

Thanks for posting Doc.

1) One thing I've always wondered on rectangular stock like your example, what is the logic to decide which should be side-1 against the back jaw to begin with? Maybe the shorter one because it has good jaw coverage vs. a longer side with any warpage may not sit as proper?

2) with face 1 & face 2 milled & now square to each other, you put face 2 against the fixed jaw to mill face 3. I think that's the textbook method. But I've always wondered if the block could be flipped & face 1 returned to the fixed jaw & face 2 sits on the parallel? Or maybe it related to the larger surface area issue above?

0.7" cut with hogger EM WOW! I discovered those too late thinking they were for production machines. But actually they make more sense for lighter duty machines & much nicer chips.

[Mosey]

How about showing us your 90 degree square to demonstrate that the block is actually square? Sometimes I find that it isn't as square as I hoped!
Mosey

[Doc]

Ok did a little video this morning squaring up a block #2. There were a few comments I tried to address. I attempted to show how to square up a block all around using a short end mill.



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVKWn4LZBnU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVKWn4LZBnU</a>

[jadge]

Andrew if you check your vise I would bet mony that you have way more movement that .002 so even if you put something on the movable side not parallel it will square up to the back jaw the purpose of putting a dia on the movable side is to allow part to roll up or down to square up to the solid jaw. So really anything on the movable side to allow you material to move up tight against the solid jaw.   

My main machine vice is a Kurt D688, and you're correct, the sliding jaw is fairly loose. However, I still wouldn't use a drill as a spacer as I'd be worried about damaging the flutes.

Andrew

[petertha]

Thanks for posting Video-2 & answering questions Doc. I never thought about using those adjustable wedge parallel's on the open end when short parts are off to one side. I've been futzing with scrap & shim stock to jack the open end. Same goes for end milling a strip & flip to upright method you show. Guilty of side milling many times for no good reason.

I've also heard the pros & cons of hard rod material on the movable jaw. At some point I tried the aluminum welding rod trick & seemed to work ok so far. It has that little amount of ductile squish to give a 'mostly' tangential contact, but still deform just a bit to any irregularities & maybe a bit kinder to the jaws.