Author Topic: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps  (Read 8496 times)

Offline Joco

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Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« on: March 07, 2017, 08:35:23 AM »
Started a little project to make a pair of toolmakers clamps.  I'm currently doing the first one which is quite a learning exercise and will no doubt result in the second being much faster and better finished.

Material is 1215 steel, 1/2" square since that is the stock I could source.  Each jaw is 110mm long, the all thread rod is sized M6 and is 304 stainless. The handles (next step and next post) will be cut from 1215 rounds, 12mm.

The plans and styles can be seen on the excellent site by Harold Hall.  I'm following the alternative style.
http://www.homews.co.uk/page260.html

Pic #1:
The two top jaw bars chucked up in the monster 4 jaw.  Really need to get a smaller one of these. Squashed a finger mounting this thing up when it slipped and dropped onto the wood board protecting the ways. My sea faring ancestors would have been proud of the descriptive language used re said chuck at that point.  :rant:
You notice between pictures I flipped the jaws around to get a better grip before commencing.  All a very good exercise in consider strength of grip on the work and how to center work on the 4 jaw.

Pic #2, #3 and #4:
These three photos show machining a 6 degree taper to create a nice rounded nose on the top jaw.  It would have been simpler to put it in the mill at an angle and just made a flat angle.  But I think the round taper looks nicer. A slightly more stylish detail if you will.

Pic #5:
And where I am up to.  Its starting to look like a clamp I would say.  A bit of a polish up and it will look pretty dang good.
Next step will be making the knobs and putting a grip pattern on them.  As I don't have a knurling tool yet I'm going to have to get a little more creative on that front.   Will be interesting to see how it turns out.
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Chipswitheverything

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2017, 09:26:00 AM »
Nice write up and photo sequence James.  Can't have too many toolmaker's clamps for some types of work, and they can be handy for small woodwork tasks as well.     
   If you do end up getting or making a knurling tool holder, go for the type that squeezes two knurls at either side of the workpiece....     Though your lathe looks to be pretty sturdy, forcing a single wheel via the cross slide screw isn't a great way to go on the usual amateur equipment.     Dave

Offline Joco

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2017, 09:48:22 AM »
Dave - game plan is to build the tool per http://www.homews.co.uk/page119.html

James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Chipswitheverything

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2017, 10:04:10 PM »
Yes, that looks like a good pattern to follow, it's sometimes quite useful to start the knurl wheels partly on the material and feed along a bit as the knurling progresses, which the side stiffening plates will facilitate.  The tool does need to be well clamped in the toolpost to put up with this... 
    I'd be inclined when making the knurled feed nut to make it a bit deeper and put a couple, or four, spanner flats on the upper surface, a deep knurl can need a bit of welly to get it to cut to its depth.  Maybe a bit more than one's fingers can apply via the friction surface.   If you happen to have Geo. H. Thomas's books or articles on machining and tooling, he has some useful comments about achieving a decent knurled pattern on work.

Dave

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2017, 11:01:40 PM »
That was one of the first projects I did when I got into this hobby. And by getting into this hobby, I mean I had no prior experience.
I've used those clamps quite often. Very useful.

Are you going to blacken them? I did. Pretty easy and I like how the clamps look and wear.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline John S

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2017, 01:29:02 AM »
Joco,
Can't do anything tonight as it's late here and my workshop is not at home but tomorrow I'll take a couple of pictures of some I made many, many years ago to my own design which makes the fixed screw far simpler to make and fit.

AFAIK no one else has done it this way, everyone copies what has gone before.
John Stevenson, Nottingham , England

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2017, 01:58:42 AM »
Joco-

Like Carl said, toolmaker clamps are very useful.

-Bob
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My Engine Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/Notch90usa/videos

Offline Joco

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2017, 07:17:16 AM »
Joco,
Can't do anything tonight as it's late here and my workshop is not at home but tomorrow I'll take a couple of pictures of some I made many, many years ago to my own design which makes the fixed screw far simpler to make and fit.

AFAIK no one else has done it this way, everyone copies what has gone before.

Thanks John.  New ideas and info welcome.   :ThumbsUp:
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Joco

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2017, 07:19:34 AM »
That was one of the first projects I did when I got into this hobby. And by getting into this hobby, I mean I had no prior experience.
I've used those clamps quite often. Very useful.

Are you going to blacken them? I did. Pretty easy and I like how the clamps look and wear.

Not sure on the blackening yet.  Can you point me to some "how to" for that?  Typical challenge in NZ seems to be sourcing chemicals and such.  So much seems to incur the "you live at the bottom of the world so we will ream your wallet" tax.

Cheers,
James.
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Ian S C

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2017, 09:36:12 AM »
Don't know if there is a gunsmith in Wellington, they may have the chemicals.
I heat my bits and pieces that need blueing.
Ian S C
             

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2017, 10:26:10 AM »
All I did was:
1) pour some oil into a bread pan (might have been 2 1/2 or 3" deep)
2) held the parts with wire
3) heated to cheery red
4) lowered parts (not too slowly) into oil

But recall what I'd said...I was a complete newbie at the time and I still don't complete understand the why's and consequences.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline crueby

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2017, 07:32:59 PM »
All I did was:
1) pour some oil into a bread pan (might have been 2 1/2 or 3" deep)
2) held the parts with wire
3) heated to cheery red
4) lowered parts (not too slowly) into oil

But recall what I'd said...I was a complete newbie at the time and I still don't complete understand the why's and consequences.
Main consequence, your wife hitting you over the head with the bread pan you ruined!

Offline John S

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2017, 10:17:30 PM »
OK here is one version of the clamps I made. They follow closely similar designs but I wanted something quicker to make and without any tapped for for tiny screws to keep coming loose and falling out.



Main part where they differ is the diameter under the head with a groove in it that lines up with a roll pin. So simple turning and drilling only.

Later designs were made even simpler as coming from a production background it's more about saving time and money than copying what the herd does.



Virtually identical to the first ones but on these the screw is in two parts. A knurled top with the groove in and a length of studding let into the top and secured with loctite.
This way it cuts out making the external screw thread and so saves even more time and material for that matter.
John Stevenson, Nottingham , England

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2017, 02:18:43 AM »
What's cool too is you can miniaturize these, using 4-40's or whatever, and make gifts.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: Apprentice Project - Toolmaker Clamps
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2017, 03:11:04 AM »
You can do a black oxide finish with apple cinder vinegar, hydrogen perioxide and salt. 

Like Ian, I heat parts until they turn blue.  I've done toe clamps like this and it has worked well.

-Bob
Proud Member of MEM

My Engine Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/Notch90usa/videos

 

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