Hi Everyone
Here is a long overdue update on the Mill Vise project.
The next item to tackle is the engraving on the swivel base and reference lines on the body.
My plan was to use a dividing head set at an angle so that for the most part the engraving was done parallel to the table of the mill. The numbers will be on the curve but with using the spring loaded engraver from 2L
https://www.2linc.com/ it will be able deal with the curve of the casting.
I started by making a dummy piece from steel so I could double check my programs and dividing head set up. The numbering pattern that we decided to use goes from 0 to 90 then back to 0; this is repeated on both halves of the circle. Kurt has used different patterns over the years, but our sample used this pattern so that is why it was chosen.
Once satisfied that I could pull this off, a fixture was made that the swivel base could be mounted to. It has raised keys machined into the surface that the keyways on the bottom of the swivel base align to. Here an indicator and parallel are being used to align the fixture for the starting point. The first zero is 10 degrees off of horizontal to align with the index marks on the body. So that will be the starting point for the numbers.
I used a sharp pointed diamond engraving tool with the spindle not running to do the engraving. I did all the lines first, all 360 of them; then came back and added the numbers. It was pretty much index the part, hit cycle start, rinse and repeat. I don’t sit at my machines but I did this time; that, was a lot of turns on the dividing head. Doing the numbers was pretty much the same drill, I created the numbers in Bob CAD each on a different layer as they all shared the same origin. Each number was programmed as a separate operation in the CAM tree then after posting the code a program stop (M00) was manually added between each number sequence to allow for indexing. I really need to think about building that 4th axis, I already have the electronics in the cabinet to support it.
Here is a close up of the finished engraving, the diamond tool raised a small burr that was carefully removed with vary fine sand paper. This is pushing the limits of the engraving tooling and my machine that has a few thou backlash in the ball screws. The letters are only .05” tall and the lines are .04” and .09” for the long ones. Over all I very happy with how it turned out, I feel that It is very clean and not over done.
Next up was to engrave the reference lines on the body casting. When I designed the machining fixture for the base I had this operation in mind. The fixture allows the body to be rotated around the pivot pin while setting the 10 degree angle. A drill blank is inserted through the holes in the fixture and vise body. The pin is resting on top of the vise jaws and a 10 degree angle block is used to set the angle. Then it is only a matter of picking up the center of the drill blank and engraving the line.
Here the diamond tool is held in a collet and while running the Y axis back and forth the knee is very carefully raised until the line is cut.
Thanks for checking in,
Dave