Author Topic: Simple inexpensive tooling items you can't do without.  (Read 6732 times)

Offline Zephyrin

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 766
  • near Paris, France
Re: Simple inexpensive tooling items you can't do without.
« Reply #30 on: July 12, 2018, 08:56:26 AM »
I use often these little home made squares for holding small parts in the mill vice truly perpendicular to a side. I picked the idea in the workshop manual book by GH Thomas.
As this axle box was sawn from a milled bar, I cannot rely on the base to mill the opposite face, hence this handy square.

Online steamer

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12697
  • Central Massachusetts, USA
Re: Simple inexpensive tooling items you can't do without.
« Reply #31 on: July 14, 2018, 01:14:33 PM »
I use often these little home made squares for holding small parts in the mill vice truly perpendicular to a side. I picked the idea in the workshop manual book by GH Thomas.
As this axle box was sawn from a milled bar, I cannot rely on the base to mill the opposite face, hence this handy square.


Zephyrin touched on it.   

A corollary to this is an angle plate.     Some are very simple with just slots.   Some are very complicated with built in V blocks and ledges.   I have several up to 8" and down to about 2"...I seem to draw to them like they have some magnetic property or something!    In any case, I find them darn handy either mounted to the table directly, or mounted in the vise.     Most of mine are orthogonal.    There are some out there that have fixed angles on them though.

They're not expensive, and are handy.     Make sure the "Square" ones are truly square.     

Another form is the cube.   I have some of those as well.   Again  Mount a small part on one side, and you can easily flip the part any old which way around in the vise and work 5 sides with one set up.    Damn handy


You could now argue we've come back full circle to 123 blocks …... 8)
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

toolznthings

  • Guest
Re: Simple inexpensive tooling items you can't do without.
« Reply #32 on: July 14, 2018, 07:14:38 PM »
One of the most useful, simple items that I find handy are Xacto # 11 knives. Everything from cutting to de-burring.
The best blades I found are American Safety Razor blades. Very sharp and still made in the USA.

Online steamer

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12697
  • Central Massachusetts, USA
Re: Simple inexpensive tooling items you can't do without.
« Reply #33 on: July 30, 2018, 03:30:27 AM »
Ok Heres some of the blocks I was getting on about.  You end up collecting them over time.   The 3 sided and 4 sided boxes are the most useful to me.

but lots to choose from

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal