Oh, one of those “little” projects.

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello everyone,

Several months ago I sold my Lathe and Mill and a little over two weeks ago I decided to clean up the shop and get it ready for the new machines that I have ordered. I figured it would take about half a day for the cleaning and to rearrange a few of the fixtures. Well that little project turned into 2-weeks of non-stop cleaning, relocating some wall mounted items, then spackling in the screw holes, requiring me to paint all the walls and literally moving every single item that was in the shop at least one time! Seems like every thing that I did created four more new projects, but now that it is completed it sure looks nice and so happy with the results.  I’m sure all of you have had a similar “little” project at one time. 

Have a great day,
Thomas

[10KPete]

That sounds like what I need to do!

Pics please!

Pete

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello Pete,

My Mill was shipped yesterday out of California so should be here by end of week. As soon as I can get it fully assembled and the DRO installed I will take some photos and share here.

The Lathe is supposed to be in transit (on the water) from the factory, so probably 3 more weeks before it gets to me.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[Florian Eberhard]

Hey Thomas

I am currently in the middle of  huge "project" like yours. I am right now getting a room ready for my new workshop - I want to move it from the old location closer to where I live at the moment.
And guess what happens all the time?
"Oh i should do this" and
"oh that would be very useful to have it done before I move in" even as
"I can't miss that opportunity" (which meant buying a flatbed milling machine that had been used for engraving and needs to be equipped with new axis drives aswell as a spindle)

But I am still looking forward to move in this year. Hopefully  (the bad thing about good wheather is that it kind of always "distracts" me into outdoor activities)
I would be happy to have it all done in two weeks only to be honest 

However - I am looking forward to some pictures too
Cheers Florian

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hi Florian,

Well to be 100% honest I am not completely finished. I need to get the Mill in place before I make some "holders" for tools and then mount that. Once the Lathe is in place, I plan to make some shelves to accommodate various tools.

Hang in there, all the work now surely will pay off for you.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[propforward]

Would love to see pictures of the rearranged shoppe.

A complete reorganization like that can be very refreshing - get everything just "so" after having a lot of time to work in the space. I'm slightly concerned about getting in to this myself. I just pulled out the wall air conditioner unit in my shoppe, because I discovered it was leaking water during rain storms when the wind blew from a certain direction - but anyway having properly installed that again, I have some trim and finish work to do around it, and when I paint it - I just wonder if I'm going to have to paint the whole wall, which will mean pulling the whole workbench out, and then it all snowballs.

Oh well.

Fun!

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello propforward,

After all this work I can truthfully say it was more than worth the effort for many reasons. After I got started I drew to scale in AutoCAD my shop and then each piece of equipment/tables/ etc. that would be in place. I kept rearranging until I found what I thought to be the best overall layout. My shop is not big, it is 10-foot x 30-foot so I need to maximize what floor space I do have. I have upgraded the size on the Lathe and Mill that I ordered but with this new layout I actually have more room than before. The only thing that I did not get to do was repaint the floor, because of the required drying time for that paint. My Mill is scheduled to be delivered on the 17th of July and I just do not want to wait another week to start putting it together.

I would say, go for it, and make the upgrade to you shop.

I will take many photos when the Mill is in place and more after I receive the Lathe and post them here.

Good luck with your "little" project and have a great day,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello everyone,

Received the Mill yesterday and got it out of the shipping crate. The next deal was how to raise almost 500 pounds up heigh enough to get the Stand and Chip Tray under it. My Crane was about 7-inches too short so I cut up a bunch of wood (see in photo) to block under it to get the required height. All went as smooth as silk with almost one-inch to spare. I have completed the clean up and run the Break-in procedure, my next project is to install the 3-axis DRO.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[crueby]

Nice!

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Thanks Chris,

It took me about half of the morning but I wanted to be very safe for two reasons: 1) I did not want to break any parts of my old body and 2) did not want to break any parts on the New machine.

After I get the DRO installed it can be moved to the permanent location. I want plenty of room to work all around it.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[propforward]

Very nice indeed - lovely, well organized shop!

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hi propforward,

All the work in the last several weeks getting the shop ready for the Mill and the Lathe has now paid off. Hopefully I will get the Lathe within the next 2 to 3 weeks.

Thanks and have a great day,
Thomas

[zeeprogrammer]

Very nice! That's the same mill as I have but my stand doesn't have a drawer.

Where did you get it from? I got mine from Precision Mathews.
PM also sells a power drive for the X axis. Easy to install. I love it but it does require another 12" of space.

You may already know this...perhaps it will help others...

I've had problems with the gib lock levers and vise lever when running under power.
If the gib lock levers are high, the vise would hit them. I've since removed the levers and use an allen wrench to tighten them.
Also, the vise lever can hit the Y travel wheel. I've been getting in the habit of removing the lever after using it.

Without power, if you hit something, you can feel the resistance.

That's happened a few times in the Y travel with the gib lock levers that are located to the right and under the table.
I don't know what they're called, they are hinged to the lock rather than slip on like the others.
If not careful, they can either dig into the base or run up against the bolt(s) holding the mill to the stand.

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello Zee,

This is not a PM machine, it is a Weiss VM32L and I purchased it from DRO PROS out of California. The stand is also a Weiss from DRO PROS and that draw is going to be very handy. Lots of tools I don't keep in the Chip Tray can now be stored in that draw.

I plan to center the Mill between the white table to the right and the wall to the left. This will give me plenty of extra space when the table is fully in one direction.

Have not had any problems with full travel on X or Y. The lock handles are clear of all items.

Thank you and have a great day,
Thomas

[b.lindsey]

Very nice Thomas! Always fun to have a new machine to play with.

Bill

[zeeprogrammer]

This is not a PM machine, it is a Weiss VM32L and I purchased it from DRO PROS out of California. The stand is also a Weiss from DRO PROS and that draw is going to be very handy. Lots of tools I don't keep in the Chip Tray can now be stored in that draw.

Have not had any problems with full travel on X or Y. The lock handles are clear of all items.

Thanks. I took a closer look and I can see the control panel on the left has a different arrangement from mine. Everything else looks the same but I wouldn't be surprised if yours was built with different/better specs.

In thinking about the trouble I've had with the lock handles...I think now it's more my fault. I'm still inexperienced and it doesn't occur to me (or I don't remember) to set the handles out of the way after locking.

Enjoy the shop. It looks really good.

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Very nice Thomas! Always fun to have a new machine to play with.

Bill

Hi Bill,

Can't wait to carve into a piece of metal......

Have a great day,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello again Zee,

Like most machines today, mine was built in China and maybe at the same as yours...who really knows now days. The literature shows a "Wiess" plant and nothing but Weiss machines inside, however the next day it could be another brand. I did over two months research on all the equipment manufactures that I could find on the internet and no other machines could match the specifications on the Mill and Lathe. After several months of use and at least one completed engine, I will be able to give a "review" of their equipment. I can only hope that I have made a wise investment. I have two projects "waiting" for me now and hope the Lathe comes in on schedule.

Thank you for the nice comments and have a great day,
Thomas

[Kim]

Very nice, Thomas!
You've got a fun project to get the DRO's all setup!  Always challenges there, but I've found it really helps you get to know your machine right away

Have fun and enjoy your new tools!
Kim

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hi Kim,

Well the truth be told, I am not looking forward to installing the DRO but it must get done. They (DRO PROS) have mailed me a DVD showing step by step the procedure and I got 3 books in the packages also giving the instructions. I just have to get a mind set when I start to work.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[Kim]

Yeah, installing expensive DROs on an expensive new machine is always a little gut wrenching. 

I just have to dig in and get started, then it gets easier.  And you always run into some seemingly insurmountable issue that you inevitably figure out how to get around.  But in the end, you just have to get started to get it done

You'll get there!  I did, so no doubt you will to!
Kim

[propforward]

Heck - I've seen the work you do - you can handle DRO installs, no worries.

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hi propforward,

Thank you, we will see in a few days.

Have a great weekend,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello everyone,

Got started on installing the 3-Axis DRO on the Mill at 2:am this morning. It is now 1:45pm and I have only installed the Magnetic Rail for “X” and working on installing the Reader Head. This is why I have not been looking forward to this project. Seems like all “add-on’s” always turn into a lot more work than they tell you.

My little roll around chair sure saved my back today. Most of the drilling and tapping was at a waist high level. Being able to sit down to do the work sure helped.

Photo-1
Chair and threading the cut end of the magnetic rail
Photo-2
The “X” Rail installed
Photo-3
Checking that the rail is dead level
Photo-4
Almost no room for a drill and a bit to drill the holes to mount the “reader”. Had to cut down 2 drill bits to fit.
Photo-5
Even harder, was tapping the holes. Only a half-turn at a time and it was hard tapping into that cast iron. I think I hit a 1959 Buick bumper in there somewhere.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[Kim]

Looks like a great start Thomas!
I agree with you on tapping the CI of these machines.  I ended up drilling a little larger hole and making the fit more like a 60% thread, rather than 75% that most charts show.  It could have been because I have cheap metric taps that aren't very sharp.  But boy, I worried about breaking a tap off in one of those holes.  Luckily, that didn't happen.

Keep at it Thomas.  Yeah, it will take you longer than you want, but you'll get it done and be happy you did it!
Kim

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hi Kim,

Like you, I was afraid of breaking a tap. If it did happen, it would break inside the hole and I would have a heck of a time getting it out. So to be safe, I drilled the 75% size a little deeper than required. Then I used a 50% bit about 1/8" deep at the face to make it real easy to get the taper tap started straight. Ran the taper tap as deep as it would go, backing out every 3 to 4 turns. Then a ran a bottom tap to chase the threads to the required depth. Maybe a lot of extra work but no broken taps, and no do-overs. I used cutting oil through out the whole process.

Have a great afternoon,
Thomas

[Kim]

Sounds like you have a good process down!
Kim

[steamer]

Even harder, was tapping the holes. Only a half-turn at a time and it was hard tapping into that cast iron. I think I hit a 1959 Buick bumper in there somewhere.



Usually  a railroad spike....sometimes intact!....ask me how I know this....


 

Dave

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Even harder, was tapping the holes. Only a half-turn at a time and it was hard tapping into that cast iron. I think I hit a 1959 Buick bumper in there somewhere.



Usually  a railroad spike....sometimes intact!....ask me how I know this....


 

Dave

Hello Dave,

OK, now you have to tell me.  ???

Have a great day,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello everyone,

OK still trying to tap all the holes for the DRO installation and hit that 59 Buick bumper again, or rail spike as Steamer suggested.

I need some help and advise. It’s too late now to “over drill” the hole to make it easier for tapping so what can I do. I am using a 1/4-20 tap and can only make a half turn ( sometimes less ) for each cut before having to back all the way out. As you can see in the photo I am even using a cheater ( closed end wrench ) to make the turn. I am afraid that the tap will break sometimes. Anybody with any suggestions????

Thomas

[ShopShoe]

Maybe, Just maybe, a spiral tap would work better. I have had a similar situation and going to a spiral tap helped. It was a higher quality, new one, too.

Perhaps trying a different lube would also help.

I don't use any way of putting extra leverage on the tap handle: I have found that way to result in bending-and-turning rather than just turning the tap and a broken one results. (I also can feel the point the point where a good tap starts to twist rather than cut: Hopefully that point is not too late.)

ShopShoe

[ShopShoe]

OK, I just went back and looked at your picture again.

Major PITA, especially with a new machine, but maybe  consider tearing things down to get the part to the bench to get a better attack on the job.

It's awful to consider, but the result of a broken tap could cause more of a delay and something to trouble you for as long as you own the machine.

Been There, Done That.

ShopShoe

[Johnmcc69]

I've found that "Tap Magic" as a cutting fluid seems to work very well. As suggested, a new, good quality tap (gun, spiral to start) will help, & blow out the holes as you tap so the chips don't bind things up.
 Using a small 1/4" drive socket & that fits the tap & a ratchet may make turning in easier with more control. ..
(They do make some nice ratcheting tap wrenches)

 Hope this helps, you'll get there. Just take your time.

 John

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Maybe, Just maybe, a spiral tap would work better. I have had a similar situation and going to a spiral tap helped. It was a higher quality, new one, too.

Perhaps trying a different lube would also help.

I don't use any way of putting extra leverage on the tap handle: I have found that way to result in bending-and-turning rather than just turning the tap and a broken one results. (I also can feel the point the point where a good tap starts to twist rather than cut: Hopefully that point is not too late.)

ShopShoe

Good morning ShopShoe

The spiral tap may be the trick, however no store in town stocks one. It might be worth ordering one and just waiting because I have a lot more holes to drill and tap in different sizes.

I have used 3 different machine/cuttings oils and no help there.

You are 100% correct about using any added leverage but I am extremely careful....I hope.

Thanks so much for the advice,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

OK, I just went back and looked at your picture again.

Major PITA, especially with a new machine, but maybe  consider tearing things down to get the part to the bench to get a better attack on the job.

It's awful to consider, but the result of a broken tap could cause more of a delay and something to trouble you for as long as you own the machine.

Been There, Done That.

ShopShoe

Hey again ShopShoe,

Taking the "X" table off would work only for the remaining one tap. All of the other taps will be in different locations. And to be truthful, boy I would hate to go through all that trouble.

Again many thanks,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

I've found that "Tap Magic" as a cutting fluid seems to work very well. As suggested, a new, good quality tap (gun, spiral to start) will help, & blow out the holes as you tap so the chips don't bind things up.
 Using a small 1/4" drive socket & that fits the tap & a ratchet may make turning in easier with more control. ..

 Hope this helps, you'll get there. Just take your time.

 John

Hi John,

I believe the spiral tap is going to help, so I will order 2 of each size today and just wait.

I am using Burlite now for my cutting oil, and it is much better. I also am using my shop vac to clean out the holes each time...boy this takes a extra long time, but it does help.

I will try the ratchet, should give my poor old hands some relief.

Thanks so much for this help,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello everyone,

Thanks gentlemen for all the help. Just ordered both size taps and matched drill bits, so I am shut down until these items arrive.

Thanks again and have a great day,
Thomas

[b.lindsey]

I agree Thomas. Wait for the new taps. It's a small price to pay for not breaking a tap off in your new machine. How deep are the threads now? Any chance of using shorter hardware and reducing the thread depth needed? DRO scales aren't that heavy.

Bill

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

I agree Thomas. Wait for the new taps. It's a small price to pay for not breaking a tap off in your new machine. How deep are the threads now? Any chance of using shorter hardware and reducing the thread depth needed? DRO scales aren't that heavy.

Bill

Hello Bill,

I am about 1/4" in depth on one and just a tad less on the other. I need to be 3/8" because of the "grub" screws that are used to align the Strip vertically along the "X" axis. If the plate was absolutely flat then I would stop at 1/4" and be finished on this one Reader Head. However, I have two more Reader Heads to mount so the $56.00 bucks for new taps will be worth it. My poor ole hands are about give-out.... he he

Thanks Bill and have a great day,
Thomas

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello every one,

After over one month of delays I finally now have all the machines in the shop (although not the ones that I had originally ordered), I am ready to rock-n-roll and make some swarf . I do have two projects to complete before I build another steam engine but so happy to get things working in the shop again.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[Kim]

Looks shiny and new!  What did you end up getting?  And why did you have to change?
Inquiring minds....
Kim

[zeeprogrammer]

 

Looking forward to the swarf.

I too would like to know why you had to change machines.

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Hello everyone,

Kim and Zee, I had originally ordered both the Mill and Lathe from the company that sells Weiss equipment. Got the Mill in first and it had some areas that the paint was bad. As I began to install the DRO, each time I would use the center punch to mark where a hole was to be drilled, more paint would chip ( some rather large ). Anyway I canceled the Lathe and after a long and unpleasant ordeal ( and a big loss of money to me ) I was able to return the Mill.

I ordered a Mill from Grizzly just like the one I used to have because it was in stock with the DRO already installed.

I ordered the Lathe from Bolton ( a 12 x 24 ), again because it was in stock and it has a spindle bore of 1-1/2" which I really wanted.

"Life is what it is, and if it wasn't it would be something else".......
Have a great day,
Thomas

[propforward]

Very nice indeed! Great looking shop - well done!

[b.lindsey]

Nice shed Thomas. Sorry about the issues with the original equipment, but hopefully the new machines will work out just as well or better.

Bill

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Thanks Bill and Stuart, I'm sure the new machines will be just fine. The main thing is that the shop is complete and ready to enjoy.

Have a great day,
Thomas

[zeeprogrammer]

The main thing is that the shop is complete

  Is it ever?

Let's just say it's ready to make parts.

[Kim]

I'm sorry about the issues with your 'old new' machines, but glad to hear you have finally gotten your new-new machines.  And they look mighty fine!  Can't wait to see some swarf!
Kim