Author Topic: Workshop Log  (Read 42288 times)

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #165 on: October 24, 2020, 02:59:42 PM »
I suppose I should test my DRO like this too. However, I always seem to manage to find something else to do first...

Kudos to you for your patience.

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #166 on: October 24, 2020, 03:36:54 PM »
 Thanks Gary,

After being fooled by my hand wheels, I wanted to know that my heard earned $$'s were well spent.

Not only......but also..............knowing this, the mill now becomes a very powerful measurement tool as well as an accurate mill.

I still have to test the different positions on the table X axis and make sure the accuracy is consistent across the whole travel, but this nevertheless gives me some good confidence.

Got another new machine for the workshop yesterday.........




 :ROFL:

Love me a chicken kiev. No doubt this will end up getting pressed into service to heat up bearing housings at some point. For now, lunch!
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #167 on: October 24, 2020, 03:39:19 PM »
Nice one!   :ThumbsUp:

Offline Kim

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #168 on: October 24, 2020, 05:40:03 PM »
Looks like you've got yourself a new powder coating oven, Stuart!  Of course, I'd refrain from cooking lunch in it after you've used it for that :)
Nice acquisition!
Kim

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #169 on: November 05, 2020, 01:44:57 PM »
 :ROFL: Thanks Kim - good idea! I can see the oven being pressed into service for that. Although I'll hate to give up the ability to warm up a nice Parkers Meat Pie! Yum.

Anyway - felt like chiming in now that I have a couple of weeks of use of my mill since fitting the DRO's. One of the many benefits, beyond making accurate parts, is repeatability. I am extremely happy with how these are performing. I can now very accurately find locations of edges and features, which means I can return a cutting tool to a specific location, within approximately a half thousandth of an inch, which is about 3um I think. That not only means improved dimensional accuracy, but also vastly improved geometry (parallelism, profile, perpendicularity etc), and vastly improved surface finishes - and more quickly. All from what is, in all honesty, a fairly cheap, not very rigid, imported hobby mill. But the ways on the mill at least move properly perpendicular to each other and the spindle, and the spindle runout is about a half thou, so cheap and non rigid as it is, once it's capabilities are understood, and the dynamics of the cutter are more or less understood (cutter flex and such) a quantam leap in part quality is achieved. In short, expensive though those DRO's are, they were worth the investment.

As yet I've only used the system for basic location and indicating - there are many more possibilities to explore in terms of measuring using a probe, and programming for bolt patterns and more complex patterns.

I am so happy that I'll likely write to DRO pros and tell them so. I'm a great believer in positive feedback, especially in these days of social media where "flaming" those who have wronged you (usually because of some minor misunderstanding or error) is the norm.



Which is nice.
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #170 on: November 05, 2020, 08:54:05 PM »
Yes, it has transformed your mill into a proper measurin' iron!

The repeatability is one of the great things - just effortlessly winding till you hit that same zero (or whatever). As you say, the quality takes a serious boost.

Very good point you make about the social media culture, and I salute your wish to counterbalance the negativity. One of the nice things about this forum is that people are generally very friendly, and any criticism is usually offered constructively in the form of suggestions on how else things may be done. If there is any trolling on here, I have never seen it.

 :ThumbsUp:

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #171 on: November 05, 2020, 10:19:01 PM »
Being a "smaller" board helps with that a bit, but I agree - top notch folks on here, nothing negative at all. very nice forum with great feedback from the membership. I don't even look at any other ME forums.
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #172 on: November 07, 2020, 10:17:00 PM »
New tools! A shiny tappy hammer.



And some inserts to try. Thought these would fit on my existing tooling, but made an error there, so new holders arriving tomorrow. I'm interested to see how these do on carbon steel. There are some different designs here, with different PVD coatings. Allegedly good for steel medium and fine finishes. Also got a couple of non ferrous inserts. Anyway - some fun and learning to be had.

Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #173 on: November 08, 2020, 09:47:04 PM »
Made a few test cuts today on some plain carbon steel. I'm on the continual look out for the best way to achieve good "as turned" finishes on carbon steel.

Long story short - my best recipe is still to run the spindle as slow as possible, and use coolant.

This is a test cut with those parameters using a carbide insert.



This is a test cut, same conditions using a high speed steel insert.



So far, the high speed steel wins out. Both reasonable finishes I think.

I can rough out material much faster, but to get a nice finish I have to slow right down and take very light finish cuts. I can live with that.
« Last Edit: November 09, 2020, 12:50:12 AM by propforward »
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #174 on: November 22, 2020, 09:28:23 PM »
New acquisitions:

Dividing head. From Precision Matthews - possibly bigger than I really need, but this is a very, very nice piece of kit. I had a little 4" rotary table from Grizzly - which was a horrible piece of junk and I could not get it to run true, free or anything else. It shall be pitched, or find a new home.





And a new tool post. I machined up the T nut yesterday, and I have been using it today. In this pic, just sat next to the old tool post. I'm very happy with this.

Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #175 on: November 23, 2020, 08:10:09 AM »
Oh yes.... very nice indeed.

The dividing head is fabulous. Lots of fun ahead with that...

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #176 on: May 30, 2021, 12:40:49 AM »
Thought I'd post an update. I haven't machined much lately, because I was finishing the rebuild of one of my motorcycles, so that I could sell it. That mission was accomplished, the bike duly sold, and some of the proceeds put towards some tooling.

One of the acquisitions was a 3 jaw mini chuck (and also a 4 jaw). I have been struggling to hold some of the really small components I need to make, so I thought get one of these, make a stub for it, and hold it in my collet chuck for small parts. That was the subject of todays shednanigans.

The chuck - it has an M14 X 1 thread in the back.



I found a chunk of something in the scrap bin, and it looked like it would make a decent stub, so there it is:







I learned about how easily threading inserts chip today, so while I did complete the thread, I am not going to show it to you.

Anyway, all done and installed:





I still  have to drill and pin the chuck to the stub so that I can use it in reverse. This worked really well - I used it to make some brass 5-40 nuts for my engine. Now I will make a similar stub for the 4 jaw.
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline propforward

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #177 on: May 30, 2021, 12:51:03 AM »
By the way, the chuck came from an import tooling company called "Complete Machinery Equipment" (CME) - seller niuniucme on fleabay. I have been pleased with their quality / price / customer service combination. I also acquired a 6" rotary table from them which is far higher quality than I expected for the $200 price tag. More on that in due course.
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline Kim

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #178 on: May 30, 2021, 06:31:00 AM »
Nice work on the small 3J chuck!  I've done something quite similar with my little Taig 3 & 4 jaw chucks - I used a short piece of 1" diameter steel to make a 3/4" threads to hold the Taig chucks on.  I hold the 1" adapter in a 5C collet.  It works quite well for holding the Taig chucks!

Kim

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Workshop Log
« Reply #179 on: May 30, 2021, 12:20:24 PM »
That is extremely nifty.
Small is beautiful!

 

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