Projects like this is why we spend thousands of $$ on tools and equipment and countless hours honing our skills to a fine edge. All to spend 3 hours in the shop fixing a $15 RubberMaid blender for a friend. I get paid in cheeseburgers for this kind of work, really good ones! Hmmmm....I need to make a cardboard sign....''Will work for food''
The problem is that the rubber plunger thing falls off of the rod due to a really poor design, so ''yeah I can fix that'' So rather than just putting a SS screw in the end of the thing, I decide to make a whole new plunger assembly out of SS. I had a piece of 0.025 SS shim stock for the foot, a 5/16 SS rod out of a printer, and some 0.125 SS for the handle.
I didn't get all of the pictures I should have, none showing the finished product.
So over to the mill to cut out the foot. To cut out the 0.025 piece, I sandwiched the SS between 2 chunks of aluminum.
Now I need to cut out the center into a 1/4-20 nut shape so I can weld in the nut later. I clearanced the pocket to get clearance for the tiny end mill I wanted to cut the shape with. That's a 0.045 end mill.
And here is the new foot and the old one.
I pocketed the fixture to hold the nut at the right height for use as a welding fixture. So next over to the welding table.
This a a poor picture but what is shows is that I made it half way around the nut just perfectly then I burned a hole in it. DO NOT drink a pot of coffee before trying to precision TIG weld!!!!
OK, off to plan B. Make a new one out of some of the 0.125 SS plate. Drill &tap the center hole for 1/4-20.
Thread the end of the rod for 1/4-20. I normally would not use a carbide insert tool for threading this but I couldn't find my fishtail to grind another out of HSS. Had to eyeball the alignment. Need to find that fishtail, probably fell down behind the lathe.
Now for the handle. First add a bending jig to the original fixture.
Now the bending
Half bent
Trim the excess length
Finish the bend
That was the last picture. The next operation was over to the welding table again and weld the handle onto the shaft. I didn't screw that one up. My friend was happy with result, and I get food!
