2016 POTD Thread Archive

Cool. I have a 1/4" max drill chuck that fits on my surface/universal grinder arbor that I have had no idea what to do with. Now I have an idea. :)
 
thanks Jon, that'll probably be the perfect size - I'm keeping my eyes open for a smaller chuck. I also want to make a stationary QCTP chuck at some point as my tailstock has such a tiny travel (1 1/2in) that drilling deep holes is an exercise in frustration. I'll add it to my list :)
 
The funny thing about this chuck I have is that the capacity is only 1/4" but it fits the surface grinder spindle so it's still overall the same size as a typical drill press or tailstock chuck.

I can see the draw of the toolpost stationary chuck, but I imagine it's a tradeoff with the work to make sure you have it centered. What does the ideal workflow look like there? Spot/center drill with the tailstock, then chuck a small center (or the center drill itself?) in the toolpost chuck, use it to establish cross slide/compound position, then swap for drill bits?
 
I was finally able to do something for another member who has helped many of us with VFD's and numerous other topics. For myself, Mark (mksj) helped me transform my lathe into an incredible piece of equipment and brings a smile to my face every time I use it. Mark purchased a 3 ton arbor press and needed a stand for it. I was able to build it with scrap or left over remnants from past jobs. A win win for him and I.

I started with a piece of flat 1/4"x 8" flat strap. The press body is 8" wide so it made sense to start with this. I felt the 1/4" strap stock would flex and or distort during use and welding. Marks work space is shared with two vehicles and with other equipment so space is limited. A small foot print was a consideration during the design. I opted to use 1.5"x 1.5" x 14 gauge for the legs with a 15º angle to provide stability while rolling and using. The bottom of the base plate was beefed up with 3/8" x 1" flat bar hot rolled. As most of you know, HR stock has rounded edges and can be challenging to square up, plus I wanted a nice flat fit, so I milled one edge using a carbide facing cutter at 600RPM with light oil in a single pass (gang stacked).
IMG_1814.JPG
The castors where also "take offs" from some HF 44" toolboxes I used for my island workbench build so no $$ spent there and are more than enough for smooth rolling.
The castor flanges where sheared and punched on the iron worker in short order.
IMG_1812.JPG
Edges and corners rounded using a 12" disc sander for a nice match to castors.
The base plate was plasma cut to match the opening or business end of the press allowing longer shafts to be pressed. The 3/8" stiffeners or ribs really worked out nice keeping the base plate flat and rigid keeping the weight down. Two 1/4" x 1" tabs (drilled/tapped) secure the body side to side while the two 5/8" holes on the body allow bolts to secure the body to the base plate.
IMG_1824.JPG
A shelf was added 6" up from the bottom castor flanges, this will allow sweeping the floor without much drama. 1/8"x 1.5" x 1.5" angle iron makes for a good shelf and also stiffens the legs for a overall rigid rolling stand. A thin sheet of steel will fit on the shelf for those special spacers one makes over time and any other tooling Mark will make to go with his press.
IMG_1823.JPG
IMG_1820.JPG
She rolls nice and maneuvers well. I'm debating a short handle for the front of the stand that would be welded to the front legs about 4-6" below the base plate with a U bend keeping the "mouse hole" clear/open.
Next up, prime and paint. I think he'll like it.
After cleaning up my mess and looking forward to a shower, the Fed-Ex guy showed up a day early.....So, another few hours spent prepping my daily driver for a new radiator. It seems the 34 year old radiator is still available from Japan. I scored it from a land cruiser forum member for $299. (local dealer wanted $599) who works at a Toyota dealership on the east coast and takes care of cruiser heads like myself.
IMG_1826.JPG IMG_1827.JPG
Guess what I'm doing tomorrow after shift hehe.
Alright, gentlemen, turn and burn and thanks for looking.

Paco
 
intjonmiller said:
I can see the draw of the toolpost stationary chuck, but I imagine it's a tradeoff with the work to make sure you have it centered. What does the ideal workflow look like there? Spot/center drill with the tailstock, then chuck a small center (or the center drill itself?) in the toolpost chuck, use it to establish cross slide/compound position, then swap for drill bits?
Click to expand...

um, I'll figure it out when i make it? :) height should be easy enough, Y will probably take a little fiddling. the biggest issue of read about is the tool post wanting to twist under drilling pressure. just have to see how big an issue that is in practice.
 
firestopper said:
The castor flanges where sheared and punched on the iron worker in short order.
Click to expand...
I love those ironworkers. The shop I referred to when I started the Bozos thread had a 40 or 50 ton ironworker. All they used it for was punching 1/4" and 3/8" holes, and doing 90 degree bends. Meanwhile they had two power feed metal cutting bandsaws running all day right beside it, cutting 3/16" flat stock to length. That's it. The ironworker could run circles around the bandsaws. I showed them how it worked (no one seemed to even realize that the middle section had a purpose) and how to set up the material stops for repeatability, etc.
And they still never used it. Just baffling behavior. I showed the owner that it had a hydraulic power takeoff deal so we could set up a controlled, repeatable, power bending setup instead of the manual method that always required tweaking (the hammering with the Southbend lathe ways used as an anvil, as mentioned in the Bozos thread). Nah. Why work smart? This way is working just fine!

They left money on the table everywhere, just not in a way that any of us could actually claim it.

Anyway, great work! No doubt you get the well-earned sleep of a job well done.
 
Hi Jon M,

The iron worker is a workhorse when used correctly. I use the hell out of the bending die and punch station and the limit switches are handy for sure. Back during my Navy days, while working shore duty at Sub-base Pearl Harbor (when my addiction started), we had a Buffalo iron worker that used to scare the s**t out of me, when you pressed the mechanical pedal the big a$$ flywheel would transfer the rotating mass energy...KABOOM! would echo though out the the huge building. That old machine was never turned off except for PM's. I remember the first time I had to use it, I was sweating bullets as someone kept hash marks on the side of the heavy cast body for every time it claimed a body part.
My baby version is only 51T and no hash marks as she is way safer and quiet.
As for the sleep, I started typing at 03:30....but thanks, its the thought that counts.
 
That's great. When I was in high school I did an internship as a graphic designer at a local print/copy shop. They had an electric (hydraulic??) guillotine cutter. Press both safety buttons and the blade dropped and cleanly and quietly cut the whole stack. Pretty cool. :)

After high school I got a job in a large format screen printing shop. Their guillotine cutter was ancient, cast iron, and powered by a rattling motor with a squeaky belt leading to a massive flywheel. You had to get a feel for how to hold the clutch to spin up the flywheel, and how fast it had to be going for a given stack of material or else it would stall mid-cut and make your life miserable because the blade didn't just retract easily.

I recall that exact feeling of horror when I saw that the safety gate had been defeated long ago. Fortunately they only had to use that thing for a few jobs per year. Most of our work was on either adhesive-backed vinyl (like bus and subway ads) or vinyl banners.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top