POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

Was looking around for one of these in the house and garage, and it simply vanished. I know I have (more than) one somewhere. What was it?

A valve core remover, like for automotive tires. I looked up some basic dimensions for a Schrader valve and was able to find dimensions for the valve but not the core. The core has a flat part and I couldn't get in and measure it. So I sort of bluffed it as I went along. A 1/16" slitting saw was not wide enough. Fortunately, I had left the tool in the vise on the mill and had a bicycle inner tube to try it on. So I opened up the slot by 0.020" by offsetting the saw +0.010 and -0.010". Then it fit! I then drilled out the end with a 0.081" drill for about 0.1" for some clearance for the button on the valve core.

Then I decided to knurl the end for a little more grip. Seeing as the 1144 rod was only 1/4" diameter, I used my knurler on my mini-lathe, which is a straddle knurler type. I don't yet have one for my 10x22. That's another project, but not for today.

So here it is. A couple hours in the shop, and I'm one of the few Stress proof valve core removers owners in the world! Probably ought to be committed, but you all understand the disease. :) No drawing, just free form and getting it to fit. No files were harmed in this design, steel or electronic!

Roughly the dimensions are 0.200" diameter, turned down for 0.250", then 0.160" diameter for 0.150". About an 0.082" wide slit maybe 0.140" deep. The knurling, beats me, I just did some and added a couple of rings spaced 0.220" apart, because that is what would work for me without moving the part in the ER collet.
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Even after washing my hands a few times, that sulfured cutting oil stinks! I use that on my knurler, works great, but it do stink. It's hard to get my phone to focus on the right thing, so please excuse my finger.
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eraserhd said:
Put the wood vise back on the workbench I dragged up from the basement. The installation instructions had this crazy bit about insetting the bracket 1/8”, then shimming it. We did that last time and it was kinda terrible.

Then I realized the whole reason for this was because they saved money on not milling the front face of the casting flat… so my mini mill has more earned a little bit more of its keep.

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Yeah I also tried hand-cut dovetails for the first time. Terrible, don’t look.
Click to expand...
I like it...
 
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