- Joined
- Feb 28, 2019
- Messages
- 501
OK, it took more than a day but I got it mostly done today:
I bought the holder about a year or more ago if not longer, just figured it would fit the spindle on my mill but was not the case. So it's been sitting in a draw waiting for a new clamp part. I actually did the CAD for the clamp months ago also.....
The final straw was I purchased a rotary table and this became a must have, so time to get off my butt and get it done. Besides I could also figure out the rotary table and use it to round the two ends. CNC of the profile was a little challenging on my tiny desktop CNC machine but used it as an opportunity to figure out the "formula" for potentially doing other 1/2" thick 2D profiles with it. Was able to cut the full part from one side and even chamfer the edge AND get it lined up again when I flipped it to chamfer the other side.
What an introduction to the rotary table - it was a real challenge to figure out how do a setup on top of my 6" table. I really don't do many complicated setups, pretty much everything gets put in my big vise or a small precision vise. The rounding for the thumb screw hole required holding the part vertical. I was able to squeeze it between a fixture plate and an angle plate and lucked out being able to bolt the angle plate to the tee slots of the rotary table. Also had to make nuts for the tee slots. I did the second round over by bolting my precision vise to the rotary table at a weird angle to the tee slots so I could clamp both sides of it and still be able to slide it into exact position. Needed the fix face of the vise .258 from the rotary table center to get a half circle rounding on the .516 thick part.
Lots of head scratching and trials to get the setup right. I really fussed with it - got it a lot closer to perfect than the part demands. For the sole reason of figuring out the rotary table.
Mistakes were made but came out pretty good. I just need to finish up the thumb/clamp screw and it's done.
A lot of side diversions with this one but that was kind of the point.
I bought the holder about a year or more ago if not longer, just figured it would fit the spindle on my mill but was not the case. So it's been sitting in a draw waiting for a new clamp part. I actually did the CAD for the clamp months ago also.....
The final straw was I purchased a rotary table and this became a must have, so time to get off my butt and get it done. Besides I could also figure out the rotary table and use it to round the two ends. CNC of the profile was a little challenging on my tiny desktop CNC machine but used it as an opportunity to figure out the "formula" for potentially doing other 1/2" thick 2D profiles with it. Was able to cut the full part from one side and even chamfer the edge AND get it lined up again when I flipped it to chamfer the other side.
What an introduction to the rotary table - it was a real challenge to figure out how do a setup on top of my 6" table. I really don't do many complicated setups, pretty much everything gets put in my big vise or a small precision vise. The rounding for the thumb screw hole required holding the part vertical. I was able to squeeze it between a fixture plate and an angle plate and lucked out being able to bolt the angle plate to the tee slots of the rotary table. Also had to make nuts for the tee slots. I did the second round over by bolting my precision vise to the rotary table at a weird angle to the tee slots so I could clamp both sides of it and still be able to slide it into exact position. Needed the fix face of the vise .258 from the rotary table center to get a half circle rounding on the .516 thick part.
Lots of head scratching and trials to get the setup right. I really fussed with it - got it a lot closer to perfect than the part demands. For the sole reason of figuring out the rotary table.
Mistakes were made but came out pretty good. I just need to finish up the thumb/clamp screw and it's done.
A lot of side diversions with this one but that was kind of the point.
