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- Thread starter chris.trotter
- Start date
- Joined
- May 14, 2013
- Messages
- 104
Thanks everyone... will do my best to search for answers first, but you can expect something inane to show up. 
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2014
- Messages
- 7,594
We all start out clueless. On a wonderful forum like H-M, we do not need to stay that way... Ask whatever you want.
- Joined
- May 14, 2013
- Messages
- 104
Thanks guys, this is gonna be awesome. First chips!
I took some time to at least get the x-axis travel not all woggly, threw in a crappy lathe toolbit shim to bring it ~0.002-3 from one end of the table to the other - good enough to get started!
Then I discovered what my real first project is going to be - cutting some t-nuts to properly fit this little vise! You can see my very unorthodox clamping setup below... And apparently I haven't the faintest idea how to use a clamping set - and the set that came with the mill has t-nuts and bolts wayyy to large for the t-slots in the mill table. I also have no idea how to clamp stuff in general. Going off of YouTube memories, that's the best I came up with, but I would imagine clamping on ground surfaces is a no-no. Did not see any other way to clamp it, however!
Grabbed some lathe cutoff stock (1" mild steel), used a t-nut as a parallel, and went to town with the biggest endmill this came with (6mm). I very very gingerly took the facing cut, probably only 2-3 thou, but it cut like butter! Then I cut a light (5 thou) simulated slot for funzies.
Some things for me to address - the y-axis is still off - about 6-8 thou front to back, so you can feel that in the facing cut - not jagged, but just enough ridge for your fingernail to bump over.
Anyways - this was totally worth springing for, so glad to have this door open to me! \o/
I took some time to at least get the x-axis travel not all woggly, threw in a crappy lathe toolbit shim to bring it ~0.002-3 from one end of the table to the other - good enough to get started!
Then I discovered what my real first project is going to be - cutting some t-nuts to properly fit this little vise! You can see my very unorthodox clamping setup below... And apparently I haven't the faintest idea how to use a clamping set - and the set that came with the mill has t-nuts and bolts wayyy to large for the t-slots in the mill table. I also have no idea how to clamp stuff in general. Going off of YouTube memories, that's the best I came up with, but I would imagine clamping on ground surfaces is a no-no. Did not see any other way to clamp it, however!
Grabbed some lathe cutoff stock (1" mild steel), used a t-nut as a parallel, and went to town with the biggest endmill this came with (6mm). I very very gingerly took the facing cut, probably only 2-3 thou, but it cut like butter! Then I cut a light (5 thou) simulated slot for funzies.
Some things for me to address - the y-axis is still off - about 6-8 thou front to back, so you can feel that in the facing cut - not jagged, but just enough ridge for your fingernail to bump over.
Anyways - this was totally worth springing for, so glad to have this door open to me! \o/
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2014
- Messages
- 2,124
I wonder if you should use a round pin into the holes on the side of the vice as a place to clamp? Also recommend you look for a YouTube Video on clamping. I think that the way you use those clamping sets is to use the step block at one end of the clamping bar and part to be clamped under the other end, then the stud/nut pulls down to the T-Nut between the two.
- Joined
- May 14, 2013
- Messages
- 104
Yeeaap. I'm a newbie.
It's on my immediate learning list. This method certainly did work, though!
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2010
- Messages
- 937
Hi Chris,
You have joined an outstanding group of machinist and as has been said will answer questions or help fellow machinists in their hobby. As a beginner I can testify to that statement many times over.
Welcome!
Ray
You have joined an outstanding group of machinist and as has been said will answer questions or help fellow machinists in their hobby. As a beginner I can testify to that statement many times over.
Welcome!
Ray