Part holding help for the mill...

[SonofHarold - Metal Carver]

I hope I can describe this well enough without pictures. I am wanting to hold some aprox 1 inch dia round stock (6061) so that I can cut two flats opposite of each other (180 degrees) and leave a two sided tang centered no more than about 0.200 wide. (about an inch long) I will be reducing the diamater on one end to 0.250 so would have that done before going to the mill(?) to hold from... the whole thing is going to be about 2.5 long. The only thing I have now to hold parts on the mill with is a 4" vise. Ive been thinking of getting some collets (ER32?) and collet blocks to hold that 1/4 inch end and and then hold the collet block in the vise and turning it over once. Or would I hold it vertically and make a cut each side of center? I was also thinking of doing similar with some V-blocks but have more or less rejected that idea for now. I am hoping to find the simplest way of doing this and think I might be overthinking it. While I know I can figure a way to do it, I don't want to spend my budget on tools that may be of little use to be down the line. So I guess my question is two part then; what is the simplest part holding method I might need for this little project and what is wise to buy first as far as part holding tooling for some simple milling. (btw, just surfing today I am going to want to make some version of a carriage stop soon and will need a way to hold some square stock and cut that way V shape?) I am already in the market for a milling vise as the one I have is a little large plus the flats on the bottom under the jaw fall about a half inch short of the fixed jaw making in imposible to hold something small parallel with the table(?) thnx

 

[T Bredehoft]

the flats on the bottom under the jaw fall about a half inch short of the fixed jaw

Hint: make a half inch thick jaw insert to mount on the back.

 

[higgite]

Hi John,

Do you want the tang to have a square shoulder or is rounded okay? Being a novice myself, here’s what I’d do. Somebody else may have better ideas.

If the shoulders have to be square, you might try mounting it in a V-block and mounting that vertically in the vise and cut both sides on the Y-axis.

If rounded shoulders are okay, you might mount it horizontally in the vise and cut both sides on the X-axis. The end mill size will determine the shoulder radius. If mounting it directly on the vise jaw ways puts it too low to the table or vise clamps or whatever, put an appropriate length of square stock, thinner than the workpiece, under it to raise it up in the vise jaws as needed. This is assuming the tang won’t be long enough to require too much overhang in the vise.

Tom

 

[Mitch Alsup]

I am wanting to hold some aprox 1 inch dia round stock (6061) so that I can cut two flats opposite of each other (180 degrees) and leave a two sided tang centered no more than about 0.200 wide. (about an inch long) I will be reducing the diamater on one end to 0.250 so would have that done before going to the mill(?) to hold from... the whole thing is going to be about 2.5 long.

ER-32 only goes up to 7/8ths; ER-40 goes to 1+1/8, however.

 

[4ssss]

put it in a v-block

 

[P. Waller]

Straddle mill them with 2 side milling cutters spaced apart, hold the parts in a fixture in a vice horizontally, this will mill both sides at once, done and out the door.

 

[SonofHarold - Metal Carver]

Straddle mill them with 2 side milling cutters spaced apart, hold the parts in a fixture in a vice horizontally, this will mill both sides at once, done and out the door.

I don't have the tooling for that.... For my purposes that would be cost prohibitive... and then some.
edit-ADDED: I had to look that up actually and on first look I thought it took some rather special equipment. Iactually thought you might be funnin with me....
If I was doing something like this often it would make sense for sure, but not sure how often I might need a straddle type cutter but it will probably be on my wish list now... I think your not too far away, I've saw signage for Alliquippa, probably sometime when I was lost - Pittsburgh is a tough city to learn your way around. Im a recent transplant from Colorado

 

[SonofHarold - Metal Carver]

I was planning on using the end turned down to .250 to hold in the collet, but not sure I want/need to buy collets at this point.... or is that something I'd use the heck out of once I had them. I am less familiar with milling operations ... more so even than turning. either way I am only a novice.
I am not overly concerned about the cost, just am cheapo enough not to want to spend money for something that sits in the tool box when it could have been spent on something else I'll use.

 

[SonofHarold - Metal Carver]

put it in a v-block

the more Ive thought about it this seems the (simple) way to go. I'll deffinately need V blocks anyway... right?

 

[SonofHarold - Metal Carver]

Hint: make a half inch thick jaw insert to mount on the back.

That's just too simple of a solution, Just an example of my over thinking stuff. I imagine if I was out there trying to get something done I'd have came up with that tho... hopefully.