2020 POTD Thread Archive

I finally got some shop time and got the slots cut. Using the DRO multi zero feature made setting each cut really fast. Then just back and forth... Easy to get into a rhythm. The roughing end mill is kind of fun to watch. It ate the 1018 like it wasn't there. 3/8 Niagara cobalt rougher, 1100 RPM, 0.150 DOC, 4 ipm. The chips were hot but not discolored and there was no chatter at all.

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Took the last 0.010 with a 6 flute carbide end mill climb milling. Really decent finish for 1018. Need to deburr and set up for the drilling and tapping.

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I striped down, cleaned and rebuilt the latest mitutoyo toy in the workshop - a 329-316 digital depth mic. Which can probably serve as a hammer in a pinch. I’m guessing late 70s vintage from the over engineering and three battery design. It was very tight - something was binding up inside so much that you couldn’t rotate the thimble with the ratchet without it slipping. Now it’s silky smooth. :)
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whilst I was at it I got the surface plate out and dialled in the zero on it and my other depth mic.
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Today I finished off my solid tool post by making a new stud - I used the one that came with the QTP when I bought it, but it’s not a very good fit (and it’s the reason it’s not on the compound). This is M10 each end, but the shaft is 10.5mm. Used the extractor on the lathe for the fast time as well.


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Why so fussy of .5mm? Well... it means that the sides of the QTP align exactly with the solid base. So all I need do to ensure that the QTP is square to the work / chuck etc is hold a 123 block up to the side of the base and tighten the nut. The base is aligned spot on with the cross slide, so everything works out well.

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Oh - I also made a list of all the other things to be done whilst the apocalypse reigns. ;)
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POTD was more progress on the enclosure for my Tormach mill. The enclosure will have a 6" table that overhangs the front of the mill. I have stainless steel tubing that runs along the front edge which needed to be braced back to the chip pan for stiffness.

There are 4 brass plugs in the front of the chip pan that can be removed for anchor points for a lower support bracket. I started by making new ones out of brass. Plan was to make bushings with a threaded inside hole for screwing brackets to. They mic'd at around 0.629" or very close to 16 mm or a touch over 5/8". The thread pitch was spot on to both 1.4 mm or 18 threads/inch. I had some 5/8" brass so went with English plugs: 5/8" OD threaded at 18 threads/inch though they very well could be M16 x 1.4. They mic'd at the same diameter at both ends, so not a pipe thread. Too bad, would have liked to try threading on my Grizzly G0709 lathe with a taper attachment.


Plugged holes in the base of the chip pan
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Chucked up some 5/8" brass and faced.
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center drilled
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tap drilled for 5/16"-18
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power tapped with a spiral flute tap
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scratch pass on the OD for the 18 tpi. "Close enough" as I'm guessing it was probably a metric 1.4 mm pitch thread which works out to 18.14 tpi.
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Used a screw pitch micrometer to measure one of the plugs with a 0.600" pitch diameter.
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Last pass
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Low and behold, hit 0.600"!
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parting off the bushings
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used a thread repair file at the chucked end that had just been parted. Ran the lathe in reverse and held the file on the back side of the work. That way the file worked itself off the thread.
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Original plugs to the left, new bushings in the middle. Some 5/16" cap screws for threading in the bushings.
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New bushings in place. Put a drop of red Loctite on the bushings and ran the cap screws down. I put a piece of masking tape between the washer and the bushing which made removing the cap screws easier; didn't unscrew the bushings.
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Next step was making some brackets for the bottom support. I used 1 1/2" angle iron for these. Rough cut the length on my band saw, then cleaned up one end on the Bridgeport. Flipped the pieces and cleaned up the opposite side so they were all the same width. Ran a quick CNC routine to cut a radius on the end. Then spot drilled and drilled a through hole for screwing a Creform tube bracket to.


Set the rough cut angle pieces vertically and cleaned up the ends.
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Ran a CNC routine to cut a radius on the end, then spot drilled holes which were completed on the drill press.
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Assembled two brackets together and drilled the attaching holes to the chip pan on the BP. Spacing is 1.60" on the Tormach chip pan, so matched that on the BP.
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Screwed the brackets to the Tormach chip pan and attached some braces from the tubing that runs along the front of the mill. Really stiffens things up.

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Thanks for looking,

Bruce
 
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POTD was more work on the Tormach enclosure. Worked on the lower door tracks this time. The original owner used 1/4" Plexiglas that ran in an extruded aluminum track. I figured on reusing the track. His enclosure had two sliding doors that gave about a 3' opening to the mill. My design is two panels that are hinged on the ends and sliding doors. In use, I'll have 3+ foot sliding doors in front and if I want, can swing them open for a close to 8' access to the front of the mill.

The track slips into a piece of aluminum extrusion. Plan was to screw that extrusion to the bottom of the swinging doors. Started by making some 1/4"-20 nuts that fit the extrusion. Cut the pieces on a bench shear, then drilled and tapped on the drill press.


nuts for the extrusion cut from 1/8" steel plate. Tap drilling.
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Tapping 1/4"-20 holes on the drill press
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Made brackets to attach the aluminum track extrusion to the door frames. These are 1/8" aluminum plate cut to size with a bench shear.


Drilled mounting holes on the drill press after cutting to size
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chamfered the tops with my bench shear
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brackets, nuts and extrusion.
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Brackets screwed to a couple of Creform tubing brackets on the bottom of the swinging doors.
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door closed
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door swung open. The aluminum track will have 1/4" panels in them to close off the mill; slide open for access.
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Thanks for looking, Bruce
 
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POTD was yet more work on the Tormach enclosure. Worked on the top of the sliding doors. The plan is to use Unistrut for a track for the tops of the sliding doors. The Unistrut was cut to length and screwed to the tops of the swinging door frames.

Went to the lathe to make roller wheels that will run inside the Unistrut. Basically, just bushings made from Delrin. Faced, turned to diameter, shoulder cut to depth and parted. Then flipped the roller wheels and chucked in a collet. Center drilled, drilled a through hole and countersunk for clearance for an attaching cap screw.


Faced and cut the inside roller diameter
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Turning the OD
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Parting
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Flipped the roller wheel and chucked in a collet, center drilled
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Drilling a 3/8" axle hole
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Countersinking with a 5/8" end mill
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Made some hanger brackets from 3/16" aluminum. The roller wheels will attach at the top, plastic sliding doors at the bottom. Did the drilling on the CNC Bridgeport. Really nice to program in the drill locations and make 4 brackets that are spot on to each other.


Hanger brackets made from aluminum, drilling on the BP
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Hanger bracket and roller wheel in a chunk of Unistrut. The plastic sliding doors will screw to the hanger brackets below the Unistrut.
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Brackets and rollers in place.
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Still lots of work to do. The framework of the enclosure is lacking in structure, so will be attaching some angle iron to the rear corner posts and tying it back to the base. Hopefully get that done tomorrow along with the sliding doors.

Thanks for looking, Bruce
 
I made a work stop for my mill vise today.

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POTD was, you guessed it, more work on the Tormach enclosure. I'm about to the point of attaching the sliding plastic panels to the front doors and was concerned about the stability of the enclosure frame. I hadn't put any diagonal bracing on the vertical tubing which made for a shaky structure. I plan on using the fixed plastic panels on the doors to set them square as they'll be screwed directly to the frame. My concern is if the structure tilts one way or the other, then the doors won't fit. I also have some turnbuckles which may come in service to square up the doors.

I've got a good supply of stainless steel Creform tubing so used that for diagonal bracing. The end brackets are narrower than the wide portion of the brackets so some bushings were needed to space the ends. Otherwise, the tubing on the diagonal braces would interfere with the chip pan and base. Bushing were made from 1" aluminum. Simple lathe job of facing, center drilling, drilling the bushing hole and parting.


Facing the 1" aluminum
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Center drill
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1/4" clearance hole
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parting off
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A stack of washers would have worked too, but preferred the look of the bushings
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Cut the tubing to length, screwed on the end brackets and screwed the diagonal bracing to the rear vertical tubes and the chip pan/base. Holy cow did it make a difference in stiffness! I was going to do a diagonal from the RH rear tube to the base, but it's not needed. Next steps are hanging the plastic front door panels and moving the controller arm.

Thanks for looking, Bruce


new LH fore/aft brace
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RH side brace
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Rear brace. Yes, need to work on managing all of the cords and air lines . . .
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Added some collimation screws to the focuser of the telescope I have been working on. Found the focuser was not square to the mirrors! They are four brass which you can see two in this photo. Filled the hollow space in the casting with Steel Bed from Brownells and drill and tap 6X32.
Oh well, since trapped in the cabin getting some projects done.
Pierre

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At least your still working on your scope, I haven't been able to work on mine since Christmas, I have sever withdrawal symptoms, :bawling:
 
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