- Joined
- Sep 22, 2010
- Messages
- 7,223
A Quick List!
What you will need:
milling machine
Milling vise
hold down set
indicator with base (HF is a good start)
center finder (or a piece of paper)
3/8x16 tap
tap handle
5/16 drill (or 2 flute endmill)
drill chuck with correct arbor (or endmill holder/collet)
3/8 endmill and holder/collet
1. Install vise on table, tighten down hold bolts. Dont be rough on the table. Dont get in the habit of setting anything on it. Treat it like its made of glass.
2. Mount the indicator to the head and put the tip against a machined surface of the vise. Turn the X axis knob (long table way) and run the table the length of the vise while observing the indicator. There should be very little movement of the needle. This is called tramming. Shim as necessary to get the needle so it does not move. .000 is ideal but depending on how beat your machine is a few thou may be all you get.
3. Prep the squares. If they were flame cut grind them down so they are reasonably smooth. They obvously need to be bigger than 4.000 at the smallest area. I would have a minumum of 4.250. More is better when you are starting out.
4. Put a square in the vise. It dosent matter right now if they are square or not, we will fix that. Tighten very tightly.
Put in your 3/8 endmill and set the speed. There are formulas for calculating speed but for now lets make some chips. Go for about 500 rpm for a 2 flute or so. If you have flood coolant use it. If not at least put some cutting oil on with a paint brush for the cut.
5. Touch off on what looks to be the highest part and turn the X so the endmill is to the left of the piece.
6. Raise the table (Z) a little and make a cut with the X. Its ok at first to take real light cuts so you can get a feel of how she runs. Depending on your machine you may have to lock the ways you are not using to prevent chatter. Keep lubricant on the cutter as much as possible.
7. Continue taking cuts untill the whole cut is "clean"
8. Take out piece out and open the vise a bit
9. Here is the start of the tricky part. You need to establish where the start of the piece is. I have disposable blocks on my vise to measure from (in case I crash) This is something you dont have yet. Put a piece of notebook paper on the bottom of the vise and slowly bring the cutter towards it. As soon as you hit the paper STOP!. Hitting the vise is BAD! Take the paper out now. If you have mics to measure the paper this is more accurate but figure on .005 or so roughly. Zero your dial and Dial the Z axis down 3.995 (subtract .005 for paper) you can check it with an indicator if you dont trust the dials.
10. Put your piece back in machined side down. Make a cut. If it seems too much for one pass zero the dial and take multiple passes until you hit zero.
11. If you have a squaring plate you can use it now. Otherwise just use the side of the vise as a guide. Your fingers are surprisingly accurate tools for feeling highs and lows. Clamp the vise when it feels good and make a sqaring cut. Once you get that done go back to step 9 for the flip.
12. OK you have a square 4.000x4.000 (hopefully) piece. Clean up the edges with a file. Now lets make some holes. Clamp it solidly to the table with some thing kinda parallel underneath (key stock is good when you are starting out. Use the edge of the table to make the piece square to the table. (then tram the piece to check)Read the directions on the centerfinder to understand how it works (too many varietys to guess right now) Chuck the centerfinder and bring it to the edge of the piece. When it clicks, blinks, beeps, or whatever indicating center, stop. Lower the table so it clears the piece and dial in half the diameter of the CF. This puts the center at the edge of the piece. Dial in whatever you need for your hole position. Dont touch that dial again. Do the same thing with the oppsite axis. Should now be directly above where your hole needs to go.
13. Change to your 5/16 2 flute. Drill the holes. Dont drill into the table!
14. Repeat 12 for the rest of the holes.
15. Take piece out and check hole position. Tap to 3/8. cutting oil is your friend
Did I leave anything out?
Nelson
What you will need:
milling machine
Milling vise
hold down set
indicator with base (HF is a good start)
center finder (or a piece of paper)
3/8x16 tap
tap handle
5/16 drill (or 2 flute endmill)
drill chuck with correct arbor (or endmill holder/collet)
3/8 endmill and holder/collet
1. Install vise on table, tighten down hold bolts. Dont be rough on the table. Dont get in the habit of setting anything on it. Treat it like its made of glass.
2. Mount the indicator to the head and put the tip against a machined surface of the vise. Turn the X axis knob (long table way) and run the table the length of the vise while observing the indicator. There should be very little movement of the needle. This is called tramming. Shim as necessary to get the needle so it does not move. .000 is ideal but depending on how beat your machine is a few thou may be all you get.
3. Prep the squares. If they were flame cut grind them down so they are reasonably smooth. They obvously need to be bigger than 4.000 at the smallest area. I would have a minumum of 4.250. More is better when you are starting out.
4. Put a square in the vise. It dosent matter right now if they are square or not, we will fix that. Tighten very tightly.
Put in your 3/8 endmill and set the speed. There are formulas for calculating speed but for now lets make some chips. Go for about 500 rpm for a 2 flute or so. If you have flood coolant use it. If not at least put some cutting oil on with a paint brush for the cut.
5. Touch off on what looks to be the highest part and turn the X so the endmill is to the left of the piece.
6. Raise the table (Z) a little and make a cut with the X. Its ok at first to take real light cuts so you can get a feel of how she runs. Depending on your machine you may have to lock the ways you are not using to prevent chatter. Keep lubricant on the cutter as much as possible.
7. Continue taking cuts untill the whole cut is "clean"
8. Take out piece out and open the vise a bit
9. Here is the start of the tricky part. You need to establish where the start of the piece is. I have disposable blocks on my vise to measure from (in case I crash) This is something you dont have yet. Put a piece of notebook paper on the bottom of the vise and slowly bring the cutter towards it. As soon as you hit the paper STOP!. Hitting the vise is BAD! Take the paper out now. If you have mics to measure the paper this is more accurate but figure on .005 or so roughly. Zero your dial and Dial the Z axis down 3.995 (subtract .005 for paper) you can check it with an indicator if you dont trust the dials.
10. Put your piece back in machined side down. Make a cut. If it seems too much for one pass zero the dial and take multiple passes until you hit zero.
11. If you have a squaring plate you can use it now. Otherwise just use the side of the vise as a guide. Your fingers are surprisingly accurate tools for feeling highs and lows. Clamp the vise when it feels good and make a sqaring cut. Once you get that done go back to step 9 for the flip.
12. OK you have a square 4.000x4.000 (hopefully) piece. Clean up the edges with a file. Now lets make some holes. Clamp it solidly to the table with some thing kinda parallel underneath (key stock is good when you are starting out. Use the edge of the table to make the piece square to the table. (then tram the piece to check)Read the directions on the centerfinder to understand how it works (too many varietys to guess right now) Chuck the centerfinder and bring it to the edge of the piece. When it clicks, blinks, beeps, or whatever indicating center, stop. Lower the table so it clears the piece and dial in half the diameter of the CF. This puts the center at the edge of the piece. Dial in whatever you need for your hole position. Dont touch that dial again. Do the same thing with the oppsite axis. Should now be directly above where your hole needs to go.
13. Change to your 5/16 2 flute. Drill the holes. Dont drill into the table!
14. Repeat 12 for the rest of the holes.
15. Take piece out and check hole position. Tap to 3/8. cutting oil is your friend
Did I leave anything out?
Nelson