raising QCTP height

pds65

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I have this idea instead of mounting a vertical vise on the carriage for milling, why can't I just make various height blocks, and use them as a spacer to raise the TP height manually, my workpiece in the chuck and use a dremeloid flex shaft mounted in a tool holder?
having a tough time affording a vertical vise that'll hold a 4 - 4.5" round billet and the means to mount it on my G8688 mini.

so I thought I could get use a longer stud for the TP and get some bar stock in .25, .5, and 1", cut 2x2's as spacers. preferably steel, but would 6061 aluminum be ok?
 
I read this twice and still cannot figure out what you're trying to do - might be I'm extra dense today. No offense, pds, but could you clarify what your project is and what you're trying to achieve?
 
Hi Pds65,

Its not entirely clear what you are trying to achieve ! You mention 4.5" inch round billet, I assume that your lathe chuck can hold an item of this size.
In which case your tool holder should be able to be set on the center line of the work piece without difficulty.
You also mention a flex shaft mounted in the tool holder, this is quite commonly done for grinding and drilling.

I think you need to stop and think a little about what you are wanting to do !
 
ok here's a pic of a hypothetical spacer(cig pack), that'll be 2 x 2" steel, and drilled for a longer mounting stud.
my 4 jaw chuck barely holds this piece, but I'm not turning it. just hold it for tapping and I'll mill 6 horizontal slots across the face with a grinder tool in the tool holder.
I need to mill these slots up to almost 1-3/4" higher than center.
20181020_073105.jpg
 
this is the billet. it's 4.25" diam x 2.5. it's going to be a cylinder head for a 2 stroke engine. I need to mill cooling fins.

20181006_125941.jpg

1540036251068-359005104.jpg
 
if I think it's not stable and secure enough in the jaws, since it's drilled all the way through, I can secure it with 10mm threaded rod thru the spindle. I went ahead and ordered some small A36 steel plate .25 and .5". if it's not perfectly flat I can face it off.
 
ok here's a pic of a hypothetical spacer(cig pack), that'll be 2 x 2" steel, and drilled for a longer mounting stud.
my 4 jaw chuck barely holds this piece, but I'm not turning it. just hold it for tapping and I'll mill 6 horizontal slots across the face with a grinder tool in the tool holder.
I need to mill these slots up to almost 1-3/4" higher than center.
View attachment 277988

I rather think that you might be going at it the wrong way. If you are going to mill slots in a piece of material, I would use a slot drill held in the chuck and clamp the workpiece on the cross slide. Use packings if you have to to raise the hight and then turn the workpiece 180 degrees to mill the other slots.
 
this is the billet. it's 4.25" diam x 2.5. it's going to be a cylinder head for a 2 stroke engine. I need to mill cooling fins.

Again I think that its initially a turning job ! Get it to shape both internally first then externally, then mill the fins.
Though I do hope that you are not going to be using the drill press to mill anything !
 
If I understand correctly, you need to mill cooling fins into the aluminum slug. You intend to use a grinding tool to machine the slots and are attempting to elevate the tool holder that will hold the grinding tool so you can get it high enough, is that right?

I assume you do not have a mill. It might be better, easier and more accurate to forget the tool post mod set up and attach the aluminum slug to a right angle plate that is bolted on to the cross slide (or perhaps buy a milling attachment that fits your lathe). You can then cut one slot, then move the slug up or down on the plate, re-clamp and cut the next slot. An end mill, not a grinding tool, would be turned by the spindle and you would use it and the cross slide to make the slot. You would need to sort out how to index the slug so the slots are uniform.

Or you can shelve this project until you have a milling machine, which is the proper tool for this kind of work.
 
yes, it's properly a mill project but funds for another machine wont come until tax time haha.
I looked at mounting it on the cross slide horizontally as mentioned above and use a slotting bit, but the piece is taller than the spindle centerline.
That'd be good for a smaller piece. I can shelve it until Spring.
I usually have envisioned a thing, then come up against what it takes to form it, and that's how I accumulate my tools. Ha, I'll probably never use the 12.8 drill bit and 14mm sparkplug tap again bcs I got them just for this. If I make any more advancements on this I'll post my experiences
 
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