Setting a 45 degree angle

[epanzella]

Back before I had a mill I needed to make a carriage stop for my lathe. The sticking point was how to make the 90 degree included angle to sit on the V-way. This was basically an inverted V-block. I had no mill or 45 degree cutter so I square notched the block on a milling attachment and welded in a piece of angle iron that had the 90 degree angle that I needed. I'm still using it to this day.

 

[Radials]

I needed a part tipped up at 45 degrees before and using CAD I simply laid out 3 points on a plate, drilled, reamed and pushed in some pins for the part to rest on. This idea perhaps could be scaled up or down to suit your needs.

 

[Rootpass]

Joe piezenske (spelled wrong I’m sure) on YouTube has a great video to make simple angle gages. I use his method a lot. I just made a 2 degree angle to mill the mount for my DRO yesterday.

 

[homebrewed]

I've made angle blocks for special angles. I drilled two holes in a rectangular plate -- one was on the bottom corner of an imaginary triangle, and the other was at the apex. The tangent of the angle is rise divided by run, so if you know the base of the triangle (the "run" part) you can calculate the "rise", which will be equal to run*tan(theta) . Then I put a dowel pin in each hole and rested the pins on the top surface of my milling vise, tightened the vise down and milled the block flat. To support work you want to mill at an angle, leave a step on one side of the block so the work won't slide down the angle block. Obviously, the angle block has to be thinner than the work you want to install in your vise.

The approach of directly using dowel pins inserted in a plate would work, too. One advantage of that approach is that you might be able to drill multiple holes to get several different angles. I kinda like that idea.

 

[MontanaLon]

If you have a DRO you can use it to lay out the holes for the pins with a high degree of accuracy. At least on my DRO I can. You can define a starting point and then ask for a hole location a given distance and angle away. Put pins through the holes, put the material in the vise with the pins resting on the top and mill it flat. Instant angle block. Well nearly instant and you can set it to any angle you want to create.

 

[mickri]

How accurate you need the V block to be is the key. If it has to be very, very precise you will have to buy them. If all you need is your garden variety V block you can make them. Since V blocks are almost always used in pairs you should make the block long enough so you can cut it in two. No matter what the actual angle is both V blocks will be identical. I have used my framing square for 45 degree angles. For other angles I have cut a block of wood to the angle that I wanted. You could also use plastic triangles.

If possible one thing that I like to do is have the work sitting down into the gap in the vise so it is resting on the two edges. Like this.



Mr Pete has a video on milling a V using several different methods and he was surprised at how accurate the V came out using the simplest, easiest method with no fancy math.

 

[MontanaLon]

I need a little advice on how to set up a 45 degree angle. I'm making a V-block and need to tip it 45 degrees to make the cut for the vee. I have a V-block, but it's too big for the vise on my mill. I would normally borrow a 45 degree v-block from work, but that's not possible due to the Plague. So, I'm wondering what other options I have.

OPTIONS:
1. I saw this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Toolmaker-...484553?hash=item5227a5a1c9:g:Tm4AAOSwPW9dy6NJ and thought it might be a good tool to have. Thoughts?

2. I could use a protractor and and tilting vise and line up the mill cutter and the part so they are 45 degrees. Not sure how accurate I can be with this, though.

3. Use one of those digital angle finders used by woodworkers on table saws. Bot sure if these are accurate enough, though. They are +/- 0.1 degrees.

4. Use a sine plate. I've never used one, but this might be the time to learn.

Thanks!

Actually, now that I have thought about it, doing a 45* angle block would be easy even without a DRO. Use an oversize piece of stock, drill a hole at a point. Advance 1" on the x axis and drill a second hole. Advance the y axis 1" and drill another hole. Actual distance isn't important as long a they are the same. Probably best to use a reamer also to get a tight fit but even that isn't hugely important as long as the holes are all the same size. Using pins put them in 2 of the holes and rest it on top of the vise. Mill the face between those holes flat. You will want to leave space above the holes so don't cut tight to it. Cut the 2 short sides using the same depth of cut. They have to be the same length or you will end up with inaccurate angles. Then mill the long side the same way but the height above the pins doesn't matter. When you are done milling you will have an angle gauge to set your stock on to make it an angle block.

 

[mickri]

Another thing that you might want to consider is milling a slot in the bottom for a tab that fits into the slot on you table. Or you could screw the tab to the bottom. This will keep your V blocks in alignment. Without this you will have to align your V blocks every time you use them.

 

[ARC-170]

Here's what I'm making:


I'm making just one. I've cut everything except the 45 degree vee part. I was taking a machining class at the adult school machine shop in the school district where I work and got most of it done. They have a really accurate v-block there for clamping the part in a much larger machine to make the vee. I have a small v-block, but it's too big for my mill vise. The one I'm making will fit.

I was going to use the one I have to test the dimensions of the one I'm making.

 

[ARC-170]

Do you have a combination square?, just remove the rule from the clamp and you have a 45 deg gauge.

Ya know, I hadn't thought of that! I have a Starret one that might be pretty accurate. Thanks!