Help buying multifunction Compound 2 Axis 4 Ways Working milling table

[Wayne RowleyParticipant @waynerowley56868]

[Wayne RowleyParticipant @waynerowley56868]

[Wayne RowleyParticipant @waynerowley56868]

Hi all,

Few photos on why I would like a far better set up for drilling holes in middle of steels. The holes you see might look in line, and they are, but takes so much time setting out everything, its just taking to long, and not enjoying it.

Thank you.

Wayne

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

Wayne

Why not make a jig with a peg so that when you have drilled one hole, just move bar along and sit last hole on the peg so the next one will be at the same spacing.

Something like this:

Stuart

To be clamped or bolted to the drill table. It could be made adjustable for different hole centres and bar width.

Edited By Stuart Smith 5 on 06/02/2022 15:44:44

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember12892]

[This posting has been removed]

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Nice jobs Wayne

Some years ago I used a combination of Stuarts indexing peg idea and the X-axis DRO on my Bridgeport milling machine to produce lines of holes 4 inches apart on two 14 ft long 2 inch square tubes and four 2" x 3" (nominal) timbers of similar length. These were to be the hinge carriers of a large 9 ft high x 14 ft long American style horizontally hinged, vertical opening, bifold garage door. The 26 1/2" X-axis travel of the power feed Bridgeport let me do 5 holes at a setting.

Although the process worked well enough it was not as fast as I'd anticipated and handling the large, quite heavy, overhang as I got towards the end was not trivial. Anticipating the possibility of overhung jobs I'd designed my workshop so the secondary door and milling machine were placed so as to allow long jobs to project over the vegetable plot! But I'd not anticipated something that far overhung!

Although acceptable for a one (OK, four !) off job I'd not consider that type of method acceptable for commercial or regular use. The inevitably short table of a 2 axis cross slide would make handling long materials even harder than it was on my mill. One job was quite enough thank you.

If I ever do that type of job again I shall make a specialist "rail-bench" long enough to hold the complete part with a suitable indexing guide, either integrated or bolt on, and use a magnetic drill to make the holes. Maybe an RSJ or steel box section on legs for the bench. Mag drill running on spring loaded wheels so its easy to shift along. A fixed chain makes an effective indexing system if the link spacing happens to work right.

My door.

Hope this helps.

Clive

Edited By Clive Foster on 06/02/2022 16:41:21

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, in one of my day jobs I had, they had regular items to be made with holes in that had to be very accurate, for these, jigs were made with 3mm flat bar or wider ones cut from plate. Small lugs were welded on for datum points for the items to be drilled, to butt up against. A short piece of about 40mm diameter bar with a projection on the bottom, the diameter of the holes in the jig and a hole though the bar for a transfer punch to fit snugly into was used in all the holes that needed to be drilled and each item could be punch without even marking out the items. The repeatability of these jigs never failed to produce good and consistent results.

Regards Nick.

[Wayne RowleyParticipant @waynerowley56868]

Hi all,

Sorry, got called away for several days.

I "VERY very very" big thank you too you all, best help of any kind of forum ever had.

In the end I bought the Aceeurotrade, worktable and a rotating milling vice to go on my old, big Atlas moving vice. Now I can basically move it to any position, and drill holes spot on the the middle on all my diffrent jobs.

Thanking you.

Wayne

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