Jig for milling Half Round Beading from round stock

[Steve AddyParticipant @steveaddy35670]

The hand rail part is two beadings one either side. In some shots of the engine you can see the gap caused by the plate thickness. Doesn't show very well now after almost 100 years of painting.

Jason, the turning between centres set up looks good.

I had just drawn a 3D arrangement which has 2 vee grooves down a 10mm rectangular bar with suitable clamps. I tried to save the render as a jpeg and the bloody thing crashed unsaved of course!  I have been out and bought the steel, found the clamping hole taps and some bolts.  The only things stopping me now are no blade for the band saw and a lack of enthusiasm for making this stuff generally.  My power hacksaw isn't on site here.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed.  I didn't expect such a response.  I'm a member of Sheffield & District SMEE, but most of the time I'm a lone hand.

Steve

Edited By Steve Addy on 28/01/2016 13:57:19

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Well curiosity got the better of me so I nipped out to the workshop to see if my suggestion worked. Grabbed a scrap bit of 1/2" steel and poked a 3/16" hole through it. Rotated 90deg and plunge cut with an 8mm 3-flute cutter until I was at half the depth of the now horizontal hole and left the mill running. Picked up a bit of 3/16" round brass and shoved it in the hole and it came out the other side looking like this.

If I were doing it for real I would ream the small hole, use a 4 flute cutter running faster than I did. Also something clamped onto the end of the bar to hold and also watch to ensure it does not rotate may be useful.

J

Edited By JasonB on 28/01/2016 17:34:45

[Steve AddyParticipant @steveaddy35670]

Hi Jason. That worked a lot better than I expected. I think I'll have a go with a set up like that, before I violate the nice piece of steel I bought earlier. Shame to waste a piece 70 x 10 x 400mm

Steve

Edited By Steve Addy on 28/01/2016 17:48:30

[Steve AddyParticipant @steveaddy35670]

I was going to make this and clamp it to the horizontal miller table. The stock is shown as brass to make it stand out and I didn't drawn the effect of the cutter or the other clamp. Tonight I have sawn a lump of square bar off and faced the ends in the four jaw. Tomorrow I will obtain some steel to try Jason's approach.

[warwick wilton 1Participant @warwickwilton1]

Hi Steve

If you are interested in the roll mill, Google Hugh McDonald steel rolling mill. a similar item in size to this i constructed but something much smaller would do for the size you are talking. you could do it in as many rolls as required to get the profile.

you would need one plan roll and one with the required profile. and hand crank and some way of pressure.

Warwick

[Steve AddyParticipant @steveaddy35670]

Thanks Warwick, I will. Interesting even if I never do it.

On edit –  I have looked now – what a great machine – I've got the tackle to make one, but no where to put it if I did, so that is a non starter at the moment.

I enjoyed the videos etc. well worth a look out of interest.

Steve

Edited By Steve Addy on 29/01/2016 10:12:28

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

Thanks for the great idea Mike. I need some1/16th brass half round for a rich and was going down the "solder and mill" route but that looks much faster. Off to make a jig !

Regards

Ian

[Steve AddyParticipant @steveaddy35670]

Just as an update on this folks.

I made a jig something like the one in Jason's video. It had a screw adjusted brass pad to stop rotation, I soon gave up on that as it caused a lot of jamming with the poor surface finish and millings.

I have learned to push the work through the cutter by hand in stages, using Vice Grips to hold the rod and stop it rotating. Four passes are required to reduce 6mm bar to half round. I now have one pass to make on the 4th piece making nominally 6 metres of the stuff. I am using a 10mm end mill at about a 1000 rpm. It doesn't half make your arms ache!

I now need to think about bending it to fit the cab panels which should be done by Friday this week.

All the best to everyone who has contributed

Steve

[Author]

Posts