What Did You Do Today 2025

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Spent a little time creating some STEP files in ALibre Atom and printing them out in ABS-GF filament.

Not a very clear photo due to lack of illumination, but from top left clockwise, they are: vice jaw protectors, both grooved and plain, “parallels” and assorted angle plates.  The one with a flange is for a specific job to set a workpiece at 12.5° in the mill vice.  The parallels are surprisingly parallel, to within 0.5 to 1 thousandth of an inch, measured with a digital caliper.  That’s good enough for me.  How well they all stand up to workshop (ab)use remains to be seen.  Easy enough to print off some more if necessary.

John

 

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

After my failures with tape and glue I fancy something a bit more mechanical so I have made some low profile clamps to one of Harold Hall’s designs, by way of Blondihacks:

Rod

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

More time in the workshop started by repairing a petrol hedge trimmer which would not start turned out to be one of the reals had popped out of place. Then onto some of the spacers for the clamps managed to get 4 made. Just need to complete the second end on the other 4.

A quick test fit yes they are all the same length, just a trick of the camera.

[DurhambuilderParticipant @durhambuilder]

More tool ‘misuse’ from me today. My vernier was too small to measure the 8.200” flywheel diameters on the Redwing engine so I resorted to using a height gauge. At the end of the day final diameter is not important as long as the two wheels are the same. Easy enough to get comparative measurements this way.

[howardbParticipant @howardb]

“More tool ‘misuse’ from me today”

That looks like my Starrett height vernier from the 1940’s, not a misuse, that’s why it was made that way !!

 

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

Between other household tasks, I managed some more work on the clamps. I now have a bench of parts. Not sure if I should use threaded rod for the adjusting screw or have a go at threading on the Lathe.

 

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

The bought ones are nearly all thread except for the very end at the handle, so probably easier to buy in – if you hunt around it’s not too hard to find ‘nice’ studding (esp. in UNF / UNC) that looks better than the cheap ‘builders merchant’ zinc plated stuff..

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Just a small thing that happened one evening last week. I was trying to support a piece for turning in the 3-jaw on my little EW as there wasn’t much to hang on to. I fitted the live centre but I couldn’t get the tailstock near enough to reach the part without fouling the carriage. I briefly thought about some kind of extended ‘pusher’ and then it occured to me that I could use two centres in the same way that I normally do when centreing parts in my 4-Jaw (clocking on the second centre)

It worked very well and was quick and easy to do. I’ve probably had this issue before but I don’t remember using this set-up in quite this way although my memory is a bit ‘random’ these days I’m afraid.

Anyway, just in case it helps someone else with a similar problem – I thought I’d post it.

Regards,

 

Ian

 

[IanTParticipant @iant]

And a second ‘Tip’ whilst I’m on the subject

When the delivery man drops off that heavy piece of machinery (on a pallet) remember to ask him if he can lift it up enough for you to place support timbers under it. Because if you don’t – you will spend some time trying to jack the whole lot up yourself – before you can get your engine crane underneath it and do any actaul “lifting”. My 2t engine crane needed about 8-9″ clearance to get under the pallett…

Silly thing is, I did know this but forget to ask him in all the excitment….  🙁

[VicParticipant @vic]

I cleaned the fire scale from my grinding table. Not having any experience of this I started hand sanding. No joy, so I got my palm sander out. Still no joy, or rather very little progress. Step three was dilute sulphuric acid and then the sander. This showed some promise. Step four was a more concentrated acid followed by the sander, which did the job nicely. I bought the acid, sold as “Spirits of Salts from B&Q some time ago. They no longer seem to stock it at my local store. ☹️ Guess I’m on to eBay when I run out?

[Diogenes]

On Diogenes Said:

The bought ones are nearly all thread except for the very end at the handle, so probably easier to buy in – if you hunt around it’s not too hard to find ‘nice’ studding (esp. in UNF / UNC) that looks better than the cheap ‘builders merchant’ zinc plated stuff..

Luckily I found some threaded rod except it is 8mm instead of 10mm so will have to order some.

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

Installed a new DRO on my Boley 6LZ today.

The Z axis was simple enough, the X axis had to be spaced out enough to clear the crosslide lock lever. A sheet metal cover will be installed on the top.

The speed indicator clamp was installed to read a magnet set into a collar on the spindle.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Made a serious effort at repeatable thread milling today and seemed to work ok. The thread is 12 x 1.

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

Looks very nice Bernard, is that with an auxiliary spindle on your lathe toolholder? Could you please show your set-up?

Wade

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Yes Wade its a tool post milling spindle with a er16 nose. the spindle is doing 4500rpm whilst the lathe is at about 9 rpm (low speed ,backgear and vfd slowed right down) and climb milling. Sorry no photos only video and cant load that on here.

[Wade BeattyParticipant @wadebeatty78296]

Bernard,

Thanks for the reply and details

Wade

[DellParticipant @dell]

I made some parts for a friends Pultra 17/50 2 X T bolts & 4 blank T nuts so he can drill & tap to his requirements, just making the tip over tool rests now.

Dell

[Dalboy]

On Dalboy Said:

On Diogenes Said:

The bought ones are nearly all thread except for the very end at the handle, so probably easier to buy in – if you hunt around it’s not too hard to find ‘nice’ studding (esp. in UNF / UNC) that looks better than the cheap ‘builders merchant’ zinc plated stuff..

Luckily I found some threaded rod except it is 8mm instead of 10mm so will have to order some.

I’m guessing your clamps are quite large? I used M6 stainless thread for the one I made.

[Vic]

On Vic Said

I’m guessing your clamps are quite large? I used M6 stainless thread for the one I made.

Yes a little bigger than yours should have posted yesterday

 

 

Threaded rod arrived cut, and the screw holder drilled and threaded with the rods inserted need too cut down to final size and make the handle end.

I need to return the left-hand end of one of them as it came out a little short, another job for tomorrow

 

 

Getting near the end

[Author]

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