CGT80
Well-known member
It is all your fault, Garage Journal! 
I bought some new drill bits. No, that isn't why I put this in the fab section. A normal person could have put the drill bit part in the tools section, but you are enablers and I just happen to fit in around here. I was missing some bits and my set was a Dewalt German made 29 piece set. I really like them, but the new ones are made in China. Noresman came up the most often for great bits. I bought a variety of the mechanics length to have on hand and to replace the missing sizes. I have also wanted the proper sizes for my taps. I couldn't see buying 60-80 numbered bits and all of the lettered bits, when 12 or so will cover the common standard taps...........maybe I should have gotten the bits for metric taps too
Wait, do the metrics use numbered and lettered drills............never mind, I don't think I have even used the metric half of my giant sized Craftsman US made tap set.
I bought 13 letter and number bits. I was going to leave them in the plastic bags and store them in a tool box drawer. That would be a paint to search for a bit when I need to tap a hole. There are some nice indexes that were linked in posts here, but I only needed 13 holes. Why not just make one?
The Dewalt index is pretty nice, but it is just sheet metal. I could have made one out of a block of aluminum with a sheet metal case. It would have been a challenge to make. After looking under the lathe, I found a section of 2" diameter aluminum solid bar. In the top of my garage was a length of 2.25" aluminum tube and inside that was 2" by 1/16" aluminum tube. That bar already had the end turned down a bit, maybe by my brother.
Then it hit me. Make a cap out of the tube and use the bar to hold the bits.
The lathe needs some new gibs and I am a very amateur machinist..........more like a fabricator that tries to do some machining. I have also been tig welding as needed for 15 years. The lathe is a jet 9x21 and the milling machine is a RF 30 (1.5 horse HF style). The tig welder is a monster Miller 330 abp 460 amp unit that is far older than I am.
Put all of that together and you get this:
I used 16 ga aluminum sheet to cap the tube. To get a round disc, I cut a circle with a hole saw and then welded it to the tube and filled the hole from the arbor. A thicker cap would have been better. I had to build up the weld and cover the cap with weld to create a surface thick enough that it could be turned down. The first weld, on the joint, turned easy, but I didn't have enough penetration, so I had to reweld and add thickness. Luckily I was able to turn it without separating the two pieces.
After the pics, I used museum wax on the holder. The tig weld beads are faintly visible with the wax applied. I used the O ring to create a tight fit at that point, and it also fits tight as it is almost closed all the way. The rest is cut a bit more to reduce friction. It isn't anywhere near perfect, but it isn't hard to open and close, but it hesitates to close due to the air pressure getting built up. After holding it closed for a couple seconds, the air escapes and it stays. I oiled the o ring (maybe lithium grease would be better) so it slides easier. I didn't want to open up that channel more and have it not fit tight enough.
I turned the bar stock and tapered the tube, then assembled them with the o ring. I wanted to turn the outside of both pieces, but needed the tube to stay put. One of my new #7 drills and a 1/4x20 bolt, and a big washer, made a nice clamp. That threaded hole now holds the "U" size drill. I turned the outside, then put blue painter's tape on it and stuck it back in the lathe to turn the solid end, since the miter saw cut was not great looking. I used the same technique to turn the tube cap after welding (but with the bolt removed and the cap welded solid).
The chuck I used was an enco import 8" 3 jaw and the rpm was 1,000. I don't think the chuck is quite true. My brother setup that chuck and said it was out by a thousandth. I need to stick a dial indicator on it. The stock is always off center just a tad. It is more fun to turn parts than try to true the machine.
To finish the surface, I sanded it on the lathe with 220, 320, and 400 sand paper. After that, I cleaned it up with dish soap and sanded it with wet dry paper that was probably between 600 and 1200 grit.
The project took a fair amount of time. Drilling the 13 holes took longer than expected. On the bigger holes, I started small and went up to the actual bit that is in that hole.
If I tried to sell one of those bit holders, I would have lost money, but I learned a bit and had fun. Who else has such a fancy and overbuilt index?
Can you believe I even considered using a little plastic parts organizer to hold those drills? My tap and die set is about 10"x18" and is a two layer blow molded case, so I didn't need storage for them. I keep the drill holder in the tool box drawer.
Thanks for reading and enabling me.
I bought some new drill bits. No, that isn't why I put this in the fab section. A normal person could have put the drill bit part in the tools section, but you are enablers and I just happen to fit in around here. I was missing some bits and my set was a Dewalt German made 29 piece set. I really like them, but the new ones are made in China. Noresman came up the most often for great bits. I bought a variety of the mechanics length to have on hand and to replace the missing sizes. I have also wanted the proper sizes for my taps. I couldn't see buying 60-80 numbered bits and all of the lettered bits, when 12 or so will cover the common standard taps...........maybe I should have gotten the bits for metric taps too
Wait, do the metrics use numbered and lettered drills............never mind, I don't think I have even used the metric half of my giant sized Craftsman US made tap set.I bought 13 letter and number bits. I was going to leave them in the plastic bags and store them in a tool box drawer. That would be a paint to search for a bit when I need to tap a hole. There are some nice indexes that were linked in posts here, but I only needed 13 holes. Why not just make one?
The Dewalt index is pretty nice, but it is just sheet metal. I could have made one out of a block of aluminum with a sheet metal case. It would have been a challenge to make. After looking under the lathe, I found a section of 2" diameter aluminum solid bar. In the top of my garage was a length of 2.25" aluminum tube and inside that was 2" by 1/16" aluminum tube. That bar already had the end turned down a bit, maybe by my brother.
Then it hit me. Make a cap out of the tube and use the bar to hold the bits.The lathe needs some new gibs and I am a very amateur machinist..........more like a fabricator that tries to do some machining. I have also been tig welding as needed for 15 years. The lathe is a jet 9x21 and the milling machine is a RF 30 (1.5 horse HF style). The tig welder is a monster Miller 330 abp 460 amp unit that is far older than I am.
Put all of that together and you get this:
I used 16 ga aluminum sheet to cap the tube. To get a round disc, I cut a circle with a hole saw and then welded it to the tube and filled the hole from the arbor. A thicker cap would have been better. I had to build up the weld and cover the cap with weld to create a surface thick enough that it could be turned down. The first weld, on the joint, turned easy, but I didn't have enough penetration, so I had to reweld and add thickness. Luckily I was able to turn it without separating the two pieces.
After the pics, I used museum wax on the holder. The tig weld beads are faintly visible with the wax applied. I used the O ring to create a tight fit at that point, and it also fits tight as it is almost closed all the way. The rest is cut a bit more to reduce friction. It isn't anywhere near perfect, but it isn't hard to open and close, but it hesitates to close due to the air pressure getting built up. After holding it closed for a couple seconds, the air escapes and it stays. I oiled the o ring (maybe lithium grease would be better) so it slides easier. I didn't want to open up that channel more and have it not fit tight enough.
I turned the bar stock and tapered the tube, then assembled them with the o ring. I wanted to turn the outside of both pieces, but needed the tube to stay put. One of my new #7 drills and a 1/4x20 bolt, and a big washer, made a nice clamp. That threaded hole now holds the "U" size drill. I turned the outside, then put blue painter's tape on it and stuck it back in the lathe to turn the solid end, since the miter saw cut was not great looking. I used the same technique to turn the tube cap after welding (but with the bolt removed and the cap welded solid).
The chuck I used was an enco import 8" 3 jaw and the rpm was 1,000. I don't think the chuck is quite true. My brother setup that chuck and said it was out by a thousandth. I need to stick a dial indicator on it. The stock is always off center just a tad. It is more fun to turn parts than try to true the machine.
To finish the surface, I sanded it on the lathe with 220, 320, and 400 sand paper. After that, I cleaned it up with dish soap and sanded it with wet dry paper that was probably between 600 and 1200 grit.
The project took a fair amount of time. Drilling the 13 holes took longer than expected. On the bigger holes, I started small and went up to the actual bit that is in that hole.
If I tried to sell one of those bit holders, I would have lost money, but I learned a bit and had fun. Who else has such a fancy and overbuilt index?
Can you believe I even considered using a little plastic parts organizer to hold those drills? My tap and die set is about 10"x18" and is a two layer blow molded case, so I didn't need storage for them. I keep the drill holder in the tool box drawer.
Thanks for reading and enabling me.
Why do you say the lathe needs new gibb? they can be adjusted.
