The Machine Work Thread

[paranoid56]

made a spinning top out of stainless and a ceramic ball bearing a the tip. first time working with stainless. hoping the next one turns out better. but overall super happy with it.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

made a spinning top out of stainless and a ceramic ball bearing a the tip. first time working with stainless. hoping the next one turns out better. but overall super happy with it.

Nice work, stainless definitely has a learning curve.

 

[bullnerd]

Paranoid have you ever seen the spinner stuff on Instagram?

Some guys spending A LOT of time on those things!

 

[b-dog]

Paranoid have you ever seen the spinner stuff on Instagram?

Some guys spending A LOT of time on those things!

Money too!

I follow Metalworn. Dude makes some super cool stuff.

 

[paranoid56]

oh wow, those are quite interesting. how the hell do you make that? lol

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Partially done a set of connecting rods for an air compressor.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Cool, what type of mill are you using ?

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Cool, what type of mill are you using ?

Toshiba horizontal to block up the stock, dah lih vertical for the work here, it will also end up sending some time on a manual mill

 

[Griff93]

Machined some bearing housings today on our "new" mill. First parts we have made on this mill.

 

[KMScott]

Nice work Jim, what type of aluminum did you use?

I had some time on my new HAAS TM-1 CNC that I fit in my basement. Had to lower it 9 inches to fit. I have a couple 2" Wilton Baby vises with no swivel bases and decided to cut a few out of a 3/4 plate. I clamped and bolted down the 3/4 plate to a aluminum Tee style plate that is clamped in my Kurt, this gave me a nice platform to machine these swivel bases.



I used two different angle cutters, a 10 degree on the top cut above the ears and a 7 degree on the bottom, kind of looks like a radius on the side llike the original bases.



Made a fixture to cut the bottom.



The inner ring was easier to cut.





Even though it is not original it came out pretty close to original but once painted it will look pretty close. The steel will not break like the cast base if dropped. That is what I did on one of my Baby base's, I dropped it and it broke.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Nice work Jim, what type of aluminum did you use?

It's 6061 t6, and will have C954 bronze bearings on the crank. The original rods were just cast aluminum with no bearings, just the aluminum rods running on the crank journal.

 

[zkling]

Jim and Kevin, what CAM package are you guys using?

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Jim and Kevin, what CAM package are you guys using?

I currently use solidworks for cad and mastercam for cam, but am thinking of looking into solidcam to replace mastercam.

 

[KMScott]

Jim and Kevin, what CAM package are you guys using?

I use Mechanical Desktop for my cad and Mastercam for cutting. Leftover software from the early 2000's when I built molds. Gotta use old XP software to run this software.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

I use Mechanical Desktop for my cad and Mastercam for cutting. Leftover software from the early 2000's when I built molds. Gotta use old XP software to run this software.

Have you had a look at autodesk fusion 360?

 

[KMScott]

Have you had a look at autodesk fusion 360?

I'll be honest, I can cut anything I want including cores and cavities for molds. I was software broke back when I was building Molds. I used Hypermill nested in Mechanical Desktop but have since moved back to Mastercam 9 which cuts anything I build now. I am going to explore Fusion 360 because I am curious. Thanks Jim.

I am curious on brazing bronze to aluminum and will be checking in now and then. Good luck on your rod building.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

I'll be honest, I can cut anything I want including cores and cavities for molds. I was software broke back when I was building Molds. I used Hypermill nested in Mechanical Desktop but have since moved back to Mastercam 9 which cuts anything I build now. I am going to explore Fusion 360 because I am curious. Thanks Jim.

I am curious on brazing bronze to aluminum and will be checking in now and then. Good luck on your rod building.

Thanks, my fabricator is waiting for a sample of some brazing rod from his supplier to test it out.

 

[JMarshall]

A few things i have made over the years. I own a small machine shop, with for the most part state of the art cnc machines. 3-4 axis machining and turning centers. Also have small to medium manual lathe/milling machines.

 

[zmotorsports]

A few things i have made over the years. I own a small machine shop, with for the most part state of the art cnc machines. 3-4 axis machining and turning centers. Also have small to medium manual lathe/milling machines.

Nice work and welcome to the forum.

Mike.

 

[bullnerd]

I'll be honest, I can cut anything I want including cores and cavities for molds. I was software broke back when I was building Molds. I used Hypermill nested in Mechanical Desktop but have since moved back to Mastercam 9 which cuts anything I build now. I am going to explore Fusion 360 because I am curious. Thanks Jim.

I am curious on brazing bronze to aluminum and will be checking in now and then. Good luck on your rod building.

MC9 Here too! But I only have a 2 axis P-trak.

 

[bbcc]

Prototyped an on head spring compressor for LS cylinder heads. Working on my junky round column mill drill, best machine I could afford. First project I've pushed through it to date. With the process more or less figured out I'll be producing a few of these and some other parts for local guys. Goal is to do enough work to pay for better machines!

Also played around with some "walking the cup" on the weld. So if it looks ridiculous that's why haha. Not the application for it but for a prototype I figured why not.

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Neat little job today. Customer dropped off 2 stainless flanges and asked us to make a split flange from them.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Prototyped an on head spring compressor for LS cylinder heads. Working on my junky round column mill drill, best machine I could afford. First project I've pushed through it to date. With the process more or less figured out I'll be producing a few of these and some other parts for local guys. Goal is to do enough work to pay for better machines!

Also played around with some "walking the cup" on the weld. So if it looks ridiculous that's why haha. Not the application for it but for a prototype I figured why not.

Those pieces with the two U shaped
places milled in the ends look just like
the S.S. mounting brackets that are on
some restroom partitions I bought.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Neat little job today. Customer dropped off 2 stainless flanges and asked us to make a split flange from them.

Looks like an interesting Job.

 

[Farrviewsouthfarm]

Nice job on the flange. How about describing how you did that?

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Nice job on the flange. How about describing how you did that?

Well the first thing I did was sit at the computer and draw the flange in solidworks and sort out exactly how I was going to split them to fit each other.

Next I had to sort out work holding, I ended up putting a long 5/8" stud through a 246 block and bolting the flange directly to the 246 block using the one bolt hole that didn't get cut.

Next up was locating the bolt holes since both halves needed to line up precisely when they were done. I did this by finding center on the left hand hole, zeroing out the machine control, then finding center on the right hand hole, writing down the X and Y coordinates relative to the left hand hole and calculating the angle the flange was sitting at. Then I imported the solidworks model of one half of the flange into mastercam, rotated the model the same amount as the calculated angle, and started making my programs.

Started out with a 3/4" mitsubishi carbide inserted tool and made a program to run along the outside leaving 0.015" on the wall and cutting off the excess. Then using the same tool I machined down the pads leaving the same 0.015" on the wall and floor. Then I switched to a 1/2" solid carbide endmill, made a singe pass on the outside of the "V" face to -0.005" and did a finish pass on the pad to -0.005" on the wall and 0.000" on the floor. I left the tool a few thou high so I could mic the thickness and then drop down the tool accordingly to get it on size.

After that, put the other one in upside down compared to the first one and repeat all the above steps.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Here's my latest re-purpose, with quite a bit of machining, so I thought I'd post it over here too.

It's a Bosch Plunge Router Base, turned into a power draw bar, using a butterfly air wrench like other people have done. I may be the first to use a plunge router base though. It already had the springs and smooth up and down motion to do the job. I still have to make a handle for it since I'm not using a cylinder to force it down, I might try that later if it proves to be a pain in the a$$ but it will still be much faster than hand tightening with a wrench every time.
It still needs plumbed in also but you get the idea.

 

[Hephaestus29]

Just thought I'd post up some video of the Power Draw Bar I made.
My video making skills aren't very good, you are warned.

 

[Hephaestus29]

I spent a little time organizing my files tonight and milled out the slots in this plastic to make a little file rack.

 

[Griff93]

We made some weld on tow points for the bumpers we're building in our 'new' cnc mill. This sure beats the heck out of the old way of doing them with a manual bridgeport and a rotary table.

 

[chrisBTSC]

Neat little job today. Customer dropped off 2 stainless flanges and asked us to make a split flange from them.

I'm super curious as to why the customer wanted a split flange. You can't install that onto a tube or pipe in halves so what other purpose would the split have?

 

[tymbo]

It looks like the diameter of the inside hole is larger than the clearance of each flange half.

 

[bbcc]

It looks like the diameter of the inside hole is larger than the clearance of each flange half.

Yeah you wouldn't be able to get that onto a pipe. Now I'm curious about what it's use is too!

 

[Jim_No_Garage]

Or a replacement for an in-place install?

Great question

Jim

 

[Jim Johnstone]

I'm super curious as to why the customer wanted a split flange. You can't install that onto a tube or pipe in halves so what other purpose would the split have?

I'm wishing I had an opportunity to speak directly with the customer, boss just brought me the flanges and told me what they wanted. I did point out to the boss that the rad closed up past the 180 degree point, he replied "make it to the print". They never brought it back to rework so I guess it must have done whatever they wanted of it.

 

[chrisBTSC]

I'm wishing I had an opportunity to speak directly with the customer, boss just brought me the flanges and told me what they wanted. I did point out to the boss that the rad closed up past the 180 degree point, he replied "make it to the print". They never brought it back to rework so I guess it must have done whatever they wanted of it.

I've been thinking about this because it's bugging the **** out of me. The only real conclusion that I can come up with is it's going to be welded onto a pipe that is already in place (installed). Maybe there is an obstruction of some sort that they have to rotate the halves around before they reach their weld-on spot.

 

[Mario428]

I'm wishing I had an opportunity to speak directly with the customer, boss just brought me the flanges and told me what they wanted. I did point out to the boss that the rad closed up past the 180 degree point, he replied "make it to the print". They never brought it back to rework so I guess it must have done whatever they wanted of it.

I see the flange had a large radius on one side. This is not a typical flange. It is used onn what is called a "stub end" https://www.mcmaster.com/#45735k296/=16gymkw

The stub end is welded to a pc of pipe with the flange in place. I am guessing they wanted to replace the flange without rewelding the pipe.

Very nice machine work.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Machined this brand for a friend of mine today. He's going to use it to burn some wood pieces for his wedding. I'm going to cut out a handle for it and weld it on the back.

Am I missing something or is it backwards?

 

[matt_i]

Yeeaahh, thats not going to brand exactly the way you want it.

It needs to be english-readable from the top side, and mirror-image viewed from the "wood side"

However its a beautiful job!

I was thinking if you could tig weld some bracketry to the pieces, then bandsaw thru the thickness and cut off the heart and the letters (or machine off the backside), you would then have what you'd need. The bottom surface would then be the working/burning surface.

 

[Griff93]

It was apparently to long of a day yesterday. Another one will be posted later.