The Machine Work Thread

[Griff93]

Started teaching the 'new' guy to use the bridgeport. He's general shop help but not a machinist. Our VMC was busy pumping out parts and we needed to make a simple fixture to drill some holes in some tabs.

2018-09-11_02-28-10 by Griffin93

Here's the finished fixture. The new guy did a good job. The idea is to drill 10 at a time stacked up in our cnc mill. We may end up doing up to 400 of these tabs for a customer.

2018-09-11_02-27-12 by Griffin93

 

[ClappedOutBport]

If you're just drilling holes, why not use the mill or a drill press, free up some VMC time?

 

[alexb2000]

If you're just drilling holes, why not use the mill or a drill press, free up some VMC time?

Agreed, seems like the perfect job for a bridgeport and much cheaper than a VMC.

 

[aczr2k]

Because in the Cnc you can load the parts & push the button, it will be faster than a manual machine, especially if there is more than one hole.


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[Griff93]

Exactly. There's two somewhat critical holes that get drilled in these. I can setup this fixture, hit the go button, and do other things while its drilling. Tool life will be better as well. I also can have the above shop helper run them on our cnc but I doubt he would get through all of them on the Bridgeport without an issue. My Bridgeport doesn't have a dro on it so repositioning is harder. Plus I bought two more vmcs the other day. They'll be setup before we have to do the large run.

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

I’m not a machinist, but I’m trying with my limited skills and equipment.
Only have an old Shoptask 1720 combo Lathe/Mill.

Here is the radius turning attachment I made.


Used that to turn a Roll die for my Beadroller.




And a pic of rolling the edge of some 3003 H14 0.063” Aluminum.

Looks great, How does the tool pivot? Does the whole block turn or just the cylinder with the bit on it?

 

[Keyblazer]

Looks great, How does the tool pivot? Does the whole block turn or just the cylinder with the bit on it?

Hi,
The lower half pivots, and the upper half has about 2" of travel so you can do Concave and convex...

Hope this explains...
Used the Radius cutter to tund a ball for the handle of the tool!
Gotta love that!

I since deleted the lower spacer and extended the cutter tower...

 

[stioc]

Haven't done any machining projects in a while and this simple one just happened to come up.

I decided to give my 20yr old mountain bike (Univega 900) some love, I cleaned the cobwebs, adjusted the derailluer, ordered some new grips and a more comfortable seat. However I found that I no longer like the hunched down position of riding. So I ordered a new adjustable stem off Amazon.

The stem fits but there's a small problem, I need a longer spacer to raise it up.

Hmm, I think I can make one.

30mins on the lathe, problem solved

Fit like a glove on the first try.

I love having the capability to make random stuff even if it's something as simple as this spacer.

 

[azcanc]

What lathe do you have?

Haven't done any machining projects in a while and this simple one just happened to come up.

I decided to give my 20yr old mountain bike (Univega 900) some love, I cleaned the cobwebs, adjusted the derailluer, ordered some new grips and a more comfortable seat. However I found that I no longer like the hunched down position of riding. So I ordered a new adjustable stem off Amazon.

The stem fits but there's a small problem, I need a longer spacer to raise it up.

Hmm, I think I can make one.

30mins on the lathe, problem solved

Fit like a glove on the first try.

I love having the capability to make random stuff even if it's something as simple as this spacer.

 

[stioc]

What lathe do you have?

Ouch, you quoted my pics (which displays them twice) now everyone will hate me
I have this lathe: http://www.grizzly.com/products/9-x-19-Bench-Lathe/G4000

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I love having the capability to make random stuff even if it's something as simple as this spacer.

No truer words have been spoken! Just the other day I was ranting at my wife about "if I only had a lathe".......

 

[azcanc]

I’m sorry for reposting pics. Does the lathe do
everything you ask of it or do you have the need for more
Lathe after owning for a while?

 

[whateg01]

I’m sorry for reposting pics. Does the lathe do
everything you ask of it or do you have the need for more
Lathe after owning for a while?

Not to speak for stoic, but I think that eventually, we all find something that we wish we had just a little more "X". JS.

Dave

 

[stioc]

Not to speak for stoic, but I think that eventually, we all find something that we wish we had just a little more "X". JS.

Dave

Very true.

I’m sorry for reposting pics. Does the lathe do
everything you ask of it or do you have the need for more
Lathe after owning for a while?

For me - the lathe has done just about everything I've asked of it and then some. There was only one thing I couldn't do and that was turning the drum brakes of one of my old cars. Similarly, I won't be able to lighten/resurface a flywheel/rotors etc but those needs are few and far in between and not expensive to get done. To do those you'll really need something like a 13x or a 14x or even larger lathes that are far too big for me.

Back to this 9x lathe, I was/am limited by the amount of space I have in my 2 car garage which is used for automotive work, woodworking, machining, fabrication etc so within those constraints it's a good lathe. However, if I were to do it again, I do wish I would've sprung for this one instead, overall better in every respect for not a whole lot more money:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-x-22-Bench-Top-Metal-Lathe/G0602

If I had more room/funds I'd have definitely gotten the ubiquitous G4003 lathe (12x) and never looked back. Also, remember, the lathe itself is only about 60-70% of the total cost because you'll need several machining tools and upgrades to make it a usable tool.

Also, a lot of folks recommend the Precision Matthews lathes/mills since their quality is supposedly better so check those out too. Goodluck!

 

[sanddan]

I had to modify some speaker spacer rings as they were too thick. It was very brittle plastic and I needed to take off about 3/8" so I attached them to a melamine board and milled it. Turned out great.

 

[mx842]

Keyblazer, I've been looking at this for a few minutes and can't get my head wrapped around this radius turning thing a ma jig you got there. Would you mind sharing a little bit more about how you made it and how it attaches to the lathe. I like it and probably would make an attempt at making one if I could see a little more of the design work. Nice work on the tool and the work it does.

 

[kazlx]

They usually mount to the cross slide and the body spins on a pivot. You control the radius by moving the cutter in and out. Once you see them work they are pretty simple actually. There’s a few different ‘styles’.

 

[Keyblazer]

Sure!
There are many different styles.
Search Radius or ball turning attachment.

Mine is a piece of 1/2" plate, bolted to my cross slide. That plate has a step hole drilled from the bottom... and the pivot bold is a Allen head bolt with a ground shaft then thread.

That goes into a body of 3" steel.
Having trouble posting pics for some reason... will try again in a bit.

 

[Keyblazer]

Ok,
This is my build...
You experts will have to excuse my basic setup and skill set...!













I ended up deleting the lower block and extending the tool post.



As shown, having the tool tip rearward of the pivot point makes a convex(Ball) radius, and have it forward of the pivot make a convex radius...

 

[mx842]

Looks good to me but I'm still a little cornfused with a couple of things. In your 1'st pic is that three different pieces or did you turn down that 3X3 and if so how much? Also I'm not real sure what you meant in that 5th line in # 738.

Also how did you attach the tool post to that piece of bar stock?

 

[stioc]

It's a ball/radius turner e.g. http://bedair.org/Ball/ball.html
The only difference is that the ball turners are usually made to turn a convex shape (sphere) but if you move the cutter to the front of its pivot point it can turn concave shapes.

 

[kazlx]

 

[Keyblazer]

Not a prob... its been a progression.

A pic is worth many words so let me disassemble it and photograph tomorrow!

 

[mx842]

Thanks!

 

[E.Marquez]

One of my every few weeks job..
Lightening a flywheel for the Superhawk VTR1000F

Starting at 7lb 4oz

A little bit of whittling

And a final weight of 4lb 7oz

Have another to do this morning if I can get motivated to get out to the shop.

 

[zmotorsports]

One of my every few weeks job..
Lightening a flywheel for the Superhawk VTR1000F

Starting at 7lb 4oz

A little bit of whittling

And a final weight of 4lb 7oz

Have another to do this morning if I can get motivated to get out to the shop.

Nice.

I used to lighten up a lot of Yamaha Banshees, Suzuki LT250's/500's and Suzuki GS flywheels back when we were sand drag racing and hillshooting. Also used to chuck up the ignition plates in the rotary table and elongate/arc the mounting holes to allow a small amount of timing advance.

 

[E.Marquez]

Nice.

I used to lighten up a lot of Yamaha Banshees, Suzuki LT250's/500's and Suzuki GS flywheels back when we were sand drag racing and hillshooting. Also used to chuck up the ignition plates in the rotary table and elongate/arc the mounting holes to allow a small amount of timing advance.

Thanks, its a work of passion for a group of model enthusiasts. Not a money maker at all, but I am the only guy in the US I know of doing it these days and far as I know the only one at all to do so on a purpose built mandrel that holds the flywheel in the exact same way it is held on the crank.

 

[E.Marquez]

Why do I love having a mill and lathe in the shop.....
So when my son needs to remove the set ring from a GTR transmission ETS unit he is working on....

He can come over, hangout for a few hours with his old man....while I work up a puller

Turn a piece of scrap steel laying around into a driver

test fit.....yup it fits

Work up the puller parts... then
OUT it comes

No idea what the official Nissan shop tool would cost, if even available to non dealers..as they limit parts and tools for sale for the GTR. But in any case, said tool was not going to be available on a Sunday evening.

 

[zmotorsports]

Why do I love having a mill and lathe in the shop.....
So when my son needs to remove the set ring from a GTR transmission ETS unit he is working on....

He can come over, hangout for a few hours with his old man....while I work up a puller

Turn a piece of scrap steel laying around into a driver

test fit.....yup it fits

Work up the puller parts... then
OUT it comes

No idea what the official Nissan shop tool would cost, if even available to non dealers..as they limit parts and tools for sale for the GTR. But in any case, said tool was not going to be available on a Sunday evening.

Very nice. I'll admit, many times I use the mill and lathe for tool making moreso than actual machining of parts for something. Still nice to have.

 

[E.Marquez]

Very nice. I'll admit, many times I use the mill and lathe for tool making moreso than actual machining of parts for something. Still nice to have.

My old long ago replaced craftsmen 8,082 cubic inch storage roll cab is stuffed full of tools made in house.. And those are just ones I keep vice the tools like the GTR ETS puller I sent back with my son to his work.

Need to press in new tube seals on a Dana 44 axle housing? I still have that tool...though the bronco it was made for has been gone since 2005

 

[kazlx]

 

[Griff93]

10.5" sterling ring gear getting turned down for a shave kit.

Sterling 10.5 ring gear being turned down for shave kit. by Griffin93, on Flickr

Same axle getting the bottom of the center section milled off in our VMC.

Machining away the bottom of a 10.5 sterling for a shave kit. by Griffin93, on Flickr

 

[Hephaestus29]

What’s the purpose of a “shave kit” ?

 

[paranoid56]

gives more ground clearance under the pumpkin. you can save almost 2" in some cases.

 

[Hephaestus29]

How much does cutting the pumpkin like that
effect the strength of the unit? Is additional
bracing required?

 

[Griff93]

We shaved off a bit over 2" from the bottom of that housing. We added back a piece of 1/2" plate that had been pocketed out for the ring gear. The plate was welded on with three passes in spray transfer of NI-55 0.045 wire. I think it is probably as strong as it was originally. So with this shave kit, it's like having 3" larger tires as far as ground clearance under the diffs go.

 

[bored350]

We shaved off a bit over 2" from the bottom of that housing. We added back a piece of 1/2" plate that had been pocketed out for the ring gear.

Looks fairly labor intensive, what's a typical price range and lead time for this process?


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[E.Marquez]

10.5" sterling ring gear getting turned down for a shave kit.

Ahhh YIKES, I mean I liked stacking blocks as a kid too but...you carried it on to adult hood

If you do this more then once a year...why not take a few hours to build a fixture? Has to be quicker over a 1/2 dozen like jobs than playing stack the blocks & wedges those same 6 times.... Ya?

 

[Griff93]

There's a 2x4x6 block flat under a v block. No need to do anything else. It was quite solid. The setup didn't take long at all. It didn't move at all using a 1.75 6 flute end mill taking .500 deep passes. It would have been a waste of time to create a fixture.

 

[Griff93]

Looks fairly labor intensive, what's a typical price range and lead time for this process?


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With a stripped housing, $450 and a couple of days to leave it with me. As for lead time, it depends on our workload.