- Joined
- May 15, 2017
- Messages
- 482
- Reaction score
- 302
I've finally got most of the material together to build the 1/4 scale Gardner 3F. Inspired by JasonB's fabrications I decided to go down that route. I only have a Warco 240 lathe albeit with a bigger motor and VFD. So how was I going to put the drip edge on the base plate which measures 300mm x 130mm I don't even have that much ancillary equipment but I do have some bits and pieces. The cross slide movement is maximum 110mm. I thought of clamping the plate to the cross slide and fly cutting but that would have meant at least 80mm packing and would still leave a fairly big radius in each corner to dress out. Then I thought of using an adjustable angle plate and putting a radius'd end mill in the chuck but I don't have one and didn't want to invest in something that gets used so little.
What I do have is a adjustable angle vice but I could not see how to hold the plate at the right height. in the vice and get the part close enough to the chuck to use a standard cutter.
A brainwave or two later and the vice was mounted upside down directly to the cross slide. Set at the correct angle. A guide rail was fitted to that so that the base plate was always in the same relative position. It wasn't as rigid as I would have liked but happy with the result which needs a bit of fettling anyway in order to give the ''cast'' look.
What I do have is a adjustable angle vice but I could not see how to hold the plate at the right height. in the vice and get the part close enough to the chuck to use a standard cutter.
A brainwave or two later and the vice was mounted upside down directly to the cross slide. Set at the correct angle. A guide rail was fitted to that so that the base plate was always in the same relative position. It wasn't as rigid as I would have liked but happy with the result which needs a bit of fettling anyway in order to give the ''cast'' look.
