Marking Out/Layout Resources?

[dicej32]

I'm getting back in the shop after a two month hiatus and would like to improve my accuracy. Are there any marking out/layout tutorials available on the web? I'm making do with a square and a ruler but would like to get a surface plate, height gage, etc. I've had no formal training so any info would be helpful.

Thanks,

Jenaro

 

[Mcgyver]

dont know of any tutorials, any basic text will cover it off though

 

[BobWarfield]

Jenaro, the surface plate and height gage seem pretty intuitive once you start using them. I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try.

Cheers,

BW

 

[Bogstandard]

Jenaro,

As Bob says, everything comes naturally as you start to use the setup.

For many years I didn't use a surface plate, but a glass platen out of an old copier, but any plate glass should do.

You will also require something to back the bit you are marking out against, just to keep things truly vertical. I usually use a largish V-block, or a small angle plate.

There is a little bit about it in one of my posts

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=1500.msg11590#msg11590

Even though I have DRO on my mill and could go straight onto it without any marking out, I actually mark out anyway, just so that when it is on the miller, I can double check that where I am machining is in the right place.

This is definitely the correct way for you to go.

Hope this helps

John

 

[rickharris]

Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marking_out http://www.clag.org.uk/workshoppart02.html

Google throws up many other options.


At the risk of stating the obvious:

There are 5 stages to making anything:

1. Mark out the parts
2. Cut out close to the marked line (leaving a margin for accuracy.)
3. finish to size (using finer tools, files, emery cloth, etc finish exact to the lines.)
4. test the part (technically, in small scale manufacture, this is most likely to be a quality control check of dimensions with suitable measuring instruments or a fit check against another part)
5. Assemble the parts.

If you have the ability to use CAD/CAM equipment then drawing the part on the CAD system equates to marking out and the cut/finish to size is done by the CNC machine. - Even then the machine will rough cut and then finish to size. As the machine actions are more or less totally repeatable (!) this is a form of Quality Assurance i.e. a system to make sure you don't make expensive mistakes (but we don't do that at home do we!)

Th is extracted from things I tell the kids at school! so sorry if rather basic.

As an aside I recently discovered the bottle of engineers blue I inherited from my dad has finally come to the end but I am unable on a browse of various ME supplier sites able to find a stockiest where do yu lot in the UK buy your blue.

In the mean time I guess a felt tip marker will do.

 

[tel]

the ink out of a blue ball point pen, disolved in metho makes an acceptable substitiute

 

[DickDastardly40]

Further to the above good stuff:

I write down/sketch the sizes I need on a notepad before I start to save having to refer to the full size drawing especially if dealing with fractions in 64ths into decimal.
Always set the job on a datum face and work from the same face every time you put a line on in that plane.
You can get very accurate results using a scribing block (surface guage) and rule.
If you do use a Vernier Height Guage (VHG), check the VHG reads zero to the surface plate before you start.
Clean your datum face, the bottom of your VHG/surface gauge and your plate before you start. Remove any burrs/dings from the job lightly file over centre punch marks
Check your lines with a mark one eyeball and ruler after scribing vith a VHG.
If you make a mistake, a felt pen line over the top erases it mostly if you didn't scribe too hard.
Avoid having too many lines on the job if you can (ie enough for the process in hand) coolant is a bugger for destroying your layout.

Lots more good stuff to come from others I'm sure,
Hope this is of help.

Al

 

[Bogstandard]

Rick,

Go to here

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/....ltd.uk/acatalog/catalogbody.html&CatalogBody

And put in a search for - layout blue, then click on the red lettering next to it, you should end up at the right page with other bits as well.

John

 

[rickharris]

Rick,

Go to here

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/....ltd.uk/acatalog/catalogbody.html&CatalogBody

And put in a search for - layout blue, then click on the red lettering next to it, you should end up at the right page with other bits as well.

John

Thanks - I bet the bottle my dad bought was less than £8.25 - mind, it was probably priced in lsd !!

 

[Bogstandard]

Rick, I bet that bottle lasts as long as your dads one did.

 

[b.lindsey]

As an aside to the discussion on blue layout die, for most of us a small can will last virtually forever, but an older machinist once put me onto am idea that works very well for the smaller scale work most of us do on models. When the wife finishes up a bottle of fingernail polish, take it and clean it and the brush applicator out well using fingernail polish remover, and then use it to keep a small amount of layout dye handy. The container takes up much less room, has a built in brush, seals well, and works perfectly for smaller layout jobs.

Bill

 

[Tin Falcon]

DJ 32 :
I have been wanting to do up a PP tutorial but it has not happened yet.
The surface plate and height gage make life easy and sp ar fairly cheap. I use an angle plate with mine also an on mark optical center punch is one of my favorite layout tools. There are also plans about to make one. A big fat marks a lot can be used as layout fluid no spills.
Tin

 

[Cedge]

One trick I've used constantly is a slightly modified caliper. Shorten the stationary tine just a wee bit and you can use it to do mark out. The other jaw rides along the straight edge of the work piece while the stationary tine marks the work. For accuracy, always cut to the "inside" of the line. Makes it easy to mark while keeping a setup in place, whether on the mill or the lathe.

Steve

 

[shred]

One trick I've used constantly is a slightly modified caliper. Shorten the stationary tine just a wee bit and you can use it to do mark out. The other jaw rides along the straight edge of the work piece while the stationary tine marks the work. For accuracy, always cut to the "inside" of the line. Makes it easy to mark while keeping a setup in place, whether on the mill or the lathe.

Steve

I do the caliper-scrape all the time too. I nearly always end up measuring later if it's a critical dimension (or have the CNC do it and save on the faffing about ), so it's mostly a rough mark to notify me when to start measuring. Cheapy digital calipers make it so easy to measure these days. They work great for imperial-metric conversions too-- slide up what you know and hit the in/mm button to get the other.

- Roy

 

[Bogstandard]

In the 'old days' before edge finders and DRO's, the way to make a part was.

Lay it out accurately and clearly.
Rough machine to very close to the layout lines, then very fine cuts until you 'split the line'.
This usually got you to within the required 0.002" tolerance.

John

 

[raym 11]

I made a spring loaded scribe from a Guy Lutard reader and find it usefull to see the 'plan' before screwing up a piece of stock in the mill or simply to layout for the next operation in another machine or hand work. (for scale the shank dia. is .375)
The DRO makes a nice job of it

Ray M

 

[Bogstandard]

Ray,

That is one very useful bit of kit.

I use layout all the time, and one of those would surely make the job a lot easier.

John

 

[Divided He ad]

Don't you just love simple and effective ideas?! ;D

Thank you Ray.

Is What you making there engine based?



Ralph.

 

[raym 11]

Ralph

Yup, my rendition of the 'Ridders' foam/petrol carburetor to be used on my Upshure twin. I've had it running and it does good with his new 3-way air make up valving . The valve is the funny plumbing sticking out of the tank.
Ray M

 

[dicej32]

Thanks for all the good ideas. In my research I found surface gages do the same except you have to measure and set. The advantage is they're cheaper than most height gages. May be worth a try.

Thanks again,

Jenaro