Setting up Shop Questions - from an NZ learner

[rodw]

Ahh a DRO. One of my future dreams. However as an interim and cheaper option I am thinkin of getting a couple of DTIs with a 30 to 50mm reach and 0.01mm readings. Using them on some custom mounts should allow for good accuracy while not having to worry about backlash considerations. Heck I might even be able to forgo the DRO. Of course once I get the Mill running I think DRO and/or CNC of it will be a must.

Make sense?

I think over time, you will learn to live with backlash and realise it is not a limitation. One of the first and most used addon I made was make a carriage stop. This lets you face off at consistent length and coul also help when turning to a face. I did buy a micrometer mechanism that I was going to add to the carriage stop but is still in the drawer.

Don't overcomplicate things for now, just get the basics right.

 

[joco-nz]

Rod - agree. I'm focusing on the basics and just practicing basic turning operations on some scrap. A carriage stop is at the top of the todo list. But I need to to source some cold rolled 1018 to make such items from. Or get some cheaper basic hot rolled stock.

Cheers.

 

[bruedney]

But I need to to source some cold rolled 1018 to make such items from. Or get some cheaper basic hot rolled stock.

Cheers.

Or you need to figure out what you and come and see if I have any :wall:

Bruce

 

[imagineering]

Or you need to figure out what you and come and see if I have any :wall:

Bruce

Give him a bit of that super hard Stainless Bruce ... :toilet:

 

[joco-nz]

Or you need to figure out what you and come and see if I have any :wall:

Bruce

Note that "source" is non specific on where said sourcing would occur. :hDe:

 

[joco-nz]

Well the shop setup continues. I now have some hefty tool storage and space to start thinking about how I will set up the mill. I feel another welding project coming on! :thumbup:

Mind you I must get the bosses car back into the garage as the brownie point balance is starting to get dangerously low. :hDe:

 

[joco-nz]

Another of the workshop projects to help get things all organised is a welding cart. This build started a while ago and has taken a back seat while the Lathe stand was completed and commissioned.

Current status is:
1. frame built
2. mounting plates for the wheels are drilled and welding in place with a successful trial fit of wheels done
3. bottle shelf has angle steel supports welded in place and a success trial fit of the gas bottle performed to prove the shelf is the correct width
4. bracing triangles to help hold the gas bottle in place designed and cut but work has gotten in the way of progressing those this week

See the pics below.
Pic 1: Over all view of the cart


Pic 2: The bottle shelf


Pic 3: The "crown" on the top shelf that will provide convenient places to loop earth and torch cables over

 

[joco-nz]

The welding cart continues. I have everything pretty much fabricated that I need to its now painting time. Pity the paint takes 16 hours to cure between coats. A real pain. However I have a first coat done and things are very YELLOW!

 

[joco-nz]

I have quite a few mitre joints to cut and I don't really want to have muck about with realigning the fence on the saw back to 90 degrees. So a little time at the table saw with some careful cutting checking and I have a nice little mitre joint insert for the band saw.

This isn't a new idea, but here is my simple implementation. 2 layers of 18mm plywood glued together with some high density plastic (from a cheap chopping board) the correct width for the slot in the bandsaw top screwed onto the plywood. This stops the wedge from sliding out.

 

[joco-nz]

I had a look at the method for holding the jig in place and decided it needed to be a bit more robust. So a bit of steel round, some lathe work and an M8 bolt and things seem to be much more rigid. :thumbup:

 

[joco-nz]

Okay after much spray painting here is the cart with wheels on and the top and middle shelves just laid on the frame. I need to take some nicks out of the edges where the welding beads are so the shelves sit nice and flush the frame. I also need to source a bottom shelf. But no major rush for that.

On the whole not looking too shabby.

 

[joco-nz]

I saw this style of hight setting gauge recently when collecting some purchases. The kind gentleman who had the gauge used it to set his tool height off the top of the cross-slide of his lovely Super 7.

So I thought I would try my hand at the same concept. I will do one from my saddle as well (106mm) but this one is 160mm for measurement from the ways. It's not as clean a bit of turning as I would like, the steel being not that flash as it started life as a galvanised carriage bolt which I turned down for the purpose. It is however pretty accurate being measure correct to the centre height to +/- 0.02mm.

 

[Blogwitch]

James,
Nice little setting tool, unfortunately after you get a bit more under your belt you will come across negative rake tools, and there are only two easy methods that will cope with them.
One is the scribed line type (which I used for many years) and the other is the prismatic one which I showed how to make a few weeks back.

John

 

[goldstar31]

Whilst I have rather a surfeit of grinding things, I am curious about the Acute tool system and the costs of materials- apart from having to buy nuts and bolts in bulk, it is trifling. I might get THREE for about £20 and bits and bobs out of the scrap box- or the Museum for White Elephants.
However, James raises the question of getting a rough surface. The late and much lamented George Thomas described it as being 'nibbled by rats' and at another juncture-'Done with a masonry nail'. Well, one doesn't need a tangential tool which- would you credit it- cuts a thread. If you want to learn thread cutting, you have one suggestion. It dates back to dear old Maudsley and the time that my great or great great grandfather probably borrowed the foreman's felt hat to pack a piston and cylinder- full size. It may date back to Solomon or the Durham Cathedral but whatever, it is NOT new. If one is wanting a cut on steel which is so fine like the finest of steel wool, I'd suggest that one reads Conrad Hoffman's dissertation on Advanced Tool Grinder and makes a shear tool. Mason, the traction engine guru described it long before Hoffman but it is none the worse for that. It doesn't need a height gauge or going off at a tangent.

Do I have one? Hell, no! Read the beginning!

 

[bazmak]

I made something similar JZ,used a nom 25mm dia magnet with a tapped hole in it and screwed a piece of bar as you have to correct length.Same as yours
the big advantage is it sticks to the way and you don't have the hold the gauge while you set the tool

 

[joco-nz]

Its done, well mostly, predominately done. Done enough that it can be used. :thumbup:

 

[joco-nz]

I've recently gotten the old 3d Printer back into action after my son decided he wanted to use it while on summer holiday. So I thought, how about wipers for the ways on the lathe?

So I started mucking about with some modelling in Fusion 360.

The first test, yes they are 45 deg angles and about 4mm top flat.


Hmm ... some measurements where not that flash. That will teach me to eye ball it.








A revised model to be tested tonight using thinner dimensions so it should print faster. The first prototype took 3hrs at 30% infill and a reasonably fast print head movement speed.

 

[goldstar31]

In my inmails is 17th Nov 2017 to Rotorua for 3 days followed by a magical mystery tour of the Southern Part of North Island- for a week'

this is from HK, James? Is Wellington ---magical?

Cheers

Norm

 

[joco-nz]

In my inmails is 17th Nov 2017 to Rotorua for 3 days followed by a magical mystery tour of the Southern Part of North Island- for a week'

this is from HK, James? Is Wellington ---magical?

Cheers

Norm

Norm - depends on what you define as magical. On a fine summers day WLG will look stunning plus there is a strong cafe culture in the city with some good ones over looking the harbour.

This side of Dec it's very changeable weather. Last week we had a southerly then northerly change with a glorius sunny/still gap filled in horizontal rain then a gorgeous sunny still day all in the space 2-3 days.

If you are into the stuff that Weta Workshop has achieved, well we are the home to Weta and they have some fabulous tours available.

It's a small city with a really tight CBD so no need to spend lots of time traveling about the place. But you have easy access to some local wine districts (in the Wairapra) or across the the upper South Island in Malbourgh.

Cheers,
James.

 

[goldstar31]

James,

One of the organisers is coming from HK on Monday for our Christmas meeting. I'll know more by then.

We had a great time in HK and then Fiji in June and it probably has nothing to do with this hobby. Quite a lot about the first Tubal Cain- or so we believe.

My best wishes

Norm