And let someone else play with their toys? I think not!Or better yet, you can buy a MT2 blank that is specifically designed for this sort of purpose. Of course, that may take all the fun out of it ...
Taper setting device
- Thread starter Jonathan Coates
- Start date
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I fully understand. Many's the time I've spent multiple hours to recreate a $15 part, just because I have the tools and the material on hand. I always remind people that this is the difference between a professional machinist and a hobbyist - a hobbyist enjoys the journey, whether or not it makes economic sense!
Well I got round to it, after a fashion.
It;s made from a piece of aluminium scrap that I found in a skip so its that long by that wide. Seems to fit on the compound OK if I slide the toolpost off. I considered lopping it down but that would (I reasoned, seriously, don't laugh) reduce the accuracy. Anyway, its big enough for the pin spacing to be 100mm and the magnets were supposed to be a press fit in reamed holes. Due to what appears to be a bent pillar drill the reamed holes are oversize thus the Loctite (actually a cheaper Loctite clone) on the magnets. The ground pins were an Ebay thing, 8mm diameter, and they arrived in double quick time.
I clamped the plate to the milling table and skimmed one edge then drilled and reamed the two pin holes in one setup. This ought to get the holes and face lined up as well as my kit can manage and by measuring across the pin to a gauge block balanced on the datum edge they both measure exactly the same, so a small victory there. Due to temperature changes or the phase of the moon the spacing between the pins if off by a very tiny amount, less than half a thou, so things are close but not as exact as my DRO said they'd be.
I chose to put magnets such that there would be three points of contact, all stood proud by 3mm to clear the oiler, with the fourth magnet to hold the block stack adjacent to the pin. This seems to work and even with a substantially inept operator the chip tray, though full enough, is not contaminated with any expensive small parts.
It;s made from a piece of aluminium scrap that I found in a skip so its that long by that wide. Seems to fit on the compound OK if I slide the toolpost off. I considered lopping it down but that would (I reasoned, seriously, don't laugh) reduce the accuracy. Anyway, its big enough for the pin spacing to be 100mm and the magnets were supposed to be a press fit in reamed holes. Due to what appears to be a bent pillar drill the reamed holes are oversize thus the Loctite (actually a cheaper Loctite clone) on the magnets. The ground pins were an Ebay thing, 8mm diameter, and they arrived in double quick time.
I clamped the plate to the milling table and skimmed one edge then drilled and reamed the two pin holes in one setup. This ought to get the holes and face lined up as well as my kit can manage and by measuring across the pin to a gauge block balanced on the datum edge they both measure exactly the same, so a small victory there. Due to temperature changes or the phase of the moon the spacing between the pins if off by a very tiny amount, less than half a thou, so things are close but not as exact as my DRO said they'd be.
I chose to put magnets such that there would be three points of contact, all stood proud by 3mm to clear the oiler, with the fourth magnet to hold the block stack adjacent to the pin. This seems to work and even with a substantially inept operator the chip tray, though full enough, is not contaminated with any expensive small parts.
