Tools always on the mill......

[Artie]

As I finished up tonight and slurped on a brew..... I looked at the mill and saw something I dont see often in pics that others post.

Magnetic LED lamp (2 actually), very useful all round....

Telescopic magnet.... almost vital for older backs.....

Sticky pin, something I use almost every time I use the machine..... I have the DRO's ordered for the x and y axis and these will probably negate the need for this lil tool. But I like it for its simplicity....

I have the quill DRO already installed and find this invaluable. I have gone for independant read outs, basically the pessimist in me thinks that if one fails them all are lost unless they are individual units, so thats the way I have gone...

The quill is a self contained unit/readout but the x and y axis are remote screens although not as large as I might have liked, but i did compromise on this. Ill post pics when they are installed.

 

[minerva]

Hi Artie,
your pics of your "sticky pin" really take me back. As a rookie apprentice some 50 odd yrs ago I well remember asking the question of my mentor "how do you centre the casting on the table" the casting being a turbine casing some 15 feet in diameter and about 15 feet tall, its weight being measured in tons and the table on the vertical boring machine being 24 feet in diameter. He produced his "sticky pin" and attached it to the tool holder and proceeded to centre the casting in exactly the same way as you do today! Granted the moving of the casting was a little more difficult (jacks were employed for the final control)but the crane drivers were so skilled the castings were dropped on the table within mm. I still resort to my "pin" even though my latest mod is to fit a DRO.
Regards
TerryT

 

[Artie]

and two other things I like....

 

[4156df]

All right, I'm probably going to embarrassed for asking this, but what is a "sticky pin" used for???
Dennis

 

[Florian]

All right, I'm probably going to embarrassed for asking this, but what is a "sticky pin" used for???
Dennis

I guess to lift off chips...?

 

[winklmj]

All right, I'm probably going to embarrassed for asking this, but what is a "sticky pin" used for???
Dennis

Used like a wiggler--except you don't have to take remove the current tool to use it. You take that "blob of sticky stuff", along with it's attached pin, and stick it on the end of the tool (could be a drill, end-mill, whatever). Spin up the mill and center the pin just like you would a wiggler. Then you have a pointer that's concentric with the mill spindle that you can line up onto your part. Neat stuff. I've used one a few times and it sure beats tool changes. I need to find some sticky stuff that won't melt in the 100° heat we've been having lately.

 

[JackG]

What kind of "sticky stuff" do you use? I've tried modeling clay, the stuff that sticks ads to magazines, glazing putty, just about anything that sticks. And it’s either too messy or just doesn’t stick.

 

[minerva]

The blob of "sticky stuff in my case is a lump of children's Plasticine, I've had it stuck to the lathe or mill for the last two years at least. The technique is similar to centreing the 4 jaw , moving the workpiece to halve the gap between the workpiece and the pin until the workpiece is running concentrically or as mentioned above centred using the forefinger with the quill rotating (about 300 rpm) where you can accurately locate centre-pop marks without removing the current tool from the mill.

 

[JackG]

What is "children's Plasticine"? Never heard of it.

 

[SAM in LA]

Perhaps you can use "Silly Putty". I imagine that it is still available in toy stores.

SAM

 

[don-tucker]

What about Blue Tac
Don

 

[tel]

What is "children's Plasticine"? Never heard of it.

http://www.colorific.com.au/products/home.php?cat=1041

 

[Artie]

Hi guys, I mainly use its as per Terry T explanation, often though I rotate the spindle by hand...

stick the pin somewhere on the tool (it doesnt matter where, often on the edge of the collet nut)

line up with the right edge, rotate spindle 180 deg and then move the table till half of this gap is gone.

Push the pin in until it lines up with the left edge and rotate spindle 180 deg to check that you are now centre.

Do again if necessary.

Main advantage is that this is 'reasonably' accurate, very fast, doesnt require the existing tooling to be removed. In fact Ill still use it for most operations even when the DRO's are installed..... switching to the edge finder only when complete accuracy is needed.

Cheers.

Rob T

 

[tel]

And let us not forget that other essential on the mill - the 'umble packet of Tally Ho's

 

[Artie]

Indeed. Hows it going mate?

Can I get you to tell (pun) me the name of that way oil? I just want to get a little more in case I cant find it in years to come.

And I found out why Agricultural suppliers stock bentonite clay..... farmers use it to stop dams leaking. Its true. they spread a thin layer over the bottom of freshly dug dams then when they fill this stuff swells and seals the dirt. Amazing what you can learn, just gotta ask......

;D

 

[4156df]

Thanks guys. I learn something new every day from this board.

As Artie said:

Amazing what you can learn, just gotta ask......

Dennis

 

[Artie]

Just read this..the alternative to the sticky pin, an excellent write up by Cedge.... http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=2656.0

 

[Artie]

and this...want to dill set of holes in a circle? You could use the rt but if you have a x and y dro you can dispense with the Rt altogether....

have a play with this program.... http://www.doov.com/cgi-bin/bolthol...=0&yoffset=0&angleoffset=0&bolthole=Calculate

 

[tel]

Indeed. Hows it going mate?

Can I get you to tell (pun) me the name of that way oil? I just want to get a little more in case I cant find it in years to come.

And I found out why Agricultural suppliers stock bentonite clay..... farmers use it to stop dams leaking. Its true. they spread a thin layer over the bottom of freshly dug dams then when they fill this stuff swells and seals the dirt. Amazing what you can learn, just gotta ask......

;D

I'm not too bad matey, yerself?

The oil is BP Maccurate 68. I got the local BP outlet to order me one (20l) in quite a few years back as that was what was recommended to me when I got the shaper and the bloke I bought it off gave me about 1/2 litre.

Yeah, I did that with a dam, must be nearly 20 years ago now - wouldn't hold at all and it had to be drained, the Bentonite spread and then rotary hoed into the surface all over. At the time we had to get a pallet down from Queensland by rail (that's how long ago it was) and from memory it cost the best part of $1600.

 

[rcmadness]

As far as Bentonite clay you may want to check with a local drilling company. (oil, water,etc drilling)Some of the drilling mud they use has large quantities of this type of clay. In the US its often cheaper to purchase "drilling mud mix" than bentonite clay.