Shop Made Tools

[gary hart]

Angle blocks for horizontal bandsaw

Wood blocks cut at 45 and 22-1/2 degrees. Metal strip screwed to bottom fits in slot that moveable vise jaw moves in. Allows cutting angles without having to move fixed jaw.



Metal strip in slot works good for preventing angle block from sliding back.

[PeteF]

A very simple project, so simple I don't know whether it's worth posting, but here it is anyway. A tailstock die holder, doesn't take long to make. The tommy bar is short enough to pass over the top of the lathe's cross slide if I let it go. Material is just 1020, nothing much more to say really.

Pete

[gary hart]

Cut shallow slot on each side of vise for edge of sheet metal tray to fit in.



Lip of trays fits good into slot on sides of vise.



Trays held tight to vise by wedge on left side and a cam on right


Pocket was cut on backside of polycarbonate to fit the magnets from computer hard drive. Couple of 4-40 screws and sealer to hold in place. Not much magnetic attraction on back side and on front if chips get there they can easly be wiped away from the magnet area.

[DATo]

PeteF - That may be a "simple idea" but it is a very useful one and may be of great value to HSM members who do not know about it.

I made one long ago which is much like yours but instead of the handle I knurled the OD of the die holder very slightly to provide a good palm grip. With smaller screws you can simply hold the OD of the diestock in your hand and engage the thread while the lathe is turning at a slow speed. As the die approaches the end of the thread one would lighten the grip slightly and when the thread bottoms out the die holder will simply spin out of your grip while being supported by the dowel being held in the tailstock chuck. Sort of like power tapping but only with a die. This can be a real time saver when you have a lot of threads to make. That handle on yours would sure come in handy for larger threads though. Thanks for posting !!!!

gary hart - That is a very elegant chip control solution. Many thanks for sharing. You just added one more project for me to think about making *LOL*

John Stevenson - That indicator sure brings back memories. When I first got in the trade my brother gave me one of those. It was made by 'Ideal' as I recall. I still got it somewhere around here but I haven't used it in awhile. Considering the high cost of replacing a modern dial test indicator I might just start looking for it. *L*

[Steve Loving]

We called these spiders.

We had them in various sizes for different chucks.

When we would have a need to turn thin disk type parts, these made it easy to keep the disks parallel after parting them off.

They were also nice for keeping them all the same thickness.

Just make sure to gently tap the disks into the jaws to keep the spider from moving around.

Good idea Im going to copy that one Steve

[lane]

Needing some tool holders for the shaper . I tried E- Bay usually have good luck but not this time . Every one wants to pay more than me so i get out bid. heck why buy what you can build probably better any way.So I set in and built a few . A right hand bent and a left hand bent copy of Armstrong type. And a adjustable one . All Take a 3/8 bit . Made the two bent ones from 1045 and had them heatreated to 40-42 RC. Made the adjustable from mile steel so it could be welded together. Here you are .

These are the bent ones .
The adjustable one is this.

All three together

And the adjustable one in the shaper.


Cool hu.

[flutedchamber]

lane,

What is the reason for the depression on the top of the Armstrong style tool bit holders? I have seen that on some holders and not on others.

Thanks.

[lane]

Nothing I can think of . I saw them too so I put them in .

[jkilroy]

That depression is to prevent a knot raising up when you bent the holder during the forging process.

[Dale Lusby]

How did you make the square hole for the angled holders? Very nice and something I would like to make as well.