Shop Made Tools

[drmico60]

USB shadowgraph/microscope.

Recently Malcolm Parker Lisberg posted a You Tube video showing an instument he had made that functioned as a USB shadowgraph/microscope ,see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw1b58kITxQ&feature=youtu.be

Malcolm's version used aluminium castings.
I was so inspired by this concept that I have built a similar instrument fabricated from aluminium angle, see:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/usb-microscopeshadowgraph.html

Mike

[goodscrap]

Here's a work-around for those who want to do some milling on a machine with a morse taper but no drawbar provision, in my case it is an arboga milling machine that normally uses special split washers and a collar, mine were missing so here is how i held a collet chuck for milling.

I aquired a collet chuck and cut the end of it with an angle grinder, this exposed the soft core and i was then able to drill right down the shank. i then made a new tang section with a cross hole, a bit of care is need to ensure you can still drift it out, yet get the cross pin etc to line up and make sure the draw bolt (from the bottom up) still has a gap to maintain tension.



Care is needed to ensure the cross pin is centred and not going to clatter the quill bore, you could reduce the diameter of the center to make sure this cannot shift in use, i never had any trouble though.

[Toolguy]

Voice-Activated Optical Inspection System

This is a shop made tool the Shop Wench and I bodged up together when I had a part to reverse engineer. I made a holder to fit a usb microscope to the mill spindle. The microscope plugs into a laptop so you can see the image on the computer screen.

Also, I found a program referenced in this post (and many more): http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/thr...te-on-a-webcam

For anyone that wants to duplicate this project, this is the model we used: Celestron 44302 Deluxe Handheld Digital Microscope 2MP.

To make the fixture, I cut a taper in some alum. bar stock to match the taper on the microscope and made an access hole for the button on top. The focus dial is below the alum. part. Here is a pic of the camera in the fixture.



This is what the overall setup looks like.



First I zeroed x and y on a hole, then took all my other measurements from there. The photo was taken at a bad angle, so the circle really is concentric with the hole, even though you can't tell.



This being voice-activated, I'm sure you're all wondering how I got that to work. Well, here's how it goes: Shop Wench says "Number", and I tell her the reading. She says "Next," and I move to the next measurement point.

[CalM]

This is a shop made tool the Shop Wench and I bodged up together when I had a part to reverse engineer. I made a holder to fit a usb microscope to the mill spindle. The microscope plugs into a laptop so you can see the image on the computer screen.



This is what the overall setup looks like.



This being voice-activated, I'm sure you're all wondering how I got that to work. Well, here's how it goes: Shop Wench says "Number", and I tell her the reading. She says "Next," and I move to the next measurement point.

Having seen several similar set ups with much more costly cameras, I strongly suggest NOT placing the optics in the spindle!

Rather, put the camera at some fixed distance from true "Zero, Zero".

My last iteration had the camera readily mounted to the mill (Haas) on a kinematic mount with a plexiglas flap door to allow a clear shot of the workpiece and still provide coolant splash protection at the flip of the shield.

I like the computer interface!

[Sim]

Chuck backplate

Backplate for putting a 8" Bison chuck on a rotating table.
Made out of Heat treated 4140 - The only material I had in a suitable size.

[Stern]

Got real tired of the crappy rickety base on the HF band saw, so decided to scrap it and put a real base on it. Glad I made a hoist for the press as it made it an easier job than having to manhandle the thing during fitting lol



Decided to use some 3/8" flat bar I had (overkill, but it was cheap and I had it) and keep the same leg angles. Used the original mounting holes and decided to add casters to the back legs since I pull it out to use it. After a lot of cutting (angles on the flat bar) I pulled the old crap base off and fitted/welded the two top sections for mounting (threaded them for 1/4-20 cap head bolts). After welding the legs on and putting in the bottom braces (which will carry a tray for catching the filings for easy cleanup) I welded a small strip for the "pull out handle" at the front.



It was easy putting it on the stand with the hoist, and even after a lot of welding the holes still lined up lol. At least now when I pull it out to use it the thing doesnt twist and shake all over the place. Once I get the press done I can bend up a tray for it (along with the coolant tray for the mill). Gave it a coat of my standard tremclad grey and it was done

[_Paul_]

Started the conversion of my BS0 Dividing head to stepper operation:



Shows the adaptor shaft which goes from the dividing head worm which has a 1/2" shaft with two flats to 10mm for the stepper coupling (not decided which type yet) and the stepper threaded mounting and tube.



What it looks like fitted up temporary for measurement purposes.



Showing threaded section



Paul

[Stepside]

An index fixture I built. It operates like the one I built that is in the latest issue of Digital Machinist Magazine.

[_Paul_]

Bandsaw belt tensioner, any one who has one of these probably already knows how crappy the drive belt tensioner is here is my simple but effective modification.

Also fitted an automotive drive belt in place of the Yak hair coated chewing gum item that was fitted.









Regards

Paul

[flutedchamber]

Bandsaw belt tensioner, any one who has one of these probably already knows how crappy the drive belt tensioner is here is my simple but effective modification.

Also fitted an automotive drive belt in place of the Yak hair coated chewing gum item that was fitted.


Regards

Paul

I believe the chewing gum belt WITH yak hair was the heavy duty model.

[+ or - Zero]

I believe the chewing gum belt WITH yak hair was the heavy duty model.

Nah, that was the super heavy duty model, without was heavy duty and the spit coated string was regular duty, I was told they also had a light duty model, but it seems no one can find any of them due to super duty magnifying glasses not being company issue.

Zero.

[_Paul_]

Bit more done on my dividing head conversion:









Paul

[trackfodder]

When I worked for Mesa Products Inc in Tulsa, I had a 12" Clausing manual lathe. Occasionally I had to chuck some leads (pb) with 3/16" holes in them to be soldered to 1/4" cables. I made a ram tailstock to enlarge them by making a 45deg. point on a 3/4" thread stock, a yoke made to straddle the rear of the tailstock with a 3/4" nut on one side and a hole in the other so it received the centering screw locknut on the back and the tip of the bolt pointed into the Allen hole on the front side. A tab welded to the rear with a hole has a pivot bolt with a long arm running to the backside of the bed. A connecting arm runs to pivot on a clamp designed to secure to roof beams for hanging pipes, etc. This clamps to the backside of the bed. The arm that pivots on the yoke extends to form the actuating lever and has a handlebar grip on it. I had a bed turret that allowed me to set the travel for various tools when using a tailstock turret for other jobs. Minor depth changes were made with the usual tailstock wheel and clamp. It took me less than a minute to mount the ram device. Simply straddle the rear nut and hand tighten the 3/4" bolt in the front setscrew hole, and clamp the beam bracket to the rear edge of the bed. The tailstock lock nut was adjusted to allow free sliding. The only thing that would have improved the system would have been an air colllet for the spindle.

[DICKEYBIRD]

Must be figgerin' on doing some mighty powerful dividin' there Paul... judging by the size of that there stepper motor!

Looking good! Is that a piece of galvanized pipe you attached the flange to? Looks like it's attached with threads? Good utilization of stuff on hand.

[trackfodder]

Here's another thing for the 12" Clausing. We had "A" customers that needed occasional anodes made for offshore protection. We were the only corrosion co. that would mess with off-standard stuff. One task was drilling 2" holes in big PVC tubes at 2" intervals evenly spaced around the circumference of various diameter pipes.. I had a set of different numbered toothed motorcycle sprockets. I made an arbor for them with a setscrew conveniantly located at the rear of the spindle securing it. A spring-loaded 1/2" lever with a plastic knob pivoted on the rear of the gear cover so that it would register with a tooth valley to secure the spindle in position. My set of sprockets allowed me to set any number of even rows of holes. One turn of the apron wheel gave 2" separation to next hole longetudinally. A bracket on the crossfeed with a hole in it allowed the drillbit to pass through the work. I love to do that stuff, but I am 77 now and nobody will let me have a job.