Shop Made Tools

[sasquatch]

Thanks, a very nice piece of work!! Excellent pics by the way, is there anything you don't have for that Unimat?? I presume that is a 2 inch boring head?

[rmcphearson]

ksierens, you really need to clean up your work area and get that stuff organized already. Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeez

[JEZX]

i almost had a stroke trying to look at the chisels then focus my eyes on what i would think were 6'' and 8'' chucks in a cabnet far away . then i scrolled down and saw the lathe .... makes sence now
that's one clean shop you got

[GT1]

While technically not a tool, I needed a light for my mill. I was going to make a nice mount out of aluminum to fit around the quill column and add some LEDs. I happened to have a flexible LED strip left over from a boat project, so a couple of tyraps, a dab of RTV and a repurposed 12V (300ma) charger (from some long dead electronic device) and ten minutes later I had a workable solution. The flexible LED strip came from Ebay for $3 including shipping.

[lugnut]

That light is something that I have been wanting for sometime now. My old worn out eyes need all the help they can get. Macular degeneration does not help either. I have been studying on how to work with and build LED light all week long and this might be the push I needed to get me started. Thanks

[davidh]

I have done a similar thing on my mill. lots of variables of leds at dealextreme.com.
I need to revise mine a bit, I used a big hose clamp to hold them to the quill and they kind of squirted out from beneath it. . .

[ksierens]

Thanks, a very nice piece of work!! Excellent pics by the way, is there anything you don't have for that Unimat?? I presume that is a 2 inch boring head?

Thanks, and yes, there are quite a few things that I don't have for the Unimat, but I will not pay the prices hey want for them. That is am 1 1/2" Criterion head that can be used on the Unimat, Benchmaster or Craftsman lathe.

[ARM]

Hi all

just thought i would post a pic of my qctp rack
just a few pins and peice of hardwood
its not realy a tool more a tool holder or is it a tool holder holder
simple to make and works really well








there are so many good ideas in this thread but not enought room in the shed keep em coming

cheers
harty

Good dangerous pics.
This is just waiting for an accident to happen, LORD Forbid !!!
Totally inappropriate place.
Just my two cents worth !!!
aRM

[vpt]

Good dangerous pics.
This is just waiting for an accident to happen, LORD Forbid !!!
Totally inappropriate place.
Just my two cents worth !!!
aRM

While the OP did a fine job on the holder I agree about the location but guilty myself of the same location for mine. While I never change tooling with the lathe running I still would like to arrange my lathe area better some day and move to holders to behind the tailstock end.

[mars-red]

Good dangerous pics.
This is just waiting for an accident to happen, LORD Forbid !!!
Totally inappropriate place.
Just my two cents worth !!!
aRM

I don't see anything back there he'd be likely to need when the lathe is actually running. Or am I missing something?

[courtjester]

DIY nut sert installation tool

Here is a tool I built to install nut serts (threaded inserts). The handle is made from 1” round rod drilled and taped for ½” X 18 left hand threads. The adapter for each size were turned down from ¾” hex rod and ¾” round rod. The hex was used for a standard ¾” wrench to be used for installations. And the round rod was used (with knurled edge) to hold the nut sert against the material when installing. Both the hex and round rod were turned down and threaded with a ½” X 18 die and center drilled to the size of the bolt use to hold the net sert in the tool. The pictures show handle and 3 size adapters and 2 different type nut serts. To use the adapters for the nut sert size were installed into the handle the bolt goes through the adapters and a nut sert is screwed onto the bolt. Install the nut sert into the material and turn the hex with a wrench as the tool unscrews it pulls the bolt out and this action installs the nut sert. When the nut sert is fully installed remove the bolt from the nut sert and repeat as needed.

[courtjester]

DIY nut sert installation tool

last picture

have fun
Tom

[ARM]

[QUOTE=H380;657049]It is threaded. I turned the head in a lathe. Then put it in an indexer on a mill. Milled the flats on the head. Locked the X and Y. Used the quill and a 3/4" end mill to cut the counter bore. Put in a drill chuck and center drilled, pilot and tap drilled. Then put the mill in neutral power off and put a tapered tap in the drill chuck. Start the tap in the hole by turning the chuck by hand and/or a strap wrench. Once the tap is started straight loosen the chuck and leave the tap in the hole. Turn away with a tap wrench. Then go to a plug tap and finish with a bottoming tap.

Good detailed explanation
Some of us rookies need this to fully appreciate the sequence and the resultant precision achieved
Guess there is only way to do anything, and that's the RIGHT WAY !!!
Thanks and keep up the good work.
aRM

[RichR]

This is a spanner that fits a 1/2 inch socket wrench. The body is made from a piece of mystery steel that I picked up at a garage
sale. The cross piece is made from a section of a large bolt that I squared up. There is a countersunk screw in the square hole
that holds the cross piece in place.

[sasquatch]

Yeah, nice piece of work.