Shop Made Tools

[racer-john]

Shop tools [th readsert insert tool]

courtjester
courtjester is offline Junior Me

Am I missing something? You say the knurled pieces are threaded 1/2-18 left hand (and I resume clearance drilled on center), is this just to hold the knurled piece in place?

[DATo]

courtjester
courtjester is offline Junior Me

Am I missing something? You say the knurled pieces are threaded 1/2-18 left hand (and I resume clearance drilled on center), is this just to hold the knurled piece in place?

You're doing better than I am racer. I don't get the whole thing. We've used press nuts before but have never needed anything so elaborate. If we're talking about the same thing: the front part of the threaded insert, as you can see from the picts, is the actual size of the hole. The embossed tines are what bond the insert to the hole. We just press them in with an arbor press or in a vise with a bushing behind (if being put in sheet metal). If the insert is being put into a large mass or non-moveable piece where this is not possible you can just thread the insert onto a bolt and tap it in with a ball-peen backed up by a piece of soft metal. That always seems to work fine. I know I must be missing something here and I'd love to know what it is. At first glance this project just seems like a lot of unnecessary work.

[J. Randall]

You're doing better than I am racer. I don't get the whole thing. We've used press nuts before but have never needed anything so elaborate. If we're talking about the same thing: the front part of the threaded insert, as you can see from the picts, is the actual size of the hole. The embossed tines are what bond the insert to the hole. We just press them in with an arbor press or in a vise with a bushing behind (if being put in sheet metal). If the insert is being put into a large mass or non-moveable piece where this is not possible you can just thread the insert onto a bolt and tap it in with a ball-peen backed up by a piece of soft metal. That always seems to work fine. I know I must be missing something here and I'd love to know what it is. At first glance this project just seems like a lot of unnecessary work.

Looks to me like your method depends on a drive in fit holding the insert, where his tool actually expands the insert for a more secure fit in the hole.
James

[RichR]

I was given a dial indicator but it didn't have a tip. I had some cutoffs from some 1/4-20 stainless
screws I shortened, so I made one up.

[ftownroe]

These are just some of my new ideas/gadgets that I decided to post. First is a quick means to drive the lathe tailstock.
Tailstock Drive Socket

Tailstock Drive Socket in Use

The socket is drilled and tapped for a set screw that keeps it in place. Simple idea, but helpful.

[ftownroe]

Concave Cutter

This is a quick modification of Steve Bedair's excellent design for a ball cutter that enables me to make concave cuts as well. Using the original designed cutter mount, there was just enough material to cut a seat on the opposite side to mount the cutter for concave cuts.
Concave Cutter

It works very well.

[ftownroe]

This is a small mount that I made to hold the I-gaging DRO readout. It is movable though many planes and allows you to view the display thought many angles. Store bought parts include a CCTV camera mount (widely available on E-bay) and an old computer hard drive magnet.
DRO Readout mount side view

DRO Readout mount bottom view

DRO mount front view

DRO mount back view

[ftownroe]

EZ T nuts

I call these EZ T nuts because they simplify the installation of the T nuts on the milling table. I always seem to collect junk in the pockets at the end of the table that has to be moved to slide the conventional T-nut into the slot. These are patterned after a set of hold downs that I bought that had a similar design but did not work because they would not rotate to lock after dropping into the slot. Also, I reversed the angle that the commercial ones had cut on the sides because I felt that they should engage when turned clockwise, not counter clockwise like the commercial product.
Machining T nut..I was somewhat sceptical that I could get a good enough grip on these to machine them, but the setup worked very well and was repeatable.

EZ T nuts Finished

[chucketn]

Nice work, Fred! I like it!
Chuck

[sasquatch]

Interesting posting again,, thanks ,

[courtjester]

They work like pop rivets

[DATo]

You're doing better than I am racer. I don't get the whole thing. We've used press nuts before but have never needed anything so elaborate. If we're talking about the same thing: the front part of the threaded insert, as you can see from the picts, is the actual size of the hole. The embossed tines are what bond the insert to the hole. We just press them in with an arbor press or in a vise with a bushing behind (if being put in sheet metal). If the insert is being put into a large mass or non-moveable piece where this is not possible you can just thread the insert onto a bolt and tap it in with a ball-peen backed up by a piece of soft metal. That always seems to work fine. I know I must be missing something here and I'd love to know what it is. At first glance this project just seems like a lot of unnecessary work.

courtjester,

Thanks for the updated pictures. It makes total sense now. When I've used these in the past the press fit over the serrations was enough for our needs. I never knew about the "pop-rivet" aspect of seating these before. You've made me a wiser man, and I thank you!

[courtjester]

Thank you sir thats the reason this is 183 pages long so many have great ideas to share "I be just a grain of sand on the beach of life"
At 70 years old I still have lots to learn.

[trackfodder]

I can't find thread starter where it was said to be on left so butting in here. I had an idea in bed about taking a run-out work pants belt and using it for a rag wrench I never throw snything away.
If a stick were slipped through the buckle with a notch at an appropriate place to nest in, with some sort of mean, toothy stuff on the end of the stick, and nice screamy rosin dressing on the belt, I don't think anything could resist such a wrench. Just wrap and slip through the buckle and twist.

[trackfodder]

Be sure to use gr-8 nut and bolt. I twisted off a couple, even gr-5