Shop Made Tools

[R.Bolte.Jr]

I like the simple indexer. Made from plans or your design?

Chuck

Thanks Chuck,

Design by junk box for sure. I've seen several examples online, of people using the bull gear in their lathe to index, thats where the design for the indexing pin and spring came from. As far as everything else, I had some .750 ID bearings, so thats what I used, you could easily use bushings instead. I spaced the bearing centers high enough so that the 72 tooth change gear would clear the milling table. The pin/spring assembly slides in and out in a slot, and locks with a cap head, to accommodate different change gear sizes.
Watch the clearance on the holes in the pin/spring assembly. The only real "looseness" i have in the mechanism is that I bored the hole where the pin passes through the body, nearest the finger knob, a little loose. This causes the pin to pivot up and down a few thou in the front hole. Not enough to worry about for the stuff I'm doing with it, but would be the only thing I'd do different.

[chesapeake]

Inspired from the pics on page 209 and with the assistance of a forum member who made up the drawings on CAD I gave this a whirl. Had to make few adjustments to make it fit my lathe. The only thing to do is to knurl the handle (hopefully it will remove some of the phallic symbol appearance)

[TGTool]

Why change the handle? As Mark Twain said of always speaking the truth this might "gratify some and astonish the rest."

[chesapeake]

Why change the handle? As Mark Twain said of always speaking the truth this might "gratify some and astonish the rest."

I may make a new handle.....

[digiex_chris]

I've got an ancient Denbigh horizontal milling machine, older than the ones on lathes.co.uk. It's got a funny spindle taper, one-of or a now extinct taper. Measured at the correct angle as an MT4 1/2, but a diameter that falls between MT4 and MT4.5. The angle is wrong to match any other taper spec I could find.

It came with a vertical attachment with an NMTB 40 spindle that's been extremely handy, but it doesn't have a lot of spindle to table space. Sometimes I want to use my tooling in the horizontal spindle. I was going to try to bore the taper to fit a straight cylinder to MT4 adapter inside as a press and loctite fit, but I changed my mind and decided to take advantage of the threaded spindle end that's used to mount chucks.

This started out as a 4.5" chunk of 4140 HTSR. My poor little 10" Craftex lathe didn't go slow enough. At a .020" depth of cut, I made it work. The thread was some work too. Then I took the cross slide and compound off the lathe, clamped it down to the mill table, and bored the taper right on the mill. Then with a few grades of emery paper, I smoothed out the machining marks.

I grabbed my most trustworthy endmill holder, blued it up like I'd done in the past when scraping in a T-slot plate, and using scraping techniques but with the emery cloth on a stick, scraped in the taper to be a fit that surprised me. Best taper lock I've got in any of my machines, next to maybe the vertical attachment. Nearly perfect.

I'm quite pleased. Lots of work, but it was worth it. Now I can use modern tooling in the horizontal spindle. just waiting on a good cobalt tap (because I'm scared of tapping that metal with my old dull carbon taps).

[TGTool]

Just made an indicator snug inspired by a Starrett item. I can't say this is a good copy because I've only seen photos of the Starrett part and never held one in my hand. Some things about this design could be changed but it works. It mounts on a 5/16" or 3/8" post and takes several different sized indicator stems.

[thaiguzzi]

I will be copying that.

[quasi]

Just made an indicator snug inspired by a Starrett item. I can't say this is a good copy because I've only seen photos of the Starrett part and never held one in my hand. Some things about this design could be changed but it works. It mounts on a 5/16" or 3/8" post and takes several different sized indicator stems.

I believe Guy Lautard (remember him?) has instructions and drawings in one of his "Bedside Readers" for a Starrett type snug.

[metalmagpie]

Someone asked me to post this machinery moving kit to this thread. I call it my 'modular tube dolly'.



Here's the whole story:

http://www.nwnative.us/Grant/shop%20articles/mtd/projectWebPage.html

This is a great thread marred only by the vanishing photographs. Thanks to all who have posted.

metalmagpie

[Daveb]

Nice job!
Lathes.co.uk have updated the Denbigh page, there is now some info on these machines.
Dave

[Dozerbuilder01]

I made a shop press from some free scrap steel my brother gave me. It's over built for the 20 ton HF air over hydraulic cylinder but someday I'll get something bigger. I usually over build most things because I never know what I might need to do in the future. I doesn't flex like my old 12 ton HF press.

[Dozerbuilder01]

I made a porch swing at one time so I made a metal twister to make some accent pieces. I used some crappy HF sockets that cracked. It can twist 1/2" square stock or 4 1/4" pieces of round rod.

[Mtw fdu]

I have made a twister as well. Here are some pics.

http://s964.photobucket.com/user/mtwfdu/library/ornametal%20tools?sort=3&page=1

Mtw fdu.

[Ed ke6bnl]

I made a shop press from some free scrap steel my brother gave me. It's over built for the 20 ton HF air over hydraulic cylinder but someday I'll get something bigger. I usually over build most things because I never know what I might need to do in the future. I doesn't flex like my old 12 ton HF press.

Is that an HF air over hydraulic and it works fine upside down??

[Dozerbuilder01]

Is that an HF air over hydraulic and it works fine upside down??

Yes and yes. I installed pick up tubes in the ports that feed the pumps. Works like a champ.