Shop Made Tools

[mars-red]

I just made a pair of jacks from some steel scrap, as a gift for my dad. I was going to use 1/2"-10 acme threads, and was most of the way through making the tap... But it was ruined by end mill pull-out. I had to settle for 3/8"-16 STI threads instead (that's a story all on its own), so obviously had to single point the male threads. The tommy bars are 1/8" round HSS blanks. Just got it all boxed up, wrapped, and under the tree.

[RichR]

Very nice Max. I would have thought HSS would be too brittle to use for tommy bars. Once the jack is adjusted, won't it lift a little
further when you snug up the jam nut?

[mars-red]

Very nice Max. I would have thought HSS would be too brittle to use for tommy bars. Once the jack is adjusted, won't it lift a little
further when you snug up the jam nut?

Thanks! If you crank on those tommy bars enough to get close to breaking them, something is terribly wrong. Those HSS blanks are my go-to for small tommy bars. Yep, the jam nuts will make them lift if you use them. Might be a couple thousandths, the screws are a really good fit.

[Tundra Twin Track]

I'm just curious here but why go to the bother of building a sliding tapping device when the tailstock is made to slide on the ways. I have always just used a standard Jacobs superchuck in the tailstock and let the tailstock unclamped and slid it into and out of the tapped hole. This is how I learned to tap in a lathe from about a dozen full time lathe hands when I was serving my apprenticeship.

Brian

Hey Brian had tail stock off lathe it weighs 210lbs. that is why I built sliding tap holder,it heavy beast.

[softtail]

Here's my quick n dirty take on a tap handle to use after drilling so as to use the chuck to start the tap straight without removing the work.. in this case drilling/threading pistol barrels for sights.[IMG][/IMG] -ST-

[mars-red]

My latest mini project was making a 4NS to 5C adapter. My lathe takes 4NS collets and I got a couple of 5C collet blocks for my birthday. The dimensions are such that there's plenty of meat between a 4NS and 5C for an adapter, so it really wasn't difficult. As part of the adapter, I had to make a nut to fit the 4NS collets that was large enough diameter to bear on the back of the collet block. I single pointed the internal threads of the nut, and before milling the hex flats on it I used a pair of channel lock pliers to tighten it in place with a 4NS arbor held in the 6 sided collet block. Then I used the block to mill the flats into the nut. The adapter I made is slotted to fit a locating pin in the collet block, and also has a locating pin of its own to fit the slots in the 4NS collets. This was a lot easier than making my own 4NS collet blocks and who knows, I may even find some other 5C tooling that this adapter might come in handy for.

The collet shank adapter was made from some leftover 12L14 steel, and the nut was made from some mystery steel that seemed a lot like leaded steel the way it machined.

[thaiguzzi]

Lovely work again, Max.
On a slightly different variation, i have hex and square collet holders for 3C i made, as my Boxford lathe and my Stent T&CG both use 3C collets. I made 3C holders (sq and round) for the T&CG, must get around sometime to learn this photo upload lark to this website forum....

[Yondering]

Nice work Max.

I have the same collet blocks (love them, really handy tools) and want to make a 5C to ER32 adapter for them someday for similar reasons.

[Toolguy]

I got a couple of ER32 collet holders with 5C shanks from ArcEurotrade for a very reasonable price. They are very handy.

[Yondering]

I got a couple of ER32 collet holders with 5C shanks from ArcEurotrade for a very reasonable price. They are very handy.

I looked at those too, but it was a while ago; I got scared off by the overseas shipping, IIRC it was about as much as the purchase price. Was it more reasonable for you?

Edit: my mistake, I was thinking of the ER32 collet blocks they were selling.

[Toolguy]

To be honest, I don't remember what I paid for the tools or shipping, but I remember that I didn't feel that it was too much. I'm a tightwad, but I will pay a fair price for quality tools if required. I get most of my tooling dirt cheap on eBay. Over 800 separate items and counting. Anyway I have a bunch of 5C tooling and a bunch of ER32 tooling and the parts from ArcEuro gave me a lot of additional ways to mix & match. I also made my own 5C OD - R8 ID adapter for the same reason.

[john hobdeclipe]

Woodworking Router Mount for Bridgeport Mill

I needed a sturdy means to mount a woodworking router onto my Bridgeport mill. I decided to use the mounting point on the back of the ram where a slotter would ordinarily go. This keeps dust away from the milling head, and keeps oil from dripping onto my work.

The first picture shows the router mount assembled, and the second picture shows it in place on the milling machine:




I took a piece of 12 gage steel sheet to a local metal fab company, where they cut it to size and rolled it to a cylinder, about 4.6 inside diameter and 5" long.

Then I cut away enough of the cylinder to give access to the switch and to let plenty of cooling air in to the motor fan. After drilling the neccessary holes I sandblasted and painted the cylinder.

I machined the two aluminum parts to fit the cylinder, then bored the bottom ring to fit an old DeWalt router motor. A hole in the center of the top plate accepts the 7/8" mounting bolt, and the slot in the top plate engages a 1/4" pin locktited into the bottom face of the mill ram. Two setscrews go through the bottom ring and engage holes bored into the router motor body, and this keeps the motor from turning under high torque loads.



Here it is in use, hogging excess material from a chunk of Osage Orange. It works as well as I had hoped, solid and sturdy with no chatter or vibration even when hitting knots, voids, and wild grain.

[10KPete]

Excellent John!! That sure gets the big stuff off fast.

Pete

[sarge41]

Nice rig John, I have a small router I picked up at a flea market and was wondering what to do with it. Just the ticket. That piece of Osage Orange reminded me that around here (midwest), it was also called "iron wood". I have been told by oldtimers (years ago) that teamsters that had a strong team of horses, liked to get single trees and double trees made of Osage Orange. It was difficult to make, but once you did, it was good for life.
Sarge

[Lee in Texas]

I needed a sturdy means to mount a woodworking router onto my Bridgeport mill...

NICE! I had been wondering how to do the same thing. My thought was for making rifle stocks. (benchrest type, not high $$$ walnut and blued steel type)