Shop Made Tools

[darryl]

I like that idea, Gary. The more times I see something like that where there's the potential of an unbalance, the more I think there's a project in the waiting for a balance checker.

Because the spindle and bearings, drive system, etc offers so much resistance to turning (relatively) it isn't easy to know if you have a balanced situation. What I've thought to do many times, but as yet haven't done, is to duplicate the spindle nose on a piece of shaft which can be mounted on ball bearings which have no friction. In other words, shields only, no seals. You could mount your chucks or faceplates on that, and any unbalance worth dealing with will show up right away, and so will the results of your balancing efforts.

[J Tiers]

Good man, Lane! I often see folks pining for arbors for some odd machine, and they never seem to think of making their own.

Even if they DO, they often work out some crazy scheme for using an existing taper, to avoid the "impossible job" of making the taper.

2 MT3 for the Lewis mill

[Bguns]

Easier to make than to find and buy...
A B&S #7, 7/8 20 Boring Head Arbor for my M Head...

[MaxxLagg]

I thought that I'd add some of mine. I have the normal angle plates, vises, v-blocks that other people do that I've accumulated in 20 plus years as a toolmaker. In addition to my own, self built tooling, my dad was also a toolmaker since the late 60's and recently retired so I have all his stuff plus all of mine. Instead of show stuff like that I tried to go through some of the two toolboxes worth of stuff and post some pictures of some of the more unusual stuff.


Her are a set of drawers for ER collets that I build at work to hold/organize all the ER collets and tap holders for the Hurco VM1 that I usually run most days. Also, a CAT 40 rack.






This is a drop gage stand that I built back in 1992. Note the Starrett adjusting dovetail mount.




Here is a follower rest and a sample of it's work that fits in a Hardinge toolholder. The diameter of the stock is .500 and it turned it down .094 in one pass. I still need to go back and refine this tool. Not sure I like it yet. Was for a one-off type of job. May never get back to it.

[MaxxLagg]

Here is a thread mill body and insert that I needed to make the other day for a job. The Hurco will thread mill no problem, that is unless you have no thread mill! I need to get a real thread mill sometime but we really don't do that much of this sort of work. We have inserts for a lathe so with some modification on clearances (and remembering to run the tool backwards!) it works just fine.



Some Vee Vise jaws



Precision Square, about 3.5 x 4 or so.



Little different v-block. Handy for doing longer pins and stuff with heads.

[MaxxLagg]

Didn't really make this rather than I just modified something existing. We used to have these at work for mounting cameras for inspection. Used to have a 3/8-24 thread where the dovetail clamp is mounted now. I inserted the bottom with a buttload of rare earth magnets and it makes a great small adjustable indicator holder. Wish I would have grabed a bunch of them back then. We don't stock them now.



Saw a set of Talon Jaws in a magazine and could really use a set so I build some. If you haven't seen these, go here:

http://www.talongripsystems.com/

Here's mine:

[MaxxLagg]

Here's a low profile jaw stop:

[gary hart]

5C horizontal/vertical collet index changed to cnc indexer








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[gary hart]

Gear reducer was removed from a DC motor. New output shaft made to same as Sherline lathe. Made #1 Morse taper reamer for reaming the new spindle. Mated a stepper motor to it.







Changed lathe tailstock to lever operated ram.

[John Stevenson]

Cheap Chinese 5C spin indexer converted to stepper drive.





Threadmills made from die inserts out of coventry die heads, also doubles up as an internal threading tool if held in a boring bar holder.





Power tailstock fitted to a Myford ML7 lathe, runs in the opposite direction to the lathe at 3,000 rpm for using small drills.




Lever feed as fitted to a Myford Super7 but still retains the handwheel feed.





Ignore the state of the tailstock, it came off a scrapper just to prove the concept.

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[Mcgyver]

Gary, nice work as usual.

the shaft carrying the worm on the indexer; I take it the outbound bearing is eccentric to adjust backlash.....is the other end also eccentric or are they self aligning bearings?

[HSS]

Here is the easiest and probably the most useful tool mod I have ever done. It's another of those "when you need it nothing else will do" tools.

Thanks Evan, I usually push a screwdriver up against the threads till I get the nut started. I think I'll adapt one of those handy looking vicegrips to use instead.

Patrick

[gary hart]

the shaft carrying the worm on the indexer; I take it the outbound bearing is eccentric to adjust backlash.....is the other end also eccentric or are they self aligning bearings?

As I recall, think they are not self aligning bearings. Shaft is slip fit in both bearings and both bearings are slip fit in the housings. A single ball in center hole of shaft on outboard side with set screw pushing on that ball. Other end has spring washer behind bearing for the end play control. Think can get by with this for the slow speed operation. Gary

[gary hart]

Power tailstock fitted to a Myford ML7 lathe, runs in the opposite direction to the lathe at 3,000 rpm for using small drills.


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John, like the powered tailstock. Been wanting to do that and had not thought of putting motor behind. Thanks for posting. Is the tailstock dedicated for that or is it fairly easy to exchange tailstock ram. Gary

[John Stevenson]

The whole lot is one unit and once the fulcrum is disconnected the ram pulls out the back, the chuck is a small 0 - 3/16" model and is smaller than the ram.
The original MT2 barrel goes back in and the fulcrum is connected.

There is a tufnol [ phenolic ] rubbing plate on the motor terminal box to support the extra weight and that also stops it trying to tip.

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