Shop Made Tools

[gary hart]

What kind of steel did you start with?

For most spanners don't think it much matters what kind of steel you use. Would guess on all those shown is mystry metal made from scrap metal on hand. Extra strength could be had by heavier material or a gusset where curve changes to straight. Nice thing about making your own is that you can get a good fit.

[Walter]

Well, a few small contributions from me...

First is a set of A2, hardened, match ground parallels. Just did them a few months ago. There matched as a set of six on 2/3 sides. Each set of 2 at different heights.



Second is a quick set of blocks for setting angles on my small sine plate. 1,2,3,4,5,10,15, and 20 degrees. Made from hardened 1144. There fast and easy for imprecise work. The finish on the outside of the rounds is just the patina from the brine they were hardened in. It's really quite beautiful



Third is a simple adapter from 3/4 inch down to 3/8 inch. for the mill, saves me having to switch out R8's as all the insert tooling is 3/4 inch straight shank.



And last may not qualify as a tool, but it's been a bit of work and man is it sweet to use! This new cross slide table was built to allow me to line bore mostly. It's also got the nut on an eccentric so the table can be reversed to handle odd larger/longer items. The riser is set on T nuts and can be put in any position including 1/2 spaces. and the last thing you can't see is the gib lock on the other side. This is set up with 8 screws on the gib, which is a bit much, but once properly adjusted it's so smooth and stable. No more rocking like the original table. I just need to build and mount a rear cutoff post. The table itself is made from gray cast iron, the riser is 1018. The hold down post is 1144, single piece, threaded 1/2 inch 20

[Walter]

Some other views of the table.

[pigpen60]

use this critter for all sorts of things. dc motor variable speed. pigpen

[knudsen]

I think you're asking about the Vernier on my tool grinding fixture. The graduations are 4-1/2 degrees apart, so that 1/2 degree increments can be set directly.

The graduations on the upper part are, of course, 5 degrees apart.

Dave

Sorry Dave and thanks, I scrolled right past your name and thought it was all one post. I'd like to make an angle table for my mill. That would be perfect with the half degree resolution.

[medwards]

Here is another project I finished up a while ago. It's a rollover fixture for doing cylinder head work on my mill. I bolt the heads to the slotted steel flange by either the exhust manifold bolt holes, intake bolt holes or a row of head bolt hoes. The brass knobs at the top on each end are for leveling the head side to side. The brass knob on the front with the acme screw is for fine adjustmen on angle front to back. Rough angle adjustment is done by loosening the locks and rolling the head. The baseplate drops right onto my 9x42 mill table perfectly square.





I had intentions of buying the 3d fast cut valve job system from Goodson, but I haven't had the need or the spare cash for it yet. That combined with this fixture it should make my mill just as nice as a serdi or sunnen valve machine. It's just a little slower to do a valve job on a mill without the air float table, but the results can be just as good if not better.

[outback]

Two it one lathe tool.


Harig knockoff, cylindrical grinding attachment:


Mini Grinding attachment:


Tapered thread grinding attachment:


Outback

[rockrat]

Well, it only took about 5 hours to read through all that. Great ideas gents.

I probably have a mess of tools around here but this one I could get to quick.

Many of these smaller horizontal band saws have the option to tip the head up and convert it to a vertical handsaw. The problem is that using it in this manor seems a bit dangerous. Also, I'm a bit lazy and don't want to bend over to push on the part. Lastly, pushing on the part also moves the saw away from you.

Make a seat than can be clamped up in the vise. Issue fixed, just don't climb on when its running. I have since put a coat of urethane on it to keep splinters out of the tender areas.

Click for larger photo.




rock~

[bborr01]

Lots of ways to make spanner wrenches. The one like the best is to mill half the diameter of a rod that will be bent, bend and then add the pin. The one with the black oxide finish is done this way. Finish was by heating just below scaling started and then droping in bucket of oil.




A new electric melting pot with manual controls costs about $900. They are kind of neat in that you pour right from the pot like you would a coffee pot. They use a graphite crucible and have a lid, so the atmosphere has no oxygen for oxidizing the melt.

Bought a old Jelrus electric melting pot off of Craigslist with a bad control. Made new base and installed a digital control and made decal with some instructions. Put a hinge on the lid. Ended up costing about $100 which fit my budget.

Hi Gary,

The part about "made decal with some instructions" caught my eye.

I have had a few uses for making decals such as replacing the beat up threading chart on a south bend lathe.

Care to share some tips on making decals?

Brian

[mattinker]

My hold down

I've just read this thread, quit a feat, well I didn't read it all, but I looked at all the pictures!

Here is my "back bar" an early piece of work on my H. Ernault Somua ZHV1 Universal milling machine. It's a hold down, "T" in section that bolts into a "T" slot. There are 14mm horisontal threaded holes that allow clamping as though it were a vice. I find in some ways it's easier to set up than a vice.



I hope this is understandable!





Fired with enthusiasme, I wanted to post, I will post the bit sharpening tool that I'm building when it's a little more advanced.

Regards, Matthew

[gary hart]

Making water slide decals is one of those side trips that takes more time and stuff then a person would think. Maybe not too bad for someone that grew up with computers, Maybe.

To make good decals a printer that prints white such as Alps printer which uses a resin or something like that instead of an ink is nice, maybe a must. Alp printers might not be supported anymore in the states. Then you need a program something like Corel Draw to do the graphics. Then learn the quirks of an Alps printer program.

If you want more info there is a Yahoo group - Alps Decals. Also some Utubes videos on Alps decals. Sorry, not very encouraging

Some hammered in lettering. When I retired from the fire dept, found another firehouse. Recuperative Gas Fired Forge Furnace. Made from ABANA plans that were developed at the Sandia National Laboratories. Haven’t finished this one yet as like the first one had built

[gary hart]

Flexible shaft wrenches for those hard to get at places. Not strong enough for final tightening or breaking loose. Has saved me much frustration and time when working on little nuts or bolts in those hard to get at places.

Flexible steel cable like used in steel fishing line leaders works good. They do need shrink tubing put over them to keep from unwinding the lay when going the wrong direction.

[bborr01]

Hi Matthew,

Pretty ingenious vise setup you got there.

Looking forward to more neat ideas like that from you.

Member since 2005 and this is your first post?

CONGRATULATIONS......and bring it on.

That is what this thread is all about.

Brian

[AiR_GuNNeR]

Gary, Very ingenious! I'll need to keep this idea in my back pocket for future use.

[DaHui]

This isn't "a tool" but it's "for a tool." Does that count? Laser cut acrylic table covers!