Shop Made Tools

[Void]

I took a slightly different approach to the drawbar-wrench-and-hammer-tool:


I simply got the cheapest wrench that was convenient from the local auto-parts store. Cut off the open end. Milled a slot in a piece of brass rod. Silver soldered the handle in to the slot.

The grooves in the brass head are to limit the size of chips that will eventually fly off.

-DU-

[photomankc]

I lost the photo hosting on the previous images and can't find the post they were in now so here it is again. My Take on the Modular Dividing Head from The Machinists Workshop magazine.

The only arbor I have completed is the one that I put the 3/4-16 Taig threads on. I just seem to keep running into something to drill/machine that's a pain to mount on an arbor. So far it has helped me place all manor of holes on various round parts and is a real help. Including getting some things needed to CNC my mill ready.

The runout is great I think, 0.001 or less but the squareness of the sides that were produced on the lathe are not so great. I'm pretty sure the shaft runs at a slight angle to the ways of my mill both left-right and up-down. I need to fix that up before I make any long features but for most of my work it has not mattered.

Boring for the shaft.


Slitting the bore for clamping.


Threaded Arbor for 3/4-16


Finished with Taig 4 Jaw mounted ready to help drill some holes for the belt drive.

[ssnuce]

hobby made tool

hobby shop made cut off tool holder






thank you SNUCE

[Deus Machina]

I'm pretty sure the shaft runs at a slight angle to the ways of my mill both left-right and up-down. [/IMG]

On a side note, I have that same lathe and found that the headstock assembly seems fairly easy to knock out of parallel.
Chuck up a length of stock, turn a point right at the chuck, check it against the tailstock there, then extend it out to check at the far end of the bed.
Adjustments can be made by application of a mallet against the front sides of the headstock.

Wish I knew a way to really clamp it down, though...

[Frank Ford]

I hope I haven't posted this earlier. . .


In 2009, I sold some collectible vintage fountain pens and decided to treat myself to some tooling I figured I couldn't justify unless I got some free money* to spend. I ordered a set of carbide boring bars from Mari Tool. They are swell, you bet, so I made each a dedicated holder to fit my AXA tool post:



The holders are cold rolled steel, cleaned up nicely and treated with Oxpho-Blue from Caswell's.





* If I sell something I bought so long ago that the pain has long been forgotten, or if I make a nice profit on such an item, I figure that as "free money." Kinda like the Social Security check I get each month. It seems like free money, even though I KNOW I'll never even get back what I put into the system for all those years.

[gary hart]

Making a parting blade and holder.

Had hunk of broken high speed steel slitting saw blade, which was .025” thick. Rough ground on belt grinder so sides were kind of parallel. Placed on edge between 2 quarter inch square lathe bits and at about 45 degrees on magnetic chuck and surface ground the top and bottom of blade parallel. There was no problem with the blade moving between the lathe bits. Maybe this isn't a safe method but it worked with no problem for me.



Milled a slot down length of some square stock. Using a dovetail cutter, made earlier this year for making couple cannon models, and made a few passes to get good sliding fit of parting blade in dovetail slot.



Using a slitting saw made a cut down middle of groove for some give when clamping.

[Ken_Shea]

That clamping method is fantastic Gary.

[Black_Moons]

I took a slightly different approach to the drawbar-wrench-and-hammer-tool:
I simply got the cheapest wrench that was convenient from the local auto-parts store. Cut off the open end. Milled a slot in a piece of brass rod. Silver soldered the handle in to the slot.

The grooves in the brass head are to limit the size of chips that will eventually fly off.

-DU-

One problem, You can leave it on the drawbar... And then THWACK when you turn on the mill! This is why when I made mine, I cast lead around the closed end and left the open end free, Open ended wrench can't hang on the drawbar.

[H380]

Tap handle done.

Finished finally. I just need to come up with a spring.

[Void]

Nicely done H380. What sort of steel did you use and did you heat treat afterwards?

Sorry I can't make a recommendation on the spring other than I usually dig through my vast collection or wind one to suit.

-DU-

[H380]

Nicely done H380. What sort of steel did you use and did you heat treat afterwards?

Sorry I can't make a recommendation on the spring other than I usually dig through my vast collection or wind one to suit.

-DU-

Finding a spring is no problem. I just need to do it. It is just some type of cold rolled. It was some drop off given to the school. We have a lot of ex-students in the oil field around here. No heat treatment. I do not plan to use it. Call it an engineering exercise in futility.

[Greebe]

Exceptions are things like the Morse Taper Plug and Socket Gage. To buy a set is very expensive. To make a set it pretty cheap, a good exercise, and always useful in the shop.

Some pics:




-DU-

I am curious when you would need this tool? If for checking MT's couldn't you just use a dead center or a MT sleeve? Are there other things that this tool would get used for?

Thanks
Greebe

[ssnuce]

down feed

shop made mill down feed







SNUCE THANKS

[jhe.1973]

Depth Tool for clockmaking

Hi Everyone,

Been a lurker here for awhile but FINALLY got/took the time to post.

Here is a depth tool I made 30+ years ago. It was to help w/construction of a precision clock I was going to build.



The smaller one is a commercially available one for watch work and the chunks of bronze in the rear were what I started with. The bronze had been a riser that someone made for a Delta Toolmaker surface grinder I had at the time.

When I finished this tool and went to design the clock movement, I found the tool was too small so I had to make the taller arms that are installed on one side.





I made a few changes to the standard design. I.E. the opening mechanism & return springs because I didn't like the way spring & screw just scrape against the outside & inside of the arms of the old style.



A couple of more things. Long before CNC or DROs. I didn't have a rotary table yet either. I turned my dividing head upright and took light cuts for the curved sides.

Obviously a lot of hand work too.

For those of you that don't know how this is used, you place the two arbors with their gears in place between the centers (or reverse centers). Then adjust the tool to get the tooth contact you desire. Next turn the tool upright and you have a ready made dividers to scribe the plates for locating where to drill/bore the pivot holes.

Used to be a standard tool for hand making a clock movement.

[Lew Hartswick]

That is a work of art. Beautiful!!!!
...lew...