Shop Made Tools

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Hi Harvey,

I just watched the video and now I see how the technique is used. I have always used cylinder squares if I need to quantify the error or a solid square if I am just want to see how something looks by eye. I didn't pick up how they zero out the indicator to absolute square to begin with. How do you do that?

Brian

The way that I usually calibrate this device is with a cylinder square. The advantage of using the indicator is that you can quantify the amount that something is out of square.

[bborr01]

The way that I usually calibrate this device is with a cylinder square. The advantage of using the indicator is that you can quantify the amount that something is out of square.

Why not just put the cylindrer square on your part and use and indicator on the cyl. square. It works fine for quantifying things.

Brian

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Why not just put the cylindrer square on your part and use and indicator on the cyl. square. It works fine for quantifying things.

Brian

I assume you are talking about a magnetic cylinder square, other wise I don't see how you would use an indicator, along with the part and a cylinder square. Also using the surface gage will work on non-ferrous parts.

Brown & Sharpe makes (made) a cylinder square that sits on a slight tilt and has calibrations on it so by rotating it you can determine how far out of square a part is. I don't have the luxury of possessing this type of square.

[bborr01]

I assume you are talking about a magnetic cylinder square, other wise I don't see how you would use an indicator, along with the part and a cylinder square. Also using the surface gage will work on non-ferrous parts.

Brown & Sharpe makes (made) a cylinder square that sits on a slight tilt and has calibrations on it so by rotating it you can determine how far out of square a part is. I don't have the luxury of possessing this type of square.

Yes, magnetic cylinder square.

Brian

[Mcgyver]

Harvey, that has to be the best example of case hardening colours i've seen on that surface gauge.

Brian, using a tenths indicator this is both very accurate and handy. Lots of guys grind the front of surface gauge flat for this. Using the ball, you sweep the indicator so things don't have to be perfectly lined up - ball and point should be close to aligned but exactness isn't required. You don't need a magnetic cylinder square which are not super common, in fact this method is a good way to check cylindrical squares.

Like many tasks, there are lots of ways to do things but this one is fundamental and very accurate. By fundamental I mean you don't need much and it can be used to create squareness where no other method of checking exists. For example armed with this, a cube of metal and surface grinder or scraper, perfect squareness can be created.

[huntinguy]

Yes, magnetic cylinder square.

Brian

because gravity is not your friend. The weight hanging off of anything will cause a certain amount of sag. Also, with a cylinder square on the rock you can check both sides of the square and know with certainty that the indicator is reading true square.

the reasoning is very simple. You have two arcs and they swing in relationship to each-other at one point they are in the same vertical plane. That is the point they are square. The indicator is not held static to the part or the cylinder square but rather rotated to find that particular vertical point. The same process can be used with an angle plate but I don't think it is as accurate or sure.

I should qualify I prefer to use the stand that has the ball. I do not care to use the ones that are ground flat. They may be fine but I don't trust them.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I decided to make a UHMW bench block, and it didn't want to stay down in the vise. So I made another project that's been in the back of my mind, soft jaws with threaded hold-down holes. I also needed a pair of taller jaws, so these were made taller also.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Now that I have some soft jaws with a hold-down option, I can finish my UHMW bench block. I thought long and hard on this and basically copied a Starrett No. 119, Heavy Duty Bench Block.

[j king]

made this to have a place handy to set small tools while running lathe. jim

[jmarkwolf]

This is among the best threads I've seen anywhere! My compliments to the posters.

My meager contribution is below.

It's a drill jig for drilling through the center line of chromalloy tube of my experimental aircraft with a handrill. I had to drill a lot holes and wanted them located accurately as possible.

I didn't have a mill at the time so I had a machinist buddy fabricate the aluminum "v-block". I drilled and inserted the 3/16" pressed in the drill bushings. This jig worked great.

[j king]

Here are a few pics.









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[Dr Stan]

Very nice steady. What size & brand of lathe is it for?

[Willy]

J King, thanks for taking the time to post the detail pics of your steady, I'm sure that I won't be the only one to benefit from them.

[j king]

Your welcome.trying to get one more pic loaded.

I found the bearings on eBay.i had used standard bearings on the smaller steadying fingers but found the correct bearings.supper lucky with timing on those.made the adjusting screws and heated them up and threw into used motor oil.a cheap way to darken metal parts.
The split line has dowels.i lock tighted the dowels to one half but ended up removing the second dowel as it wasnt needed.




Jim

[j king]

Here is the roller fingers I made for the smaller steady.i made them to interchange with the solid fingers that are also needed at times.these worked out ok but a solid bearing that I found would have been better and heavier.cost 10 bucks for bearings so a cheap mod.dont have a clue as to what the steady was off of.i cut bottom off and welded a new base and remachined it to fit height and ways.where do all the steadys go?..Jeeesh. My 10 ee was missing its steady also.made a live steady for it..will find pic. Jim