Thread: Your latest project

As some of you know I recently bought a bridgeport style milling head and ram with the plan of putting it on my Jafo milling machine... It is a 5hp variable speed head with 105mm quill diameter and NT40 spindle taper.

Well the conversion is complete and the head is 99% functional (just waiting on a gear from the US to repair the power down feed)

I installed a changeover switch so I can change between the vertical and horizontal spindles..

I did some work with it today and am quite happy with the results.. I was cutting some slots in some lathe quick change holders..

Slot was 29mm wide 22mm deep pictures show using a 16mm plain endmill... 10mm depth of cut was nothing for the 16mm end mill....

A lot different to my bridgeport clone which would have shook itself to bits should such a cut tried to be done..

Originally Posted by .RC.

As some of you know I recently bought a bridgeport style milling head and ram with the plan of putting it on my Jafo milling machine... It is a 5hp variable speed head with 105mm quill diameter and NT40 spindle taper.

Well the conversion is complete and the head is 99% functional (just waiting on a gear from the US to repair the power down feed)

I installed a changeover switch so I can change between the vertical and horizontal spindles..

I did some work with it today and am quite happy with the results.. I was cutting some slots in some lathe quick change holders..

Slot was 29mm wide 22mm deep pictures show using a 16mm plain endmill... 10mm depth of cut was nothing for the 16mm end mill....

A lot different to my bridgeport clone which would have shook itself to bits should such a cut tried to be done..

Nice but if you'd actually used the horizontal spindle and say a 25mm side & face cutter you could have done it in 2 passes, full depth, with a much faster travel. The 2nd pass only to get the width to size.

Seriously, for jobs like that a horizontal mill is so much superior to a turret mill there really isn't a comparison.

PDW

After trying a few different methods of controlling the descent rate on this saw when cutting thin walled tube, with only limited success I decided to build a flow control system for it. I had a rat around in my storage bins and found that I had a lot of pipe fittings and an old flow control valve so I drew up a cylinder design and spent some time on the lathe and mill. This band saw model BS-5S has a swivel head so you are limited as to where to mount the cylinder and its control valve so I decided to position the flow and ball cock up on the top, it is a nicer operating position as well. The cylinder design is a simple one using "O" rings for both the piston and end sealing. I had a piece of heavy walled aluminium tubing in stock so I made the whole lot out of aluminium. After bleeding all of the air out of the system, it works really good and I now have complete control of the descent rate, blade life and cut accuracy will benefit from this. I left the original spring in the middle hole as this works fine when cutting solid bar.It is not the neatest looking installation, but it works. A few pictures of the set up.
Bob

Hi Bob,
You beat me to it!
I've been planning a mod like this to my saw for ages. Though my saw already has a cylinder, the tap and feed control are in a awkard position. I was planning on using S/S brake line and tube, I didnt even think of using air line!(that might move things along so thanks).

One thing I plan to add is a bypass valve, as the the flow control is a little painful to adjust. Maybe your valve is better. Its just than when the saw has been vertical its painful to lower it again.

Stuart

Hi Stuart,
I think you need a large diameter line and a matching flow control valve, those little needle valves that are often fitted are too restrictive. That line on mine is 8mm od and the flow control valve came off a tractor I once had and could handle a large flow. On mine I have two three millimeter diameter holes in the piston to allow for the oil to swap ends in the cylinder and I then only lift it a bit higher than the job needs, not all the way up and use the ball valve to lock it there while I adjust the job in the vice.
Bob

Originally Posted by krisfarm

I think you need a large diameter line and a matching flow control valve,

So procrastination is a good thing . Brake lines might have been a lot of trouble and not worked so well. I have some 10mmID air line. The needle valve works ok once set but its touchy(it has many turns of adjustment but the area I use is a tiny factory of one turn). The bypass would only be for when the arm was lifted right up for cleaning/oiling etc. Like you say, I normally only lift it a little...but the needle valve adjustment is so painful I leave it set and just lean on the saw for a couple of minutes to get it started on the way down.

Maybe different hydraulic oil will help? or even the longer lines.

Stuart

Hi Stuart,
It sounds like your cylinder does not have a one way valve in the piston? just has to pass the oil past the needle valve for both up and down movement,which would be quite slow. My flow control valve has a built in one way valve in it, so when I lift it the oil (ATF transmission) has to pass through the piston,this allows you to lift the saw without adjusting the flow rate and I can lift it fully up. I can hold it at any position by shutting off the ball valve.It should be easy to fit a one way valve into your piston, mine is just a flat piece of plastic held in place with a couple of small screws and two 3mm diameter holes for the oil to pass through.It is hard to see in the photos but it is there.
Bob

Hi Bob,
There is a one way valve some where, either in the cylinder or the needle valve.(I assume the cyclinder). Lifting isn't the problem. Once the arm is vertical it is over center so has no weight to bring it back down. It has to be moved manually to say 20 degrees passed vertical(havent measured this its a WAG) before the arm weighs enough to over come the spring pressure and it start to lower on its own. I'm going to biuld it without the by pass and hope the extra line and/or a change of oil makes the adjuster a little less touchy.

Stuart

Hi Stuart,
I see that I have misunderstood, mine is the same once it gets above vertical, I rarely need to lift it that high when cutting. My flow control valve has a lot of movement over half a turn so when it is a bit too high I just open it a bit and let it down to just above the job and then adjust the valve for the required drop rate, it is not super sensitive and I am using a fairly light oil. I think heavier oil would slow it down but I don't need it.Having the controls on the top of the arm is very nice.
Bob

Thanks, I'll give it a go, airline will make mods far easier than brake line so if the first try isnt so good changes wont be hard to make.

Stuart

Computer bed table completed.

IMG_3956.jpg

Hardly a project but its funny how things come together sometimes.
I'd been PMing a forumite about crucibles and he happened to mention he would like to make one out of 200mm sch8 pipe. Just the day before I had managed to convince myself that I didnt need the 220mm 8.2mm wall pipe that I'd seen for sale. A quick email to find out if this was close enough then a phone call so I could pick it up the next morning in time to get it cut and deliver it to him almost exactly 24 hours later at the Metrology meet. If only this sort of perfect star alignment would happen more often in my projects!

Who said those gas torch stands wouldnt come in handy? Yes I should build some stands but it hasnt happened yet. About 10 minutes a cut, 220mm pipe in an 185mm saw, had three bites at it, could have done it in two but it was easier to line up with less off a "turn". I did find one issue with my saw, the offcut side isnt supported that far from the fixed jaw so would have fallen 4" onto the casting that is the coolant tray, that might not have ended well.

Some of the best money I have spent in my shed was on this saw.

Stuart

The other day I needed to face a long length of round stock in the lathe, so out comes the fixed steady for the first time. When I bought the lathe I was told that the steady was not original Chipmaster . When I placed it on the ways there where two issues. First there is no vee to locate the steady. Second the bottom clamp did not span the ways.

Time to make a new clamp. To get all the dimensions for the clamp I decided to copy the bottom clamp of the tail stock. As it turned out this was a mistake. After I had machined up the clamp I went to do a trial fitting only to find the clamp rebate was loose between the ways.....not ideal but will do the job.

while building the clamp I had a small side job to make a pointer for locating centre punch marks in the mill. For this I used a piece of scrap SS. This was the first time I had machined SS and found I could get a really good surface finish straight off the tool.

So finally I was able to face the bar.

Cheers

Piersimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

Couple of projects I have completed from what seems likean endless list.
1. Regulators on Compressor.
I wanted to have various regulators for different air applications, one thatjust took out the as much water and oil for general air supply, one that couldadd oil for my air tools and one for spraying and the 4 in one welder for theplasma cutting. I decided to make up a bracket and fit it too the compressor tohold the three regulators and to make it as compact as I could with someversatility.

2. Welding Trolley.
I wanted just one trolley for my two welders with somestorage for the various bits for the welders.It wheels around easily and is ascompact as I could get it.



3. Foldup Work Table.
Here I wanted a portable table for general welding/grinding andjobs that I could set it up outside the garage without having to use my otherbench and it needed to be able to be stored away when not in use. I used amounting plate out of and electrical enclosure which is galvanized and 3mmthick. Fabricated up some legs that has an easily foldup method.


With these projects done I am continuing with the my Mill upgradethat I will post the results of when finished.
Regards,
Keith_W.