Thread: Tooling I should have made years ago...

Originally Posted by Gavin Newman

This is my take on the centre-drill problem. A vee block is drilled and tapped to take a flat plate across the top. The vee-block, minus the plate is centred in the mill and the plate bolted back on. A hole is then drilled and then bored in the plate - thus the hole is centered with reference to the vee.

A collection of bushes is then turned up in the lathe, these are sized such that the OD is a snug fit in the plate, they have varying bores through them to suit jobs at hand. The bush is clamped between the round stock to be drilled and the underside of the plate so the stock is held securely and then bush guides the drill.

Bushes that are used a lot are made from O1 or W1 steel and hardened, one off jobs are just turned up from anything lying around the place.

IMGP0083.jpg

IMGP0080.jpg

Gavin
A great idea
regards
Bruce

G'Day Fellas,
About 20 years ago I picked up a couple of unusual Russian made 2 jaw self centering chucks, I used one make a tapping attachment for the lathe ( fig 1 ) and 20 years and thousands of holes later I haven't managed to wear it out. I recently decided to use the second one to make a vertical tapping attachment for the drill press & mill ( fig 2 ) .
And yes, I'm asking myself "why didn't I do this years ago".
Regards,
Martin

Martin, that's a nice idea and solves one of the next problems I have to deal with. The only problem is where to get a couple of 2 jaw chucks like that. Anyone got any leads?

Michael

G'Day Michael,
All I can tell you is that they came in beautifully made wooden boxes and the spec sheets were in Cyrillic (by that time my Ukrainian ex was long gone, but that's another story).
did a quick Google search,but all I could find was a photo of a very old one.
Regards,
Martin

Looks very similar to one that came with with my Tough drill. Couldn't find any markings on it. Couldn't quite fathom its purpose since the jaws are not square as you'd expect for a tap chuck. Checked the runout and it wasn't great. I'd sort of assigned it curiosity status and shelved it. Martin it looks like you're gripping the round part of the tap shank, is that right? Obviously it's performed well in this way. Maybe I'll re-examine mine.

I got one of those some where ,came with my wood lathe ,mine has a thread in the back to screw onto the lathe spindle .
I'll have to look for it and see if I can add a morse taper to it.
kev.

Hello Martin and Michael,
Pictured is my threading kit, it is a combination of ideas from various books and magazines. The main part is the spindle with the 3 morse taper, (my drill and lathe tailstock are both 3MT) all other parts are a fitted onto this. There are 6 die diameters catered for. I usually power tap so the square arm on each die holder runs along the blank edge of my lathe QCTP.
Regards, Mm

I noticed in the miscellaneous section of the link I posted yesterday there is a tapping chuck that the guy has made up - looks to be an interesting (but simple) design. Perhaps that is a way to go.
I did have a chuck like Bryan's once but it was sold with the lathe it came on. The principle is simple although I think making one would be more complicated (as per the diagram below).

Michael

Attachment 195841

G'Day Bryan,
Yes, I do hold the taps by the round shanks, as the jaws, like yours are not at 90 degrees, this works fine with taps ranging from 4mm to 15mm, checked the runout and it is .004" ,There are a few thou clearance between the post and the barrel so the taps tend to self centre, photo ch1 shows a dismantled view and it would appear construction is very similar.
Metalman,
Your die holder looks very like mine,
Regards,
Martin

Originally Posted by Bryan

Looks very similar to one that came with with my Tough drill. Couldn't find any markings on it. Couldn't quite fathom its purpose since the jaws are not square as you'd expect for a tap chuck. Checked the runout and it wasn't great. I'd sort of assigned it curiosity status and shelved it. Martin it looks like you're gripping the round part of the tap shank, is that right? Obviously it's performed well in this way. Maybe I'll re-examine mine.

Bryan
I also have one of these & the runout is not good. Like you I will try to get it up & going.
Its an ancient looking thing, & I forgot I had it till I read the forum this morning.
Mine has a No 1 Morse taper.
Sounds similiar ?
regards
Bruce

I finished this mod last week.
I use odd leg callipers for marking out, especially sheet metal but the friction joint sometimes moves so I'm never quite sure of the accuracy. I bought a small set of spring dividers for smaller arcs (the 250mm ones I had were a little large for R10) and as it was a job lot, got two pairs of internal spring callipers with it.
A little cutting and shutting and Starrett would not recognise them -

Attachment 195932

Clockwise from the 150mm rule - The second pair of internal callipers, the small dividers, the "spring odd leg callipers" and the friction joint odd legs (still used occasionally).

Michael

G'Day Michael,
My solution to the same problem was a little less elegant than yours. I modified (some might say mutilated) a $10 Chinese vernier caliper. How the cheeky little buggers got away with labeling it "Kern Germany" is a mystery to me.
Maybe it's time to start a thread on tool abuse.
Regards,
Martin

Now that there is a damned good idea! Both of them, but especially the caliper since it halves the chances of error.
Edit: A digital would be more versatile because of its zero-ability.

Originally Posted by Metalman

Hello Martin and Michael,
Pictured is my threading kit, it is a combination of ideas from various books and magazines. The main part is the spindle with the 3 morse taper, (my drill and lathe tailstock are both 3MT) all other parts are a fitted onto this. There are 6 die diameters catered for. I usually power tap so the square arm on each die holder runs along the blank edge of my lathe QCTP.
Regards, Mm

Nice kit you have made up there. That is what a few of my made up arbours are going to be when I get around to it.

Dave