Need help fabricating gib stips for my 7 x 12

[modeldozer]

Hi all

To cut a long story short, after breaking a brand new 8mm endmill trying to do some milling in the vertical slide i fount that the cross slide actualy lifts on the left(gib stip) side. On futher investigation found the gib strip to be to small causing it to pivot around the adjusting screws.  Have started to make a new one from mild steel, but not having a milling machine and the actual lathe being just to small this is turing out to be difficult.  Progess so far.





This is going very slow as the piece is mainly retained by double sided tape at the back.

Next problem is how to set up and retain the part to cut the angled sides, I have been scratching my head raw(insert relevant smily) trying to come up with a easy effective way to do this.
Any sugestions from the veterans?

Thanks in advance

PS: Any way to increase the font size while comiling  a post, the eyes ain´t what they used to be.

Braam

[DavidA]

Braam,

You've got it wrong way around.  You need the job clamped to the cross slide and either a fly cutter or an end mill fixed to the spindle.  Then you can angle the job to what ever you need.

Dave.

Just my opinion;  I have been known to be wrong.

[Bluechip]

Braam

Font Size ??

Bottom RH corner of screen on mine.

Says 100% .. just click on the triangle to the right and select 125% or whatever ...  

Dave BC

[modeldozer]

Dave

Problem with that is only 70mm travel and 150mm long part.

Other Dave

Thanks for that, would have never found it on my own, and works great 150% thou.

Saludos

[Bernd]

You could try very small cuts on your CNC router table. It's almost like a mill.

Bernd

[modeldozer]

Brent

Unfortunatly the router is nor ridgit enough for metal, and the spindle is to fast(10000RPM min), have tried before and ruined an endmill in the prosess.

Thanks for the reply.

[DavidA]

Only thing I could suggest is that you set up a long piece of bar on your cross slide and,  using this to fix your job to,  do it in two or more stages by moving the job along the bar. It ( the bar) will need to be dead parrallel to the cross slide.  But it should work; even if it is a bit tedious.

Just make sure that the bit you have machined is properly lined up when you move on to the next section.

Dave.

[joshagrady]

How's your Spanish?  The easiest way to do this might be to reach out to other modelers in the community.  Surprisingly enough, there is a fairly active group of us here, and, being in Spain, we love to have a chance to get together and have a beer or two.  So as not to proselytize for another forum on this one, I'll PM you with information on how to get in touch with this group of folks.  I'm sure that somebody in the Valencia area would be happy to do a quick milling job in exchange for a plate of prawns and a beer.

--Josh

[modeldozer]

Aaaha     , and a light went on  I was staring myself blind at using the faceplate for this while sitting quietly in a dark corner of a cubbord is a brand new 4" x 6" angle plate, now to work up a quick "fly cutter", my largest endmill broke  , the picture is becoming clearer. will keep all informed of progress.

Just proofs that more heads is better than one.

A quick question if i may, for this type of work what would be recommended, fly cutter, indexable endmill or a facemill as i would like to purchase one of them (can´t afford all three )?

Josh

Thanks for the PM. My Spanish is not bad after 11years living and working in Spain. Have looked at the local comunity and will defenitly join.

Thanks to all for replying.

Braam

[TroyO]

Hmm, you might consider "The old fashioned way"... it's not that big of a part and you aren't removing gobs of metal..... have you considered using a file?

That's how I did new brass gibs on my mini-mill. I used the dovetail and held it in place with a couple of C clamps and a piece of rod so it would sit snug up against the dovetail so the angle was right. Then I just filed it, flipped it over and shimmed it to get the other side.

I just found some in progress pics, attached.

[DaveH]

Hi Braam,

A quick question if i may, for this type of work what would be recommended, fly cutter, indexable endmill or a facemill as i would like to purchase one of them (can´t afford all three )?
Braam

I think to properly answer this question, I (we) need to know - do you know how to mill, have you done much milling, are you going to mill on your lathe?

There are a lot of guys here willing and able to help, we just need to know where to start

Dave

[modeldozer]

Dave,  will be for basic milling/facing on the lathe as I do not have a mill. After the last fiasco trying to mill using the vertical slide it will be limited to parts fixed to the carrage (Z and X directions).  Have done milling work on proper toolroom machinery many a year ago as an apprentice, nowadays only on the CNC router.

On a different note I used to live in Kempton Park about 12 years ago before being tranfer to Spain. Still have 3 brothers living around Gauteng.

TroyO, will most probibly use that to finnish, but the only stock I have is 12mm square and a bit much to remove by hand.

[DaveH]

Braam,
As you probably noticed I’m in Kempton Park, Birchleigh, you may or may not know it.
First can you please read the following, purely because I’m a lazy ol’ sod who couldn’t be bothered to write it out again.
 http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=4678.0

You are only really interested in the part up to  Milling Speeds & Feeds.

This is the most important part of milling using home type milling machines and lathes to mill.

Dave

[DaveH]

Braam,

So forget your toolroom milling, there is little or no resemblance to home work shop milling or milling on a lathe. Unless of course one has an industrial type milling machine.

I haven’t done a lot of milling on the lathe I did try it a few times eventually I went out and bought a Milling machine.

Milling isn’t so easy on a lathe, nevertheless it can be done with good results.  

Your main enemy is Rigidity – the lack of it.

Use an ordinary end mill HSS – 4 flutes 12 diameter – I know you broke one, - this one we will try to keep intact.


Every thing must be locked firmly – you have to aim for maximum rigidity, if you are using the cross slide to move the part you are milling this needs to be adjusted to feel a drag in the movement.

Now just to get you really excited your maximum depth of cut is going to be probably less than .010 (.25mm).
Speed (RMP) 300
You will mill a bit at a time your first cut will produce a step approx. 1.5mm wide by 0.25mm deep.

Milling is a slow process – care and patience  is required.

Braam you may be a little confused at the moment – nee worry nee just come back and fire in your questions.

Remember there is  no such thing as stupid questions on this site.

Dave