Machining Bliss

[Bernd]

Ok MadModder's I may have reached machining bliss today.    You may have read my thread on the Bridgeport that followed me home, well I finally have it pretty well tuned up and running.    So today I made some chips. 

I'm building Elmer's "Edu Engine". It's a long stroke engine that is used in stern wheel paddle boats. I'm doing this for a boat forum I'm on. I made a few parts and found out I didn't have any fasteners to continue what I was building. So last night I sat looking at the print and figured there were a few more items that could be made. I decided I would do the cylinder and valve block. I needed 3/4" square stock. As I was looking at my aluminum stock I realized I had no 3/4" square stock. What to do? Well over in the corner was a piece of aluminum plate that was given to me. It looked like a rat had chewed on the edges. Somebody had used a plasma cutter to cut it to pieces and it was 3/4" thick. So I drilled two holes in it, screwed it to a piece of 3/4" plywood and cut a straight edge on it on the table saw. Then I cut a 1" wide piece off for the valve and cylinder block, plus I had a piece left over.
Ofcourse  so see pic below.



What your looking at is the left over pieces that were plasma cut (in the foreground). Notice the crescent shaped piece with the two holes on either end.

After having rough cut these pieces I proceeded to finish them in the mill. What pleasure to be able to take a .100" deep cut at 4 inches a minute feed and not have the mill jump all over the place. The Grizzly mini-mill would never have stood still for that. (pun intended)  Plus it held size to with in .0002",  yes that's two tenths of an inch.

Yup, sure is nice to have a big machine. Anybody want a mini-mill "really" cheap? Naw just kidding.

Anyway, if that is machining bliss I think I attained it today. 

Now just so you Mods won't feel slighted about me not posting a build thread here on this engine I have a much bigger project planned for here.  Many don't know my first hobby is model railroading. Well it includes 1.5" scale railroading as well. But what's even better is I like live steam railroading, meaning I'd like to build a steam engine I can ride on and now that I have a decent mill to do some big work on I can start on that long awaited project. Here's a couple of pics of the engine from Live Steam magazine. I plan on changing the engine and drive system so I guess you could call this a MadMod. 


Here's what the engine looks like.


And this one will give you a perspective of size.

Hopefully I'll be able to start on it before spring arrives. It'll be a long project. I just hope I can see it through.

OK, time to go back and make a few more chips now that my machining orgasm is over.

Bernd

[Divided he ad]

Bernd,

Glad to see your so happy after all that hard work   


Not too sure I've ever had a machining orgasm before.... Not too sure I ever will!?!?!  I was pretty happy when my engines were completed though 


Still, Glad your happy and look forward to seeing the engine taking shape.... All bar stock or are you going into casting?



Ralph.

[bogstandard]

Bernd,

I know exactly how you feel over having a super rigid machine.

I thought my old mill/drill was great, until I started to put the bridgy clone thru it's paces.

Your old clapper must be worn out, because I work to zero tolerance, 0.0002" is a bit too much for me.

Just joking of course, that is good for an old machine.

You will find that 0.100" is a standard cut for thinning material down with a flycutter, if you are using an end or side mill in non ferrous, half the width of the cutter for side or depth cutting for roughing out. Stick say a 1/2" cutter in and set it to take 1/4" depth and 1/4" side cut and wack it thru. That then shows if you have a rigid machine, I think you will be surprised. Take no prisoners when it comes to removing big chunks of metal.

John

[Bernd]

Bernd,

Glad to see your so happy after all that hard work   

That I am Ralph and it sure was.

Not too sure I've ever had a machining orgasm before.... Not too sure I ever will!?!?!  I was pretty happy when my engines were completed though 

I'm very easy to amuse. 

Still, Glad your happy and look forward to seeing the engine taking shape.... All bar stock or are you going into casting?



Ralph.

Going for the full bar stock option here Ralph. I don't know about the wheels yet though.

Bernd

[Bernd]

Your old clapper must be worn out, because I work to zero tolerance, 0.0002" is a bit too much for me.

Just joking of course, that is good for an old machine.

Ya, well I didn't want to make you feel to bad so I throw that in. 

You will find that 0.100" is a standard cut for thinning material down with a flycutter, if you are using an end or side mill in non ferrous, half the width of the cutter for side or depth cutting for roughing out. Stick say a 1/2" cutter in and set it to take 1/4" depth and 1/4" side cut and wack it thru. That then shows if you have a rigid machine, I think you will be surprised. Take no prisoners when it comes to removing big chunks of metal.

John

Actually what you see in that first pic is a 1/2" two lipped end mill. I cut .100" deep at about 7/8 of the cutter width and it breezed through with out any chatter. I'll have to give that .250" depth a try. But first I'm going to need some more tooling for the machine. Not cheap for this "Kwik-Switch" tooling this machine uses. I'd like to get the proper end mill holder instead of using a collet.

Going to have to make up a flycutter with a 1/2" shank and see how she does.

Bernd

[Brass_Machine]

Nice!

One day I will have iron that can handle that.

Can't wait to see the live steam take shape.

Eric

[Circlip]

Bernd, yer Orgasm got away with itself, .0002" Ain't two tenths of an inch, not even a Metric inch.   

  But yes, Bridgies are a wondefull machine, brought upon them in a former life, I often regret not putting a power bulge in the workshop roof when I had a known quality one offered at a silly (well below market) price.

  Regards  Ian

[bogstandard]

Ian,

I think we would all love to own big iron, but as usual, it isn't normally the cost, as they can be picked up for basically the same sort of readies that a good hobby mill costs, but the space to put it in.

I would have loved to get a full sized one, but had to settle for a slightly smaller clone, it is about 3/4 of the height, and even now, if I want to take the drawbar out of the head, I have to tilt the head right over. Thank goodness I went for easy extract R8, which takes only a small tap to release, if I had gone for MT3, which most of my tooling was originally, because there is a flourescent light only inches above the machine, if would have cost me a fortune in replaced tubes, smashed when wacking out the MT3 tapers.

If we didn't all have dreams, what would the future hold for us?

John

[kellswaterri]

Ian,

 if I had gone for MT3, which most of my tooling was originally, because there is a flourescent light only inches above the machine, if would have cost me a fortune in replaced tubes, smashed when wacking out the MT3 tapers.


John

Hmmmm...something I had not quite thought about
                                                                     John.

[dsquire]

Bernd

Glad to see that you are using your mill and liking it. It is always a pleasure to use a good piece of equipment.

I look forward to watching for your engine building posts. 

Cheers

Don

[Bernd]

Bernd, yer Orgasm got away with itself, .0002" Ain't two tenths of an inch, not even a Metric inch.   

Well lets see here .2" is two tenths of an inch, .02 is two hunderths of an inch, .002 is two thousands of an inch and .0002 is two ten thousands of an inch. Oh, I forgot to add the "ten" in that statement. Dam, I hate it when that happens. 

Bernd

[Bernd]

Bernd

Glad to see that you are using your mill and liking it. It is always a pleasure to use a good piece of equipment.

I look forward to watching for your engine building posts. 

Cheers

Don

It's goning to be a while before I get to that build.

It sure is a pleasure to have such a machine at home. Were I worked that Bridgeport would have been considered a mini mill. 

Bernd

[Darren]

Bernd, yer Orgasm got away with itself, .0002" Ain't two tenths of an inch, not even a Metric inch.   

Well lets see here .2" is two tenths of an inch, .02 is two hunderths of an inch, .002 is two thousands of an inch and .0002 is two ten thousands of an inch. Oh, I forgot to add the "ten" in that statement. Dam, I hate it when that happens. 

Bernd

That makes me secure in knowing I made my choice to convert my lathe to metric, thanks Bernd