Author Topic: Mill stop.... (Read 16606 times)

Divided he ad · « **on:** January 31, 2009, 06:47:24 AM »

Take two.... No, you never saw take one!! I wrote the whole post and accidentally hit the backspace at the wrong time (clicked on the preview screen then hit it!!!) lost the lot!

Oh well, Here goes .....

I finally decided last night was the night for a mill stop to be born. If I'm ever going to get competent and repetitive results when trying to make multiple identical parts, I'm going to be helped a lot by one of these!

I've seen expensive ones on e-blag and also a very useful one that looks a little old and battered, belongs to a member of the forum.... spends a lot of time like this

.....( But replace the paper with a ciggy!

)

Both are very obviously capable of doing the same thing.... It's not rocket science! It's a sticky out thing that can be held firmly in one spot to butt your work upto!!

Anyhow.... Here is the one I made last night (couldn't post it then.... too tired!) Abbreviated photo selection, don't think many people would appreciate all 25?!

Couldn't resist a little styling

If anyone wants to view the rest of the pic's then here's the link (be careful.... If you wander off into my albums you may not be heard of for a few hours.... There's loads a pic's in there!!!)

http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll221/dividedhead/Workshop%20tools/Mill%20stop/

Ralph.

Darren · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2009, 07:01:38 AM »

Nice job Ralph, wish I could mill as neat as that...

Can you tell us how you hold the device down securely, it's not quite clear in the pics

sbwhart · « **Reply #2 on:** January 31, 2009, 07:38:50 AM »

Nice one Ralph.

It'll pay you back in time saved.

I didn't know you were into bling,

nice shiny job to boot.

Cheers

Stew

Divided he ad · « **Reply #3 on:** January 31, 2009, 08:28:03 AM »

Thanks guys

Darren,

Are you on about the slots or the finish? Cause the finish is not that good in real life.... A lot of elbow grease is employed with some emery in front of it!!

If you look closely at the bottom 2 pic's you should be able to see the clamp (standard mill work clamp) with a threaded stud through it into a 'T' nut in the the 'T' slot of the mill. (middle of the second to last and bottom right of the last pic.)

I made a block for the back support of the clamp out of an off cut of the base material.

Stew,

I'm hoping the tool will help half as much as John said they do

Bling..... No not me, I'm into "styling" completely different concept.... It just happens to involve shiny metal

Ralph.

Bernd · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2009, 09:43:05 AM »

Ralph, you got style.

I like the bling. I'd say you have the makings of an heirloom mill stop there.

Bernd

P.S. put your intials in the bottom and a date you made it.

bogstandard · « **Reply #5 on:** January 31, 2009, 09:44:51 AM »

Ralph,

As usual, wonderful work, and I promise you, once you have used one, you will try to find jobs where you can use it.

John

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #6 on:** January 31, 2009, 10:02:50 AM »

Hey Ralph...

That is one nice stop. Much nicer than the one I built awhile back. The design is much more simple, but from the looks a lot easier to use. Nice job!

Eric

Darren · « **Reply #7 on:** January 31, 2009, 01:33:40 PM »

Ah, got it now Ralph, bloomin' obvious now init !!

Thanks, looking good there.....

Divided he ad · « **Reply #8 on:** January 31, 2009, 02:27:35 PM »

Cheers folks, I found after a brief yet intensive search very little came up in the way of simple mill stops out there...

Though I did find some nice pictures of some young women,but they really didn't seem to be aware of what a mill stop was??

I had to think my way through this one, I just tried to remember John's stop, then looked through the drawer of metals to see what I had.... Then just made it up as I went along. Didn't even measure the width, height or depth of the main parts!! (just guessed the approx sizing for the photo's in the bucket!) I just made sure all the important bits fitted

Never thought of stamping them Bernd..... I'll look through my photo's and get the finish dates of all my builds, Then I'll stamp 'em all

Quote

Ralph, you got style.

I like the bling. I'd say you have the makings of an heirloom mill stop there.

Ha! I'd better think about having kids then ehh!!?

Quote

you will try to find jobs where you can use it.

Well John it's funny you should mention that, cause it was the job that pushed me toward the stop

But I'm sure I'll find many more

Eric,
copy all you want, just look at the pic's and see what you can come up with? It shouldn't be an issue for a man of your caliber

It's real easy to use, release the lock screw and move the bar into position, lock it up again and your away

It can have add on's too, thread the end of another bar and you can use shaped stops if nessersary, curved or big flat ones etc for multiple parts to butt upto etc.....

Darren.... Glad you found it, didn't like to say it was so bloomin' obvious

Ralph.

SPiN Racing · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2009, 11:00:25 PM »

OMG you need to post sooner!!!!

I was making a.... rube goldberg camera mount... and basically teaching my oldest how to measure, and do basic stuff with the mill and lathe.

I will post pics most likely on Thursday after I get up.

BUT

I had to make 3 identical parts that were square pieces of steel with a hole drilled and then tapped in them, in the same spot. And I got the mill all set up, drilled it.. then tapped tha the hole. Then pulled that part, and had to go through the setup all over again for the second part.. and then the third.
After doing the first one I told him how I wished I had some way to make sure the part was in the same place each time!!

I see that being another project after I finish the goofy camera mount.

John-Som · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2009, 04:55:11 AM »

Hi Ralph

Just had to add my two penneth....(is that how you spell penneth ? ah well never mind). I made a backstop some time back but mine ows more to the Fred Flinstone school of engineering design. Does the job but every time I use it I will now be overcome with shame. Brilliant job Ralph and inspiration to do better next time.

John S

Divided he ad · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2009, 03:52:13 PM »

Scott.... Sorry but

I've been doing similar for near 3 years!!!! (thankfully I haven't made too many repeatative parts) Well I've been told that it was worth it's wieght in gold.... So I made it both heavy and sparkling

John,

Thank you.... Never thought of searching for "backstop" ??

I know you have seen Bog's version of this so you also know that it only has to be functional.... Your's obviously does it's job very well looking at the Halo run

All the shiny "artsy fartsy" (Thanks Ian!) styling in the world wouldn't have made it create your Halo any better

Penneth looks good to me

Ralph.

bogstandard · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2009, 05:16:38 PM »

I will just add a little bit here.

I have seen on other sites, backstops that have been all singing, adjustable in every direction, bolted as an add on to the vice, even stirs your coffee for you.

But where most fail is the diameter of bar that they use, some of the eejuts have 1/2" bar as the stop. Totally useless IMHO, 1/4" is the max size you should use, and like Ralph has done, turn one end down even smaller, just for those really small jobs. It can be a bit tight sometimes if you are making really small bits and have to squeeze in between the jaws. The easy way would be to make your clamp block to hold bits of rod down to say 3/32", or even smaller if you have a need for it.

The stop should be as simple as possible and only needs to be just rigid enough, you are not going to be hammering components against it, just a gentle slide until contact is made.

You can buy ready made ones, and they are not a patch on what Ralph has made.

Mine is just a piece of workshop junk with a bit of threaded rod stuck thru it, but it has been with me for more years than I can remember, and it has never let me down. If it does the job, why complicate things.

Bogs

Divided he ad · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2009, 08:16:22 PM »

Quote

The easy way would be to make your clamp block to hold bits of rod down to say 3/32", or even smaller if you have a need for it.

Ok.... For those like me who do not really work well in fractional measurements I've done a bit of calculatoring (yes that is my new word!) and 3/32" = 2.38125mm

Which is a good thing, cause the rod in the mill stop is a 4mm stainless bar turned down to 2.5mm at the end

(the bar it is up against is 8mm dia).

You definitely don't need to make one like this one... If we all made the same life would be boring!! I just got carried away as usual

I'm still yet to search for backstop.... Do you think I'll find loads? ..... I'll go see in a mo'

Ralph.

bogstandard · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2009, 08:40:23 PM »

Ralph,

The reason for the fractions is our colonial friends, we've all got one now, they need to make theirs, and if I mentioned metric, they would have a lynch mob after me.

John

Mustang · « **Reply #15 on:** February 04, 2009, 10:59:38 PM »

John

We eliminated lynch mobs in Va.

Not all of us colonists are adverse to metric. I find it much easier to work in the metric system.

but in the colonies, if you smoke or drink, they impose a tax on your use or consumption.

They seem to do the same thing when it comes to metric. I thought I was going to have to mortgage my house to buy a set of metric drill bits.

Of course, our leaders say this is in the interest of protecting our health. You know the old saying - BS, MS, PHD.

Ralph - Great job. I like your philosophy if your are going to make something it might as well look good.

Andy

Bernd · « **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2009, 09:37:55 AM »

Well I guess I'll add my mill top to this thread.

This one either came with the mill or it came from the guy that gave me some tooloing a while back. Either way it doesn't matter. It didn't cost me anything.

The smalled dia. at the end is 8mm (.3185"). Now all I need to do is drill an 3mm (.125") hole in the end to add a smaller stop. Another idea is I can make a flat blade to fit inbetween the vise jaws if need be.

Might even get incouraged to bling it up a bit, NOT.

Bernd

Mustang · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2009, 12:06:56 PM »

Bernd

Bling is good, free tool is better

Andy

SPiN Racing · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2009, 09:43:02 PM »

oooh very nice!

I have a big ole chunk of Delrin.. that is 2.5: diameter.

SHoot I even have some 3.5" Diameter PINK!!!... yes PINK!!! UHMW rod. I was going to make a set of suspension bushings for one of the kids I know who was going to start Drift Racing.

Since it just needs to be a repeatable stop.. I might use one of those.

Oh and Metrics are normal to me at least.. My first car I turned a wrench on was a 1980 Toyota Corolla. The mustang and Vette I never turned a wrench on. (Long story.)

Divided he ad · « **Reply #19 on:** February 06, 2009, 03:02:42 PM »

Bernd, That looks quite sturdy

I have one thing to question.... Is it ok to use when the part is not held in the vise inline with the 'T' slots? .... Or do you just use the edge of the stop with the head section pivoted?

.... I was in the middle of scribling ideas down when I thought

The 'T' slots are not always in line with the work!... Hence the freedom to position and clamp I arrived at

(still got the abandoned C-o-C somewhere!)

Hey Scott.....

Quote

SHoot I even have some 3.5" Diameter PINK!!!... yes PINK!!! UHMW rod.

Ooooooo Sailor!! show us your mill stop

(Well I suppose I've just upset the naval contingency!! It's only a joke!!!

)

Yep, a stop is all it needs to be, as long as it's rigid (no pun! honest!) it'll work

We await the pictures of the finished article

Ralph.

Bernd · « **Reply #20 on:** February 07, 2009, 02:20:54 PM »

Quote from: Divided he ad on February 06, 2009, 03:02:42 PM

Bernd, That looks quite sturdy I have one thing to question.... Is it ok to use when the part is not held in the vise inline with the 'T' slots? .... Or do you just use the edge of the stop with the head section pivoted?

.... I was in the middle of scribling ideas down when I thought The 'T' slots are not always in line with the work!... Hence the freedom to position and clamp I arrived at (still got the abandoned C-o-C somewhere!)

Ralph.

Since it's only a stop and not used to hold the work from moving it would be ok to use the stop at an angle. Remember all you need is something to index your part to. It doesn't have to be in line with the jaws. I could set it up with the bar pointing toward the back of the machine as long as the part touches some place on the stop and the next several parts touch the stop in the same place.

Ya, I know clear as mud.

If not I'll take a few pics with the stop at different angles.

Bernd

Divided he ad · « **Reply #21 on:** February 07, 2009, 07:01:26 PM »

There's no need Bernd.... I figured this out whilst drawing it....

As you may be able to make out off my scribble, it was intended to use a large piece of stainless hex (the stuff I used in the camera mount) and screw directly into a 'T' slot and the head pivot and be clamped by a grub screw or similar.

I just decided that I wanted it to be alignable with the workpiece if it was held deeper into the jaws, hence the narrow tip and the option to make thinner bits or shaped parts that could be screwed onto a different threaded rod.

I always have parallel tipage when trying to clamp small parts close to the edge of the mill vise, you push down or tap lightly with you lead hammer and the parallel tips up because it has an unsupported edge beneath the vise jaws of about 25mm!

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this type, just it did not fit my final image and requirements, so I went outside and made one I designed as I went along

Thing is we all have a way of stoping work from going too far!!.... I've just got to get my lazy ass out into my shop and use it now!!

to self!!

Oh... Search of images on photobucket for "mill(ing) backstop" = 0 and "mill stop" just brings up mine one other mill stop, a Z travel stop and a grinding stop thingy!

Google images comes up with vey few for "mill(ing) backstop" and for "mill stop" quite a few different designs and shapes! One like yours there too Bernd

Ralph.

Bernd · « **Reply #22 on:** February 08, 2009, 11:03:30 AM »

Ralph,

There's another way to keep the stop close to the vise. I remembered this stop came with the mill when I bought it. Unfortunatley I couldn't find the bolts and had to use a bit of threaded rod, but it will give you the idea. This mill stop attaches to the back of the vise so you don't need to worry about getting it in a mill slot.

Should give others an idea that there is more than several ways to make and attach a mill stop.

I went back to look at the pics you posted. You can move yours around because you are using a clamp to hold it down, allowing you presicely place the stop were you want it.

Bernd

HS93 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 08, 2009, 11:45:37 AM »

Quote from: bogstandard on February 04, 2009, 08:40:23 PM

Ralph,

The reason for the fractions is our colonial friends, we've all got one now, they need to make theirs, and if I mentioned metric, they would have a lynch mob after me.

John

I did it once and they started tipping tea in to a Harbour

Peter

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Author Topic: Mill stop.... (Read 16606 times)

bogstandard

bogstandard

bogstandard