Milling machine tram tool

[Spurry]

The clocks are mounted so that the plungers can collapse inside the base. The unit is held firmly on a flat surface and the clocks zeroed. This is the reason it was so important to do the final machining on the stem while the base was clamped securely to a previously trued face plate. See reply #19 on page 1 of this thread for an explanation.
Joe

I was only asking because I made one too.    I thought it best to protest the plungers from outside influence by only having about 3mm sticking out of the base. So for a quick check, the gadget is just placed on the machine table.

Pete

[fatal-exception]

I clamped the tool on top of some parallels and zeroed the indicators by sliding them up and down till they both read the same. I'm not sure if the anvils will go all the way up inside the tool body...I will check.

As far as the tram of the lathe goes, I have no idea if the headstock is out. I would need to reference the centerline of spindle rotation with the ways to see if it's out. I would assume a TGP rod in the chuck and a dial indicator riding on the carriage would do the trick. But then who's to say the chuck is clamping strait? Maybe the solution is the same way this tools spindle was done? The point is though, the tailstock axis in not on the same axis as the spindle and should be addressed. (some day)

Well, if anything, this has brought up some good points and discussion...

Paul

[unc1esteve]

My first post.  I recently made several 'diamond' tool holders (tangential).  The position of the left handed tool you are using is almost the same as the diamond tool with the same cutting results.

[Balljoint]

Hi John

I have followed your advice and made myself the tramming tool, and have to agree with you about how wonderfully easy it is to use, so now my mill table is as near as dammit spot on. I  then tried the tramming tool on the bottom of my Vertex K4 vice, and found it to be out by about 6 thou, have you got any advice on the best way to try and true up the vice to the mill table

[loply]

Hi John

I have followed your advice and made myself the tramming tool, and have to agree with you about how wonderfully easy it is to use, so now my mill table is as near as dammit spot on. I  then tried the tramming tool on the bottom of my Vertex K4 vice, and found it to be out by about 6 thou, have you got any advice on the best way to try and true up the vice to the mill table

I have the K5 vice, this isn't good news! Will have to check mine now. Should probably have done it when I first bought it.

...Need to get a surface grinder so I can sort things like this out more easily.

[Brass_Machine]

Hi John

I have followed your advice and made myself the tramming tool, and have to agree with you about how wonderfully easy it is to use, so now my mill table is as near as dammit spot on. I  then tried the tramming tool on the bottom of my Vertex K4 vice, and found it to be out by about 6 thou, have you got any advice on the best way to try and true up the vice to the mill table

You might want to start a new thread with this question. This thread is pretty old and people may not read it as much.

Eric

[Stilldrillin]

Hi John

I have followed your advice and made myself the tramming tool, and have to agree with you about how wonderfully easy it is to use, so now my mill table is as near as dammit spot on. I  then tried the tramming tool on the bottom of my Vertex K4 vice, and found it to be out by about 6 thou, have you got any advice on the best way to try and true up the vice to the mill table

When I worked grown up machinery for a living, "my" machine was also used/ abused by others, on different shifts. Occasionally I had to deburr the table, and the bases of the mating jigs/ fixtures etc.

Afterwards, I always seated the vices to the table, with the fixed, hard jaw pad removed.
Then I took "a couple of thou", from the fixed jaw face and the top of the base, using a 2 or 3" dia endmill. Thus ensuring all was square and true to the machine spindle...... 

David D

[raynerd]

Where did the pics go 

I`m sure there are other threads, infact, did Stew build one of these?? any links, my search is failing!

[raynerd]

for anyone else looking, I found it:

Here is the same thing but with all pics still attached. thanks Stew!!

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=1077.0