Tools I bought at the Bernardston Show

[vtsteam]

It's hard to go to a show like Bernardston and not come home with a small pile of things you just can't refuse. Here's what I bought:

[vtsteam]

A tube of ten new double ended 1/8" HSS spotting drills -- $3

A box of 90 new carbide inserts -- Ingersoll. CDE323LB9 Grade 555D

I don't own any indexable tool holders or mills, so this was pure stupid impulse!  I happened to pick up one of the blue slide trays to look at it and the seller came over and offered the entire cardboard box full of them for $10. So I said okay.

I guess I'll make something to fit them.

A 0-10 thou full swing clock gage (Federal) $10. Bob got me interested in cleaning up one of these, and I definitely can use it. Maybe spent too much at $10? Seems like good quality.

[vtsteam]

This thingamabob was in the $1 bin at one of the vendors. I untangled it and tried to figure it out. Finally recognized it as the uppper adjuster slide of a bandsaw. So I coughed up a greenback, and brought it home!

At home I found a mfr name on it Gilliom. I remember that they used to have a line of home-built tools you could build from fittings and lumber. Always wanted one when I was younger.

[vtsteam]

This follower rest caught my eye. Probably not for a 12" Craftsman/Atlas lathe like mine, but also probably could be adapted. I haven't had any need for a follower rest so far, but if I get into smaller stuff at some point it might be handy.

I really needed a steady rest much more and after asking the price of this ($25) checked out the seller's other table where he had two steadies.

One measured about right for my 6" center height (if I made about a 3/4" riser block for it). It looked to fit a South bend style bed. He wanted $30 for that. When I put it back down to check out some of the other booths, he suddenly offered me $35 for the follower and steady combined. Couldn't pass that up, so I went for it.

[vtsteam]

More  $10 items:

A cast iron pot to line as a pouring ladle (if I ever make a bigger cupola),

A new 6" cast iron hand wheel for my mill drill (it will be nice to replace the crappy diecast one on the Z axis.

And an angle adjustable milling vise -- no replacement for a serious vise like the one I refurbed recently, but probably handy for some things nonetheless. I will fix this one up with some heavier new parts and the old washing soda electrolysis rust removal method and some paint.

[vtsteam]

Of the remaining Items in the top photo, I picked out a long heavy duty set of blacksmith tongs -- I wanted to modify it for use with crucibles when melting. It was another $10 item. But the seller offered me 3 for $25, so I picked out 2 more. I will fit them for different size crucibles.

And the broad hatchet was bargained down from $23 to $15. It has a very good heft and feel. I've been thinking about making a spring pole lathe as in the Ben Orford video I posted earlier. He uses a similar broad hatchet for shaping the bowl blanks.

[Rob.Wilson]

Looks like you had a good day out 

I don't own any indexable tool holders or mills, so this was pure stupid impulse!  I happened to pick up one of the blue slide trays to look at it and the seller came over and offered the entire cardboard box full of them for $10. So I said okay.

I guess I'll make something to fit them.

There a good shaped tip to have Steve , and the amount you have it would be well worth your time to make holders , the thing with that shaped tip is you can make holders so you can use all 4 corners for cutting , so when two are blunt the other two edges can be used in a different holder .   

Rob

[krv3000]

a nice hall in deed bin to two boot saes this week end and got nothing

[Meldonmech]

Hey vt,

                      Didn't you do well, I love a good fair.

                                                                  Cheers David

[vtsteam]

Thanks Rob, Bob, Meldonmech, one of the high points of the year for me to go to that show, and this year I really enjoyed the tool tables!

There a good shaped tip to have Steve , and the amount you have it would be well worth your time to make holders , the thing with that shaped tip is you can make holders so you can use all 4 corners for cutting , so when two are blunt the other two edges can be used in a different holder .   

Rob

Rob, I thought they were 4 cornered like yours, but the foggy plastic on the box obscured the inserts themselves. When I got them home I saw that they were rounded in profile. I'm guessing they may still be good for finish work, or possibly just right for a fly cutter isert.

Also, maybe I can trade some of them to others for different insert shapes. I don't need 90!

Here's what they look like:

 

[vtsteam]

BTW Rob, that toolholder of yours on the far left -- is that similar to a tangential, using an insert?

[Pete.]

I have one of those vices found in my late father's workshop. They are not very well built but when locked up they are handy to hold parts at an angle for milling/drilling so long as you aren't too fussy on the angle setting. Could benefit from a re-work if you had the inclination then it would be much improved.

First job I would do with those inserts is make a holder to fit them to and then a jig to grind a handful for threading or grooving inserts. They look very handy indeed from where I'm sat.

I use one of these to grind carbide: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151006492344

[Stilldrillin]

Very nice haul VT!   

At a very good price.......   

David D

[vtsteam]

Thanks Stilldrillin 

Pete, I believe those vices might have actually been part of a milling accessory package supplied with a Chinese mill/drill like mine. I bought mine used, so it wasn't included.

The angle holding feature is what I like about it. I do think I will upgrade it with some simple mods to make it more solid and true.

re. grinding inserts:

I do have a green wheel (new and unmounted yet). But the inserts come with a scary looking warning notice on the back about grinding them as a health hazard. So out of curiosity I looked it up online and found this here:

http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/carbide-parts/grinding-carbide-health-and-safety-risks.html

I don't use recirculated coolants so it would seem that airborne and skin contact would be the only routes for cadmium / hard metal absorption issues mentioned above.

I imagine if I ground a few inserts outside in open air with a dust mask and disposable rubber gloves, and gave the inserts a rinse afterwards the chance of those issues would be pretty slim. But good to know about them. I'll think about it more.

I could just use them as-is for at least a fly cutter for the mill. That might be the first holder I try to make.

[Stilldrillin]

VT.
I ground my first carbide tipped tool in 1960. Have been doing it ever since......

Apart from their age, there's nothing wrong with my lungs! 

Common sense, in all things.

David D

[Brass_Machine]

Nice haul VT. Looks like you got a good score.

Eric

[vtsteam]

VT.
I ground my first carbide tipped tool in 1960. Have been doing it ever since......

Apart from their age, there's nothing wrong with my lungs! 

Common sense, in all things.

David D

Well David if you're Stilldrillin then that's good enough for me!   

[vtsteam]

Wash day!

[vtsteam]

You, too! A little washing soda, an electrode, a little juice and...

[vtsteam]

Now doesn't that feel better?

Still more to do on these mechanically, but at least they're clean, freed up, painted, oiled, and divots filled.