MadModder
The Shop => Tools => Topic started by: kvom on August 07, 2009, 08:42:26 PM
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Based on many comments here and elsewhere, and seeing some others' stands, I decided I need one before tapping one more tiny hole. While I intend to build a "standalone" stand, today's effort gets me a good part of the way and yields a functional tool.
I recently purchased a 0-1/2" keyless chuck for the mill, so I had a spare 0-3/8" keyed chuck available. It has a straight 1/2" shank that I held in the mill wth a collet. The first job was to make a way to turn it with a tap chucked. This was made from 1" aluminum round, knurled and split, with a 6-32 locking screw. Then I took a 3" piece of 1" aluminum round bar, turned down one end to 3/4" to fit in a R8 collet, and drilled/reamed a 1/2" hole through. Here's the pieces:
(http://www.pbase.com/kvom/image/115834160/medium.jpg)
With the round bar held in the mill spindle, I slide the chuck shank up into it and move the piece to be tapped underneath. Here I'm tapping the top of one of my new engine columns.
(http://www.pbase.com/kvom/image/115834159/medium.jpg)
The chuck can also be used on the lathe, as the bushing I made for the diestock is also bored 1/2":
(http://www.pbase.com/kvom/image/115834161/large.jpg)
The next phase will be to make something similar to what Stew built, shown on another thread.
It might be a bit better if the knurled ring were a bit larger, but
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Very nice indeed Kirk.
You would find that with say a 2" diameter knurled ring, as you are contemplating, the fingertip 'feel' that you get would be much improved.
I have even seen them with instead of a knurl, the ring would be much narrower and have a groove machined in it, and an o-ring fitted as the friction grip.
Here is another one, very similar to yours. Go down to the last article, there are even some plans you can get.
http://www.floridaame.org/HowTo2.htm
John
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Hi Kirk
Nice job :thumbup:
Its well worth the effort making simple tools like this it improves the quality of your work no end, and it saves on tool breakage.
Have fun
Stew
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(http://www.pbase.com/kvom/image/115862810/large.jpg)
Phase 2 of the project occupied the afternoon. Thursday at school I noticed a big chunk of aluminum in the scrap bin, and when I asked to take it home I got it. Overall it was 6.25" square by 2.5" thick. I flycut the top and bottom, machined the 4 sides with a 3/4" endmill to remove saw marks, and then deburred all the edges and filed off the sharp corners.
One face had some holes threaded 1/2-13, which is the same as the rods in clamp sets. I tried a rod in the holes, but the fit was very loose and not perpedicular. So I drilled/reamed a 3/8" hole 2" deep to accept a length of drill rod.
The cross bar started as some 1" round rod scrap that had been partially turned. I turned it down to 7/8" on the lathe so that it would fit in a 5C collet. Then I was able to mount it in a square collet block with material exposed on each end. Putting the block in the milling vise the collet block allowed me to drill the 3/8" and 1/2" holes parallel to each other, and the 6-32 clamp screw perpendicular. I cut the slot with a 1/8" endmill.
It's a very rigid setup, and the base is quite heavy. I still want to find a knob to screw into the end of the drill chuck's shank.