# Machining pillars



## john_k (Sep 19, 2020)

Good day all,

Faced with the problem of making 6 pillars with equal length for the "Husky" engine I am building I came up with the idea shown in pics attached. I had tried something similar when making the "River Queen" using a split bush. That worked but not as well as this. Apologies if this has all been done before but I'm putting this up in case it hasn't.

Cheers John K.


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## Wizard69 (Oct 5, 2020)

Nice pics but what exactly is this?   Is the outside collar chucked in a lathe.


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## mnay (Oct 5, 2020)

Interesting idea.  Would beat chucking them, cutting and measuring several times!!


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## BaronJ (Oct 5, 2020)

john_k said:


> Good day all,
> 
> Faced with the problem of making 6 pillars with equal length for the "Husky" engine I am building I came up with the idea shown in pics attached. I had tried something similar when making the "River Queen" using a split bush. That worked but not as well as this. Apologies if this has all been done before but I'm putting this up in case it hasn't.
> 
> Cheers John K.



Hi John,

Nice Jig, unfortunately not original, I've used a similar device, but only for four pins and a split tube, rather than a solid tube and a clamp screw.

But you're right a solid tube is/would be much more secure.


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## William May (Oct 6, 2020)

john_k said:


> Good day all,
> 
> Faced with the problem of making 6 pillars with equal length for the "Husky" engine I am building I came up with the idea shown in pics attached. I had tried something similar when making the "River Queen" using a split bush. That worked but not as well as this. Apologies if this has all been done before but I'm putting this up in case it hasn't.
> 
> Cheers John K.


How does this work? Is the inside tube a precision fit with all the pillar pieces in place? Is it tapered, or what? What is the purpose of the little screw on the exterior? It looks like it actually runs in BETWEEN 2 of the pillar workpieces. If this is just a loose tube, what keeps them from rattling around inside the outer tube when it is spinning and cutting forces are applied?


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## photopro (Oct 7, 2020)

I think it's very clever.  The screw on the side may or may not be tapered, but in any case, I would guess it's purpose is to lock the pillars inside the tube by forcing two of them apart which in turn would force all of them to press on the inside edges of the tube.  That would lock them in place.  You need the short center piece just to take up space and keep the pillars in place.  Then chuck up the tube with pillars in it and machine them to length.


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