# Pictures of unique Mill/Lathe setups and use of holding devices.



## rcmadness (Oct 1, 2010)

Omnimills thread on 123 blocks got me to thinking. I have seen many different types of holding devices in catalogues and I know how some of the work but I am still baffled how others are used. For instance a sin bars, cam holders,etc. Could we use this thread to capture pictures of unique set ups and how these things are to be used. I don't know about you all but I learn best from pictures.

Just a thought 

RcMadness


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## gbritnell (Oct 1, 2010)

Hey Rc,
Here's the link to my cam machining. Not a lot of complex fixture work but something a little different.
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=5714.0
gbritnell


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## gbritnell (Oct 1, 2010)

Here's another link to crank making. It has most of the standard crank turning fixtures and blocks.
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=26132
gbritnell


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## Blogwitch (Oct 2, 2010)

Here is mine on how to use a sine bar.

http://madmodder.net/index.php?topic=2157.0

Bogs


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## chucketn (Oct 2, 2010)

I for one appreciate this thread. I have a lathe and mill and usually spend most of the time on a project trying to figure out how to set it up.
I can't find the workshop calculator referred to in Bogs post on the sine bar. Where is the download section? The file is also missing from the Rapidshare link, but I think I recall Bogs saying he let his subscription expire. Anybody have the workshop calculator?

Chuck in E. TN


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## Blogwitch (Oct 2, 2010)

Seeing as it is in the public domain I have attached it below. If you click on it, you just need to save it when asked.

Bogs 

View attachment workshop calculator.exe


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## chucketn (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks, Bogs. Got it.

Chuck in E. TN


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## rcmadness (Oct 2, 2010)

I believe the spirit of the thread is taking shape. Thanks to everyone for taking part.


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## BillTodd (Oct 2, 2010)

I thought I'd actually add a picture 

Here I'm using a sine bar against the vertical face of my mill. I'm setting the angle of the compound slide (pinched from my lathe) to grind a precise-ish angle. (The grinding spindle is pinched from my little homebrew engraver)


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## BillTodd (Oct 2, 2010)

Not a mill set-up, but who's counting...

Using the lathe to line bore a headstock for a motorcycle frame. The homebrew boring bar uses a piece of broken & re-ground carbide end mill in a through hole with a couple of locking screw perpendicular to it. 

To adjust the cut I zeroed the DTI on the end of the tool, loosened slightly the locking screws then tapped the end of the tool until the DTI read the desired cut. It was surprisingly easy to get a bearing fit.


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## rcmadness (Oct 2, 2010)

BillTodd, I fixed the subject line. All set ups are welcome. I am already learning ;D

Now, what do we use the device in this picture for.


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## cidrontmg (Oct 2, 2010)

That´s a spin indexer. You fix the workpiece into it with a collet (5C or ER32), and then you can rotate the workpiece into any angle, in min. 1o steps, that is, you can index it with any angle that is a factor of 360. If you want to divide a full circle (360o) with something that´s not a factor of 360 (such as 7, or 11, or 13, etc.) you need a more sophisticated dividing method. But an awful lot of dividing can be done with that simple device. If you need holes, or flats, etc. spaced say,7 or 11 or 13 degrees apart, or whatever angle that is in even degrees, the spin indexer will deliver. It´s sort of a "digital" rotary table, where the step is one degree.


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## Blogwitch (Oct 2, 2010)

This is how I squared up my Spindexer so that it would fit into my vice and also drop in the table slots.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=2681.0


Bogs


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## rcmadness (Oct 3, 2010)

So basically if you are wanting to cut a fixed position you can use this instead of a rotary table. Per say.


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## Blogwitch (Oct 3, 2010)

RC,

A spindexer allows you to turn to any fixed point, using full degree settings. 
So say you wanted two holes at 37 degrees apart, or a hexagon milling, where each set point can easily be worked out of 360 degs, you can use one of these.

It is a very simple horizontal rotab, without the fine tuning a rotab can give you.

Normally they are for 5C only, but John Stevenson designed one where it can be ER32 as well, and is sold by Arc Euro in the UK.

With a little bit of imagination, it can be used for all sorts of little (or even big) jobs that require a none too fine rotary movement.

I find it easier, now it will fit my vice, for doing rotary angled work, rather than fitting my rotab onto a tilting plate or going the whole hog and getting out the dividing head.

Bogs


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## Jasonb (Oct 3, 2010)

Not my set up but this is a unique way of using a mill when your lathe does not have the capacity.

The mill is driving the crankshaft through a 90deg head, the other end of the crank is supported on a pile of assorted blocks and a lathe topslide is mounted to the mills table to give x-y movement so the flywheel can be machined.






Jason


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## rcmadness (Oct 3, 2010)

Jasonb, Thats the spirit, no job to big. Very interesting set up. 

Bogs & Cid, I will keep my eye out for a spindexer. It looks like it might come in handy. Thanks for the explanation.


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## Omnimill (Oct 7, 2010)

Bogstandard  said:
			
		

> RC,
> 
> A spindexer allows you to turn to any fixed point, using full degree settings.
> So say you wanted two holes at 37 degrees apart, or a hexagon milling, where each set point can easily be worked out of 360 degs, you can use one of these.
> ...



I don't know, I'm trying to save some money to get a new DSLR and you blokes keep coming up with really neat lumps of useful metal I need to buy! :big: Now can we have a break on stuff like this for a while *knuppel2* Please!!!

Vic.


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## cidrontmg (Oct 7, 2010)

Omnimill  said:
			
		

> I don't know, I'm trying to save some money to get a new DSLR and you blokes keep coming up with really neat lumps of useful metal I need to buy! :big: Now can we have a break on stuff like this for a while *knuppel2* Please!!!
> 
> Vic.


     :rant:   :rant:  :rant:

sorry...   :hDe:  And I sympathize. I know how you feel, being in the very same situation.  :shrug:


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## steamer (Oct 7, 2010)

Omnimill  said:
			
		

> I don't know, I'm trying to save some money to get a new DSLR and you blokes keep coming up with really neat lumps of useful metal I need to buy! :big: Now can we have a break on stuff like this for a while *knuppel2* Please!!!
> 
> Vic.



Of Course.....your comment implys there is an end to the list of "list of useful bits" that you just HAVE to have in your shop ;D :big:

Dave


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## rcmadness (Oct 7, 2010)

From what I have learned during my limited experience in this hobby is the simple rule that the machines are the cheap part. The tooling and set up equipment is what gets you in the end. 

No matter what I buy or how much I buy, it isn't enough to do that next job. Someone else said this before me but I have spent way more time building tooling, fixtures and modifications than I have spent on all my "projects". But in the end I find just as much pleasure in figuring out a way to do something as I do in the end product. ;D

Ok now for the next question. Does anyone have a picture of this device being used?


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## krv3000 (Oct 9, 2010)

HI this is sumthing I made up to mack up a connecting rod


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## cidrontmg (Oct 9, 2010)

rcmadness  said:
			
		

> Ok now for the next question. Does anyone have a picture of this device being used?



Sorry, no picture of a planer/shaper gage in use. Them things are/were used with planer or shaper machines, to set the tool height to some given value. Many people here have shapers, but I´d bet that nobody has a planer. They were introduced in 1820ish, HUGE machines, for making large flat surfaces. They were rather common during some 100 years. Metal planers can vary in size from a table size of 30"×72" to 20'×62', and in weight from around 20,000 lbs to over 1,000,000 lbs. No, I don´t want one here, even for free, not even a smaller example...
Today, milling machines and surface grinders are used for what planers once did. They DO still exist, even new, but they´re quite rare.

You could use that tool (in the picture) also for setting tool height on a shaper - if it were rather high, and you needed to set it with close tolerances. I don´t know, but I suspect that none of the lucky shaper owners here have such a tool. There are far simpler ways of setting shaper tool heights...
For some more info, see
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/MTL3902/MLT3902.htm
near the end of the page.
For a (smallish) planer, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planer_(metalworking)


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## rcmadness (Oct 9, 2010)

Thanks for the explanation Cid, doesn't sound like I need to put one of those on my wish list. :big:
I need to work on the more simple things like 1-2-3 blocks. All I have ever use them for is to raise the height of a part being machined. One of these days I will figure out what the tapped holes are for. (I know they hold them together, but I have never needed them held together)


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## joeby (Oct 10, 2010)

I have a planer gage and I have used it a few times, no pics taken though. The nice thing about them is that if I need to finish a part to a certain thickness, I can set the gage to that thickness with a micrometer and touch the shaper tool on it and set my zero. Quick and simple.

 Mine also has the screw-on posts, 1" & 3" long, handy if you need that increment in height.

 I've also used it for measuring slots and such by adjusting it to a snug fit and measuring with micrometers, much like adjustable parallels.

 One of those tools that isn't used every day but worth having, in my opinion.

 If you should decide you need one, I would watch the tool sales and flea markets. I've seen many for sale at a reasonable price. My Starrett was in like-new condition for $10-$15 (don't remember), instead of the $300 or more for new.

Kevin


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