Just had an 'Oh Bugger' moment

[tmuir]

Snuck out into the workshop tonight and decided to make the port block up for a little wobbler I'm making. Cut off a strip of brass from a 6mm sheet I have, enough to make about 4 port blocks as I can see me needing more.
Cut one to size, squared it all up and cleaned it up. Filed a round groove for the cylinder, filed some nice rounded edges on the sides to match the existing one on the engine and then realised I forgot to drill the hole for the pivot.

Now I've got a nicely shaped and cleaned up object with round sides that I need to clamp in the vice and try and hold square to drill and tap it.

I'm pretty sure I will manage to do it but I'm kicking myself for not drilling it when it was a nice square block.
It's on this note I decided I had done enough for tonight and will try drilling it tomorrow.

 

[Bogstandard]

Tony,

Pop it onto a couple of thin parallels in your vice, tighten up and slide the paras out or away from the drilling area while you drill thru.

John

 

[tmuir]

Ahh Parallels..... The things I plan to make when I place my next order for materials.
Haven't got any yet as they are going to be an early project on my mill once I've saved up enough to buy the chuck, collets and cutters for it. :big:

But I'm sure I've got something I can use as a makeshift parallel that will do the job.