Hi to all!
I been thinking for a while, but I can figure how to get rid off my limitations with my mini-mill to make some large dovetails for some proyects that I have in mind
this is a rather distant....
I have in mind to make a small bench top multi-purpose grinder machine, the idea is a machine that allow me to sharp my cutting tools (end mills, drills etc..), let me grind fluted tools and work has a mini surface grinder too (that match the size capability of my mini-mill)
well, I know that its sound like too much, some kind of ambitious :
but I got some good ideas, anyway that is not the point...
For this proyect and others I come with the BIG problems of some way to make a axis thats move around 30 cm, like a mill table, that move with precision and repeatability..
if I count the sandle (the piece that suport the dovetail table, I dont know is that his name) lets say like 15 cm, that made a 45 cm long dovetail for a 30 cm travel axis
but Im very limited: mi mini-mill X axis only made a 20 cm of effective travel (25 cm all the way) so cutting that large dovetail is not posible (or it can be done in various setups, but I dont know if that will made a straight dovetail all te way)
also I have think a lot of using round bars to make some sort of rail that allow me to get a 30 cm of travel on a axis, I know that in smaller scale this work fine, but if I have to mount something heavy in the axis the bars will flex or i dont know ???
also im limited in money, I cant afford to buy large diameter ground silver steel to made precision ways
as for plate steel, I still dont find were to buy small pieces situables for my kind of proyects, so all my sourse at this time is on the scrap yard..
at this time Im try to give a shot to the "poor mans dovetail"" posted by Brian Rupnow (http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=5751.0)
is a great idea, but still cant figure how to make the long (45 cm) 60° edges..
my equipment is: mini-mill, a 13"x40" lathe, a small ginder, small arc welder and a small drill press (and lots of hand tools)
aahh and a surface plate (still saving money for it 8)), but this is something to long after, so I have plenty of time to think about how to do things right
one of those things are the 30 cm axis, seems to me the more complicate part of my ambitious machine
in my condition what do you do??, there is a way to make such thing with this equipment? or better there is another way to make it besides dovetails?
Im imploring your knowledge and advidce, any help I will apreciate a lot! :bow:
(and learned that the i for me is with uppercase: I ;D thanks to HMEM)
Saludos!
I been thinking for a while, but I can figure how to get rid off my limitations with my mini-mill to make some large dovetails for some proyects that I have in mind
this is a rather distant....
I have in mind to make a small bench top multi-purpose grinder machine, the idea is a machine that allow me to sharp my cutting tools (end mills, drills etc..), let me grind fluted tools and work has a mini surface grinder too (that match the size capability of my mini-mill)
well, I know that its sound like too much, some kind of ambitious :
but I got some good ideas, anyway that is not the point...
For this proyect and others I come with the BIG problems of some way to make a axis thats move around 30 cm, like a mill table, that move with precision and repeatability..
if I count the sandle (the piece that suport the dovetail table, I dont know is that his name) lets say like 15 cm, that made a 45 cm long dovetail for a 30 cm travel axis
but Im very limited: mi mini-mill X axis only made a 20 cm of effective travel (25 cm all the way) so cutting that large dovetail is not posible (or it can be done in various setups, but I dont know if that will made a straight dovetail all te way)
also I have think a lot of using round bars to make some sort of rail that allow me to get a 30 cm of travel on a axis, I know that in smaller scale this work fine, but if I have to mount something heavy in the axis the bars will flex or i dont know ???
also im limited in money, I cant afford to buy large diameter ground silver steel to made precision ways
as for plate steel, I still dont find were to buy small pieces situables for my kind of proyects, so all my sourse at this time is on the scrap yard..
at this time Im try to give a shot to the "poor mans dovetail"" posted by Brian Rupnow (http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=5751.0)
is a great idea, but still cant figure how to make the long (45 cm) 60° edges..
my equipment is: mini-mill, a 13"x40" lathe, a small ginder, small arc welder and a small drill press (and lots of hand tools)
aahh and a surface plate (still saving money for it 8)), but this is something to long after, so I have plenty of time to think about how to do things right
one of those things are the 30 cm axis, seems to me the more complicate part of my ambitious machine
in my condition what do you do??, there is a way to make such thing with this equipment? or better there is another way to make it besides dovetails?
Im imploring your knowledge and advidce, any help I will apreciate a lot! :bow:
(and learned that the i for me is with uppercase: I ;D thanks to HMEM)
Saludos!
