Milling Hexagons

[ChazzC]

I also find the spin indexer quicker on a lot of jobs. Even having CNC available. So I milled the sides of mine to fit in my vise so I would not have to change my setup. see pics, best of both worlds


ScottView attachment 150931View attachment 150932

When I "tuned" my SpinDexer I cleaning up the edges of the base (centering them on the shaft), but added slots to mount it to the table: I considered cutting more (~5/8") off each side) so it could sit in my vise, but that would have raised it up 2" and with a Mini-Lathe that is valuable headroom.

 

[Scott_M]

A very valid point.
It really is amazing how quickly you can use up available "Z" height.
A tall part on end, a drill and a drill chuck or reamer can cause a lot of problems.

Scott

 

[ChazzC]

Yes, even with the 2" Riser Block. And using collets for holding end mills isn't necessarily the answer: the bottom of the mill head will bang into the top of the SpinDexer.

 

[Scott_M]

I do a lot of 4th axis work, and work with the spin indexer and as you say getting close to it can be problematic. Here are a few workarounds I have come up with. I have a Tormach 1100 with 18" of "Z" and still try and manage tool length.

As mentioned getting close to a 3 jaw or indexer is tough using ordinary drill chucks or end mill holders, most of my work uses 1/4" or smaller end mills and drills. My CNC Tormach uses the "Tormach Tooling System" which is pretty much everything is in a 3/4" collet. All toolholders have a flange that buts against the spindle nose which gives you repeatable tool height. set the tool height once and enter it in the tool table and you can take it out and put it back and "Z" zero won't change. If you switch tools just enter the tool number and it sets the "Z" zero.
These are my ER11 collet holders, they have a 3/4" shank. I made a bunch of collars to use as the "Flange" machined a snap ring groove in the shank and they are all qualified. I can get right up next to the indexer and my 4th axis with these.

On the right are some of the flanges with snap rings. And just below them is a piece of 3/4" drill rod with a snap ring groove machined and a knurled spot to hold the flange. I use these blanks for what ever I need a special tool holder for Or a tool I use so much I don't want to waste a drill chuck for. On the bottom left about 7:00 you can see one i used for an 1/8" spotting drill.

And here are a bunch of other common drills I use a lot, Tap and clearance drills. All set up in the tool table.

I don't know if I have mentioned it before but I am a tool junkie

Here is the rest of that drawer above. All of these tools are in the Tool table with the "Z" height and diameter defined just enter the Tool Number and go.

I apologize for going a bit off topic.

Scott

 

[kwoodhands]

I had to mill an octagon on a piece of 2" steel. I faced the work and milled it square. Cut it 3" long. Placed a parallel on the flat and two V bocks on the parallel. The vice jaws were replaced with 2" high jaws .
The work was placed in the V blocks , the mill height was set . The work was side milled to a flat.
The work turned 90° and secured in the vice using a scrap of wood with a 90° cut out upside down to check the work was positioned correctly. I had thought about using a rotary table , decided the set up time was not worth it.

 

[awake]

I find a spin indexer a lot quicker as you don't have to keep repositioning the block in a vice, will also do 4, 8 & 12 sides. You can also leave the mill running as your hands don't come close to the cutter as they do when repositioning a block.

Yes, I have a SpinDexer, but the vise lives on the table and is already trammed and for putting a hex on just one part collet black are quicker. I never had issues with holding a hex block with the flats against the vise jaws and the point down, so this was mostly an exercise if calculating stock removal.

You are both right, of course - it all depends on whether the spin indexer is already set up and trammed in on the table. If not, it often is quicker to use the collet block in the vise. But ...

I also find the spin indexer quicker on a lot of jobs. Even having CNC available. So I milled the sides of mine to fit in my vise so I would not have to change my setup. see pics, best of both worlds


ScottView attachment 150931View attachment 150932

... what a great idea from Scott_M! One of those ideas that seems so obvious now that I have seen it, but I never thought of it before. Thanks, Scott!