Category: Machining

Well, I’ve powered on the power supply for my mills electronics… I tripled checked everything the night before, and powered it on. Nothing blew up!
SWEET! (more…)

Day 1 Design.
Day 2 bore out a single hole.
Day 3 refine design
make a tool to hold the giant tap (1.302″ in shaft diameter to tap a 1-9/16″x18TPI hole)
tap the part.
Day 4 measure everything again
refine design
Mill out the part by hand (done horribly but works)
Disassemble mill
install newly machined bracket
reassemble mill.
Mill’s measurable backlash = 0.0005″ [on that axis]
I’m happy now.

I’ve finish the retaining ring, that took a little while.
What’s left now is to purchase some bolts, and machine the bracket.
Loads of fun. I wish I would just finish my axis issues in my mill.
Pictures to come on an update.

The old adage of “Measure twice, cut once�… is so true.
Well, I didn’t measure most of the stuff I’ve been playing with lately, nothing bad has happened yet. I did have a mock up, so I cut by lining the mockup to the part.
What did happen is that I received two set screws from a local shop, and the package that it was taken out of said it was 6-32. Well, the set screws aren’t #6-32. But I have a nicely machined, tapped, and completed motor coupling that is ready for two new #6-32 x 3/16� setscrews. Even ¼� if need be.
Completed:

1. Spigot
2. Spindle
3. Spindle housing
4. Stepper Motor coupling
5. Motor mount spacers

To complete:

• Locking ring for spindle
  • bore it out
  • drill out holes
  • tap
• The mounting bracket now.
  • Machine the edges
  • Machine the spindle hole
  • Drill out bolt holes for motor mount.
  • Machine the bolt holes to mount the bracket to the spindle head.

To buy:

• #6-32 x 3/16â€? or ¼â€? length.
• Mounting bolts – measure what they are. I believe they are M8 x 1.25

I thought my skills were improving, and they probably are.
However, I was able to cut myself, not on the machine, but by handling a part that I just cut.
It was a partial cut, where I could break the end by just twisting it… I snapped the part off where it was supposed to, but in the process I squished my finger, in the process cutting it.
To update
Completed:

1. The spindle
2. Spindle housing
3. Motor mount spacers

Todo:

1. Spiggot – Drill two holes at 90degrees apart and tap
2. Motor Coupling – Drill two holes at 90degrees apart and tap
3. Bracket
   1. drill mounting holes
   2. Clean edges on bracket
4. Buy proper sized bolts to bolt everything together.

If I just keep things clean and tidy, working on the lathe becomes so much more productive. However, it’s just so difficult to do so.
I get distracted and misplace stuff in the mess all the time. I need some sort of tool management or something.
Anyways, progress on the Rotary-axis assembly is coming along nicely.
I’m thinking of using an angle bracket machined a bit to fit around the lathe spindle bearings, and weld a piece on the base to get a nice ridgid structure to mount the assembly. Photos to come. The cardboard mockup is embarrassing to show. 🙂
But carboard is your friend.
I’ll have to work on my welding skills [well, learn some welding skills].
More pictures with a nice background here,
here, and
here”.

What this project is all about…
It’s to make a rotational axis for my lathe. This is so I can do milling/engraving on cylindrical objects. Such as rings, and pendants. I can even use this to help rough out gears before hobbing them.
“Gear Hobbing” is the process of grinding/cutting out the teeth on a gear.
The spiggot machined. It was a pain to machine, but I felt pretty good when I was finished making it, as I machined it exactly to size. The error wasn’t measurable with the measuring tools that I have.
Spiggot for the worm is almost completed. I still need to put in the set screws for the lathe spindle shaft. All I need to do is drill two holes 90° apart, and tap them.
Worm Spindle, this part is the shaft that I needed to mount the worm to. It’s pretty precise; I think I’m about 0.01mm off from where I really wanted to be. But it shouldn’t affect anything, and well within tolerances of what I need it for. When I drilled the spring pin hole, I wasn’t exactly centered, so I drilled into the shoulder of the worm just a little. This shouldn’t affect anything as well. The spring pin was 1/16″, and had to be ground down, due to the pin and teeth on the worm gear were knocking. Out came the dremel clone.

Bought this book by Harprit Sandhu, on Spindles. ISBN 1-85486-149-2
It’s focus is designing useful spindles for small lathes, with the mindset of keeping it simple, easy to make, and low in part numbers.
It’s not bad in that aspect, and does cover the bases that I need to design and implement my own. I’m only using it as a reference for designs, and usage.
Hopefully in the near future I’ll make on.
Designs and renderings here