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Thread: Your latest project
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13th Jan 2021, 10:00 PM #2461Diamond Member
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Scrap metal
Had half a car of scrap Al. from an old garden shed (channels were steel, but walls & roof were Al. sheet).
Grabbed some other Alloy extrusion and castings to go with it, found two skateboard trucks. They are diecast Al over steel axles. Tried hacksawing a slit to hammer axles out, but that was taking too long.
Then I remembered I now have a mill...
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5th Feb 2021, 06:16 PM #2462Most Valued Member
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Nothing particularly challenging or exciting, but..
Finally found a few moments to make a new tool post stud for my Hercus 9 to fit a chinesium AXA quick change.
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5th Feb 2021, 07:38 PM #2463
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8th Feb 2021, 12:50 PM #2464Member
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Toll height gauge
I finally got around to finishing my tool height gauge. The concept originated from a link somewhere on this site.
The bottom part has an M30x1 thread for fine adjustment of gauge height. The M4 bolt through side secures the height adjusted position.
The dowel pin is an interference fit on the top part and a running fit on the bottom part.
Drilling the off-centre hole and getting to the correct fit on both parts was an interesting challenge and so was calculating the details for the [non-standard] M30x1 thread.
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8th Feb 2021, 05:42 PM #2465
Nice work, did you put a brass slug in the M4 hole to stop it damaging the threads?
Or you could machine off the threads in the adjustment area.Using Tapatalk
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8th Feb 2021, 06:53 PM #2466Member
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8th Feb 2021, 06:57 PM #2467
Ah I see, good thinking
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17th Feb 2021, 02:08 AM #2468Diamond Member
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Pulley machining
Had a walk-in at the man cave. Looking for someone to machine some new pulleys to fit a wider belt:
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For some reason he wanted both grooves enlarged, so for easy access to both I mounted it the lazy way, using threaded rod thru the spindle:
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Thought about mounting some HSS, but being lazy, started machining with my little parting tool:
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That didn't quite reach the bottom. A little step wouldn't have mattered, but it is for a paying customer, so I should tidy it up.
Was contemplating grinding some HSS when I remembered that they do make a cutter that matches 40degrees!
Borrowed a VNMG holder:
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At 500RPM, could machine the whole 15mm depth and get some decent chips. Here is an 8mm wide (but very thin) one:
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Easy job - could have even done it on the Hercus!
(which would have been quieter, but the chatter and machining marks would be worse)
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17th Feb 2021, 08:46 PM #2469Diamond Member
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Fridge shelf lock pins!
Another day, another walk-in (If this workload keeps up, I might need a holiday?).
3:30PM, man brings me a sample aluminium pin that goes in a teardrop slot to support shelves in a fridge. Needs 24 ASAP.
They are 9.5mm dia., and 35mm long, so I need over 800mm of round stock. I don't have anything, so have to scrounge around my factory neighbours.
One has 350mm of 9.5mm "free machining stainless" (303?). One has 800mm of 15mm brass. I start turning down the brass, but soon decide that will take too long. One has a metre of 3/8" brass, but it is bent, scratched, and fire damaged. By now it is nearly 4. Edcon closes at 4?
I hacksaw the long bent one into Hercus length rods, grab some emery, polish it up, and part off:
IMG_1247.jpg
Looks feasible, so I jump onto repetition machining. I try to setup my tool holder block for efficient facing/chamfering and parting:
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but swinging between them (and aligning the parting tool) was taking too long. In the end, I just used the parting tool for both facing and parting, and hand held a carbide insert against the corner to chamfer (it is soft brass, after all). 22, 23, 24. Time is now about 6PM. I'm rushing to try and finish these, to save the man another trip tomorrow.
Now for the little groove. It is about 1mm wide. None of my neighbours had the correct width - closest was a .6mm, and I don't have time for multiple passes?
If I had time, I would hand-grind some HSS. Thankfully, toolmaker is willing to use D bit grinder to make me one.
10 minutes later and a broken carbide end mill is recycled, and another 5 to shim it up correctly. Time is now 6:30, and customer has gone.
I could wait 'till the morning, but turned the lights on a while ago, so might as well finish. 70 thou deep, and its a match:
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7:10PM, pins are ready:
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Now, I gotta work out how much to charge him. I'm not a very good machinist - definitely not a $50/hr machinist - but it was over 3 hours, and someone to make a cutter, and the stock.
Hmmm.
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17th Feb 2021, 10:33 PM #2470
Now, I gotta work out how much to charge him. I'm not a very good machinist - definitely not a $50/hr machinist - but it was over 3 hours, and someone to make a cutter, and the stock.
Hmmm.
If you happy charge him $100-$120.
I've noticed no one likes stating prices.
I made a 10mm thick adapter plate (supplied material) to fit larger bore quad rims to a smaller hub along with drilling the stud pattern and charged $70 for a local I do work for, took about 2 hours.he is a boiler maker so he did the welding or it would have been more.
I also bored out and and drilled the stud pattern of 2 other quad rims for the same guy a week later, it was more knock everything off my mill and set up time with clamping down extensions etc and charged $70 also for a 2 hour job as he is a repeat customer.
He earlier wanted a new petrol motor adapted to a new electric water pump, all material supplied I made the internal external shaft with threads etc and a 100mm pipe sleeve with flanges welded to couple them together and it cost him $350, but I under quoted as I had a good 6-7 hours into it, but that was on me.
Charge what you think is fair, but don't undercut yourself to much as you have had to buy the machines etc.
A person packing shelves at the local supermarket casual gets around $28 plus an hour, and has no real skills and hasn't laid out for expensive equipment.Using Tapatalk
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18th Feb 2021, 12:20 AM #2471
Hi Nigel, Guys,
Here in the UK I would be looking at £2 a pin, say £50.00 I think that is about $110 Au.Best Regards:
Baron J.
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18th Feb 2021, 11:18 AM #2472Most Valued Member
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I charge out at $130/hr in 1/2hr increments no exceptions, plus material.
That was a drop everything rush job, you asked favours, and ran into outside of normal hours territory trying to save the customer a return trip..
The most valuable thing you can give anyone is your time, you will never get those three hours back, charge appropriately.
Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick two, the third is mutually exclusive
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19th Feb 2021, 08:51 AM #2473Diamond Member
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Wow, you must be a much better machinist than me!
(or be doing unique/tricky work for select customers?)
Thanks for the price discussion, guys. I ended up charging $120.
He is just a glorified handyman working on pub fit outs, and I gave him a business card. Suspect he will come back the next time – hopefully with a bit more notice.
Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick two, the third is mutually exclusive
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20th Feb 2021, 09:24 AM #2474Most Valued Member
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1st Mar 2021, 11:22 AM #2475Golden Member
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It was on the agenda to make the sine table for a long time but I never got around it until the recent project where I needed to cut the bib for the dovetail. The “fixture” plate is removeable and I am using that on the rotary table too. Admittedly setting up the strip up is taking a bit of time as you would want the edges of the gib to be parallel, I guess I could mill a recess step for the strip to sit on.
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Using the 8mm dowel, once the plate is bolted, I skimmed the top surface and the outer edge.
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Setup the angle
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Using the existing dovetail to support the strip makes it easier. To cut the opposite side I just elevated the strip up with the ruler and that gives the clearance required.
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Setup to cut the second side
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This is by using the sine table to cut.
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