Adjustable parallel bars for slots: 
Adjustable parallel bars for slots:
Ooh, thank you. Added to the list.
Datsun310Guy said:In high school we had training goals and a few lessons involved milling and surface grinding a block inside a block. You learn how to square up and make blocks and how to surface grind. Next step was parallel bars. Mine was a step below this - learning tools.
Not that this negates the point of your post but this is a turner's cube and is, as the name implies, typically done on the lathe.
914Driver said:Tom, even a certified Machinist with a closet full of tools is only as good as his knowledge of how to use them.
I did a year of machinist training at community college and one instructor used to say all the time, "If the only thing you learn here is how to drill a hole in the right place then you will never be out of work"
square the vise
debur the part...then debur it again...then touch off on the vice not the part is you can
edge finder (do not forget to move over 1/2 the diameter)
centerdrill so the top of the hole is at least the finish drill OD (really important if the top surface isn't machined like a casting)
= hole in the right place
He made use make index cards with the steps for each thing...that was 30+ years ago and I still remember most of it because he would repeat it constantly and ask to see the index cards when we were working.
Sounds like his teaching method worked pretty well then!
Agreed!
Apologies for the lack of updates here: I've been waiting on parts. Hopefully I'll be milling this weekend if everything arrives in time!
In reply to APEowner :
How do you square up the cube on a lathe? Taught how to mill 90's.
You are right - a lathe is involved.
Datsun310Guy said:In reply to APEowner :
How do you square up the cube on a lathe? Taught how to mill 90's.
You are right - a lathe is involved.
The concept is the same as doing it in a mill. You face one side and then reference off of that for the others. I'd type up the details but there are tons of references on the web already and most of them are probably better written than what I'd be able to bang out.
In reply to APEowner :
You know, you are right. I've killed a lot of brain cells since 1979....
In reply to Datsun310Guy :
Four jaw chuck and a dial indicator.
ShawnG said:In reply to Datsun310Guy :
Four jaw chuck and a dial indicator.
Joe Pie has a lot of great machining videos.
Here's one on this very topic.
Kendall_Jones said:\Old mills will have some slop - some you can adjust out / tighten up and some will be there forever. I've never had to add a DRO to a mill but I'd love to see the process (I would think its a bit of a PITA) - they look pretty cheap on ebay :)
There was one mill that USF got on auction that I used a few times. It was tucked away in the art dept and got use maybe every 15 years when someone came in that knew what they were doing. I think there was litereally 1/4" of slop in two places on the screw, get past those areas and she was tight and new, but use those areas and the entire bed would get jerked around by the end-mill cutting the workpiece. Something in there was broken bad.
I made some progress on the Bridgeport this morning!
First step: remove the too-short leadscrew.
It didn't look very worn, which is a good sign.
Next step, pull the table off. The mill was clogged up with old grease and crud, so I had to resort to the drill winch to drag it off and onto the welding table. This casting weighs about 250 lbs.
Success! This was my stopping point for the day, but I'm hoping to get it cleaned up and start installing new parts tomorrow.
Fun fact, those look like grease fittings but they're not for grease.
Use an oil gun with machine oil.
In reply to ShawnG :
Already bought way oil and an oiler :) the last owner clearly didn't know the difference. 
...drill winch. That's a new thing to me.
Oh the drill winch is AMAZING!!! Best $200 I ever spent. I put an anchor in the concrete right between my lift bay and my cold storage bay, and it easily pulls dead cars in the garage. Why this vs. a winch that includes a motor? This has way more cable than a pullz all or whatever it's called (40' I think).
Details (though I have the higher-capacity version):
Thanks to 914Driver, another extremely dense package just arrived! I'm pretty sure this "become a home machinist" thing is going to make every delivery person hate me.
Thanks so much, Dan!!!
Tom Suddard said:Oh the drill winch is AMAZING!!! Best $200 I ever spent. I put an anchor in the concrete right between my lift bay and my cold storage bay, and it easily pulls dead cars in the garage. Why this vs. a winch that includes a motor? This has way more cable than a pullz all or whatever it's called (40' I think).
Details (though I have the higher-capacity version):
The winch looks to be awesome.
The rope and knots the guy was using to sling logs were just a little terrifying. I kept waiting for it to snap and for him to eat the hook.
I nearly finished replacing the X-axis leadscrew last night, and actual milling seems to be just over the horizon!
Here's the old leadscrew nut:
And here's the new two-piece design. By splitting the nut, it's much easier to adjust backlash on the screw.
Ooooh ahhhh that new leadscrew smell!
I cleaned things up as well as I could and slathered on some way lube. I also pulled out all the oil fittings and blew the passages out. They're mostly grease free now.
Then I pulled the screw back out in order to slide the table on. Now that the ways weren't filled with grease and crap, it slid on pretty easily. I didn't even need the drill winch!
Next step? Time to reattach the handles and my powerfeed. I'll do that next.
I enjoy the juxstaposition of the hulking vintage Bridgeport parked right beside what is probably the first truly accessible hobby-level 3D printer.
Which one does your dad think is cooler? Is he piling up old car parts waiting for you to be ready to start throwing chips?
For many years I taught Tom stuff. Now he is teaching me how to become a machinist. I have a Smithy combination mill/lathe, that is adequate for making bushings. I am working on a story where Tom printed bushings in 3D. We then tested them and he drew out the dimensions in CAD and then we built them on the Smithy. Bottom line, this stuff is all cool and making the restoration of rare cars like the Elva MK VI I am working on much more possible.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
They're both 3D printers.
One is additive, the other subtractive.
I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but let's talk about the first thing I need to make with my Bridgeport....
Bridgeport parts! I'll explain more later, but I need to machine a hex head onto a cylinder. Looks like the best way to do that is with a hexagonal collet block or a spin inde... CRAP I BOUGHT A SPIN INDEXER ON EBAY
What can I say, my finger slipped.... #AnotherPaperCut
Serious question, though: Should I also spend $40 on a hex/square 5C collet block set if I'm going to end up with a bunch of 5C collets anyway?
Oh, and while we're talking about papercuts, I'm not sure I mentioned some other recent items from my eBay history. I picked up a test indicator and a stand. I went with used name-brand items instead of brand new cheap crap because, well, that's just how I'm used to buying tools I guess. I've always had better luck buying used than spending the same money on new stuff.
Do I need these immediately? No.
Would I be really annoyed in a few weeks when I needed them for a project and hadn't ordered them yet? Absolutely.
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