Shop made tools

[Brass_Machine]

Think I posted a thread like this years ago but cannot remember (yes, I am getting older!)

Winter is coming and I am looking for some projects in the shop to make next season more productive. A few things I am thinking about are some machinist jacks and redo my vice stop. I know there is more I should make... maybe a scribe tool. But what else should I be focusing some time on?

Ideas? Links? Inspiration?

Eric

[sparky961]

Some I've made (*), been making (#), or vowed to make before I die...

Knurling tool *
Height gauge adapter for DTI *
Somewhat accurate sine bar for quick angle setups *
Squaring gauge/holder #
Brass hammer (fitting, given your handle) *
Various stops for the chuck, spindle bore, etc *#
Stub drills (cut off jobbers, sharpen and store in a rack or index. Only good down to the smallest you can sharpen *#
Band saw stop, if not already fitted *
Band saw vice jack for small parts *
3 jaw chuck to rotary table mount/adapter *
Prick punches from old/broken taps (CAUTION: may shatter if hit hard, but work very well otherwise) *
Hole deburring tools (countersink plus screwdriver handle)
Angle blocks
Special soft vice jaws
Tailstock die holder
Fine drilling chuck/attachment
Wrenches, pin spanners or whatever you end up just using a pipe wrench on because you lost it or never had one
Collet block, hex/square
Drill point gauge
Modified inside groove calipers or calipers that take a bunch of different adapters (think threads, grooves, obstacles)

Hmmm... that keep you busy for a while?

[SwarfnStuff]

Heck Sparky, I'm exhausted just reading your list. However, some excellent suggestions which now make my "make this" list even longer.
John B

[jcs0001]

That's a long list sparky.  I'd add to that a simple indexer that can use various diameter gears for indexing - I've been meaning to make one for some time but it hasn't happened yet.

John.

[PeterE]

I would like to add a cylindrical square to the list. Actually easy to do but has a very high built-in precision.

/Peter

[sparky961]

I would like to add a cylindrical square to the list. Actually easy to do but has a very high built-in precision.

/Peter

Aww.... geez, isn't my list long enough? :P  Now I have to make a cylinder square too. ;)

[vtsteam]

How about upgrading your lathe with a longer bed, Eric? 

(he said eyeballing his own lathe project peering out from beneath a concrete trowel, paint cans, welding gloves, pieces of kitchen cabinet wood, a defunct sparkplug from the a log winch, and a broken muffler. The detritus of an ill spent summer....)

[Brass_Machine]

How about upgrading your lathe with a longer bed, Eric? 

(he said eyeballing his own lathe project peering out from beneath a concrete trowel, paint cans, welding gloves, pieces of kitchen cabinet wood, a defunct sparkplug from the a log winch, and a broken muffler. The detritus of an ill spent summer....)

Ah but I have. The lathe works, although I still need to do some stuff to it. I have a replacement spindle, extended cross slide and the stuff to do tapered gibs on it.

I plan to do work on it before winter. My plan is to get the lather done and the CNC mill on its way.

[Houtenkrullen]

I would like to add a cylindrical square to the list. Actually easy to do but has a very high built-in precision.

/Peter

I also would like to make one of these one day, but still need to learn a lot. Since you said "easy to do", could you explain how you would go about? ()
Also what material, practical sizes etc?

Thanks,
Peter

[Arbalist]

A cylindrical square is easily made from some thick walled tube. I just carefully cleaned up the outside diameter and the bottom edge on the Lathe. The other end is then chamfered to indicate it's the top. Mine is about 30mm dia by about 75mm long. Wish I knew where I put it now ... 

[PekkaNF]

is there any other way?
http://www.homews.co.uk/page307.html

Pekka

[mattinker]

Find a wrist pin (piston gudgeon pin)or two from a large truck engine when looking for pistons to melt, ready made cylindrical squares!

Regards, Matthew.

[PeterE]

It was some time since I read this thread and now notice I missed a question from houtenkrullen, sorry.

I made my cylindrical square according to the design described by Harold Hall, see the link provided by PekkaNF above where you get both dimensions and work description. Simple and easy and you wind up with a precision tool for the toolbox.

Using a gudgeon pin can also be a solution as the precision is very good with them as well. The potential snag with a pin is that the through-hole may be a bit big and it may not be straightforward when wanting to secure the pin/square to f ex a milling table. The pins I have come across have been small so I have no mental "picture" of sizes etc so I may be wrong. It would be nice to see a picture of a large engine gudgeon pin to get a reference.

BR

/Peter

[mattinker]

A truck gudgeon pin can be 100mm x 25mm, I think it's easier to make a special washer to adapt to hold downs!

Regards, Matthew.

[Manxmodder]

I have a couple of wrist pins from Perkin's 6354 diesel pistons. They are about 35 mm dia and 84mm long.

A chart that lists some piston assy and pin dimensions linked below......OZ
http://www.dieselenginespares.com/Piston_Cat.htm

[PeterE]

Thank you both for info. Then I agree with mattinker that making a special "washer" that fits inside the hollow pin will be the best way forward, unless one want turn the thing from scratch for the practice and joy of making swarf. Anyway, it is a very useful little tool that perferably comes in pairs ...

BR

/Peter

[howsitwork?]

Thanks for the idea re gudgeon pins!

Can I add to the list of "thing to make" - pair of nylon inserts to fit in the tail stock and head stock barrel to keep swarf out. I made the headstock one small enough to fit inside the chuck down it's throat. You know it out if you need to put stuff through.Also rare earth magnet in a 35mm film pot is great for picking up swarf. put a plastic bag over it, drop in swarf then remove bag containing swarf and bin.

I made a bigger version using a plastic pill pot and magnetron magnet from an old microwave ( but caerful as these magnets contain a few "nasty" elements so care removing.

Regards ian

[Houtenkrullen]

Arbalist, Pekka, Matthew, Peter, you all thanks for the info on making a cylindrical square. Guess now I have to get my feet wet and try to make one.
As for the "gudgeon pin", I am not into motors, and hardly know what it is, let alone where to find one.
But making one from scratch will be a good project!

Pekka, I replied to your toolgrinder post. Have you seen it?

Peter

[mattinker]

I did a search for Wrist pin in Dutch it came out as "zuigerpen" on line dictionaries are not always very good! It is a pin that connects the piston to the connecting rod. a heavy vehicle or bus garage might be able to help.

Regards, Matthew.

[Metalman]

Thanks PekkaNF for providing a link to my Precision Square pages on my website.

Brass_Machine, you could look at my website where the are very many workshop tooling projects ranging from a Mini Depth Gauge (small) http://www.homews.co.uk/page116.html to a Milling Head for the lathe (large),  http://www.homews.co.uk/page158.html  with very many projects in between.

The best place for you to start, and any others not conversent with my website, is the book style index here http://www.homews.co.uk/page463.html

The website has around 600 pages of which about 500 are either metalworking projects or "how to" articles

Harold Hall

[CSchoenig]

You guys are all too smart for me!

[Brass_Machine]

Harold,

Many thanks for those links!

Eric