Author Topic: Making a Job Easier  (Read 5906 times)

Offline 75Plus

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Making a Job Easier
« on: May 14, 2011, 08:16:50 PM »
I make quite a few of this pictured part. After turning and boring in the lathe I move to the mill for the for the other operations. I always had to leave the material long so it could be clamped in the vise. It also required another trip to the lathe to be turned to the required length. After thinking about it for a while I came up with this jig that makes the job much easier.



I started with this sketch. My goal was to make a jig that would hold the part secure as I milled the flat, placed a notched 90 deg. from the flat and then cut the slot in the tubular portion.



Using 1/2 X 1" steel I milled a rib to fit in the "T" slot of the mill table which allowed me to secure it with one bolt and tee nut. I had to notch the rib so I could pull the tee nut up snug. I bored through the diameter of the tubular portion and then counter bored from the bottom to fit the larger diameter. I finished off by threading 3/8-24 so I could hold the part with a set screw. I made the set screw from brass so it would not mar the part. The small hole on the left end is 1/8". Dropping a 1/8" end mill into it completes my set-up. While in that position I can cut the notch using the endmill like a drill. Next I move to the outside and mill the flat, still using the 1/8" tool. Last operation is using a Woodruff key cutter to cut the slot.







Now I can turn, bore and cut to the finished length before leaving the lathe and with just a few minutes at the mill I am finished.

Joe
 
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Offline raynerd

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Re: Making a Job Easier
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2011, 02:08:05 AM »
Great jig! I`ve only made a few and they took a while to make but really helped in the production. If your making multiple parts then it`ll be a no-brainer. Excellent stuff, thanks for showing.

Offline Bogstandard

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Re: Making a Job Easier
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2011, 03:09:41 AM »
Hi Joe,

If I have more than a couple of the same part to make, I invariably make up some sort of jig or fixture.

Even though it might take a little while to make, in the long run they are worth their weight in gold by shortening the time taken to make each individual part, with the added bonus of each part being exactly the same.

Nice one.


John
If you don't try it, you will never know if you can do it.

Location - Crewe, Cheshire

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