Author Topic: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer  (Read 11072 times)

Offline daz

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Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« on: November 10, 2011, 06:29:00 AM »
I don't really need an indexer, but quite often I have to make the end of a round bar square. I have always just done this by sight, put the round bar in vice or V block, mill the top surface and then rotate through 90 and mill again. Obviosly repeating the process a couple more times until I get my square. I there a simple way of doing this so that the flats are all exactly square? It would be nice to be able to do 45 degrees as well but not really essential. I have been racking my brains trying to think of something I can make but just can't come up with anything.

cheers
daz
I'm not a complete idiot, some bits are missing!

Offline andyf

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Re: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2011, 06:54:42 AM »
Would it be practicable to have a length of square section stock, with a hole down its length to take the round bar and several setscrews to secure the one inside the other? Grip square bar in the vice, mill the first flat, rotate 90 to mill the second flat and so on. Unless grubscrews are used, the heads of the setscrews would need to sit in counterbores so they are below the surface of the square bar.

Andy
Sale, Cheshire
I've cut the end off it twice, but it's still too short

Offline daz

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Re: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2011, 07:19:04 AM »
Thats exactly the kind of simple thing I am after and it never occurred to me :doh:
I thought I was going to have to make some kind of tool to do it but this would be ideal.

thanks
daz
I'm not a complete idiot, some bits are missing!

Offline BillTodd

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Bill

Offline jiihoo

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Re: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2011, 07:54:13 AM »
Hi Daz,

How about the following algorithm to squaring the end of round stock:
1. Mill the first side
2. Turn 90 degrees. Check with engineer's square or spirit level that the side that you just milled is now vertical.
3. Mill the next side
4. Repeat 2. and 3. 2 more times

I.e. do just like you have done so far, but use an engineer's square or spirit level to make sure that the sides are at 90 degrees to each other.
This is not as accurate as what Bill and Andy have suggested, but it is more accurate than the process you have used so far and it might well be accurate enough depending on what you are doing.

Jari

Offline andyf

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Re: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2011, 08:38:17 AM »
Hi Daz,

If you do adopt the square bar method, try to get the hole down the middle of the square. Tap  the square firmly down on the base of the vice, do the first flat and then set the Z axis dial to zero. As you mill the other flats, again tap the square bar down, so that by working down to zero on the dial, you cut to the same depth on each side and should thus end up with a pretty accurate square end on your round stock.

For the 45 degrees you mentioned, you would need to make an octagonal bar (or maybe just put a substantial chamfer down two opposite corners of the square one).

Andy
Sale, Cheshire
I've cut the end off it twice, but it's still too short

Offline Jonny

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Re: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2011, 04:35:18 PM »
There is an easier way and do it about every month or so, saves moving the rotary table and re setting up vertically each time.

Round bar horizontal, mill one face, this will act as working edge for next step.
Face just machined put that at 90 degrees at back of vice, mill top no need to adjust height. You now have 90 degree angle if vice good.
Any of the two machine flats clamp in the vice, the height is now different so will need adjusting.
Lastly rotate 90 degrees for last face at same height, job done.

If part can be held vertically , dead simple just take equal cuts of each of the four edges at right angles.

Offline DavyC2

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Re: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2011, 08:04:32 PM »
if the round part is shortl enough mount it in your vise in the vertical position then use the X and Y feed controls of your milling machine to cut the four flats, you could use same set up after cutting first flat and then use a 45 degree gauge to index with. Just a quick a dirty way that I use. :D

davy

Offline Andrew_D

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Re: Ideas for a VERY simple indexer
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2012, 10:36:40 PM »
I had to cut a hex end on a special bolt that I made up while rebuilding my radial drill. Once I had the bolt turned on the lathe, I locked two nuts together on the threaded end. The bolt was long enough that the nuts hung out one end of the vise and the end to be made into a hex hung out the other end of the vise.

I then used a spirit level to get the top of one nut level and cut the flat on the opposite side. When done, rotate the bolt until the next flat was level and repeat.....

Andrew