- Joined
- Sep 5, 2013
- Messages
- 3,207
So I was browsing through an online tool catalogue the othe day and happened across those little clamp-type quill stops. Hah! Finally I remember that I want to buy one of those little things when I'm actually looking at a tool catalogue! Then I got to thinking, can't be that difficult to make one of those little gee-gaws, I mean really.
Not five minutes later I was in the shop looking over my vast array of supplies. Half inch nut oughta do it -- nope, maybe it's fine thread -- nope, surely it wouldn't be metric..... .
Long story short, yes it's a metric threaded rod, 12 mm x 1.75. This really surprises me because even though it's a Taiwanese drill press it's a pretty old one. Oh well, metric it is and I am lucky to have a tap. A short chunk of aluminum later and I have a new "nut" with the proper threads. It would have been nice too if I had a same size bolt to use as a mandrel but that would have been asking too much. So I just turned the tap around and chucked it on the shank to turn the outside of my nut down a little. It looks weird but it worked.
The springy bit is next, what to use for a clamp? The odd thing about hobby-machinists is that although they may not have a clothesline they probably will have a package of brand new stainless steel clothespins! Made in Italy, no less! Some careful modifications on the anvil bring the jaws more in line to fit my threaded sleeve, and some JB Weld will attach the sleeve to the clothespin.
I glued it in as one piece, and then slit the sleeve in half after the epoxy had cured. This kept the inside threads nicely aligned and oriented correctly. Two brainwaves in one day, I'm on a roll!
And the proof of concept -- works like a charm! Easy enough to grab on to, strong enough to grip the threads without slipping, and saves endless hours of otherwise twiddling the adjustment nuts up and down the stop rod. I think the aluminum sleeve will hold up ok, but if it doesn't I can always make a steel one. After all, I've still got nineteen clothespins left!
Thanks for looking.
-frank
Not five minutes later I was in the shop looking over my vast array of supplies. Half inch nut oughta do it -- nope, maybe it's fine thread -- nope, surely it wouldn't be metric..... .
Long story short, yes it's a metric threaded rod, 12 mm x 1.75. This really surprises me because even though it's a Taiwanese drill press it's a pretty old one. Oh well, metric it is and I am lucky to have a tap. A short chunk of aluminum later and I have a new "nut" with the proper threads. It would have been nice too if I had a same size bolt to use as a mandrel but that would have been asking too much. So I just turned the tap around and chucked it on the shank to turn the outside of my nut down a little. It looks weird but it worked.
The springy bit is next, what to use for a clamp? The odd thing about hobby-machinists is that although they may not have a clothesline they probably will have a package of brand new stainless steel clothespins! Made in Italy, no less! Some careful modifications on the anvil bring the jaws more in line to fit my threaded sleeve, and some JB Weld will attach the sleeve to the clothespin.
I glued it in as one piece, and then slit the sleeve in half after the epoxy had cured. This kept the inside threads nicely aligned and oriented correctly. Two brainwaves in one day, I'm on a roll!
And the proof of concept -- works like a charm! Easy enough to grab on to, strong enough to grip the threads without slipping, and saves endless hours of otherwise twiddling the adjustment nuts up and down the stop rod. I think the aluminum sleeve will hold up ok, but if it doesn't I can always make a steel one. After all, I've still got nineteen clothespins left!
Thanks for looking.
-frank
