- Joined
- Feb 17, 2013
- Messages
- 4,407
OK, I've read about the Edge Technology tool post drill chuck (https://www.edgetechnologyproducts.com/tool-post-drill-chuck/) a couple of times in HM forums. So I finally bit the bullet and ordered one. Gotta say it's a very nicely designed gadget. It even has a special hole (with a magnet at the bottom) to hold the 1/2" alignment pin. But durn! You need a 3/16" Allen wrench for setup as often as you need the centering pin. And there ain't no handy place to store the Allen wrench!
I decided to cut a 7/32" groove across the "hump" in the stationary part of the body, to provide a long enough flat surface for the Allen wrench to lay on, then add two small magnets to hold it in place. Only trouble is ... the magnets I have are just a skosh over 1/4" in diameter.
I wanted a flat bottomed hole, so an end mill was the preferred cutting tool. But all my 1/4" end mills are either right on or slightly smaller. And neodymium magnets are notoriously brittle. Any attempt to press one into an undersized hole will result in a little pile of magnet dust.
My solution was about as eccentric as I am. I slipped some paper between the mill collet and the spindle.
The resulting wobbulation of the end mill gave me the slightly oversized hole I needed for the magnets to slip right in.
A test fit with a 3/16" Allen wrench verified the design. All that's left is to mix up a bit of epoxy, embed the magnets, and Bob's your uncle.
PS - Anybody with a pair of eyes can easily find the "OOPS" in the groove. I was using a Chinese "wet noodle steel" 7/32" end mill that was just too long. It wandered sideways as I was cutting the groove. Got rid of it and finished the job with a carbide mill. I "deburred" the upper part of the groove with a triangular file to help hide my goof.
I decided to cut a 7/32" groove across the "hump" in the stationary part of the body, to provide a long enough flat surface for the Allen wrench to lay on, then add two small magnets to hold it in place. Only trouble is ... the magnets I have are just a skosh over 1/4" in diameter.
I wanted a flat bottomed hole, so an end mill was the preferred cutting tool. But all my 1/4" end mills are either right on or slightly smaller. And neodymium magnets are notoriously brittle. Any attempt to press one into an undersized hole will result in a little pile of magnet dust.
My solution was about as eccentric as I am. I slipped some paper between the mill collet and the spindle.
The resulting wobbulation of the end mill gave me the slightly oversized hole I needed for the magnets to slip right in.
A test fit with a 3/16" Allen wrench verified the design. All that's left is to mix up a bit of epoxy, embed the magnets, and Bob's your uncle.
PS - Anybody with a pair of eyes can easily find the "OOPS" in the groove. I was using a Chinese "wet noodle steel" 7/32" end mill that was just too long. It wandered sideways as I was cutting the groove. Got rid of it and finished the job with a carbide mill. I "deburred" the upper part of the groove with a triangular file to help hide my goof.
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