Making A Dovetail Slide

savarin

savarin

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For my vertical slide I was going to use box slides like the gingery versions.
Last night I had a brain fart and wondered if it would be possible to make an assembled dovetail by milling a 45' chamfer on a bar that can be bolted to the main plate (one on each side) then mill the same chamfer down both sides of the slide plate to fit between them. This would be easier than using a dovetail cutter.
Gibs can be added as required.
Anyone see why this wouldnt work?
 
Sounds good to me, just need to get it bolted down really solidly and with sliding surfaces parallel. Ditto on parallel for the slide plate sliding surfaces.
 
Don't see why not, though I'm sure there will be some unforeseen hurdles along the way.
 
Once you have everything aligned and moving as you want, I'd recommend a couple of dowel pins on each side to ensure that they don't move relative to each other or the base plate. This would better simulate machining it from a solid piece. Take the time to polish by lapping the bearing surfaces and then either flake it or cut some oil grooves in it, not the moving part, but the fixed part. On the side that will get the gib, put the oil grooves in the contact side of the gib, and drill through some oil holes that break into the oil grooves. You must find a way to keep a film of oil in the contact areas.
 
Thanks guys, I like the idea of the dowel pins as well.
Pity it isnt made yet as they will be easier to machine on the new version. I will just have to take it slow.
 
Tony is right about doweling. I made a small slide years ago like that. The rails can move if they are not doweled. Rough drill the dowel holes. Align everything for a good fit and tighten screws. Then ream the dowel holes. You should be good to go.
 
thanks, had a test at using a carbide woodworking router bit to try and cut the chamfer.
It broke.
It will all have to wait for a couple of weeks now as I'm off to Japan Friday.
 
As to the angle, 45 degrees is uncommon for dovetails, the standard being 60 deg., which gives a more open and easier to scrape dovetail and the male part does not get so pinched down at its base, leaving more room for a lead screw.
 
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