My Metalshop/drafting projects - "Make Your Own Tools"

Just bought a K&E 42" Jacob's Parallel Straightedge for $5. It's just beautiful. Fine grain mahogany and maple with a plastic edge. For drawing parallel lines with a drafting machine. Cool looking.

Regarding accuracy of micrometers, I tried to get the print dimensions as close as I could. Then the company inspector would use his mike like a C-Clamp. Squeeze it till it wouldn't move any more... and say I was under size. So accuracy in hand tools was sometimes subjective. Went to school on that and corrected any dimension error beforehand on the gang mill where the run was 40,000. Then had to deburr each one on a Ladish? machine. That's why I went back to school! But wish I was still there now. :)
BB
 
Man, I had almost forgotten about the "copier" I got for Christmas one year. I was probably 8 or 9 so that would have been around 1967-1968. It was actually a blueprint "machine". Slip your 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper around the plastic tube containing the UV tube along with the blueprint paper, close the flap over it and expose it. I don't really remember how the ammonia part worked then. But the blueprint was the older style where the lines were white and the background was dark blue.

I used to get some really cool stuff when I was a kid. Anyone remember the Ideal Kookie Kamera? Take a picture and crank the film down into the developer tank. Similar to the Polaroid. I still have that.

Kookie.jpg

Kookie.jpg
 
I still have the depth gage I made. Looks identical to your drawing. The hammer went away a long time ago. Made several since, but not with the care of that first one. Great memories.

The comment about C-clamps brings an amusing (to some of us, anyway) anecdote. We were enduring a customer quality audit, and one wise guy machinist, carefully laid out properly sized C-clamps on a shop towel at his work station. That and sunglasses and he passed as our blind machinist. It was NOT funny to me, as at the time, I was Director of Quality Assurance. After explaining the odd sense of humor to the auditor (major oilfield company), he thought it was hilarious, and we passed the audit with flying colors. I have other audit stories for other times.

Those are good projects for our beginning machinists, and when they have them in 30-40 years, they will remember this place as where they were inspired to make them. That makes this place worthwhile to me. Thanks for posting the "cartoons". I grew up drafting. Still have some of the instruments, but the table and machine are long gone. All CAD now. I don't miss hand drafting too much, but a little, yes.
 
The comment about C-clamps brings an amusing (to some of us, anyway) anecdote. We were enduring a customer quality audit, and one wise guy machinist, carefully laid out properly sized C-clamps on a shop towel at his work station. That and sunglasses and he passed as our blind machinist. It was NOT funny to me, as at the time, I was Director of Quality Assurance. After explaining the odd sense of humor to the auditor (major oilfield company), he thought it was hilarious, and we passed the audit with flying colors. I have other audit stories for other times.

Amusing?? Ha!! That was downright funny!!! Thanks for sharing it!


Those are good projects for our beginning machinists, and when they have them in 30-40 years, they will remember this place as where they were inspired to make them. That makes this place worthwhile to me. Thanks for posting the "cartoons". I grew up drafting. Still have some of the instruments, but the table and machine are long gone. All CAD now. I don't miss hand drafting too much, but a little, yes.

My sentiments as well!
 
I was a draftsman for about 15 years, back in the late 50's. and today at a estate sale, I MISSED a complete set of Leroy lettering set with 6 or more templates / scales, the pen and different size tips in a beautiful wooden case. it had $20 on the price. I nearly bopped the fella on the head. . . . :) not really but it was a beautiful instrument from the past. . .

Holy smokes more than 50yrs since I had my hands on one of those!!
 
A question regarding the hammer drawings. In them I notice that the spec is for CRS, and that you then harden it. Never having hardened anything metal in my life, I'm curious as to what product you would add to the heated metal. I understand Kasenit(sp?) is no longer available, what would be a suitable alternative?

Terry
 
Depending on the carbon content if the steel, you may only need to quench it fast enough after you let it dwell at the proper austenitizing temperature. You would then need to temper it.

Or you could case harden it by a few different methods too.
 
i loved technical illustration in school.. taught a few classes too...hated cad
 
A question regarding the hammer drawings. In them I notice that the spec is for CRS, and that you then harden it. Never having hardened anything metal in my life, I'm curious as to what product you would add to the heated metal. I understand Kasenit(sp?) is no longer available, what would be a suitable alternative?

Terry

I understand that there is a product available called Cherry Red that is similar to the old Kasenit product. Midway USA carries it, and most likely Brownell's does now too. Not sure about Enco or McMaster Carr, but you could do a search for it. If you find out anything, it might be worthwhile to start a separate thread on it, probably in the Shop Made Tooling forum.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top