Show Us Your Shop Made Tooling!

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Digital Depth Gauge

I made a base for a digital indicator and turned it into a very useful digital depth gauge. The collet that holds the indicator is available from McMaster Carr, MCS, and Starrett. By using different indicator tips, it can be used on very small diameter holes. The base is tool steel that has been ground flat, but not hardened.

 

[melsdad]

Looks good. How have you used it so far?

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[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Looks good. How have you used it so far?

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I assume you are asking about my depth gauge. Yes, I use it regularly. I have a digital Mitutoyo, 0 to 6" and a vernier Starrett 0 to 6", and I use my modified indicator the most, especially on holes from 0 to 1". It's quick and just as accurate as the other gauges.

 

[Jim1942]

I'm nowhere near the machinist that many of you guys are by any means of the word, but I have built a few pieces of machinery that have been a big help around the farm and my shop.

I saw a belt sander that takes a 3" X 120" belt and decided I would get a lot of use out of one. Well, actually I built 2 because I wanted 1 in my wood working shop and another down to my shed where I do some black smithing. I also wanted to build myself a power hammer.

I had an old set of 2 bottom plows sitting down in the woods and thought there was most of what I needed right there.

Attached are some pictures of the belt sanders and the power hammer. Also, is a picture of a hydraulic press that I built. I've had a lot of use out of it, especially when I needed to press a broach to cut an internal keyway. Not much precision, but good work horses on all 3 pieces.

Sorry, but I don't have very good lighting down to the shed. The power hammer and press don't show up good. Perhaps I'll do better later if there is any interest.

Jim

 

[melsdad]

I built a 2" x 72" belt grinder a few years ago. It is a KMG clone with a 2 hp 3ph motor run off a VFD. I still need to get everything powder coated and make a few more wheels, but she is running good!





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[melsdad]

Here is a swiveling vise base that I made for apattot vise. I use this mainly for knife work, but it has been useful for other jobs over the years.
It swivels 360º and at an angle of 45º and locks down very snug with tightening any of the 3 s.h.c.s. in the base



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[jbolt]

I thought the commercial rotary broach holders were priced way too high for what they are so I rolled my own. Body and tool holder from scrap 1018 crs, modified MT3/JT4 drill chuck arbor $8, ball and thrust bearings $30. I still need to make a straight arbor for using in the mill. Cutter in picture is 1/2" hex from Polygon. I plan on making my own as soon as I get my furnace built. So far I have used it to hex broach steel pinion gears.



Jay

 

[xalky]

That's very cool. I've never seen a rotary broach in action. Is it a vibratory fore/aft motion that cuts the broach?

 

[jbolt]

That's very cool. I've never seen a rotary broach in action. Is it a vibratory fore/aft motion that cuts the broach?

Here is a definition from Slater Tools. They have some videos too.


"Rotary broaching, also known as wobble broaching, is an exclusive, fast, amazing and accurate method of producing internal and external polygon forms on the end of a workpiece.
The Rotary Broach Tool Holder can be used on any CNC, Swiss, milling, screw or other turning machine. The Rotary Broach Tool Holder has an internal live spindle which holds an end cutting broach tool.
In a lathe, screw or other turning machine, the Rotary Broach Tool Holder is mounted stationary while its internal live spindle and rotary broach rotate with the workpiece. Driven by the workpiece, the rotary broach tool's corners are continually changing contact points on the workpiece, making a wobbling type action while it cuts each corner of the form. In a milling machine, the Tool Holder's body rotates with the machine spindle while its internal live spindle and the rotary broach tool remain stationary. This also creates a wobbling type action while the rotary broach tool's corners are continually changing contact points on the workpiece.
Form sizes can be broached up to 2 inches in aluminum, 1.5 inches in brass and 1 inch in steel. This is only a point of reference as many other materials and depths have been successfully rotary broached.
The recommended forming depth of rotary broaching is up to 1.5 times the distance across flats or the diameter of the inscribed circle profile to be broached. This again is only a point of reference. Depending on the application, deeper depths can be achieved."

 

[xalky]

OK, so it's very similar to a rotary hammer drill in action. What I want to know is how is he producing the wobble?