# Some tooling for my shop :)



## Mach89 (Feb 17, 2017)

So, here is a pic of some of my tooling I made. I know I already posted about the vise, but here it is again holding a block that will soon be a quick change tool holder for the tool post I'm going to make. The dovetail was cut using the indexable dovetail cutter shown that I also made. It works good for facing too I think (faces beside the dovetail). And it's held in the spindle with the R8 tool holder I made.

I love making tools and using them to make tools (and other cool stuff, of course).



**Edit**
One dovetail joint complete. Need to do the one on the adjacent side and the tool post dovetails will be done. Then of course there's a lot of other machining to do. But I have successfully cut my first pair of mating dovetails.


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## Billh50 (Feb 17, 2017)

Nice RED X's.....did it take long to make those X's ?


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## Bob Korves (Feb 17, 2017)

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


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## ACHiPo (Feb 17, 2017)

A 6" vise is overkill for a RF45 style mill. A 4" is more appropiate for that size mill & IMO 5" max. I have a 5" GMT vise on my PM45 & it's slightly too big. Not enough Y axis travel to make use of the 5" full capacity. Better to save your money rather than getting something too big & most importantly the weight. I take my vise of the table quite often, a 6" is still light enough for me to be carried by hand but I'm glad I have a 5". I also have a 4" vise as well. I prefer the 5" though.

But those GMT 6" Premium vises are pretty nice. I'd love to have one but don't need one on my current mill. But if you plan on upgrading to a full size knee mill in the future than the 6" will be perfect.


Here's what the 5" looks like on my mill.




I couldn't even complete this cut without my bellows & DRO scale getting in the way. Not enough Y travel & the 5" vise is not even maxed out.




Here's what a 6" vise looks like on another PM45 (gt40's)
View attachment 253544


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## Billh50 (Feb 17, 2017)

Bob,
This issue has been here for a while. If a post was pinned on how to attach pics properly this wouldn't happen at all. I for one will not go through the reply to see a pic. I figure it isn't worth it to me. And I am sure others feel the same way as it is sometimes a pain to remove the reply after.


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## RandyM (Feb 17, 2017)

Billh50 said:


> Bob,
> This issue has been here for a while. If a post was pinned on how to attach pics properly this wouldn't happen at all. I for one will not go through the reply to see a pic. I figure it isn't worth it to me. And I am sure others feel the same way as it is sometimes a pain to remove the reply after.



It's a TapaTalk  issue. Avoid using that program to post pics will solve the issue for now. The best thing to do right now is to report the post to the staff and we will fix it.


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## Billh50 (Feb 17, 2017)

Randy,
I know it's a TapaTalk issue. But if they inserted the pic the right way it shows up instead of a red x. There have been a few posts on this but they get lost so new people do not know the right way.
I don't use TapaTalk or my phone to come here. So I don't remember the right way. I know it has something to do with using the paperclip function on TapaTalk. That was why I ask a while ago if a thread could be pinned to the top of the forums for posting pics in TapaTalk. But I guess that can't be done like other forums do.


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## RandyM (Feb 17, 2017)

Billh50 said:


> Randy,
> I know it's a TapaTalk issue. But if they inserted the pic the right way it shows up instead of a red x. There have been a few posts on this but they get lost so new people do not know the right way.
> I don't use TapaTalk or my phone to come here. So I don't remember the right way. I know it has something to do with using the paperclip function on TapaTalk. That was why I ask a while ago if a thread could be pinned to the top of the forums for posting pics in TapaTalk. But I guess that can't be done like other forums do.



Bill, I am already in over my head on this one and was not aware of a solution for this issue, as this is not technology I use. It might help if you can find the thread that has the solution and post a link. In fact, I am not opposed to you starting a thread with the solution in the proper forum (Site Help & Issues) section and I will be more than happy to make it a sticky. And yes, as you already know we have all kinds of sticky threads in our forums.


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## Bob Korves (Feb 17, 2017)

Billh50 said:


> Bob,
> This issue has been here for a while. If a post was pinned on how to attach pics properly this wouldn't happen at all. I for one will not go through the reply to see a pic. I figure it isn't worth it to me. And I am sure others feel the same way as it is sometimes a pain to remove the reply after.


Bill, all I know is that it is what it is, and I am able to help others by posting a pretty easy work around until Tapatalk and our site software vendor get together on a fix that works for all platforms.  Anger and frustration about it is understandable, but achieves nothing useful.  Boycotting the addressable issue merely results in marginalizing yourself.  I, for one, learn a lot here and I do not want to miss useful information that is accessible pretty easily -- the pragmatic approach...


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## Billh50 (Feb 17, 2017)

Bob,
That's fine for you. I figure if someone needs help or wants to show off something they can also learn to post so that everyone sees it without extra UN-neccessary clicks.
That's just my opinion.


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## RandyM (Feb 17, 2017)

Thanks guys, now back to topic. Please. No need to hash this out any further.

Warning, your post will be deleted if we can not stick to the topic. Thank you.


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## Downunder Bob (Feb 19, 2017)

Bob Korves said:


> Bill and others, if you click on "Reply", you can see the pics.  Until the attachment issues get straightened out here, that is a useful workaround for the red X's.
> 
> Maach89, I see you made your mill vise as well...
> -Bob Korves





Bob Korves said:


> Bill and others, if you click on "Reply", you can see the pics.  Until the attachment issues get straightened out here, that is a useful workaround for the red X's.
> 
> Maach89, I see you made your mill vise as well...
> -Bob Korves





Billh50 said:


> Bob,
> This issue has been here for a while. If a post was pinned on how to attach pics properly this wouldn't happen at all. I for one will not go through the reply to see a pic. I figure it isn't worth it to me. And I am sure others feel the same way as it is sometimes a pain to remove the reply after.



I agree Bill, in fact the reply trick doesn't even work for me, old computer maybe don't know, don't care, I see a red X,  I just move on.


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## JayMcClellan (Feb 20, 2017)

Mach89 said:


> The dovetail was cut using the indexable dovetail cutter shown that I also made. It works good for facing too I think (faces beside the dovetail). And it's held in the spindle with the R8 tool holder I made.



Those are nice looking dovetails. I really like the shop-made dovetail cutter and I'd like to see some more pictures of it.


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## Bob Korves (Feb 20, 2017)

JayMcClellan said:


> Those are nice looking dovetails. I really like the shop-made dovetail cutter and I'd like to see some more pictures of it.


Different cutter, but great videos and very nice working cutter.  I have one.


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## Mach89 (Feb 21, 2017)

JayMcClellan said:


> Those are nice looking dovetails. I really like the shop-made dovetail cutter and I'd like to see some more pictures of it.


Thanks. I'll get some pics for you and post them soon. Hopefully, I can actually get them to post this time.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## Mach89 (Mar 8, 2017)

A bit late, but as promised. Here some more pics of the dovetail cutter I made. I haven't had a chance to do anything in my garage lately so getting the pics slipped my mind. 






Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## rwm (Mar 8, 2017)

I made one of these and had a sloppy fit to the insert. I shimmed it and it works fine. I like the technique in the video #4 as a way to find the correct drill spot.
Theoretically, if you used a 3/8 end mill and don't move the X axis, you should be in the right spot for the screw hole. Somehow this did not work for me. I think the drill skated about 10 thou.
Robert


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## Mach89 (Mar 8, 2017)

rwm said:


> I made one of these and had a sloppy fit to the insert. I shimmed it and it works fine. I like the technique in the video #4 as a way to find the correct drill spot.
> Theoretically, if you used a 3/8 end mill and don't move the X axis, you should be in the right spot for the screw hole. Somehow this did not work for me. I think the drill skated about 10 thou.
> Robert


The way I did mine was when I cut for the inserts, I went 3/16" from the wall (3/8 inscribed circle insert) then backed it up I believe .002" toward the wall so the insert would press tight against it. The first time I put the insert in it was tight and leaning a bit, so I tightened it down till it was flat. Now they fit snug and are flat. Might not be the best way, but it worked for me.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## JayMcClellan (Mar 8, 2017)

Thanks for the pics. What do you think about using only a single insert vs. two? It seems that it would be difficult to get two of them in perfect alignment, and if not perfect then one insert would be doing most of the cutting. Conversely with only a single cutter there's no alignment issue but perhaps more vibration. It would be slower cutting but that wouldn't matter much for those of us who only cut a few dovetails per year. Thoughts?


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## Mach89 (Mar 8, 2017)

JayMcClellan said:


> Thanks for the pics. What do you think about using only a single insert vs. two? It seems that it would be difficult to get two of them in perfect alignment, and if not perfect then one insert would be doing most of the cutting. Conversely with only a single cutter there's no alignment issue but perhaps more vibration. It would be slower cutting but that wouldn't matter much for those of us who only cut a few dovetails per year. Thoughts?


I did two for "two flute" configuration. I've seen designs with just one and have heard of no issues. As for perfect alignment, theoretically if they are not perfectly aligned, one would act as a rougher and the other a finisher. Where I work, the scalper for aluminum ingots works on this principle. There are numerous roughing cutters, 1 semifinisher, and 1 finisher. All are on the same cutting head, they are just offset in such a way that the roughers do most of the work while the semifinisher and finisher cut very shallow. So, whether it is an efficient and effective method, I don't know, but it works for the scalper and my dovetail cutter works pretty good. But I have no doubt, 1 insert would be fine. Just simplified design.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## Bob Korves (Mar 8, 2017)

Sure you can use one insert.  Running multiple cutter tooling with some of the cutters removed is a common practice.


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## Bob Korves (Mar 8, 2017)

Running one insert becomes a carbide insert fly cutter...


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