# My First Machining Project



## ezduzit (Apr 3, 2016)

At 72-years old, I'm only just now learning to be a machinist. Though I've used my ancient Index Super 55 mill to slot a couple holes and fish-mouth a couple tubes, this is my first complex fabrication done mostly on the mill, and entirely of my own design.

It is an aluminum boom end fitting for a 30' sailboat. Milled from a solid block of aluminum, the body's corners have been rounded over to minimize risk of personal injury and protect against line chafe. For scale, the odd rounded feature fits inside a thin-walled 4" OD boom. The 2" plastic sheaves were purchased (only 2 installed for photo)--everything else I fab'd, myself. Sheaves will handle out-hall plus 2 reef lines, which will be hidden inside boom.

The sheave axle is 1/2" stainless bar whose end I turned down on the lathe {my first ever use of a lathe) for a press fit in the stainless end cap, before tig welding (also just learning) and then shaping/polishing. The cap sits partially in a shallow, milled slot to prevent the shaft from turning. The screw only prevents the shaft from falling out.

First I band-sawed a block of aluminum roughly to size, and fly-cut those surfaces. Then drilled 2 sets of 3 5/8" holes intersecting each other. From the holes I milled the slots. Now switching to the rotary table, all the features that relate to the boom shape were produced.

Back off the rotary table, one of the large, flat sides was end-milled and fly-cut. The other side was fly-cut only (easier). While in this position, the axle hole was drilled and the axle cap slot milled. Now the large, angled cut-away section was band-sawed away and the large radius shaped on the top fins. Re-staging on the fins, the small pocket on the bottom was milled away to lighten. Lastly the tap drill for the retaining screw was drilled through the body and axle cap, and the cap then clearance-hole drilled and countersunk. Drain hole was drilled and the body tapped. Where practical, outside corner radii were machined using a radius end mill. The rest were mostly hand-filed.

The project really pointed out some shortcomings in my tooling/setup and especially in my fledgling technique. But, in spite of the many challenges and mistakes it filled me with satisfaction and pride to see this project unfold and almost surprise me that I had created it.

All comments welcome.


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## Paul in OKC (Apr 3, 2016)

This is your first 'real' project? I quit!! I'd say ya done good and looks great!


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## 51cub (Apr 3, 2016)

Well, you certainly set a high bar for me to try to catch, my goodness!


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## kvt (Apr 3, 2016)

Ok,   That is your first project,   I have seen some commercial boat stuff that did not look that good.   What type of AL did you use to keep it more resistant to corrosion from salt


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## ezduzit (Apr 3, 2016)

Wow! So many responses so soon! Thanks fellas!

The aluminum was thought to be 6061-t6. It will get vapor honed/tumble deburred and hard, black anodize.


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## timekeeper01 (Apr 3, 2016)

ezduzit said:


> At 72-years old, I'm only just now learning to be a machinist. Though I've used my ancient Index Super 55 mill to slot a couple holes and fish-mouth a couple tubes, this is my first complex fabrication done mostly on the mill, and entirely of my own design.
> 
> It is an aluminum boom end fitting for a 30' sailboat. Milled from a solid block of aluminum, the body's corners have been rounded over to minimize risk of personal injury and protect against line chafe. For scale, the odd rounded feature fits inside a thin-walled 4" OD boom. The 2" plastic sheaves were purchased (only 2 installed for photo)--everything else I fab'd, myself. Sheaves will handle out-hall plus 2 reef lines, which will be hidden inside boom.
> 
> ...


Wow. I'm still learning how to sharpen lathe tools. Nice job.


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## CraigB1960 (Apr 3, 2016)

Excellent job!  At 72, you are off to an excellent start!


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## brino (Apr 3, 2016)

Very nice work ezduzit!

Please keep posting any other builds/projects, that's what makes this site so interesting.
Thanks for sharing.

-brino


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## FOMOGO (Apr 3, 2016)

Very nice work, looks like i have about 7 yrs to catch up to you. Hope I'm up to your skill level by then. Mike


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## tweinke (Apr 3, 2016)

Wow! As has been said you have set the bar high. Very nice work!


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## ezduzit (Apr 3, 2016)

Thanks so much fellas. Here are the tools I used: Index Super 55 mill, Logan V2557 (12"x35") lathe (shown being unloaded--can't believe how filthy the mill was), Troyke 12" rotary table, which is so heavy it must be stored where I can just crank the mill table over for transferring.


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## master of none (Apr 3, 2016)

I'm with you Fomogo I hope in 8 yrs. I can machine something half that precision and professional .Thanks for the incentive.


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## Steve Shannon (Apr 3, 2016)

That looks great!


 Steve Shannon, P.E.


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## ezduzit (Apr 4, 2016)

I just don't know how to handle all this praise--should have started machining sooner.  

And I must confess that this was an incredible challenge for me, not having had any personal machining experience. My first career was on the drawing board, in design engineering. And my second career has been as a boat builder, specializing in customizing yachts, much of it custom woodworking. Really loving this.


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## Redirish (Apr 4, 2016)

ezduzit said:


> I just don't know how to handle all this praise--should have started machining sooner.
> 
> And I must confess that this was an incredible challenge for me, not having had any personal machining experience. My first career was on the drawing board, in design engineering. And my second career has been as a boat builder, specializing in customizing yachts, much of it custom woodworking. Really loving this.[/       Well, I am 78, been doing machine work for over 35 years, and that is as good as good as it gets. You can take pride in your work, congratulations.


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## Tozguy (Apr 4, 2016)

ezduzit said:


> I just don't know how to handle all this praise--should have started machining sooner.
> 
> And I must confess that this was an incredible challenge for me, not having had any personal machining experience. My first career was on the drawing board, in design engineering. And my second career has been as a boat builder, specializing in customizing yachts, much of it custom woodworking. Really loving this.



Well it certainly was good preparation for your new career in machining! Very nice work.
It would be fair to say that we all here at HM know the wonderful feeling of making things for ourselves. Thanks for sharing your joy with us. 
Where do I apply to be your apprentice?


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## Franko (Apr 4, 2016)

Nice work, exdozit. I think you may have a future in this!


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## Bill Gruby (Apr 4, 2016)

Sorry I'm late her. You have done extremely well for a first project. Kudos to you.

 "Billy G"


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## Charles Spencer (Apr 4, 2016)

Great job and a couple of nice looking machines you have there.  Congratulations.


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## Billh50 (Apr 4, 2016)

Yep, certainly a professional looking part there. You did excellent work !


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## Bill W. (Apr 4, 2016)

Wow is right!!!  Very nice work...


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## ezduzit (Apr 4, 2016)

You're all very kind. Thank you.


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## BGHansen (Apr 4, 2016)

Excellent work!  Very impressive!

Bruce


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## gi_984 (Apr 4, 2016)

ezduzit,
      Impressive first project.  Looks very professional.  Good photos and documentation also.  I'm curious about the plastic sheaves.  Do you know if the material will hold up in your intended application over time?  Is there a way to easily remove the shaft and install new sheaves as they wear?  A good future project might making spare sheaves out of UHMW or aluminum with bronze bushings.


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## silence dogood (Apr 4, 2016)

Arrrrrg! Shiver me timbers.  Ye make me look like a swab.


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## ezduzit (Apr 4, 2016)

Thanks again fellas.

GI--the sheaves are made of Delrin (a perfectly suitable choice) by Schaefer Marine; unlike halyard sheaves, these are relatively lightly loaded. Removing the 8-32 screw releases the axle.


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## vtcnc (Apr 5, 2016)

What's to say except...wonderful!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## gi_984 (Apr 6, 2016)

Thanks for the update.  I was curious how it would hold up to salt water spray.  Nice feature to be able to replace a sheave as needed.  We look forward to seeing it anodized!


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## chips&more (Apr 6, 2016)

WOW, I’m speechless/typeless!


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## ChipsAlloy! (Apr 6, 2016)

Great job sir! You make me think of these guys I know who tell me its too late for them to start learning new stuff. You just proved how wrong they are!


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## ezduzit (Apr 8, 2016)

Thanks again fellas.

The axle shaft had been my first lathe project. The lathe also saved the following day for a friend who was repairing his old BMW 2002TI's parking brake. For years the car had been operated with the pivot pin halfway in, resulting in a badly worn pin and elongated holes (plus a broken bracket). It was challenging just to determine what size the original pin had to have been, which turned out that a 0.560" diameter was just right. The original was a plain shaft with two thin circlips (one of which was missing--the original failure) to hold it in place.  To make an identical replacement was out of the question, as I had no means to create the precise groove required, and had only one circlip.

In one of the coffee cans in which I collect old nuts and bolts (mostly used for weighting down wood/epoxy glue-ups) there was an ancient 5/8"x5" grade 5 bolt, which whose threaded end was chucked in the 3-jaw. Though I was careful approaching the hex head, for facing, I soon chipped the (3/8" square) brazed carbide tool. So instead I began to approach the head at a 45* angle, allowing the entire width of the tool to create a large chamfer where the hex met the head face. In this manner the hex head was soon transformed into a proper clevis head. Turning the body down to 0.560" was uneventful. My real difficulty began when it came time to part-off, as I have no parting tool.

So, using the side of the AXA tool holder, as a guide and support, a hacksaw got a fairly good groove started. In one of the tool holders I placed a hacksaw blade, angled up, as much as the tool holder would allow, clamping it to the holder. In this way the cross feed could be used to apply pressure, continually adjusting the blade's extension. It was pretty scarey, at times, with the blade grabbing. But the blade did not collapse, because the groove progressively supported it along its sides...took awhile...and then the new clevis easily parted from its parent bolt. Upon breaking down my makeshift setup, it became obvious why it took so long...the blade was in backwards!  Duh!

Lastly I drilled a hole through the pin for a cotter pin. And bored a stainless flat washer to fit.

Oh! And I ordered a parting tool holder.


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## FOMOGO (Apr 8, 2016)

You wouldn't be the first to do the backward thing, not that yours truly would ever be guilty of such a thing. Every task is an opportunity to learn something new. Ain't it a great life!! Mike


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## RegisG (Apr 9, 2016)

Very nice.  Just got my 1st mill and 1st lathe is on the way......I won't be 72 until July and you just set a great example for me to shoot for.
Thanks for sharing
Regis


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## gheumann (Apr 9, 2016)

As a hobbyist machinist and sailor...... NICE WORK! That was no easy piece.


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