First order of business was cutting of a suitable length, about 30mm, of 60x60 aluminium bar, with the hacksaw. I guess in total that little task has taken an hour or so, over the course of a couple of days. I learnt something; I need a power saw!
Not that such a tool would have been useful this morning, as the local electricity supplier had selected my neighbours and I for some demand side management, colloquially known as "load shedding".
When the power resumed I was ready to square up the workpiece, though only once I'd worked out how to fit a 60mm piece into a 46mm vise; apparently it's done carefully, sideways and using a #3 centre drill to manage the hacksaw straight edge.
In went the fly cutter and chips went a'flying. I learnt somethings; I need a shop-vac; I need a plan to enclose the mill; fly cutting produces some seriously sharp swarf; swarf floats on tea.
Some hours later the result is quite pleasing.
The design, a "ball screw nut carrier", calls for a piece 46x42x24, so there is some metal to remove. Maybe tomorrow
Oh, this is really the first time I've used a mill in probably 20 years. The tool of the day was my new toy, a Sherline 5410, and though the result is not exactly complex, I enjoyed making it, and learnt a few things along the way.
