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2017 POTD Thread Archive
- Thread starter jpfabricator
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2014
- Messages
- 2,634
I broke the draw bar on my Bridgeport yesterday. The draw bar was probably shop made and was an assembly of a piece of 7/16" drill rod and 3/4" hex stock. Threaded a piece of 7/16" CRS on the lathe, then cross-drilled and pinned the 3/4" and 7/16" pieces together. Back and running!
Bruce
Bruce
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2014
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- 3,609
Nice job Bruce.
I'm curious why you undersized the collet end thread on the drawbar? Is that 'normal'. I've not seen that done before.
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2014
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- 2,634
I went slightly under so it would thread into the right angle head I'd just purchased. I cleaned the arbor with a toothbrush and solvent, oiled it up, but still couldn't get my original draw bar to thread in by hand. Thought a little "wrench action" would help, but it snapped the draw bar. I'll make another one with a standard pitch (0.405" off the top of my head) as the original draw bar threaded fine in my collets and collet chucks.
Bruce
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2014
- Messages
- 1,531
I was able to start on another little project on Saturday that I have had floating around in my head for a long time now. I’m fabricating a fixture to hold axles on while working on them.
I wanted to build something back when I was building street rods, muscle cars and race cars but never found the time. Then I got away from them for a while when we were heavy into duning and snowmobiling but over the past several years of working on Jeeps and off-road vehicles I have been thinking it may have to go back on the “to do” list.
I’m tired of wrestling these axles around on my welding table. My son is getting ready to build the axles for his new Jeep WJ project and a friend asked me to build his axles in his Jeep after the first of the year so now is as good of time as any.
I dug through my metal supply and was able to locate everything I need so no out of pocket expense. The best kind of project.
I started with the adapter that will bolt to the engine stand.
Next I started on the arms that will come out from the stand. I cut recesses into them and filled those with some 4”x .250” wall tube that will support the axle and have the other have of the tube hinge over and pin.
I'm usually NOT of a fan of grinding my welds but in this case I had a hard edge on the top of the saddle and on the sides of the rectangular tubing and the weld resided in between. I didn't like that hard edge so I used an emery roll to break those two edges and blend the sides of the rectangular tubing into the flat of the saddle assembly.
Next up is to machine the hinge setup for the top of the clamps and then weld the arms to the supports.
Thanks for looking.
Mike
I wanted to build something back when I was building street rods, muscle cars and race cars but never found the time. Then I got away from them for a while when we were heavy into duning and snowmobiling but over the past several years of working on Jeeps and off-road vehicles I have been thinking it may have to go back on the “to do” list.
I’m tired of wrestling these axles around on my welding table. My son is getting ready to build the axles for his new Jeep WJ project and a friend asked me to build his axles in his Jeep after the first of the year so now is as good of time as any.
I dug through my metal supply and was able to locate everything I need so no out of pocket expense. The best kind of project.
I started with the adapter that will bolt to the engine stand.
Next I started on the arms that will come out from the stand. I cut recesses into them and filled those with some 4”x .250” wall tube that will support the axle and have the other have of the tube hinge over and pin.
I'm usually NOT of a fan of grinding my welds but in this case I had a hard edge on the top of the saddle and on the sides of the rectangular tubing and the weld resided in between. I didn't like that hard edge so I used an emery roll to break those two edges and blend the sides of the rectangular tubing into the flat of the saddle assembly.
Next up is to machine the hinge setup for the top of the clamps and then weld the arms to the supports.
Thanks for looking.
Mike
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Firestopper
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Nice Mike,
I make special jigs when ever I do an axel job. I prefer a teardown table for all those parts new and old but thats a neat idea. Hammering/tapping is required for all axel work I've done so a solid platform is preferred. It is nice to have a stock pile for these special projects.
Your Heliarc weld is looking sweet too.
Incidentally, the tear down/build table also serves as a weld table and once the axels in place theres no wrestling with it. Always make the jigs tall enough to allow for a drain pan.
Welding, grinding on solid table. Those jigs have indexing pins that match the spring pins.
All the goodies can be laid out on the 4x8 table for reassembly. The receiver comes in handy for working on third members and taking those critical measurements.
ready for fork lift insert (I cheat)
Just another idea for saving time.
I make special jigs when ever I do an axel job. I prefer a teardown table for all those parts new and old but thats a neat idea. Hammering/tapping is required for all axel work I've done so a solid platform is preferred. It is nice to have a stock pile for these special projects.
Your Heliarc weld is looking sweet too.
Incidentally, the tear down/build table also serves as a weld table and once the axels in place theres no wrestling with it. Always make the jigs tall enough to allow for a drain pan.
Welding, grinding on solid table. Those jigs have indexing pins that match the spring pins.
All the goodies can be laid out on the 4x8 table for reassembly. The receiver comes in handy for working on third members and taking those critical measurements.
ready for fork lift insert (I cheat)
Just another idea for saving time.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2014
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Looks great Paco. I thought about doing something almost exactly like that and incorporate it into my welding table. However, the last few axles that I have done also have included quite a bit of fabrication and I didn't want to tie up my welding table. When I did the last one I slid the axle to the side of the bench but it didn't net me enough room as I wanted so in the end had my son help me lift the axle to the floor out of the way then when I was ready to weld everything to the axle, we manhandled it back up onto the welding table.
This way I can wheel the axle to either the workbenches or the welding table and have a place to place parts/components on or even wheel it outside for paint. My engine stand is quite heavy and solid as well so it should work out well, although not quite as rock solid as my welding table.
Mike
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Firestopper
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That make sense Mike. With your new work space, I see a tear down rolling cart/table in your future . Your blessed to have the space.
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- Mar 12, 2014
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Thanks Paco. Unfortunately I don't have as much unused space as you would think and I don't want to go filling what little I have left all willy nilly like.lol
Another reason I made this in an adapter format rather than a specific cart or full-size stand was that I can detach it from the engine stand and make a hanger to hang it on the wall and eat up zero floor space.
Mike