- Joined
- Mar 13, 2015
- Messages
- 9
Folks,
I'm a retired mechanical engineering tech and shop teacher. (I have some machining background, but still learning). I'm a graduate student at Iowa State University. I have a project to build some hardware that will let kids safely do miniaturized woodworking. (I call it woodworking, but it's closer to using machine shop techniques on soft materials). The working title of the hardware is WIC (Wood Shop in a Can). WIC will be low feeds, low speeds, low decibel and manually cranked (not motorized). It will be designed primarily to help the kids explore at their own pace - and ultimately lend meaning to their math and science courses - by actually using the math and science to machine wood and make something durable. That's the focus right now. But the hardware in another form can help other deserving populations to do miniaturized woodworking – folks that might not interface well with a conventional woodworking shop –seniors, children, mentally and physically handicapped - and perhaps especially combat vets who might benefit from woodworking in an atmosphere that is more relaxing and less threatening than a wood shop. (A wood shop is a wonderful place, but essentially it is composed of islands of activity that involve super-sharp surfaces running at high decibel and high rpm. That is not necessarily therapeutic to some folks that have had traumatic experiences).
The hardware is going to require some industrial grade precision. That's why I bought the PM 932 (vertical) mill. Money is tight with graduate school. At present, I cannot afford a lathe. I have a large number of small cylindrical parts to make - some of the steps requiring traditional lathe techniques - turning, parting, grooving, facing, chamfering, knurling. I am purchasing a Vertex horizontal/vertical 8 inch rotary table, tailstock, dividing plate set and chuck from Fred at Hamilton tool. I'm seeing the challenges in two different flavors:
With the rotary table horizontal and the cylindrical part chucked or held vertically - (I can do this with parts that will not require any sort of steady rest or tailstock support). With these parts, I will have to move the part into a rotating, spindle mounted tool - and then turn the rotary table. I don't see a problem with this if I can accomplish the right feed using the rotary table crank.
(for turning operations that exceed the length of the cutting tool cutting surface, I would need to move the part into the rotating, spindle mounted tool, crank the rotary table 360, manually feed the tool vertically (don't have power down feed on the quill), crank the rotary table 360, etc. – don't know what this would do to my surface finish - and don't know how truly cylindrical the resulting journal or shoulder would be)
Think this would work with reduced shank square end mills, ball mills, woodruff cutters (for slots).
With the rotary table vertical and the cylindrical part chucked horizontally (center line along the x-axis) - (I would only do this if the part required steady rest or tail stock support) - I'm assuming I could perform turning operations using a side cutting mill. On the y-axis, I would manually feed the part into the rotating, spindle mounted tool. Then I would need to coordinate turning the rotary table and, at the same time, engaging the x-axis power feed. Again, don't know what this would do to surface finish or to the finished geometry of the cut. [would not want to inadvertently be cutting threads
].
(this last scenario disturbs me. Seems like I would be feeding the part obliquely to the end mill – not sure that a helical end mill would be the best choice – maybe a straight fluted end mill?
Understand immediate reaction is "get a lathe" , but really don't have that option now. Would appreciate comments on what I'm proposing above. It's a great project (I'm four years into it) and I think the kids will love it.
Tom
I'm a retired mechanical engineering tech and shop teacher. (I have some machining background, but still learning). I'm a graduate student at Iowa State University. I have a project to build some hardware that will let kids safely do miniaturized woodworking. (I call it woodworking, but it's closer to using machine shop techniques on soft materials). The working title of the hardware is WIC (Wood Shop in a Can). WIC will be low feeds, low speeds, low decibel and manually cranked (not motorized). It will be designed primarily to help the kids explore at their own pace - and ultimately lend meaning to their math and science courses - by actually using the math and science to machine wood and make something durable. That's the focus right now. But the hardware in another form can help other deserving populations to do miniaturized woodworking – folks that might not interface well with a conventional woodworking shop –seniors, children, mentally and physically handicapped - and perhaps especially combat vets who might benefit from woodworking in an atmosphere that is more relaxing and less threatening than a wood shop. (A wood shop is a wonderful place, but essentially it is composed of islands of activity that involve super-sharp surfaces running at high decibel and high rpm. That is not necessarily therapeutic to some folks that have had traumatic experiences).
The hardware is going to require some industrial grade precision. That's why I bought the PM 932 (vertical) mill. Money is tight with graduate school. At present, I cannot afford a lathe. I have a large number of small cylindrical parts to make - some of the steps requiring traditional lathe techniques - turning, parting, grooving, facing, chamfering, knurling. I am purchasing a Vertex horizontal/vertical 8 inch rotary table, tailstock, dividing plate set and chuck from Fred at Hamilton tool. I'm seeing the challenges in two different flavors:
With the rotary table horizontal and the cylindrical part chucked or held vertically - (I can do this with parts that will not require any sort of steady rest or tailstock support). With these parts, I will have to move the part into a rotating, spindle mounted tool - and then turn the rotary table. I don't see a problem with this if I can accomplish the right feed using the rotary table crank.
(for turning operations that exceed the length of the cutting tool cutting surface, I would need to move the part into the rotating, spindle mounted tool, crank the rotary table 360, manually feed the tool vertically (don't have power down feed on the quill), crank the rotary table 360, etc. – don't know what this would do to my surface finish - and don't know how truly cylindrical the resulting journal or shoulder would be)
Think this would work with reduced shank square end mills, ball mills, woodruff cutters (for slots).
With the rotary table vertical and the cylindrical part chucked horizontally (center line along the x-axis) - (I would only do this if the part required steady rest or tail stock support) - I'm assuming I could perform turning operations using a side cutting mill. On the y-axis, I would manually feed the part into the rotating, spindle mounted tool. Then I would need to coordinate turning the rotary table and, at the same time, engaging the x-axis power feed. Again, don't know what this would do to surface finish or to the finished geometry of the cut. [would not want to inadvertently be cutting threads
].(this last scenario disturbs me. Seems like I would be feeding the part obliquely to the end mill – not sure that a helical end mill would be the best choice – maybe a straight fluted end mill?
Understand immediate reaction is "get a lathe" , but really don't have that option now. Would appreciate comments on what I'm proposing above. It's a great project (I'm four years into it) and I think the kids will love it.
Tom
