Group Project: Dividing Head - The Build

No pictures yet, but I got my angle plate finished up, and took the first facing cut to clean up the first main base. It's going to be a lot of work for this RF-30 clone. After the face cut, I'll square the sides, cut bolt slots, mill the pin slots, drill and tap the alignment block holes, and bore the lightening holes. All features of the bottom will be completed before removing from the mill vice.

For boring the main and auxiliary base for the trunnion, I have decided that I'm going to do it on the lathe. I'll remove the cross-slide and build a mount (plinth?). that the base will bolt down and indicate to. I'll mount a tool to face the side of the main base, so that it is guaranteed 90 degrees. I'm making what may be the biggest boring bar that a Craftsman Commercial 12x36 has ever seen. That bar will be chucked, and the workpiece fed into it. I may even put an MT3 taper on it so that I don't have to worry about chuck alignment. I'm making the bar out of some 3" diameter A36. I had to take about .100" off to clean off the rust and pitting.

Unfortunately, I was forced to travel to Key West for the holiday. It's so terribly bad. You guys raise a glass for me, if you would.
 
I have been wondering how you would tackle this.
Robert
 
rwm said:
I have been wondering how you would tackle this.
Robert
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If the setup is as rigid as I hope it to be, I will be boring the holes for the trunnion crank and spindle lock in the same way. I'll have to buy hole saws of the correct size; but, then I will just need to bore the holes in the correct positions, and then cut excess material from around them.
 
Ugh... My telescoping bore gauge apparently developed a "set" where tightening it started putting it in the same spot each time. I decided to just order a dial bore gauge and hope I did well enough on the ones so far.
 
My 4x6 is where just about every project starts. It's been well worth getting. I highly recommend it and a quality blade. I've had a Lennox for a while now. It's held up much longer than the blades I have bought locally.

I hope to get cutting on the trunnion tomorrow.
 
Now I get it!

You guys are fundamentally using the indexer project as an excuse to buy more tools. :grin:

PS: I think it would be fantastic if you guys would publish a list of $$$ spent on tools and stock plus hours spent on the project. IMHO, they would be significant numbers.
 
extropic said:
Now I get it!

You guys are fundamentally using the indexer project as an excuse to buy more tools. :grin:

PS: I think it would be fantastic if you guys would publish a list of $$$ spent on tools and stock plus hours spent on the project. IMHO, they would be significant numbers.
Click to expand...
Duh.
I just realized I should probably buy a dividing head to drill the hole pattern in my part.
Robert
 
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