Looking for mini lathe / mini mill projects.

[stioc]

@Yester, I really like your tooling pallet, it's on my to-do list. What size and spacing did you pick for the threaded holes? I was thinking 1/4-20 and 1". Also are there pre-made dowel pins you can buy like the ones you show? I take it those aren't through holes either?

 

[Yester5]

@Yester, I really like your tooling pallet, it's on my to-do list. What size and spacing did you pick for the threaded holes? I was thinking 1/4-20 and 1". Also are there pre-made dowel pins you can buy like the ones you show? I take it those aren't through holes either?

Thanks!
Yes, they are 1/4-20 and the spacing is 1”
The pins are 3/16” drill rod that I cut and chamfered on my disk grinder using my cordless drill. I made them before I purchased my lathe.
The other side of the pallet has a steel block that’s aligned with the holes screwed in place. It allows me to simply clamp it in my vise for doing light duty cutting of G-10 and Micarta. For heavy duty work, I remove the block and vise and clamp the pallet directly to the mill table


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[Brento]

What is the big dowel with the red square for?

 

[Yester5]

That is a 0.25 reamed hole with a 3/8-1/4" index pin. When I make scales for folding knives, I index the mill spindle to this hole. I insert the index pin through the 0.251 pivot hole in the scale and clamp it in place with the bar with the two brass thumbscrews. I remove the pin, then counter bore around the pivot hole with a 3/8" carbide end mill. That gives me a perfect round and concentric 3/8" counterbore that the stock pivot hardware to fit into. Here is a typical titanium bolster I make that uses this setup...(the red dye is so I remember which hole to use) (I'm distracted sometimes...getting old. LOL)

 

[Brento]

Thats cool. Looks so much bigger than a 1/4" hole lol but i see what your saying. Haha had to think for a moment there.

 

[Yester5]

The part you’re seeing is 3/8” to fit into the R8 collet. The 1/4” part is in the pallet

 

[Creativechipper]

Great ideas, I feel inspired!!

 

[homebrewed]

Here are a few more projects to consider.

1. A jig to hold HSS bits for sharpening on your grinder. It could be as simple as an aluminum piece with a slot milled in it. For something more elaborate, see: lathe bit sharpening jig. There are a bunch of designs out there if you look around.
2. A second chuck wrench, to make it easier to adjust your 4-jaw (you will get one, right?). This one is on MY to-do list .
3. A lantern chuck to trim screws to length.
4. Low profile work holders for your mill. See Harold Hall's web page for those, too.
5. An angle plate to accurately set your compound to 29.5 degrees for threading.
6. A Norman-style QCTP. It basically is a steel post mounted on the compound. The tool holders clamp onto the post with a bolt. I made one
and it is quite rigid. While many have made them with just their lathe, it is easier to do with a mill.
7. A crank extension for your mill's Z axis fine feed. I made one to make it easier to use my boring head, but it's so handy I leave it on all the time. Here's a photo:

I made mine with stuff I had around -- the length of the crank is up to you, as long as it is long enough to make it easy to raise/lower the head. Well OK, I did buy a shoulder bolt for the handle (so it would turn freely), but you COULD make one if you want. It looks funky but works well.

 

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

How about one of these:

A spring center !

 

[Ken from ontario]

All good ideas , it would be great to continue posting these projects in this thread or maybe start a new thread just for simple to intermediate (but useful) projects so any hobbyist who's looking to get busy in shop but has run out of ideas, can find something interesting here, for example I really like the #1 suggestion on homebrewed 's list or the cantilever clamp ,and many others.