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POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?
- Thread starter wachuko
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- Jul 14, 2017
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Today i finished tubing part of the shed, installed a new panel on the roof and made it level. Also the new corner post is dipper in the ground and i mixed up some concrete and fill the hole with it. I did weld back the cross brace and welded on couple of standsons for future shelves, it got dark and cold on me so i'll continue tomorrow, a coat of paint and riveting the outside panels. It's more than a metre longer than before.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2021
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A couple small mods for my new (PM-1236T) lathe today. First I made the "press plate" that mounts on the follow rest bolts to lock the slide, since the DRO scale makes the lock bolt inaccessible. Started with a 3/8" piece of steel, and tried my hand at cold blue as well....
Second, I cut an oversized thumb screw for the saddle lock. Used a bit of 1.25" steel I had. Tried knurling, but you can see where I had to chuck the knurls and gummed them up. Actually tried bluing this piece first... I drilled and tapped the bottom of it and Loctite'd some m8 all thread trimmed to length.
Baby steps, but slowly becoming mine
Second, I cut an oversized thumb screw for the saddle lock. Used a bit of 1.25" steel I had. Tried knurling, but you can see where I had to chuck the knurls and gummed them up. Actually tried bluing this piece first... I drilled and tapped the bottom of it and Loctite'd some m8 all thread trimmed to length.
Baby steps, but slowly becoming mine
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2013
- Messages
- 5,111
I made a socket for a Tri-groove security nut:
It is kind of "proof of concept." It is just mild steel so not nearly as durable as a forged socket. Nevertheless, I think it would take some torque to simultaneously shear those 3 pins. It fits the nuts just fine.
The pins were placed through holes drilled radially and then welded in place from the outside. The OD was then turned smooth. The tips of the pins were turned on the lathe to match the nut angle (25 deg.)
For reference:
It is kind of "proof of concept." It is just mild steel so not nearly as durable as a forged socket. Nevertheless, I think it would take some torque to simultaneously shear those 3 pins. It fits the nuts just fine.
The pins were placed through holes drilled radially and then welded in place from the outside. The OD was then turned smooth. The tips of the pins were turned on the lathe to match the nut angle (25 deg.)
For reference:
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2013
- Messages
- 5,111
I am curious what is the best material to make this socket? Assume drop forging is out of my reach! Would you use tool steel? Would you fully harden it? How would that do with tack welding? Thoughts?
Edit: I used drill shank for my pins but I have no idea about the hardness after welding.
Edit: I used drill shank for my pins but I have no idea about the hardness after welding.
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I don’t see how mild steel would ever be an issue for the body. The pins, on the other hand, seem well suited for hardened dowels if you can get the ID angle right. I might grind the ends of the pins the the desired angle then insert them in the body with Loctite so the pins could be replaced if desired.
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- Nov 24, 2014
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@rwm ,
Using the pins gives you very limited contact area with the nut, which means stress concentration and possible deformation.
I don't know the thread size or how much torque you expect to to apply, but if it's substantial, I suggest using a different design approach.
I'm thinking of using rectangular stock to essentially fill the grooves in the nut.
Rough order of operations:
1) Drill a clearance hole for the fastener size (at center) deeper than the finished tool length.
2) Turn and face the 25° socket end.
3) Mill three slots (at the 25°), radially as needed (equally spaced?), the width and depth of the slots in the nut.
4) Saw/part off the tool to length.
5) Make 3 drive lugs to fill the tool slots and fully engage the nut slots.
6) Install a nut into the tool, with the slots aligned, using a screw through the center hole.
7) Position and weld each drive lug in a slot.
8) Finish machine as required.
Using that approach, the interior of the tool is finished after welding so you don't have to re-machine the 25° (interrupted cut).
Regarding material choice and heat treating, it depends on the magnitude of the forces involves and how long you want the tool to last.
Making all parts from the same heat treatable material will allow you to harden and temper after welding. A2 and O1 are easily available and can be flame hardened and tempered (if you don't have an oven).
Also, rather than mill a hex on the back of tool, why not weld a surplus socket there to get a square drive? Attach the socket after heat treating the tool. The heat affected zone won't be a problem to the business end of the tool.
I hope this is helpful.
Using the pins gives you very limited contact area with the nut, which means stress concentration and possible deformation.
I don't know the thread size or how much torque you expect to to apply, but if it's substantial, I suggest using a different design approach.
I'm thinking of using rectangular stock to essentially fill the grooves in the nut.
Rough order of operations:
1) Drill a clearance hole for the fastener size (at center) deeper than the finished tool length.
2) Turn and face the 25° socket end.
3) Mill three slots (at the 25°), radially as needed (equally spaced?), the width and depth of the slots in the nut.
4) Saw/part off the tool to length.
5) Make 3 drive lugs to fill the tool slots and fully engage the nut slots.
6) Install a nut into the tool, with the slots aligned, using a screw through the center hole.
7) Position and weld each drive lug in a slot.
8) Finish machine as required.
Using that approach, the interior of the tool is finished after welding so you don't have to re-machine the 25° (interrupted cut).
Regarding material choice and heat treating, it depends on the magnitude of the forces involves and how long you want the tool to last.
Making all parts from the same heat treatable material will allow you to harden and temper after welding. A2 and O1 are easily available and can be flame hardened and tempered (if you don't have an oven).
Also, rather than mill a hex on the back of tool, why not weld a surplus socket there to get a square drive? Attach the socket after heat treating the tool. The heat affected zone won't be a problem to the business end of the tool.
I hope this is helpful.
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- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
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- 2,558
Started clearing the shop out to bring the wife's Mini Cooper in for the winter. The N12 engine has been smoking to the point of giving it misfire codes, so it's time for a set of valve seals. While in there, I'll swap out the timing gear as well which is a know weak point in the design. The car is just over 100,000 Kms, so it's time for it anyways. I'll likely swap out some maintenance items while in there like the vacuum pump, alternator pulley's, and maybe the oil pump drive. Not exactly difficult work for me, but I'm getting to the point where I don't want it to be work I can do.....
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2014
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- 2,632
POTM(inute) was throwing a piece of tubing onto a push broom for cleaning snow off our solar panels. Time to go buy a lottery ticket (though I tell my wife I never buy them because I used up all of my luck when I met her) as the brush handle and tubing were a slip-fit. Ran in a couple of screws, covered them with 6-8 turns of duct tape. Voila, solar panel cleaner-offer.
Thanks for looking, Bruce
Screwed a piece of tubing onto the push broom. No fear, I have two others for sweeping the shop floor!
Our panels are at about a 40 deg. angle and do a pretty good job shedding show (see the pile on the ground). But this was a very light dusting. I noticed on this overcast day that when the panels were covered with 1/2", they were putting out about 0.3 kW. Cleaned off they are putting out 1.4 kW.
Easy-peasy, lift to the top and let gravity do most of the work
Thanks for looking, Bruce
Screwed a piece of tubing onto the push broom. No fear, I have two others for sweeping the shop floor!
Our panels are at about a 40 deg. angle and do a pretty good job shedding show (see the pile on the ground). But this was a very light dusting. I noticed on this overcast day that when the panels were covered with 1/2", they were putting out about 0.3 kW. Cleaned off they are putting out 1.4 kW.
Easy-peasy, lift to the top and let gravity do most of the work
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