R8 & 3/4” Shank Tooling Holder

[erikmannie]

Note that a lot of work on this project will not be seen. For example, almost this entire shelf that I am working on. If the work will not be seen, I am not too worried about the finish (e.g. the bottom side of the aluminum shelves).

Having said that, this project will not be painted. Like a collet or end mill holder, I will periodically apply a film of way oil to it.

 

[mmcmdl]

Form , fit and function is all that matters .

 

[erikmannie]

Form , fit and function is all that matters .

I also enjoy the journey, which would be a completely solo journey if not for this forum.

I definitely need to move the tooling from where it is now. I will upload a picture of the disorganized mess.

 

[erikmannie]

Here is what it looked like in the shop when I took a lunch break.

I am drilling the holes with a 1-1/4” HSS end mill that I got from @mattthemuppet2

This used end mill is in a TMX 1” EMH.

I am step drilling the holes with a large carbide center drill, & then a 5/8” solid carbide drill. Everything turns at 600 RPM, & I haven’t used any CF.

 

[erikmannie]

Here is all the stuff that I will put on this tooling rack. EMHs, a fly cutter, shell mill, slitting saw, R8 drill chuck, 6” single angle cutter on a stub EMH, indexable chamfering tools, & my well used 82° included angle solid carbide chamfer mill.

I love my tools, but I love them even more when they are organized.








Well, back to drillin’ holes…

 

[mattthemuppet2]

ooh, very nice! That stuff is getting 100% more use than it was in my shop

For big holes like that, annular cutters are fabulous. Literally cut like a drill and leave a beautiful finish like an endmill. And no, I don't have any to sell

 

[Aukai]

When you get a little more solvent with your finances the annular cutters are the bees knees, much much better than hole saws.

 

[erikmannie]

I finished the shelves (for now). Now I am turning the rust off of this .050” wall, 1-1/4” muffler tubing that has been sitting outside for 3 years.

 

[erikmannie]

I finished it up with Emery cloth. Cheater!

 

[erikmannie]

I made a lot of progress on this today. I went to the steelyard and bought three 14-1/2” X 14-1/2” square, 3/8” thick 6061 plates. It was $306 for those three plates + the cut charge + tax. They didn’t have any remnants so they had to get a new sheet. That helps me a lot because I want a nice finish on the top side. I am uploading a picture of Ian the steelyard worker bringing in the new sheet.

While I was at the steelyard, I bought some 1/2” flat head socket cap screws which I used to bolt the frame to the plate. It was a lot of extra work for this flush mount.

Along the way, I had to buy two HSS countersinks and 5/16-18 bottoming taps.

I found out the hard way how easy it is to strip aluminum with a HSS tap, so you will notice in the picture that one side has two bolt holes because one hole is stripped.