- Joined
- Dec 6, 2012
- Messages
- 2,708
Machinist Bedside Reader fans may recall Guy Lautard reference to Dennis Danich a Millright. I’ve been privileged to enjoy beginning to learn scraping and rebuilding under his auspice. Dennis would like to find 6 or 8 individuals who would like to learn and build on their scraping and machine tool rebuilding skills. His emphasis is always on understanding what and why.
First project:
Using his pattern making skills he is proposing that he hire a local foundry to cast 24 inch triangular straight edges. All participants will purchase one of these at his cost: $120. This is for a 24inch long, stress relieved, triangular gray cast straight edge with 90degree, 55degree and 35degree angles. Faces will be around 2.75inches. Note: this is a not for-profit venture. He is coaching me to do one pass milling on them and charge a very few additional dollars for my time. Each member of the group will have their own straight edge, and will be working on the same project and learning scraping and geometry together. Please understand that this is a club, not a class. We are accountable to each other. Dennis is only facilitating the learning. You will also need a scraping tool. An inexpensive tubular Anderson with HSS cutters would be fine.
Dennis is having his knee rebuilt shortly after Thanksgiving. Then we need to build a pattern. The foundry wants 4-6 weeks to schedule and complete the job. Thus, our first session will likely not happen until January. Our first obstacle is to gage interest, and collect some down payments so that we don’t end up owning a dozen straight edges.
Initially the plan is that we hold these sessions at my shop in Dayton MN. I have a 5footx5foot acorn table and a 36 inch cast plate. We believe that we can get everyone comfortably around the acorn table. Other locations will be used as they become available.
It’s the expectation that after the initial session we would all work on the project at home, then reconvene to take work on triangles and the geometry. The long term goal is that we work on rebuilding an entire machine as a group. This suggests a long term time commitment to the group. Other than the straight edge costs there is no plan for ever charging a fee or paying for instruction.
Please PM should you have interest, questions, or concerns. I will answer you directly and/or forward your contact information to Dennis for him to respond directly.
Daryl
MN
First project:
Using his pattern making skills he is proposing that he hire a local foundry to cast 24 inch triangular straight edges. All participants will purchase one of these at his cost: $120. This is for a 24inch long, stress relieved, triangular gray cast straight edge with 90degree, 55degree and 35degree angles. Faces will be around 2.75inches. Note: this is a not for-profit venture. He is coaching me to do one pass milling on them and charge a very few additional dollars for my time. Each member of the group will have their own straight edge, and will be working on the same project and learning scraping and geometry together. Please understand that this is a club, not a class. We are accountable to each other. Dennis is only facilitating the learning. You will also need a scraping tool. An inexpensive tubular Anderson with HSS cutters would be fine.
Dennis is having his knee rebuilt shortly after Thanksgiving. Then we need to build a pattern. The foundry wants 4-6 weeks to schedule and complete the job. Thus, our first session will likely not happen until January. Our first obstacle is to gage interest, and collect some down payments so that we don’t end up owning a dozen straight edges.
Initially the plan is that we hold these sessions at my shop in Dayton MN. I have a 5footx5foot acorn table and a 36 inch cast plate. We believe that we can get everyone comfortably around the acorn table. Other locations will be used as they become available.
It’s the expectation that after the initial session we would all work on the project at home, then reconvene to take work on triangles and the geometry. The long term goal is that we work on rebuilding an entire machine as a group. This suggests a long term time commitment to the group. Other than the straight edge costs there is no plan for ever charging a fee or paying for instruction.
Please PM should you have interest, questions, or concerns. I will answer you directly and/or forward your contact information to Dennis for him to respond directly.
Daryl
MN
