INHERITANCE MACHINING

Single point threading is slow. Die wrench results are trash. Both have their merits though so let’s make something that is the best of both worlds!

Let’s face it. Every once in a while you have to stop creating new projects and clear some of the long standing ones off of your list. Because one can only live like an animal for so long!

Thank you so much to all the patrons who asked questions! You guys had some really good ones. This Q&A was great fun, and we’ll definitely be doing more in the future. And make sure you stick around to the end for some bloopers!

Most of the time I use the 4 jaw chuck on the lathe, I also use some makeshift soft jaws to protect the part finish. But my shoddily thrown together jaw covers look like an afterthought and don’t necessarily give me the warm fuzzies that I like to have when using my tools. So today I’m spending way more time than necessary making something that will look a whole lot better. I guess they will work better too… but mostly they will look nicer.

In this video I’m designing and machining a new take on the age old machinists’ captive nut puzzle. The solution is not what you think!

Let’s face it, it’s far too easy to push off all the little inconveniences and annoyances that crop up while working in the shop. Especially so if they get in the way of the projects we actually want to make. But sometimes those annoyances all converge on one machine. Making it… Less than enjoyable to use. This is what happened to my milling machine. It has a few small issues that I’ve been putting off for one reason or another. But now the problems have escalated to the point that I just can’t take it anymore! So today I’ll be diving into what’s wrong, fixing those issues, and making a few upgrades along the way. Enjoy!

So the rotary fixture plate is done, right? WRONG. I’ve got just one more feature to add to it. A set of material squaring guides. I have an idea for a dovetail clamp that allows for adjustability, but is also self-squaring. I’ve never seen anything quite like it which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s one of those weird things where the mechanism makes sense, but at the same time… doesn’t. So let’s find out, and build a functional prototype!

As the next installment of the design build that got way out of hand, I’m tacking the bits that make the rotary fixture plate extra satisfying. The locking collar that holds it all together. The block that makes this thing mountable in the milling machine vise. A brutally grippy handlebar and knob (seriously this thing should be illegal). And the precision bump stops that should make this rotary table ultra-repeatable. There’s brass. There’re chamfers. There’re side projects! And if that’s not enough for you (and despite my wife’s eye rolling) there are dad jokes! Ok I’m done… Enjoy!

Machining rounds on part corners presents a dilemma (to me anyway). Either I lug out my massive rotary table then spend a significant amount of time setting it and my parts up on the mill. Or I just quickly free-hand grind them on belt sander and live with the imprecision. So I’ve decided to make a tool that is the best of both worlds. A rotating fixture plate that is fast to set up, but also precise! But of course it doesn’t stop there. Being the engineer that I am, I couldn’t resist including a ton of extra functionality. If I’m taking the time to make the tool, might as well do it right, right? At any rate, the scope of the project might have gotten a little out of hand… and I might have had to come up with some shortcuts just to save some time. I’m not saying there’s super glue involved… But I’m not saying there isn’t either.

Despite my best efforts to make my next machine shop project “simple”, I just couldn’t help myself but include ALL the features. As a result this one required a bit more engineering design than usual. So I decided to make a dedicated drafting video (i.e. without computer aided design software). I’ll walk through my personal design process starting with the pencil sketch. Then roughing out the assembly drawing. And finally putting together the technical drawing (blueprint) for each part. Along the way I’ll talk about the drafting tools (drafting machine, mechanical pencil, etc), techniques (pencil rolling, line types, etc) and view styles (section view, detail view, etc) I use. Enjoy!