"Well, my instructors were both machining for a living for a
long time before they started teaching this course, so they
have a pretty good idea of what's useful for us I guess."

I'll have more questions about your instructors after you
have more of your time invested in this machining
program. Also, after you have had awhile to get to know others
in this newsgroup and have kicked around some of their
ideas.

"Sure, hit me with the example "

It's very common to do secondary operations like 5 axis
drilling, reaming and very limited milling on a manual knee
mill with a tilting rotary table because many shops either
don't have a 5 axis CNC or don't want to tie an extremely
expensive machine up.It especially common to see this in
many aerospace shops that also do sheet metal fabrication.

Can you see where this would make sense ?

"I think the point of making ours was just to get a few of
our skills checked off, and to have a little tool we could
use if we want/need to."

Okay, but do you think that when you make a shop tool in
class that it should not only build your machining skills
but also be a shop tool that can be practical to use when
you go to work in a machine shop ? If the shop tool takes too
long to setup, in what I like to call the real world of the
small machining job shop, is this a good shop tool to make
if you have a choice in the matter ? :)

You didn't think I was going to let you off the hook that
easy did you ? LOL

:)

"I have enough to absorb right now, with working ahead in
math and reading about metallurgy. Soon I'll be starting
the lathe section in the textbook, and there's a lot of
questions to work on with that."

Yes, understood. I'm trying very hard to not overwhelm you.
Let me know if it's too much.

"Then I've got a couple more presentations coming up in
communications class. :P"

You certainly don't want my opinion on what I think of your
"communications class" and how I would approach it. :)

"I've met a couple of machinists that would take the time to
explain things to me about machining even when I was just
deburring. I hope I get to work with more like them."

A couple of machinists in this newsgroup (not including
myself, here) have already shown a willingness to spend time
pointing out things that they feel are very helpful. Some of
these posters are people I have a great deal of respect for
and who, because of experience, are much better machinists
than I am. I do, however, have other technical skills that I
use to, shall we say, even up the odds to keep their egos in
check. ;)

"I don't much enjoy having to ask someone else if I can use
their tools, and wasting time digging through the shop to
find something - argh."

Hmmm you and I might think alike here. Wait till you see
what it's like "wasting time digging through the shop to
find something" when the pressure is really on. Your "argh"
might very well become something else more along the
expletive lines and you might very well forget all about a
recent hangover. :)

"Cool, I'll look into making one of these. It would be
handy to have."

When your ready ask and I will give you more details... if you
haven't figured it out on your own by then / already. ;)

"When I get on the horizontal mill I'll worry about learning
more about it. I've got enough on my plate right now."

I hear ya ! See what I wrote above.

"Lol, just like real life, then. Not everyone gets along. I
guess it's just an unfortunate fact of life. You can learn
something from everyone if you keep your ears (err, eyes in
this case) open. You just have to learn to ignore the
crap."

IMO, the advice Bottlebob gave you is most excellent. Give some
thought to following it, if you have not already reached your own
conclusion.

jon




"chem" wrote in message
...
Industry determines what we're taught, because they know what skills
they want us to have when we're ready to join the workforce (or re-enter
the workforce). Well, my instructors were both machining for a living
for a long time before they started teaching this course, so they have a
pretty good idea of what's useful for us I guess.

jon banquer wrote:


IMO, also very important to be able to do quickly. If you
wish I can provide an aerospace example of why it is
important and why a manual knee mill is often used to do
this kind of work in many CNC machine shops.

Sure, hit me with the example


If you get a chance try and look at any commercial boring
head so you can see how it is designed so that it can move
short distances accurately. Does your school have something
like a Bridgeport or a Criterion boring head that you can
examine so that you can see how they have been designed to
accomplish this task ?

We have a few commercial boring heads around the shop, and I've seen how
they work. I think the point of making ours was just to get a few of
our skills checked off, and to have a little tool we could use if we
want/need to.


Perhaps before... depends on you and how much you can or
want to absorb. :)

I have enough to absorb right now, with working ahead in math and
reading about metallurgy. Soon I'll be starting the lathe section in
the textbook, and there's a lot of questions to work on with that. Then
I've got a couple more presentations coming up in communications class.
:P


IMO you will find others, like I have, that will give you
"the shirt off their back" when it comes to sharing their
knowledge. After you have found others like this you may
notice, like I have, that they all fit a pattern that others
don't.

I've met a couple of machinists that would take the time to explain
things to me about machining even when I was just deburring. I hope I
get to work with more like them.

If you don't you will either have to buy them or spend your
time hunting for the shop tools / asking to use someone
else's. I never felt I had the time to do this as I wanted
to use my time on other things. I also like knowing what my
tools can do rather than being surprised by a tool that I
don't know. All depends on what your comfortable with and
willing to accept or not accept.

I don't much enjoy having to ask someone else if I can use their tools,
and wasting time digging through the shop to find something - argh. But
I have absolutely no problem letting someone else use one of my tools
as long as it finds its way back to my tool box when they're done with
it.


Not very complicated. It's all in the design and most
designs suck because they don't have a precise enough
adjustment to *easily* allow you to move in tenths. The
concept of how to do this is similar to controlling movement
of a boring head. The most complex thing you would need is a
piece of spring steel. Yes, you use a dial indicator with
it.

Cool, I'll look into making one of these. It would be handy to have.



"Most of the stuff about the horizontal mill... Well, I
could understand most of the terminology, but I couldn't
catch it all."

Ask them directly in the newsgroup or find someone you can
e-mail that you suspect / knows what they are doing and is
good at explaining their thoughts.

When I get on the horizontal mill I'll worry about learning more about
it. I've got enough on my plate right now.


Just a few of my observations over I think 5 or 6 years of
posting he

You might want to make sure before you do that your prepared
to take the heat and / or watch the bad vibes go down as the
fighting starts. At times the bad vibes will carry from
thread to thread and the level of hate will know no limits.

Lol, just like real life, then. Not everyone gets along. I guess it's
just an unfortunate fact of life. You can learn something from everyone
if you keep your ears (err, eyes in this case) open. You just have to
learn to ignore the crap.


You doing what I would call indexing with a rotary table. I
have a lot of stuff I would like to convey to you about
rotary tables. As you start to use them, and if your still
interested, I will have more to say. :)

Well, I guess I'll be starting with that today. I'll let you know how
it goes, and when I get the bare basics down you can pass on some of
your stuff to me.

chem

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