On 2008-03-20, Joseph Gwinn wrote:
In article ,
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:
On 2008-03-18, Joseph Gwinn wrote:
In article ,
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:
On 2008-03-14, Joseph Gwinn wrote:
In article ,
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:
[ ... ]
I haven't tried Opera recently, because when I first tried it, it
crashed my Mac, and also it lacked the ability to work through a proxy.
Hmm ... how long ago was it? The current one has the ability to
work through a proxy -- even on a site-by-site basis, just as you can
turn on JavaScript and the like on a site-by-site basis.
A few years. But it takes many years for me to try something again,
when it was originally vastly oversold. Usually the perp dies first.
Well ... Opera has been the best browser for my use (on a Sun
UltraSPARC Workstation running Solaris 10) with only one site regularly
crashing it on the first visit each time the page is changed. That is a
web-based comic called Ctl-Alt-Del.
There are pages which don't *work* unless I move to Mozilla or
FireFox -- but those are pages which are *designed* to only work on
Internet Explorer -- which I can't run anyway. :-)
And it is faster -- both at starting up and at downloading pages
than the alternatives.
Also -- unlike a few years ago, it does not require registering
to download any more.
[ ... ]
Or just use the side of a triangle insert by angling the compound?
The whole idea is to *avoid* angling the compound or the
toolpost if at all possible. I normally only change it if going from
[ ... ]
OK.
[ ... ]
Hmm. Another project for me.
Of course, your bearings are the spindle ones, not the motor
ones. But I worked some Starrett "Tool and Instrument oil" into the
bearings and that smoothed things up nicely -- and they seem to be
staying that way.
The same lube might do for your spindle bearings, too.
Meaning the Clausing 5914 spindle? That's DTF24.
No -- meaning the spindle on your toolpost grinder, which I seem
to remember had bearing problems in the spindle, not the motor as I was
experiencing.
I wouldn't be surprised if DTF24 worked for DuMore spindles as well.
Quite possible -- but I use a thinner oil on the spindle of the
Sanford surface grinder than on the Clausing -- probably closer to the
oil for air-powered tools.
[ ... ]
But the riffled clamping surfaces should cause accurate alignment to the
nearest 15 degrees.
*If* a chip doesn't make it in there as you are changing. :-) I
would rather set this sort of thing up *once* per project instead of
changing angles in mid-project with the likelihood of needing to return
to the same setting.
Well, one must always clean mating surfaces to keep chips out.
Yes -- but that can be difficult with the multi-angle tool
holder (the BXA-22) when changing in the middle of a project -- and
changing back again for the next part. To be sure, you have to remove
the holder from the toolpost, then unscrew the screw which holds the
insert arm, set it aside, clean the radial serrations, and then
reassemble it -- without dropping some crucial part into the chip pan of
the lathe.
Given that the ripple pattern is radial, it should locate in both angle
and location well enough.
As long as you manage to get the chips out whenever you reset
it, which is what I was talking about as an opportunity to lose parts. :-)
[ ... ]
Using a 0.25" square bit would have worked, as would a 0.250 spacer
plate between compound and toolpost.
Hmm ... the spacer plate would work -- if you knew to install it
before you started the project. :-)
WEll, it would become a permanent part of the setup. The BXA toolpost
has a 3/8" (by eye) blind hole in the bottom, clearly intended for an
anti-rotation pin. So such a spacer plate would have a ridge below and
a 3/8 hole to accept a short 3/8 dowel rod.
Hmm ... something for me to check whether is present in the
Phase-II Series 200 (BXA size). If so, then perhaps I should make a
plate with a pin for the standard 29.5 degree setting for threading
(which is where I normally leave the compound setting). But I seem to
remember the holders nearly bottoming when I use full 5/8" high tools,
which would mean that they would have to fall *below* the baseplate for
anything which is near the same height. And the plate would be made
starting a little too thick, and milled on the horizontal mill to leave
a ridge to fit the T-slot so it would not rotate.
[ ... ]
The indexable toolposts do indeed have a positive locking system to
ensure angular accuracy.
That is *angular* accuracy -- not the longitudinal accuracy
provided by the turret stops on the bed turret. As you rotate the
turret to the next station, it rotates (though a pair of bevel gear) a
plate on the tail end of the turret ram which has the same number of
tapped holes as the turret has stations. In each hole is a long piece
of allthread, with a pair of flats for a special crank wrench on one
end. The one which is on the bottom hits a projection on the base when
you go far enough forward to prevent more motion. There is a setscrew
coming in from the edge to keep the long screw in position during a
project. So -- once you have taken the time to set it up, you get each
tool stopping at the right position.
The Dorian and Aloris setups ought to be able to achieve reasonable to
good longitudinal accuracy. Not that I've actually tried this, or will
anytime soon, but the design is plausible.
The longitudinal accuracy would be dependent on bed stops for
the carriage, not the indexable toolpost. The best bed stop which I
have found (and which I have) has four turret positions, not enough for
my typical project. (But, I have the real bed turret so I don't *need*
that. Two positions is plenty -- one for parting off, and one for the
groove at the shoulder to allow things to thread on fully even though
the Geometric die head always produces incomplete threads (like pretty
much any die) near the shoulder.
As an example, on my typical run,
I have the following setup:
1) Combination end stop and extendible center drill. The
2) I withdraw the turret fully away from the headstock and it
3) Again, the turret rotates on full withdrawal, presenting a
4) The next turret station contains a T-style knurling tool (or
5) The next station contains a "roller box tool" (A turning tool
6) The final turret station contains a Geometric die head. The
7) At this point, the turret is fully withdrawn again, indexing
8) And the carriage is now moved to the right point using a
9) If I still have enough stock in the spindle, I got back to step
[ ... ]
Bear in mind that each turret tool has a different extension,
with the worst being a #7 drill bit in a 1/2" Jacobs chuck in a station.
The releasing tap holder is probably next in length. The shortest two
are the box tool and the Geometric die head.
Now -- I *do* have a bed stop with a turret of its own which has
four stops. But that is not enough stops for the needed six stations so
I would be more limited with what I could do if I were using turret
tooling in the quick change toolpost. And certainly the mass and bulk
of some of the turret tooling would be enough to prevent an indexing
toolpost from rotating freely.
All this is certainly way more complex that one would try with an
indexable toolpost system. That said, there are plenty of applications
where an indexable toolpost will more than pay for itself.
The indexable toolpost is designed for swapping tooling in a
particular order -- with the tooling all being normal turning/threading
tooling, not things like Geometric die heads or Roller box tools or the
like. You could not even use it with the BXA sized knurling tool which
I prefer, because it hangs down far enough so that it would hit the back
of the compound as you tried to rotate it. It is only good for when you
lift off one tool holder and drop another on in the two normal dovetails
on stationary BXA toolposts. (You probably could use it with the cut
style knurler with a standard shank instead of the turret-mounted one
which looks like a 3-jaw chuck which I have. :-)
[ ... ]
O.K. I could not find them in the web page -- it suggested that
they were discontinued -- from Cleveland, or from their stock, they
didn't say. :-(
That's their generic response to a failed search.
O.K. But it did find some of an import brand which were of
similar design.
If the search failure was egregious, I would complain. MSC is quite
responsive to such things. And people really do read and respond to
those little post cards.
I will try that next time I call in an order. (I'll also verify
that the tool which I want *is* there in the catalog first.)
[ ... center drill sets ... ]
Yes. I've seen those sets. I'll probably buy new here, as what I've
seen come up used is in bad shape.
I bought new -- twice. One to keep near the Clausing, the other
to keep fairly near the Compact-5/CNC and the drill press.
Matches my experience.
As it should for anyone who actually *does* something in their
shop. :-)
Enjoy,
DoN.
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