On 2010-07-26, Bob La Londe wrote:
"Ignoramus2966" wrote in message
...
On 2010-07-26, Joseph Gwinn wrote:
In article ,
Ignoramus1880 wrote:

On 2010-07-26, DoN. Nichols wrote:
On 2010-07-25, Ignoramus8473
wrote:
On 2010-07-25, DoN. Nichols wrote:
On 2010-07-24, Ignoramus8473
wrote:
I wanted to make a guard around the milling table, so that chips
and
coolant would not be strewn all over the shop.

I want to make something like what I saw on the web:

http://machineability.com/Bridgeport_series_II.html

My first question is what material to use? Acrylic? Lexan?

*Thick* Lexan -- not Plexiglass, because that is too brittle.
If you have something heavier than a chip (e.g. a broken HSS or
carbide
mill half), you want something more likely to keep it away from you.

1/4 inch?

1/4" or perhaps 5/16" for the size of mill you are using. For
some machines, you would want something 1" thick or so -- like what is
used to bulletproof the tellers at some banks. :-)

How high do you think it should go above the cutting point? I mean, I
am sure that the higher, the better, but at some point the height will
interfere with the ram and table movement. So if I could get some idea
like "4 inches above the point of cutting" it would be nice. Just want
to find a way to think properly about that.

I think we are going overboard with the guard. A flexible curtain
will work to catch spay and chips, and will stop a flying cutter by
deflecting. These are not bullets.

I agree, but I think that it will be messier.

I may get away with using Luan plywood for rear and sides.

For the record, the Flexbar guard on my lathe is made of 3/16" thick
lexan, and the backshield (which I made) is a sheet of 1/8"
plexiglass hanging from the Flexbar's axle.

That would certainly be cheaper.

As for height above the cutting point, whatever is needed to make
the edge at least 45 degrees angle from wherever the chips and spray
come from will catch most of it. But you will not get all of it
unless there is complete enclosure. Bottom line is to make things
easily adjustable, so you can adapt to various setups.

Yeah. I am not losing sleep over this, but if I really use this mill
seriously, a good guard will save a good deal of grief from just
chips, coolant, and other messy stuff.

3/16" ;lexan seems to be completely adequate.

I would certainly think so. How fast does your mill turn?



up to 4.2k RPM, but I was told to run it under 3K RPM.

i