"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
news
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
news
"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
news
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message

I added the other groups to clutter them up the way they do to us.
--jsw

STOP THAT! LOL. I've been posting metal working questions and projects
to try and get people thinking about our craft again now that the
political **** storm has subsided a little.

The flex you talk about to get an angle has the same affect as a 1 degree
angle with a rotary broaching tool.

The idea with the tool post cross drill part is if its left adjusted in a
tool holder I can just drop it in place and drill a cross hole with no
setup. 10 seconds vs 2 minutes or more to take it off and transfer it to
the mill. I've got three parts I have made that require cross drilling
and might wind up being small scale production parts. One would benefit
from a turning operation afterwards. I can mount a collet in the lathe,
but I am leaning towards putting the 4 jaw on and leaving it in place for
all the one off projects.

Actually the mini lathe CNC conversion may get a 3C collet closer and get
used for some of those parts, but the conversion is only half done and
customers just won't pay me unless I promise to make their parts. LOL.
I am leaning towards also CNCing the small lathe with a 3C collet closer
as well.

Can you lock the spindle while you drill?

Yes, I have a foot brake that cuts power to the motor and stops the spindle.
I figured if standing on the foot bar was to much hassle I could add a bar
or catch to it.


Mine locks by engaging the back gears but there's detectable play in the
gears and bull pin.

Yeah, mine too.


I bought a router motor to mount on the tool post and then realized it
wouldn't handle the range of operations I do to round parts on the mill,
especially cutting large wrench flats, and the setback to allow for a
drill chuck + bit would make the mount too wobbly.

Somethings are just easier on the mill. I admit that. My big mill is
actually pretty good inspite of being 35 years old. I do sometimes CNC mill
round parts with it. They usually come out within .0015 of round if I go
modestly slow. Often better Obviously external hexes are easy on the mill.
I even thought about doing a modified internal hex where the flats of the
driven object ride on internal CAM lobes like a lot of the multi size
wrenches we have started seeing in the last couple decades. My issue with
that was that its really really slow to mill out something like that for an
1/4" hex with the necessary 1/16" end mill.

My plan is to use a straight shank ER collet chuck. It goes in bearings or
bushings in a chuck of steel mounted directly in the tool holder. That's a
pretty solid setup. Its used for high speed spindles. I'm so into the idea
now I plan to build a couple of them. (there goes my efficiency) Atleast
one each with bushings and bearings. Any drive connection flex will be a
near non issue as the chuck itself will be right up against its support
bearing rather than suspended out from it. The big issue will always be the
drill bit flex.