Hi All,

Bought a new oven and it has a rotisserie. Tried it a couple of times
and the thing works great, -- but -- it is a major pain in the butt
trying to get stuff loaded up on the rod so that it turns evenly.
Especially when one end of a chicken is a giant cavity!

Sooo, I am open to *practical* suggestions for alternative chicken-
holding (and other food, did a great pork loin last night) devices
for mounting on the rod, which is then the basis for the question.

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}

Dave

"Dave, I can't do that" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Bought a new oven and it has a rotisserie. Tried it a couple of times
and the thing works great, -- but -- it is a major pain in the butt
trying to get stuff loaded up on the rod so that it turns evenly.
Especially when one end of a chicken is a giant cavity!

Sooo, I am open to *practical* suggestions for alternative chicken-
holding (and other food, did a great pork loin last night) devices
for mounting on the rod, which is then the basis for the question.

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}

Dave

Drill 4 small holes in the corners and one big one in the center, then file
the remaining material (assuming its not a blind hole).

Or, if the material is thick, make a round hole and put 4 setscrews in from
the side to make it effectively square.

Or make the part in two halves and mill a 1/4" wide by 1/8" deep slot in
each, then braze or weld back together.

Or, if sheet metal, drill round hole and make square with nibbler.

"Dave, I can't do that" wrote in message ...
Hi All,

Bought a new oven and it has a rotisserie. Tried it a couple of times
and the thing works great, -- but -- it is a major pain in the butt
trying to get stuff loaded up on the rod so that it turns evenly.
Especially when one end of a chicken is a giant cavity!

Sooo, I am open to *practical* suggestions for alternative chicken-
holding (and other food, did a great pork loin last night) devices
for mounting on the rod, which is then the basis for the question.

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}


Suggest tie the chicken closed with cotton butcher's twine--also it's a good idea to truss the legs and secure both them and the wings onto the carcass or they will overcook in addition throwing the whole mess off balance.

http://www.enjoy-how-to-cook.com/truss-chicken.html

"Dave, I can't do that" wrote

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}

Dave

Get or mill another piece of 1/4" square stock to use as a form. Bend a
piece of stainless TIG rod into a U, lay it over the form and hammer and
squeeze it into 3-sided contact. Continue winding the ends around the square
and hammering them in, to make a square spiral long enough to grip the
rotisserie shaft. Bend the ends into prongs.

You may have to experiment with an oversized form as the stainless will
indent its corners unless it's hardened. I would NOT use a lathe bit; they
can shatter.

jsw

"Dave, I can't do that" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Bought a new oven and it has a rotisserie. Tried it a couple of times
and the thing works great, -- but -- it is a major pain in the butt
trying to get stuff loaded up on the rod so that it turns evenly.
Especially when one end of a chicken is a giant cavity!

Sooo, I am open to *practical* suggestions for alternative chicken-
holding (and other food, did a great pork loin last night) devices
for mounting on the rod, which is then the basis for the question.

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}


The classic way is to use a lathe--drill a 1/4 in hole then stroke it out
with a shaper that you've made out of a 1/4 drill blank.

On Jan 9, 7:28*pm, "Dave, I can't do that"
wrote:


Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}

Dave

The way I do it is to drill a 1/4 inch hole and have at it with a
square file. Just did that last week except the hole was 1/2 inch
square . I needed to unscrew a flapper valve and had poor access. So
made a plate that could be screwed to the valve and used a 1/2 inch
drive ratchet to turn the plate.


Dan

On 1/9/2012 4:28 PM, Dave, I can't do that wrote:
Hi All,



Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}

Dave

get a rotary broach - there are some inexpensive ones for small holes
like you want.

Dave, I can't do that wrote:
Hi All,

Bought a new oven and it has a rotisserie. Tried it a couple of times
and the thing works great, -- but -- it is a major pain in the butt
trying to get stuff loaded up on the rod so that it turns evenly.
Especially when one end of a chicken is a giant cavity!

Sooo, I am open to *practical* suggestions for alternative chicken-
holding (and other food, did a great pork loin last night) devices
for mounting on the rod, which is then the basis for the question.

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}

Dave

You can get 1/4" rods made for rotisserie use in most home improvement
stores, look in the BBQ stuff.

Making the collars is easy. Get some 1/4" ID square tube that will slide
over the rod.
Make up a couple plates that have adjustable prongs and weld those onto
the square tube.
To lock them in place use shaft locks and drill a clearance hole through
one flat of the tube for a longer wing screw.


Or make a cup style basket like
http://www.epinions.com/prices/Fire_..._4_Hub_3617 E

--
Steve W.

On 1/9/2012 6:28 PM, Dave, I can't do that wrote:
Hi All,

...

Sooo, I am open to *practical* suggestions for alternative chicken-
holding (and other food, did a great pork loin last night) devices
for mounting on the rod, which is then the basis for the question.

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
...

What I would try-

cut a disk of stainless about 3/16" thick and 3"-4" across, drill a
9/32" hole in the center and make your own round-to-square broach to
finish forming the corners. assuming you have a hydro press of course...

then you could drill more holes spaced around the outer edge of the
disk, and make & press "tines" into them for the food holding.



this way the whole part wouldn't have any fasteners to come loose, and
it would be easy to clean.

"DougC" wrote in message
...
...
What I would try-
cut a disk of stainless about 3/16" thick and 3"-4" across, drill a 9/32"
hole in the center and make your own round-to-square broach to finish
forming the corners. assuming you have a hydro press of course...
then you could drill more holes spaced around the outer edge of the disk,
and make & press "tines" into them for the food holding.
this way the whole part wouldn't have any fasteners to come loose, and it
would be easy to clean.

If you make the parts from sheet stock. just drill the four corners,
chisel-shear an X between them and fold the tabs out to form the square
hole.

Louver slots on curved surfaces made similarly:
https://picasaweb.google.com/KB1DAL/...37862376318882

jsw

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}


The classic way is to use a lathe--drill a 1/4 in hole then stroke it out
with a shaper that you've made out of a 1/4 drill blank.

BINGO!, great idea I didn't know. This is why I wade through all the
flotsam on RCM, I get a gold nugget every now and then.

PT, would I dare put a "D" shaper bit like this in my CNC mill and
cycle the Z axis to shape out a square hole?

One step farther, I'm building AR15 lowers and the magazine pocket
needs to be nearly square. Use this idea in the CNC mill to finish the
corner?

Karl

wrote:

One step farther, I'm building AR15 lowers and the magazine pocket
needs to be nearly square. Use this idea in the CNC mill to finish the
corner?

I just buy the 30% lowers from Tactical Machining. Proper broached
magwell and not much else done on them. Costs like $15 more than 0%
forgings.

wrote in message
...

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}


The classic way is to use a lathe--drill a 1/4 in hole then stroke it out
with a shaper that you've made out of a 1/4 drill blank.

BINGO!, great idea I didn't know. This is why I wade through all the
flotsam on RCM, I get a gold nugget every now and then.

PT, would I dare put a "D" shaper bit like this in my CNC mill and
cycle the Z axis to shape out a square hole?


Normally I would use a slightly different form and index 4 times but you
could also make up a square tool and get away without having to index at
all.


One step farther, I'm building AR15 lowers and the magazine pocket
needs to be nearly square. Use this idea in the CNC mill to finish the
corner?


Yup...mill a bit oversize first and then chop the corners away using a form
tool.

PrecisionmachinisT wrote:

wrote in message
...

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}


The classic way is to use a lathe--drill a 1/4 in hole then stroke it out
with a shaper that you've made out of a 1/4 drill blank.

BINGO!, great idea I didn't know. This is why I wade through all the
flotsam on RCM, I get a gold nugget every now and then.

PT, would I dare put a "D" shaper bit like this in my CNC mill and
cycle the Z axis to shape out a square hole?


Normally I would use a slightly different form and index 4 times but you
could also make up a square tool and get away without having to index at
all.


One step farther, I'm building AR15 lowers and the magazine pocket
needs to be nearly square. Use this idea in the CNC mill to finish the
corner?


Yup...mill a bit oversize first and then chop the corners away using a form
tool.


I would be concerned trying to do this on a CNC mill unless you can lock
the spindle brake, otherwise the bit could rotate as you try to use the
mill as a shaper. I also think you will find you don't have a way to
index the spindle to the orientation you want.

I think you would be much better served putting a cheap X-Y table under
a manual arbor press and doing the pseudo-shaping that way, or just
getting 30% lowers to start with.

"Pete C." wrote in message
ter.com...

PrecisionmachinisT wrote:

wrote in message
...

Any inexpensive ways for making square holes? 1/4" x 1/4" to be
exact.
Current thinking is to just use a round rod and machine the square on
the drive end. But then how do I stop the "prongs" from rotating
around a round rod. There is a reason they used a square rod. {grin}


The classic way is to use a lathe--drill a 1/4 in hole then stroke it
out
with a shaper that you've made out of a 1/4 drill blank.

BINGO!, great idea I didn't know. This is why I wade through all the
flotsam on RCM, I get a gold nugget every now and then.

PT, would I dare put a "D" shaper bit like this in my CNC mill and
cycle the Z axis to shape out a square hole?


Normally I would use a slightly different form and index 4 times but you
could also make up a square tool and get away without having to index at
all.


One step farther, I'm building AR15 lowers and the magazine pocket
needs to be nearly square. Use this idea in the CNC mill to finish the
corner?


Yup...mill a bit oversize first and then chop the corners away using a
form
tool.


I would be concerned trying to do this on a CNC mill unless you can lock
the spindle brake, otherwise the bit could rotate as you try to use the
mill as a shaper. I also think you will find you don't have a way to
index the spindle to the orientation you want.


There is no need to index if you use a square tool that has back-taper
ground on all four sides--also very little rotational force is generated if
you are cutting two corners at the same time and so as long as there is some
sort of cam that locks the spindle during M19 you'll be fine.

I think you would be much better served putting a cheap X-Y table under
a manual arbor press and doing the pseudo-shaping that way, or just
getting 30% lowers to start with.

A single axis slide under any industrial quality post drill will work, too.

On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:21:09 -0600, "Pete C."
wrote:


wrote:

One step farther, I'm building AR15 lowers and the magazine pocket
needs to be nearly square. Use this idea in the CNC mill to finish the
corner?

I just buy the 30% lowers from Tactical Machining. Proper broached
magwell and not much else done on them. Costs like $15 more than 0%
forgings.

I'll check that out, but I already bought five 0% lowers from DSA.
Went along with a *GREAT* deal for DPMS parts kits.

"The Kid" is programming AR10 from billet as my next job. Anyway, deep
square pockets are in my future. This route should be way quicker than
using the Bridgeport slotter. I may still use the slotter if this
takes much run time at all on the mill.

Karl

wrote:

On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:21:09 -0600, "Pete C."
wrote:


wrote:

One step farther, I'm building AR15 lowers and the magazine pocket
needs to be nearly square. Use this idea in the CNC mill to finish the
corner?

I just buy the 30% lowers from Tactical Machining. Proper broached
magwell and not much else done on them. Costs like $15 more than 0%
forgings.

I'll check that out, but I already bought five 0% lowers from DSA.
Went along with a *GREAT* deal for DPMS parts kits.

Heh, I bought five 30% lowers, built three myself, taught shop class to
a friend who built another, and now everyone I know wants to build one.
My next order will be for 10 more 30% forgings.

It seems I'm a fairly good shop teacher, I talked a friend who had never
run a mill before or had any shop class through completing a 30% lower
in one long day. Another half day for CNC engraving and anodizing.


"The Kid" is programming AR10 from billet as my next job. Anyway, deep
square pockets are in my future. This route should be way quicker than
using the Bridgeport slotter. I may still use the slotter if this
takes much run time at all on the mill.

If / when I get a decent CNC machine I'll probably try some there, until
then I'm using the manual Bridgeport and my little CNC mini mill does
fine for engraving. http://wpnet.us/Red_Devil_small_left.jpg

On Jan 9, 11:48*pm, "Steve W." wrote:

Thanks Steve, I like your suggestion best. I had thought of the drill
and file method, but decided it would probably not turn out square
enough. The cup basket looks like a great idea but at 40-bucks EACH
END, not gonna happen. {grin}

The drill and broach also seems like a good idea and I could use a
1/4" HSS lathe tool-bit blank as I have some of those.

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.

Dave

On Jan 10, 1:56*pm, "Pete C." wrote:
wrote:

I just buy the 30% lowers from Tactical Machining. Proper broached
magwell and not much else done on them. Costs like $15 more than 0%
forgings.

At the risk of perpetuating and OT ramble to my post, what are 0% and
30% castings?

Dave

On Jan 10, 7:21*pm, "Dave, I can't do that"
wrote:
On Jan 9, 11:48*pm, "Steve W." wrote:

Thanks Steve, I like your suggestion best. I had thought of the drill
and file method, but decided it would probably not turn out square
enough. The cup basket looks like a great idea but at 40-bucks EACH
END, not gonna happen. {grin}

The drill and broach also seems like a good idea and I could use a
1/4" HSS lathe tool-bit blank as I have some of those.

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.

Dave

Give the drill and file method a try on some scrap. I think you will
find you can get hole that are very square. Of course you will need
to make a piece of square stock so you can do some filing and then see
how much more you need to file.

Dan

On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:22:41 -0800 (PST), "Dave, I can't do that"
wrote:

On Jan 10, 1:56*pm, "Pete C." wrote:
wrote:

I just buy the 30% lowers from Tactical Machining. Proper broached
magwell and not much else done on them. Costs like $15 more than 0%
forgings.

At the risk of perpetuating and OT ramble to my post, what are 0% and
30% castings?

Dave

This refers to the % complete of an automatic rifle lower. The lower
is the only part that ATF registers. If its 80% or less complete you
don't have to register the part. That is you're just buying a hunk of
metal. 80% units were very popular till ATF decided the parts being
sold were more than 80% complete. Now, lowers with less work done are
more popular. The 0% units I bought are just a raw forging of AL - no
machining done.

Karl

wrote:

On Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:22:41 -0800 (PST), "Dave, I can't do that"
wrote:

On Jan 10, 1:56 pm, "Pete C." wrote:
wrote:

I just buy the 30% lowers from Tactical Machining. Proper broached
magwell and not much else done on them. Costs like $15 more than 0%
forgings.

At the risk of perpetuating and OT ramble to my post, what are 0% and
30% castings?

Dave

This refers to the % complete of an automatic rifle lower. The lower
is the only part that ATF registers. If its 80% or less complete you
don't have to register the part. That is you're just buying a hunk of
metal. 80% units were very popular till ATF decided the parts being
sold were more than 80% complete. Now, lowers with less work done are
more popular. The 0% units I bought are just a raw forging of AL - no
machining done.

Karl

80% forgings are still available, the ATF just changed what machining
operations could be completed on them a bit. The 30% forgings don't have
any actual ATF definition, they are just have less than the maximum
operations completed on them, in this case it's the magwell broaching
and the couple steps that precede it necessary for it to be broached.

On Jan 10, 7:21*pm, wrote:
At the risk of perpetuating and OT ramble to my post, what are 0% and
30% castings?

This refers to the % complete of an automatic rifle lower. The lower
is the only part that ATF registers. If its 80% or less complete you

Ahhh, OK, thanks. I thought it may have been about the level of heat-
treating of the aluminum or something.

Dave