Machinists: Need opinion

Nice
What did you use to resurface it?

 

A SupetFly set for a 3 inch diameter. There wasn't enough X travel to get on and off the head with the cutter so we traversed it in the Y.

 

I missed this the first time around. Explain what this is’ please?

 

It's a tool length setter. It's for measuring the tool length offsets on the machine.

 

Got to test my learning curve this past weekend. A project for the guy from which I bought the machine.


My first practical use of thread milling. Waiting on the Go-No Go gaug e to see if my math worked accordingly.


Managed to make the flip with little to no blend line or misalignment. Much better than the last part I tried to flip.


Surface finish can be improved but all the dimensions are good.


Things I learned...

1. The math behind the major and minor diameters of the thread and why you need an offset as it relates to the shape of the thread mill.

2. Getting Fusion to let me use a thread mill for something that wasn't a thread milling operation. Their form tool function is fairly clever.

3. How to use wear offsets in the control to my advantage.

4. Long 1/2 diameter HSS end mills aren't very stiff.

 

My 8 year old would like to know how you learned 1/2" dia. HSS end mills aren't very stiff. Was it chatter, did it break, or did you have to reduce amount of cut?

 

Chattered like crazy. Even the roughing end mill chattered and no amount of increased feed or altering the RPM solved it. The rougher and the finish mill are both 2 inch DOC mills I was taking about an 1 inch DOC and a .010 WOC at 3800 RPMs and 27 in/m. That may have been a little too much for my machine but I won't know for sure until I do some testing.

 

Cool, you were able to get a little bit of the purchase price back from the guy!!!

 

Yeah...I'll make a few duckets. I have to say the guy was crazy fair on the price of the machine and included all the tooling and vises he bought as well in the price. I bought a machine with 8 hours of run time on it for half what it cost new. I'd make the parts for him for free but he wants to cover the costs of it and pay me some labor. I'll probably just let him cover the cost and call it good.

The real value is learning something new.

 

Awesome to hear! I remember you telling me you got a good deal, and it sounds like a fantastic deal. The best part is you have had it for awhile and you are still happy with the purchase.

 

Very happy. It is still a better machine than I am at machining. I try to be realistic about what I "need" in terms of the equipment. It is an order of magnitude more reliable and more accurate that the coverted manual mill I bought to start learning on.

 

Made the other half of the parts for the project I started last week. Nailed the thread fitment on the first run.

 

I’ll bite, what are they?

 

They are the bowl and filter element for a product someone is working on bringing to market.

 

Not knowing exactly what these are for, I'm surprised you didn't just buy a threaded nipple to put in the bottom of the bowl, as opposed to milling it in like you did. But, like I said, I don't know all the details.

 

It's the way he wanted them. I would do the same or at the very least move it to the center so it can be done on a lathe in 1 operation. Then flip and bore the interior and thread it. A two op part that would take way less time on a lathe. It's likely not the fina design. These are the parts being sent to a lab for testing and certification.

 

Update: I took some time off this summer from the machining work and spent it building a bigger shop, used almost all my vacation time from my full time job and spent night and weekends building it with help from my father in law. I got some help on the roof due to sheet lengths. I subbed out the concrete work (see the concrete flatwork thread) and the O/H door installation, the rest my FIL and I did. I got it closed up just in time for the crap weather to arrive. Still alot to do inside but making good progress. Weird time to build given the effects of COVID on availability of materials/pricing.

 

again

 

Last

 

Nice work. no matter how much space you have it seems to never be enough.