last little thing?.....Mec-Gar mag bottoms

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by G.T.

I would say it is most likely what we had on hand was what got used!

Exactly. My quick change collet set only goes to 5/8". My R8 collets go to 7/8" but I lose 2" quill travel if I go to them. I haven't had a use for any ball end mill greater than 5/8" yet.

What I need is a precision ground 4" high table adapter so that the R8 collets will extend down to the work surface. Until I get that sorted out, I'll stick with the QC collets.

I like to amuse myself with humorous comments, but I realize that my humor is only appreciated by myself so I'll delete them after I have my chuckle. I crack myself up sometimes!

[G.T.]

Hi Rich, I get your humor.... again don't delete! It's part of the fun here.... ... The main difference between what we have done, is mine is lathe turned, while yours are milled.... I wish I had a mill... maybe in the future!....Best to you, and all, til...lat'r...GT.....

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by G.T.

The main difference between what we have done, is mine is lathe turned, while yours are milled.

You chuck one knob in the lathe chuck and the ball end mill in the tailstock chuck??? Another skinned cat!

I have been on the lookout for a tool post milling attachment for years. I owned one once; they are great! Basically a mill vise mounted on an L-shaped base, it has a center pivot so you can turn it 360º. It also has a screw to allow lengthwise movement.

It makes any operation so much easier.

[G.T.]

Hi Rich, long ago, actually since the start of my machining efforts, I've always been either under machined (too small!), or broke! Which in machinist terms is the same thing! ....So, I have had to invent almost all my own tooling, fixtures, collets and such. It not only had to be simple, but inexpensive, and flexible..... So, early on I started making my own one-shot collets by turning a round disc on my lathe, indexed to my three jaw chuck, with the correct size hole and a slot to provide clamping / spring tension, and bored to the final dia. with a boring tool or drill / reamer.. As long as I always mounted it indexed the same, it was repeatable zero and concentric! I found I could reposition the work by sliding it thru or re-indexing it to my home grown collet and maintain concentricity, as long as the index marks were aligned. So, with the mag bottoms I simply insert the knob thru the homemade collet from the back side, and it is both held tight and true... then I just plunge with a ball end mill ...... If the stock moves, I simply wedge a piece of aluminum stock between the backside of the work and the face of the 3 jaw chuck.... (really shade tree!!!!) If I even remotely ever knew what I was doing, I would have probably quit years and years ago!........ Best to all, til...lat'r....GT.....

[Eugen]

Those "remodeled" mag bottoms look great. Such talented and creative folks on this forum.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by G.T.

I wish I had a mill... maybe in the future!

Gerry, back in the 70's/80's, before I bought my Bridgeport [now gone], I used a tool post milling attachment for my South Bend 14 1/2" x 60" lathe. There's a couple on eBay right now but pretty high price and kinda small...

But they can bridge the gap between a lathe and mill until you can find/buy a milling machine. I used mine for milling out reliefs for Bo-Mar BMCS low-mount rear sights, dovetails, S&W micrometer K frame sights, etc - all in 1911 slides. It was also good for making small parts. It adds 360º adjustability to the lathe, plus an extra 'Z' axis.

(Just to be clear, you mount the end mill in the lathe chuck and this attachment to the tool post!)

If I didn't have the mill in my Chinese 3in1 machine I'd buy this attachment.