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

G.T. · 05-12-2016, 12:02 PM

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.....

05-12-2016, 12:02 PM	#14
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,528 Thanks: 1,334 Thanked 3,711 Times in 1,014 Posts	Shade tree machining!!!! 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.....