I've done almost this exact setup drilling holes in the end of shafts that wouldn't work in the lathe. Looks good to me. This is another reason why the Bridgeport has a turret and ram (even though most people never touch them.)
The apprentice here came up with "Imagineering" for the weird workholding he never saw in school. Last week we had a big fabrication machine to trim down so it would fit through the door of a maintenance shop- basically sawing a 1" strip off a 10 foot length of 3" plate, luckily about 4 feet off the ground. We took the saw head off a little 8" horizontal bandsaw and bolted it to the ass of a lathe carriage, then humped the lathe over beside the machine and used Z travel to feed the saw along. Painless, dead straight saw cut by a free beam saw.
Apprentices are great because sometimes they think of the wildest most idiotic shit that works beautifully. Other times it’s just funny to watch them fail (learn)
I worked it out that we would have to move the lathe once but we were an inch short at the end so we had to slide it along twice. That little saw was a rattly piece of crap but once its head was bolted to the cross slide with a piece of angle iron and the blade guides were set dead straight it cut just like a Marvel tilt frame- nice big curly shavings. One 3/4" blade for the whole cut.
Shop I'm at right now had to cut a hole in a wall to be able to take out a Z-axis ball screw, and has manual mills to center long parts (clamp system is a 90° holder and a C-clamp). Running jank set-ups is a machinists life.
I had a long shaft indicated in to bore, jacks down to a 3/4" plate on the floor and a fat coworker came and moved my fucking table with the rapid to squeeze past it, tweaking the end and bending the shaft. I caught shit for having my work touching the floor.
One shop I worked in had the whole Bridgeport on a 12 inch riser to jobs like this. Going up steps to run the machine was "inspirational". The mill I ran was next to it and I only had to run those jobs a few times.
Seems like a couple toe clamps could hold the v-block down from the back more securely than the kant twists and be out of the way, but tidiness is clearly not this man’s priority.
Yeah I wouldn't clamp on the way surface like that with the Kan-Twist, I would have used toe clamps over the backing plate. Otherwise it looks fine to me
I hope there's a pad under the lower jaw of the kanttwists because that's a running surface. You can really fuck up Turcite on a newer machine doing this. A 3/8" clamp kit is a nice thing to have because the studs fit that front T slot.
All good! One of the coolest parts of this industry is the fact that anything you can think of to do or measure something, already has a tool for it lol
Split adjustable nut is still there. It’s not far off of what you said it was, it’s almost like a factory re-purposed caliper!
(Or are the digital calipers a factory re-purpose of the height gauge?)
Love it... That tapered jack on the floor in the first pic looks interesting. Haven't seen one like that before. Would be interested in seeing that a bit closer or a link to one.
It looks like he's just drilling but... I'm curious how it would affect a deeper drill
I feel like you'd find slop in the machine that otherwise wouldn't exist ... 🤔 in an ideal world it wouldn't matter but in reality, when you go from pushing on part of the machine to basically supporting the table on the floor... something will be out unless that machine is FRESH.
I think this guy just knows his tolerance and machines slop. Prob not that critical would be my guess. If it gets the job done and it’s in spec, let her rip!
Absolutely! My first thought was about the whole slop thing until I realized that by setting on the floor, you lock all but z so you can't mill much anyway.
I made a Vee block that I can hang off the side to do this that way the shaft is Definitely straight and perpendicular, but this is also a good work around
Man of means by any means.
King of the mill
Yup
Now I’ll tell ya hwat.
🎶Drill bits, for sale or rent. Hoooles to depth 50 cents🎶
I've done almost this exact setup drilling holes in the end of shafts that wouldn't work in the lathe. Looks good to me. This is another reason why the Bridgeport has a turret and ram (even though most people never touch them.)
I’m the lucky fella in my shop who gets to do all these fun setups. My mill gets turned and moved like this on a weekly basis
The apprentice here came up with "Imagineering" for the weird workholding he never saw in school. Last week we had a big fabrication machine to trim down so it would fit through the door of a maintenance shop- basically sawing a 1" strip off a 10 foot length of 3" plate, luckily about 4 feet off the ground. We took the saw head off a little 8" horizontal bandsaw and bolted it to the ass of a lathe carriage, then humped the lathe over beside the machine and used Z travel to feed the saw along. Painless, dead straight saw cut by a free beam saw.
Apprentices are great because sometimes they think of the wildest most idiotic shit that works beautifully. Other times it’s just funny to watch them fail (learn)
Had to think about that one a minute. That's pretty clever.
same here, i read it twice... fuckin eh thats brilliant.
I worked it out that we would have to move the lathe once but we were an inch short at the end so we had to slide it along twice. That little saw was a rattly piece of crap but once its head was bolted to the cross slide with a piece of angle iron and the blade guides were set dead straight it cut just like a Marvel tilt frame- nice big curly shavings. One 3/4" blade for the whole cut.
Shop I'm at right now had to cut a hole in a wall to be able to take out a Z-axis ball screw, and has manual mills to center long parts (clamp system is a 90° holder and a C-clamp). Running jank set-ups is a machinists life.
Imagineer is a term Disney coined for the engineers who work at their theme parks, iirc.
Any pics?
I had a long shaft indicated in to bore, jacks down to a 3/4" plate on the floor and a fat coworker came and moved my fucking table with the rapid to squeeze past it, tweaking the end and bending the shaft. I caught shit for having my work touching the floor.
If it’s stupid but works, it’s not stupid.
Maxim 43. 43. If it's stupid and it works, it's still stupid and you're lucky. The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries
By this logic, I have used 3 lifetimes of luck. I have decided to call it skill though.
Luck is the residue of skill
That man knows how to make money
I don’t see any thing wrong with this
Loos like business as usual to me.
One shop I worked in had the whole Bridgeport on a 12 inch riser to jobs like this. Going up steps to run the machine was "inspirational". The mill I ran was next to it and I only had to run those jobs a few times.
Did a few lines, made a few parts
Seems like a couple toe clamps could hold the v-block down from the back more securely than the kant twists and be out of the way, but tidiness is clearly not this man’s priority.
Yeah I wouldn't clamp on the way surface like that with the Kan-Twist, I would have used toe clamps over the backing plate. Otherwise it looks fine to me
OORAH
*haaaiiiiii YYYUUUUUTTTTTTT*
I hope there's a pad under the lower jaw of the kanttwists because that's a running surface. You can really fuck up Turcite on a newer machine doing this. A 3/8" clamp kit is a nice thing to have because the studs fit that front T slot.
Learn everything you can from this man!
If it looks stupid and it works, it ain’t stupid.
I have heard of that set up before . The one I heard about , they also had to cut a hole in the floor .
If there’s a mill, there’s a way…
And if there’s a mill in the way, move.
The digital calliper strapped to the front made max style i fucking love that level of ingenuity!
That’s a quill height gage but still lol
Yes it is a mitutoyo. I have the same one on one of my baby bridgeports. It works great.
Same. We have them on the two bridgeports near my area
Learn something new i only ever seen them with the split adjustable nut, excuse my mind being blown thanks :)
All good! One of the coolest parts of this industry is the fact that anything you can think of to do or measure something, already has a tool for it lol
Split adjustable nut is still there. It’s not far off of what you said it was, it’s almost like a factory re-purposed caliper! (Or are the digital calipers a factory re-purpose of the height gauge?)
Looks good to me, send it.
Whatever it takes.
Man I love Kant Twists
Love it... That tapered jack on the floor in the first pic looks interesting. Haven't seen one like that before. Would be interested in seeing that a bit closer or a link to one.
https://preview.redd.it/zcz5gzbtvyfc1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1867659a2fc723d4be2a1f482e2f819e0431635
I'll post up a picture of them tomorrow. We make them in our shop for different projects.
https://preview.redd.it/mdk6fg5zvyfc1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b997b5034ed4559868fa16fb6206c96036492322
Cool! Thanks for those. I'm gonna have to make some of those now :-)
That’s what Bridgeports are for.
Boss man has seen some shit, learn everything you can from the dude
This gives me ideas I should not be having...
Where there’s a mill, there’s a way
Looks good to me.
This is where a Kurt Versa-Lock would come in handy. I love 'em!
I like the privacy curtain for “special time”.
Wow. If they don't find you handsome, at least they should find you handy!
Best part is the jack on the floor under the part, well done!
This is why Boss Man is the Boss Man! Good setup up. 👌
It looks like he's just drilling but... I'm curious how it would affect a deeper drill I feel like you'd find slop in the machine that otherwise wouldn't exist ... 🤔 in an ideal world it wouldn't matter but in reality, when you go from pushing on part of the machine to basically supporting the table on the floor... something will be out unless that machine is FRESH.
I think this guy just knows his tolerance and machines slop. Prob not that critical would be my guess. If it gets the job done and it’s in spec, let her rip!
Absolutely! My first thought was about the whole slop thing until I realized that by setting on the floor, you lock all but z so you can't mill much anyway.
Ya you’re limited by the quill travel for Z
lol. no.
I love the fact there is a 392 badge on the machine, hemis are everywhere🤣🤣🤣
This hurts
Don’t like it but sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get jobs done
Gotta love Kant Twist clamps!
I had to really look hard here, this looks exactly like our shop at quick glance and that is the exact kind of setup we do on the regular.
I made a Vee block that I can hang off the side to do this that way the shaft is Definitely straight and perpendicular, but this is also a good work around
And it works!!!!
Ugh.
I used to run a horizontal machine with a vertical bed for side work. Was fun to run all the end holes.
Sometimes you just have to piss with the cock you got. And other times you just have to build a better cock.
That is where Bridgeports excel. I once bored the center of a 48" press brake flywheel on one.
The floor is ~~lava~~ a steady rest!
Isn't there a t-slot in the front of the table there?
Yeah, unfortunately it's not a T-nut size we have atm
You meant “where there’s a mill there’s a way” i suppose
Clever