Finally a workshop/storage/mancave (2 Viewers)

[waiting for time]

@waiting for time, question for you on scraping the mill. How do you ensure your x and y ways are parallel to each other, and your z ways are perpendicular to both of them? Scraping with the surface plate as a reference obviously produces individual flat surfaces, but how do you check that the different flat surfaces are parallel/perpendicular each other? Is the flatness tolerance of these machines just so much tighter than the parallel/perpendicular tolerances that you don't really have to worry about affecting their parallelism/perpendicularity when you remove material to make each surface flat?

Hopefully my question makes some sort of sense. I've been researching building precise machines recently, and it's been very interesting, but creating flat surfaces that are perpendicular to each other via scraping is something I still don't understand.

Thank you for sharing your work. You are putting together a very nice shop there!

I started with checking the horizontal surfaces on the surface plate using a dti on a guide block, it is difficult to measure scraped ways directly. They checked out perpendicular, al the other ways showed very little wear. From there I checked the y-axis for flatnes and started taking the high spots down. There was no real high/low side on the ways so I just started Scraping. In the beginning I used an HSS scraper which doesn’t do much on the cast iron ways, in the end I used a carbide scraper but still with a large radius. Most important was to keep the y-axis paralel. I would not use this approach if the wear was on more surfaces as it would require getting Everything back to square. If you look up “this old Tony” on YT there is a series of videos where he works on a surface grinder bringing It back to square.
In the end you just need to start easy and learn as you go.

 

[waiting for time]

Brackets made for the rotisserie tomorrow the jig goes on.

 

[waiting for time]

Started with the 40 again.
Split the front window frame.

and started To straiten it.

 

[waiting for time]

As space is becoming scarce lately I need to get the tub on the frame First.
this requires brackets that are quite time consuming to fabricate.
first I got some 40 and 20mm square stock.
Cut 75mm pieces Of 40 stock and milled the top shape of the cross bars in it.

Then cut the 20 stock to 80mm pieces and milled them to fit to the 40 stock.
The bottom got two slides for the bottom of the bar.

 

[waiting for time]

Next I drilled and tapped the 4 20mm stock pieces and drilled and tapped the top.
added the threaded adware and test fitted it to the frame.

This fits nice and snug and is sturdy.

 

[waiting for time]

That was 1 and another 9 to go.

 

[waiting for time]

Time for an update.
working on the brackets was time consuming for a number of reasons.
One was that I have no experience with milling, that is a fast learning curve
An other is constantly measuring as there is no DRO on my mill.
This led to the next few side projects.
First a work light, at my age you cannot have to much light.

Its nice to see what you are doing (wrong).
Then came the bigger vice, which didn’t come with the proper mounting brackets, next project.

I still need to get some Allen bolts and sink them into the brackets.
Then was there the DRO.

first three boxes with scales arrived.

 

[waiting for time]

I have been working on the brackets but adding the DRO takes a lot of time and should cut the time needed to make the brackets.

All the steel cut and ready for milling.

Tubes cut to length for the different connection points.

 

[waiting for time]

This proved to be a bigger challenge then expected.
If you ever tried adding glass scales to a mill or lathe you know how difficult it can be to get them aligned within a tenth of a mm.

 

[waiting for time]

Next issue is the position of the digital unit.
These kits come with a short arm that does not work with a larger mill.
Still some flexibility is nice. So I went through the scrap pile.
This is what I came up with.

I know it’s a bit overkill but it gives me the flexibility I like.

 

[waiting for time]

On the mill it does work like intended.

 

[waiting for time]

Finished the DRO.
scales are nicely covered.

 

[waiting for time]

Build a tramming device for the mill.
used some left over materials and ordered 2 cheap dial gauges.

 

[waiting for time]

Trammed the mill and made a storage for it.

opening that draw is so relaxing, gives me a zen moment in the cluttered shop.

 

[waiting for time]

I picked up a side project.

it is in a surprisingly good state.
It only took me 5 minutes to take it apart.
From this,

to this.

next step clean it.

 

[waiting for time]

Side project in primer.

 

[waiting for time]

I have been working on freeing up my flat space.
organizing the stuff most needed in close range and the less needed in a drawer or behind a door.
A permanent place for the collets.

Cleaning paper on the wall

and some French cleats for the tool holders.

This frees up some drawer space and work surface.

 

[billmc]

Hi Michael, Thank you so much for this thread! Talk about living vicariously, I savored every post. I wore a bib so my shirt is completely drool free! I'll be unemployed come November, so I'm thinking of building my own shop behind my house in VT next Spring. I'm sure it won't be as nice and well-ordered and equipped as yours but after waiting 40 years for it I'll take any kind of clean dedicated space to work instead of crammed garages and barns.

 

[waiting for time]

Hi Michael, Thank you so much for this thread! Talk about living vicariously, I savored every post. I wore a bib so my shirt is completely drool free! I'll be unemployed come November, so I'm thinking of building my own shop behind my house in VT next Spring. I'm sure it won't be as nice and well-ordered and equipped as yours but after waiting 40 years for it I'll take any kind of clean dedicated space to work instead of crammed garages and barns.

Sorry to hear about your job.
I’ve had to struggle on streets, on driveway’s, in leaky sheds and small garages too.
The last few years have been a lot better but I have been collecting tools for the past 40 years too.
It does get easier once you have the space. But then life takes more time away too.
I must say that it is important to have a shop close to home, if it takes too much time to get there you’ll be there a lot less.
More space has another downside, you spend a lot more time cleaning And more flat space means more junk.

 

[waiting for time]

Spend today with cleaning and finishing up some loose ends before continuing.
I still had to finish the clamps for the vice On the mill.

Next was the old vice, giving it a nice fresh coat of paint.
I decided to leave it a bit rough, no hiding of the battle scars.

I am making some nice alu soft jaws for it.
Then I went back to the 40, taking the front axle apart, it was on two dollies being moved around for months now and it was time to dissect it and bring it upstairs.

And just like a true 40 this thing is fighting me with everything it’s got.