[Jigantor]

Had some 6061 angle and a need to get my milling tools were I could get to them easier. Milled up this tool holder. Problem is you don't know exactly what you need when you start so it becomes a work in progress.

Ji

[Jigantor]

Been using some router bits to get the profiles I require.

Ji

[Jigantor]

Yes it still is a work in progess.
With every new tool I need a new hole.

Ji

[Jigantor]

These hole cutters are pretty cool. Quick to set up and cuts any size hole in a few minutes. Good quality made in Japan.

Ji

[Jigantor]

Yep you buy another tool you have to make another holder.

Ji

[Jigantor]

More collet chucks means more milling.

Ji

[Shane1234]

looks like you are getting the hang of being self sufficient......

[Jigantor]

Hi Shane,
Is that your own tool box or a company you work for?
We don't have those nylon hole trays here that I can find. In fact Hafco where I buy most of my machine goods from don't have any tool holders so if you don't make your own they just pile up in a draw.
We can not even buy one of those ring lights which would be handy. Thinking about buying some LED's and making one of my own. All I have is a magnetic base shop light. No mater where I place the shop light it is never in the right position.

Nice photos by the way have you got some of what you mill?

Ji

[Shane1234]

Hi Shane,
Is that your own tool box or a company you work for?
We don't have those nylon hole trays here that I can find. In fact Hafco where I buy most of my machine goods from don't have any tool holders so if you don't make your own they just pile up in a draw.
We can not even buy one of those ring lights which would be handy. Thinking about buying some LED's and making one of my own. All I have is a magnetic base shop light. No mater where I place the shop light it is never in the right position.

Nice photos by the way have you got some of what you mill?

Ji

It is the company's toolbox. They bought it at my discretion.

The nylon hole tray you speak of is UHMW plastic. I saw-cut the chunk to fit in the drawer, put it in the hurco vmx42, and designed that on mastercam to hold our collets. The engraving is a 1/16th endmill, dykem filled. After you let the dykem dry, just scrape with a razor blade Reason I engraved it because time saved searching for collets. So yeah, its what i milled....

i understand about the light issue Same here for the more part.... Some things I would see as neccessary isn't always so in the owner's eyes. I am on a mission to convince him we need coolant skimmers for our 4 cnc machines......


Trunion table i made for our 4th axis rotary......

Attachment 184334

Attachment 184336

Attachment 184338

3d face i made.........



transducer arms for ice fishing.....



tool holder block i made for our monarch p10







spray hub for dispensing cleaning solution.....












nothing wrong with being self sufficient. Your mind is your only limitation....

[Jigantor]

Hi Shane,
Top shelf.
Nice pics.
Big or small setting up the work place is a work in progress.
I may start the light project tomorrow. I am thinking about LEDs on a half circle bar suspended from the spindle.
What do you use to edge find?
I was thinking about that today and came up with a couple of solutions.
Transducer holder like for a fish finder? We are very similar.
Talk soon
Ji

[bill south]

Nice!
Wish I worked in a place with big boy toyz.
Thanks for posting.
Bill

[Jigantor]

Hi Bill,
What do you do?
Can you post some pics of what you mill?

Talk soon
Ji

[Shane1234]

Hi Shane,
Top shelf.
Nice pics.
Big or small setting up the work place is a work in progress.
I may start the light project tomorrow. I am thinking about LEDs on a half circle bar suspended from the spindle.
What do you use to edge find?
I was thinking about that today and came up with a couple of solutions.
Transducer holder like for a fish finder? We are very similar.
Talk soon
Ji

yeah, led's will keep the footprint small, allowing for more room for you to see your work.

as for edge finders, i love the probe on the hurco, but all the other mills we use a cheap edge finder by starret. its simple enough. for stuff we know we are going to use common zero points, we mount stuff to the table that wont move when we but something up, or mount stop blocks to our vises.

yeah, for my fish finder I have the marcum lx-9. its a little more advanced than an average "fish finder" lol.
LX-9 Digital Sonar/Camera System 8" LCD Dual Beam w/OSD Camera

as for fishing, i would say i do my share. I report for the dnr, i write for a magazine/website, do seminars, compete in tournaments, as well as pro-staff. so yeah, i fish

[Jigantor]

Hi Shane,
I fly fish.
I have caught everything in the salt and fresh water here & New Zealand. I have written a few magazine articles for a local based outfit and one international mag.
So yes I love the sport too.

I use one of those cheap offset edge finders but am thinking of a buzzing electronic type. Based on resistance. The Haimer is a little out of my price range at $700.

I thought you guys place all your tools into collet chucks for setting tool heights once and storing into your program. By the number of collets you have that is not the case.

Ji

[Shane1234]

Hi Shane,
I fly fish.
I have caught everything in the salt and fresh water here & New Zealand. I have written a few magazine articles for a local based outfit and one international mag.
So yes I love the sport too.

I use one of those cheap offset edge finders but am thinking of a buzzing electronic type. Based on resistance. The Haimer is a little out of my price range at $700.

I thought you guys place all your tools into collet chucks for setting tool heights once and storing into your program. By the number of collets you have that is not the case.

Ji

i did a quick google search for electronic edge finders......
Electronic Edge Finder at Wholesale Tool

alot cheaper than 700. they have an edgefinder and a tool probe combo for 159.....

here is a crude DIY edgefinder that uses conductivity to sense the edge (creating a circuit)
http://rick.sparber.org/nceef.pdf



as for people that preset tooling for production runs, yeah, thats not us. we are a job shop, we rarely see runs over a couple hundred parts, and 99% of our work is one or two custom parts that a customer needs in a pinch. not alot of repeat work, so it isn't abnormal for me to have 15-20 cnc setups in a day. Once in a great while do I miss the days of long runs, but only when I am being lazy. Most of the time, the different one-offs really make the day fly by. It also keeps programming fresh in my head. Luckily one of my guys is a pro at manual work and tool & die stuff, so i don't have to fiddle with the hand crankers much.

[Jigantor]

Hi Shane,
They are great those electronic edge finders but you have to place them into a collet to find the edge then replace with the tool. I am thinking about a unit that you install the tool you want to use then find the edges. This should cut the time and make it more acurate. Most of my work is one off too. We dont just mill but fabricate. Milling, TIG welding, folding, turning, rolling and what ever else is required. We are actually designers but fabrication just evolved.

Ji

[Shane1234]

Hi Shane,
They are great those electronic edge finders but you have to place them into a collet to find the edge then replace with the tool. I am thinking about a unit that you install the tool you want to use then find the edges. This should cut the time and make it more acurate. Most of my work is one off too. We dont just mill but fabricate. Milling, TIG welding, folding, turning, rolling and what ever else is required. We are actually designers but fabrication just evolved.

Ji

check out that pdf file link i posted then, thats your key. it uses conductivity to sense the edge. mount the unit on your mill so the tool when mounted is the ground, and use one wire to the part to complete the circuit when they touch. that would be perfect for what you are looking for......


as for fab, yeah, thats what this business is also. they mainly have us machinists to support the fab..... we primarily make conveyor systems for food processing plants aka packing plants, but we do about everything else too...

[Jigantor]

Hi Shane,
Yeah I did take a peek at that resister type.
Very similar to what I have in mind except I am going to use a multi meter with continuity. When I get it to work I will post my results. General fab yep that is what pays the bills.
We race dirt bikes and make parts for them. We also fix cracked frames. We have done a bunch of handgun grips a long time ago which did not pay but was different. We also a long time ago made parts for IPSC race guns which was fun but again was not really worth the effort.

Ji

[Shane1234]

Hi Shane,
Yeah I did take a peek at that resister type.
Very similar to what I have in mind except I am going to use a multi meter with continuity. When I get it to work I will post my results. General fab yep that is what pays the bills.
We race dirt bikes and make parts for them. We also fix cracked frames. We have done a bunch of handgun grips a long time ago which did not pay but was different. We also a long time ago made parts for IPSC race guns which was fun but again was not really worth the effort.

Ji

you need to look at that link. it is continuity, i just got my terms messed up. has a build diagram and everything. make your own from their instructions! exactly what you need.

[Jigantor]

Hi Shane,
Yeah i saw the wiring diagram and everything it looks great. It is continuity and resister. The voltage runs through the mill in continuity fashion and is lowered by the resistance of the mill and oil. This sets off the buzzer at a low sound. When contact is made the resistance is less and sets off a louder buzzer. My idea is even simpler. Place a non conductive material between the job and a contact plate with positive current. Place negative current into the mill bit. The current is generated via the multi meter and set to continuity. When the tool touches the contact plate the buzzer will sound. The contact plate and non conductive material will be a set thickness. Take his thickness and the radius of the tool from the distance and zero out the mill. Simple.

Ji