[xerigen]

Hi, I'm doing a project for school, and I need to know how to machine a specific part without the use of CNC. So, basic machine shop tools. Manual mill, drill press, etc.

Here is an isometric image: <br>[br]


and then I made 3 views of it in autocad:


I basically need to know step by step how I would take a block of AISI 1020 steel and machine this product. I've done a lot of research, I just can't seem to find how to machine the weird angles and cuts in this drawing. Help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks a lot!

[AMCTony]

First, Square up the stock to size. Then drill your holes. Next, mill all of the square edge cuts and recesses, looks like there are 2 of them. Next thing is to use angle block or a sine bar to setup for the angles. you can use an endmill or flycutter to cut these faces then. I like angle blocks for angles that are not all that precise. The last opp is to cut the slot into the 1.12 dia. hole. Finally, have a beer. This is how I would make this part but it is not the only way. This should be gravy, just take your time and double check your setups.

P.S. A Depth Mic. WILL be helpfull.

[xerigen]

Thanks a TON! See, the thing is, I'm a freshman in college, and I was assigned to create this project along with two other group members. Well, my professor doesn't like to give a lot of help, saying that's how it is in the real world, so I was left to research it myself. Well, unfortunately my group members are busy welding and sandcasting this item, and my only skill or knowledge in mechanical engineering so far is two years of CAD experience in high school.

I would just like to say I really appreciate your help, as I have an oral report soon on my strategy to machine the "clutch lever" and this helps tremendously!

[ctate2000]

Tell your professor in the real world a ME would write a work order for the tool room.

[dertsap]

Well, my professor doesn't like to give a lot of help, saying that's how it is in the real world,!

maybe someone should tell the prof that teachers teach in the real world

at least help you get in the right direction

[Konrad]

My way....
Milling stock..... one side [large face] 1.44" first, then... use this face against the solid jaw on the milling vice and push on opposite side with something round, like a 1/2" round aluminium rod 2 to 3 inch long, this will push it nice toward the jaws, so you can square up the sides, mill thickness last.
Drill large hole first, 1/32" smaller, & ream to 1.124", 1.125", [you made your drawing to 1.12 ??] ... this could be the toughest job, reamers usually go about 1.126"....[oversize by .001"] when solid reamer is used.
Measure reamer first, if solid, it should measure 1.124" [plus 0", minus .0005"] I would use a expandable reamer and set it first at about 1.122" and make a dummy hole first to set your reamer.

Then lay out all your mill away faces, also .44 bolt hole, drill and tap first, [the taped hole not showing for the bolt?] and band saw cut on a vertical band saw [if you have one?] up to about 1/16, 1/8" to the line.
Mill with about a 1" end mill the two square steps, then with a combination square tilt the part in the vice [set degree with bubble]....then mill with carbide or HSS face mill or end mill,... if you don't have a face mill.
Drill all other holes, cut slot with a 1/8" slitter, if you are good on the band saw, you can use band saw, make two cuts.
Konrad

[AMCTony]

If your professor really wants to live in the real world, then send him and the university purchasing department a bill for the project including charges for consulting with him on the project, additional R&D, Engineering/blueprinting, and Manufacturing if you make this part. Also bill him for the for the extra outsourcing of professional services that you were forced to seek due to him assigning other "consultants" to your engineering team and was unable to "enlist" their services and had to go elsewhere. Lets see... 2 hours design consultation, 2 hours CAD Time, 2 hours process verification, 5 hours outside sourcing, 2 hours manufacturing time, Tooling and materials, Travel expense, Office and clerical, 1 hour onsite final product presentation.

Engineering Charge: 11 Hours @ $160.00 = $1760.00
Manufacturing : 2 Hours @ $100.00 = $200.00
Tooling and Material: 1 @ $75.00 = $ 75.00
Travel: 1 @ $100.00 = $100.00
Office: 1 @ $50.00 = $50.00
On Site Presentation 1 Hour @ $225.00 = $225.00
this is Overtime

GRAND TOTAL: $2410.00

If he wants everyone to live in the real world then this should bring him into it with the rest of us.

BTW Make sure that you charge %1.5 per month = %18 yearly late fee on bills not paid after 30 days.

[tobyaxis]

Well, my professor doesn't like to give a lot of help, saying that's how it is in the real world, so I was left to research it myself.

Sounds to me that you need a New Professor, or he needs an attitude adjustment(chair) . This type of instruction is why this country is having problems.

What he should be doing is training you in a specific direction and help when things need to be explained . Not just turning his back on you and saying "Welcome to the Real World". That is B.S. because if he did that enough
at a job they would get rid of him or he may meet up with the wrong people:boxing: .

I'm glad you got the help you need and feel free to stop by any time. Help will always be here. (not that i helped any this time).:cheers:

[AMCTony]

I am in full agreement with Toby. You are at a university to RECIEVE HELP LEARNING to prepare you for real world challenges. Why pay for an education and have to teach yourself anyway. It is most likely too late in the year to get a new Prof. but if you run into this in the future get a new one if possible asap.

[greg b]

once the job has been squared up and you have put the holes in ,a slitting saw in the mill can be used to remove that angle stock quite fast and also put that slot in quite accurately. you will need to finish the angles with a flycutter or end mill , if super accutate !on a grinder with sine bars .
greg b

[cobolt cutter]

All the advise these people are giving is Great, and Good!
I only wished I have these guys when I was in college!
Yes, I had the same kind of Professor!
It's GREAT TO FIND A Community like this!
you Guy's make me PROUD to be part of the MACHINIST world!

[Shandon]

Cool problem!! Kudos to your prof. and his style! The class is only what you make it.

SF

[Wiseco]

I'm aggreed with most of you guys but the thing the professor wanted you to learned is sometime, when your facing a problem that you've never had or learned in the past, you will probably be on your own to accomplish it. So thinking and finding solutions by yourself develop ingeniousity. Yes your in school and it should not be the way like your professor want, but later in your life, you will only have you and yourself to make special things.

I know what I'm talking about because I learned all machining process all by my self... well most of it. I start to use a manual lathe at 10 years old. It was when my father bought his new lathe for his plastic company. I was impressed by this machine. So I ask him "Dad? Can I play with it??" Knowing that if he would said no, I would played on it when he was not around, so he made me a staicase to be able to touch eveything I need to turned. He install my first aluminium stock in the chuck, set the speed, show me how to engage the feed... and with some security issue like not to crash the machine but, most important, not to hurt myself, he told me "Get me this stock to .75" dia using the digital readout." And that's all!

And you know what? I made his part to that measure, he gave me another job to play and since that day, I just love to machined! Sure he learned me some tricks, but he was used to say "Give me 25 bucks for that!"

Now I'm 26 years old, I have learned NC, milling, moldmaking, CAD drawing all by myself! You know what motivate me to do all things by myself? One word : CHALLENGE!

[xerigen]

I don't mind the challenge, but the class is ET 100, Intro to Engineering. It seems as if he should give us some information. I've learned a LOT through research that I didn't know before, but I've put in a LOT of time.

But my oral report went well, he liked the way I designed it and machined it (mostly thanks to you guys), his only criticism (and he came down pretty hard) was that in the real world, if I were assigned to design say a million of these (which I was not, so he was way off base in his criticism in my opinion, I was assigned to create one), that I would be wasting a lot of material making it in one piece. Either way, I still received an A on the preliminary oral presentation.

So... if you guys don't mind, I need one last piece of advice. He told me that I should machine the part in 2 or 3 pieces, and then have it welded together or pieced together with machine screws.. What do you guys think the most efficient way of breaking this piece apart would be so that I wouldn't waste a lot of the stock material and what kind of fasteners would be the easiest to use in that process?

[tobyaxis]

I don't mind the challenge, but the class is ET 100, Intro to Engineering. It seems as if he should give us some information. I've learned a LOT through research that I didn't know before, but I've put in a LOT of time.

But my oral report went well, he liked the way I designed it and machined it (mostly thanks to you guys), his only criticism (and he came down pretty hard) was that in the real world, if I were assigned to design say a million of these (which I was not, so he was way off base in his criticism in my opinion, I was assigned to create one), that I would be wasting a lot of material making it in one piece. Either way, I still received an A on the preliminary oral presentation.

So... if you guys don't mind, I need one last piece of advice. He told me that I should machine the part in 2 or 3 pieces, and then have it welded together or pieced together with machine screws.. What do you guys think the most efficient way of breaking this piece apart would be so that I wouldn't waste a lot of the stock material and what kind of fasteners would be the easiest to use in that process?

I try never to be mean, but is your Professor on CRACK!!!!!(chair) That would drive costs up let alone create room for part failure. What are they teaching these days? The most efficient way to make this part is on a 4 or 5 Axis Mill. Two operations......DONE!!!! Unless you want to make it from Sintered Material and that too might require some Machining.

This is a usless post and I apologize for the intruption but had to Vent, just a little.

[merl]

xerigen,
First I must apologize to you for your "professors" attitude. Always remember,"Those who can, do and, those who can't, teach" Now we can add a line, " and those who can't teach call themselves professor, make tenure, and never care about the real world again."
Your professor is an idiot!! "make the part in multiple peices and screw them together" ?!?!?!? WTF !!
I would like to see exactly ware he would care to divide this part up into efficently manufactured pieces and, then add ( I can't stop laghing) "screw holes" to put it back together?
If I had to make a million of these a year I would have them sintered with the 1.12 dia. hole in place and do the rest of the holes and the slot on a small rotary transfer machine. If you could have the slot put in during sintering then all the better.
I used to run a 10 station rotary transfer machine at a large die cast foundry here in Wisconsin. It was scheduled for 1mill+ parts per year makeing windsheild wiper motor housings, even at a 4.7 second cycle time we couldn't keep up with the schedule.
Consider that when you graduate you may end up working for people just like you find here on this web site. I stongly recomend that you spend your summers working in some machine shop somewhere so you have at least have some idea what you're doing when you get to the "real world"
In Germany any prospective ME student must first spend at least two years as a machinist before starting ME school...good idea
PS if you really need 1 million of those per year I'm sure I would be happy to do them for $3.00 ea. but you'll have to supply matl. and shipping would be extra.----

merl

[WayneHill]

The most efficient way to make this part is on a 4 or 5 Axis Mill. Two operations......DONE!!!!

It would be easy on a 5 axis.

How about using layout dye with height gage scribe and sine plate to mark the lines. Then use bandsaw to rough out the stock.

Slow, but a good learning process.

[merl]

Wait , stop , what was I thinking?
The best was to make a million of these a year would be to outsorce the job to China, hire a million chinese at ten cents an hour, give them all a file and.....

merl

[tobyaxis]

Wait , stop , what was I thinking?
The best was to make a million of these a year would be to outsorce the job to China, hire a million chinese at ten cents an hour, give them all a file and.....

merl

Isn't this what we are trying to avoid?

[AMCTony]

Depending on the tolerance required you could use cold forging if you would "ignore" the tooling cost or could use investment casting. At 1 million parts you could probably contact a steel mill and have special stock made with the angles on it to +-0.002 or so. With huge quantities, I would suggest a change of material to 6061 T6 aluminum. It has a similar tensile strength to 1020 steel, cost less to machine, and you could get an extrution made that would eliminate almost all of the machining. Starting with 2 pounds of stock and finishing with a 2 ounce part is just part of life. 1 part or 1 million parts makes little difference if the part requires it. The machininig process, fixturing and cutters will make the biggest difference far beyond wasted material. Maybe this crackpot needs to remember that metal chips are melted down and recycled every day. Does he recycle all his steel and aluminium like machine shops and manufacturing plants do or is he a hypocrit.