[eloid]

hello looking for some advice and way to easily machine out some bearing end blocks for a gear box im designing. my question is if i have machining to do on both sides of the part ie bearing pocket on on side recesed mounting holes on the other side. What the best way to line up part and keep every thing square and refered to the other side...I know i will need to make some jigs maybe looking for tips... and a better way to align things

[Geof]

It is not easy to make suggestions without a picture or drawing to go from but here goes.

Use the bearing bore as your reference point; presumably the mounting holes are going to be spaced evenly around this.

Possibly do the recessed mounting holes first and at the same time rough out the bearing hole.

Now make a fixture with bosses on the same pattern as the mounting holes and the same size as the recesses; tap one hole in the center of where the bearing hole will fall and tap a couple of holes outside the area of the bearing block.

Take the part which has mounting holes and put it on the fixture so the recesses of the mounting holes fit on the bosses; now you have it located. Clamp it down with a couple of clamps using the the tapped holes outside the area of the block. It would be a good idea to have these clamps over a couple of the bosses so the part does not distort when clamped.

Now machine the bearing hole. NOTE: I am making the assumption the bearing hole has a step which the bearing comes against, i.e. it is not a through hole.

Once the bearing hole is done clamp the part down using a disc in the bearing hole and the tapped hole in the center of the fixture; remove the other clamps.

Now face off the area around the bearing hole.

[jsheerin]

Put a milling vise on your machine if you're going to do this with any kind of frequency. Cheap ones are available from Enco. I don't know what your machine is, but I mounted one on a piece of aluminum tooling plate to attach one to my machine made from 80/20. See below. Then use standard metal working practices - cut the necessary sides of your block so they're flat and perpendicular to each other. Then use a vise stop to locate one end of the part (as in pic below). Machine one side. Flip it over with the same edge against the vise stop and machine the other. Account for any offsets necessary. There are of course many other ways to do the same thing.

[eloid]

i was thinking about making the jig, idea Geof.. but it for one part...i hope
i like the the vice idea jsheerin.. have a nice drill press vice i could use...
i was hoping someone ahand a smart tool routine that you probe a the corners of part after maching the frist side and using a feature of your part " ie a hole " to referance it to the other side.... then flip the part over... run this routine that would referance the same locaton ie corners and part feature for ref. etc then load you next g code to your new referance postions where ever you place it.....

i seen this idea for printed circuit board and gcode... for diy...cnc anyone good at rewiting and making scripts?

[jsheerin]

run this routine that would referance the same locaton ie corners and part feature for ref. etc then load you next g code to your new referance postions where ever you place it.....

All gcode works this way... Make two files, one for the first side, one for the second. Place the origin for the second side at a feature you can locate on.

[eloid]

All gcode works this way... Make two files, one for the first side, one for the second. Place the origin for the second side at a feature you can locate on.

but with this routine it didnt matter where u placed it, it would find the new offeset, also the part placement did not have to be square cus it auto adjusted for it....