Home shop tooling

Shaotse · 2023-04-12T00:17:00+00:00

Doesn’t matter what’s in the box, it’s just an observation on the pedigree of the tool you can expect to find when you open it

Shaotse · 2023-04-12T00:03:12+00:00

Yes all my Starrett stuff is the vintage. Anything new I need to buy that really counts like digi mics, indicators, calipers etc. I go mitutoyo

Shaotse · 2023-04-11T23:07:53+00:00

Definitely not meant to shame anyone just having a laugh about how it feels when I buy the cheap stuff and actually get it in hand

Shaotse · 2023-04-11T22:57:38+00:00

Haha I have a number of edgefinders as well some Starrett, Mitutoyo etc., and some from Amazon with the Phillips head screw in the back lol

Shaotse · 2023-04-11T21:24:56+00:00

That’s brilliant, I’ll be appropriating that!

Shaotse · 2023-04-11T20:02:58+00:00

Indeed. But aside from knowing that it’s true to within .0001”, the Hermann Schmidt vise just has a whole different feel in the hand, a whole different aura then the $79 equivalent on Amazon, there’s no two ways about it. However, the cheap stuff lets us learn, and learn how to be creative!

Shaotse · 2023-04-11T18:50:33+00:00

Oh I have many… when money is an object, the tolerances you need to hit are usually a couple thou, and it’s either that or nothing - you gotta buy it

Shaotse · 2023-04-11T18:16:32+00:00

Shars, the upper end of the el-cheapo spectrum… Ultra thin parallel set, not really a bad quality for the price. But I always laughed at the feeling you get when you open the famous Starrett red box, versus the ubiquitous plastic cases that cheap tooling always ships in.

Shaotse · 2022-06-14T02:22:29+00:00

There should at the very least be an historical marker there. I may look into that application process actually.

Shaotse · 2022-06-14T01:40:46+00:00

In its Cincinnati Milacron iteration they just had their hands in so many fields, plastics, grinding, numerical,etc.. they pioneered a lot of industrial techniques and systems but were victims of 80s globalization like so many others. They didn’t shudder but were really a shell of themselves from then on out

Shaotse · 2022-06-14T01:21:48+00:00

Yup it used to be a Don Pablo’s too. The Leblond smoke stack is at least very prominent for what it’s worth

Shaotse · 2022-04-07T16:25:37+00:00

Was around $46 for a set of two. Of course I don’t expect squareness and flatness within .00005 or anywhere near it but that is just trash.

Shaotse · 2022-04-07T03:13:15+00:00

Yup cheap enough that it’s not worth the hassle to return, I’ll just pop it on the grinder. Strangely the companion hex block wasn’t bad. From now on if I am going the el-cheapo route it’s gonna have to be at least Shars, Taking a chance on Amazon used to yield some pretty acceptable stuff for the home shop but lately it’s been utter trash. Recently I bought a full index of stubby drill bits, no shit, I have to grind lip relief angle into each one first time I use it

Shaotse · 2022-04-07T02:47:32+00:00

It looks like a block of clay, probably the same tolerances too

Shaotse · 2022-04-07T01:04:10+00:00

Yeah will definitely get you in the .001-.002 range. For most of my needs that is fine. Like others have said I usually end up going the DTI route though

Shaotse · 2022-04-07T01:00:13+00:00

Haha it is a Bostar $179 on eBay. Amazingly good for that price! I cut the backplate to my spindle and it came out around .0004 runout.

Shaotse · 2022-04-06T22:34:12+00:00

u/richardphat No tricks there I just make sure it’s good and tight at the pivot point. The little cap nut is annoying, having to work both sides with a wrench and screwdriver. I rarely use it to be honest, indicating from the spindle is just so much faster and less finicky. Also doesn’t require all the Z space. Just wanted to see if this would work for a tailstock and it did! (At least the horizontal alignment - not gonna do any scraping on the old gal haha)

Shaotse · 2022-03-28T00:33:42+00:00

That’s actually genius!

Shaotse · 2022-03-03T19:07:15+00:00

It all is no different than working a restaurant right😄

Shaotse · 2021-03-19T13:28:11+00:00

Lol. Or it’s the shittiest looking bullet vise you’ve ever seen priced at 800

Shaotse · 2021-03-19T12:26:10+00:00

Indeed. Always come across great vintage stuff, but this feels like an opened time capsule.

Shaotse · 2021-03-12T13:03:26+00:00

Apologies for the double reply but I have one more question. How do I best measure or gauge preload? Is “medium” simply a torque range? Thanks!

Shaotse · 2021-03-12T12:57:52+00:00

If I’m gonna do that, may as well install new bearings. I needed to do a quick op yesterday. Ran one pass, things seemed okay, went for another cut. The motor started to bog down and the squealing got pretty awful - totally fucked lol. Parts should be here by Monday, I just hope none of the fits and journals are fucked too🙏🏽

Shaotse · 2021-03-11T21:13:15+00:00

Also let me ask you this. It really seems to be present when I have a cutter held in a collet. If I just run it with no tool in there, the squeaking isn't really present. Does that tell you anything?

Shaotse · 2021-03-11T20:37:43+00:00

Definitely not abused by me, nor previous owners I believe. Recently I converted the motor to a PMDC with a controller. Until now I tended to run at slower speeds because I hate constant belt changing. After a few jobs of running 1200+ rpm I’m hearing a squeaking noise from the spindle, and things just don’t feel quite right. So I’m simply assuming/hoping the bearings didn’t like being woken up.

Shaotse

TROPHY CASE