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golash
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:53 am
Location: Northamptom, Ma

New to the forum

Post by golash »

Hi All

I`ve been checking out this forum for a while. I`m a newbie at machining. One year ago I got my first Bridgeport mill. I have spent most of my free time restoring the machine. Now that I`m done and am learning machining I have a lot of questions. Just recently finished making a flycutter and power drawbar. If anyone is interested here`s a link to few pics : http://s391.photobucket.com/albums/oo35 ... CF0008.jpg
By trade I an a self-employed cabinetmaker. I`ve been working wood for 30 years. I have built a few woodworking machines over the years. I do believe I enjoy machine design and construction more then woodworking. At my site I have a few pics of my other machine projects: http://www.woodsolutions.com/diy-cnc.htm

Regards barry
Lew Hartswick
Posts: 775
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 10:45 am
Location: Albuquerque NM

Post by Lew Hartswick »

I know what you mean. I did woodworking (as a hobby) for 20 or so yrs
and when taking up metal, to build some special fixtures) found it more
fun. So now do mostly metal work and only when necessary any woodwork.
:-)
...lew...
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SteveHGraham
Posts: 7788
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:55 pm
Location: Florida

Post by SteveHGraham »

Welcome!

The thing I like about metalworking is that you don't have to breathe sawdust all day.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
Jose Rivera
Posts: 3803
Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:21 pm
Location: Vallejo California

WELCOME

Post by Jose Rivera »

Welcome to chaski golash.

Same here.
I had a fully tooled wood shop where I used to make my own home furnishings.
I thought that because of being a machinist as I retired working with wood would be more fun ... WRONG!!!

Your fly-cutter looks similar to one I made many years ago while working at Jorgensen Steel.
Mine has dual slots for two purposes.
One, better balance thus good a very high speeds.
Two, one can use two cutters at the same time as shown on the pictures.

One bit is some .015" higher than the other. (Staggered cut)
Attachments
DSCF7022.JPG
DSCF7023.JPG
There are no problems, only solutions.
--------------
Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa
Willy B
Posts: 119
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:16 pm
Location: Connersville, IN

Post by Willy B »

Hello Barry. Some nice looking machines you have designed and built. I'm curious, do you work up a design on paper?

Bill
golash
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:53 am
Location: Northamptom, Ma

Plans

Post by golash »

Hi Willy B

Almost never do I design on paper before I start building. I start by checking out commercial designs. Gives me a feel for design and proportions. I then go to my favorite junk yard. All the time there looking for components that could be used. Its always cheaper to take a existing component then building it from scratch. The design | build is always evolving as I`m looking for parts.
Doing designs in CAD would be time consuming because any changes in parts would require revisions to the drawing. Sometimes I`ll do CAD if I`m concerned how to fit various assemblies together. I guess you could call me a junk yard engineer.

Barry :D
Jose Rivera
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Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:21 pm
Location: Vallejo California

Post by Jose Rivera »

That is called (if you make then draw) reverse engineering.

Nothing beats forward engineering done on 3D CAD.
I used to work as you do, never again !
There are no problems, only solutions.
--------------
Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa
golash
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:53 am
Location: Northamptom, Ma

Nice Flycutter

Post by golash »

Hi Jose

Nice design on your fly cutter. Always interesting to see other peoples designs.
Thanks for the post with the pics.

Barry
Jose Rivera
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Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:21 pm
Location: Vallejo California

Post by Jose Rivera »

One could make a fly-cutter of similar design with three or four slots for bits.

As long as the bits are ground correctly, one cutter with four bits will eat four time the material per revolution.
There are no problems, only solutions.
--------------
Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa
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mechanicalmagic
Posts: 1431
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:11 am
Location: Pleasanton, CA Land of perfect weather

Post by mechanicalmagic »

Jose Rivera wrote:One could make a fly-cutter of similar design with three or four slots for bits.
[old-memory-on] When I was in College, supporting a new family,working in a machine shop, we made a centerless grinder. It was my job to machine the way parts. One was a "V" way cut from ~5" square stock, with the "V" machined on the top, the bottom and sides were stock. Well, that's a lot of material to remove. We had a head for the horizontal mill, and I mounted a WW2 "fly cutter". This thing took 4ea. 1/2" tool bits. I set it up to take about 1/8" deep cut per bit, (1/2" per rev). I tossed blue chips to one corner of the shop, because it was hazardous to be in the line of fire. Removing material from 12' of stock did pile up the chips. [old-memory-off]

Dave J.
Every day I ask myself, "What's the most fun thing to do today."
9x48 BP clone, 12x36 lathe, TIG, MIG, Gas, 3 in 1 sheetmetal.
Jose Rivera
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Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:21 pm
Location: Vallejo California

Post by Jose Rivera »

mechanicalmagic wrote: I set it up to take about 1/8" deep cut per bit, (1/2" per rev). I tossed blue chips to one corner of the shop, because it was hazardous to be in the line of fire. Removing material from 12' of stock did pile up the chips.

Dave J.
Like those nice hot ones that can stick to your neck or go down your shirt :lol:
There are no problems, only solutions.
--------------
Retired journeyman machinist and 3D CAD mechanical designer - hobbyist - grandpa
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mechanicalmagic
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Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:11 am
Location: Pleasanton, CA Land of perfect weather

Post by mechanicalmagic »

Jose Rivera wrote:Like those nice hot ones that can stick to your neck or go down your shirt
Jose,
Actually, the boss said that he looked at the neck of job applicants. If they did not have scars, he didn't hire them, since they ran the machines too slow.
I was a kid, too young to know anything, (although I knew it all).
Dave J.
Every day I ask myself, "What's the most fun thing to do today."
9x48 BP clone, 12x36 lathe, TIG, MIG, Gas, 3 in 1 sheetmetal.
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