Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
- Dave_Johnson
- Posts: 238
- Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2003 8:13 pm
- Location: Winchester, Virginia
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
I would also like to see more information about this propane burner.
Dave J.
Dave J.
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Actual time to punch in the x-y coordinates was less than two minutes for the 8 points making up the two squares.
The enhancement ont this project was that I could jump from point to point on the DRO and make passes between holes to cut down thru the material. It also simplified the numbers in that once I started it was simply dialing down to 0.0000 to the center of each hole.
Am I wrong in that I am making multiple passes to cut the slots. Can I cut the 3/8" plate in one pass and get a straighter line?
I do believe you are right on the act of just drilling holes. It would be just as simple to dial over to each hole.
The enhancement ont this project was that I could jump from point to point on the DRO and make passes between holes to cut down thru the material. It also simplified the numbers in that once I started it was simply dialing down to 0.0000 to the center of each hole.
Am I wrong in that I am making multiple passes to cut the slots. Can I cut the 3/8" plate in one pass and get a straighter line?
I do believe you are right on the act of just drilling holes. It would be just as simple to dial over to each hole.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Not unless you have a much larger mill...Pipescs wrote: Can I cut the 3/8" plate in one pass and get a straighter line?
Mattaniah Jahn
Matt Corps. Railsystems,
operating on the Manatee Central RR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62441046@N06/sets/
Matt Corps. Railsystems,
operating on the Manatee Central RR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62441046@N06/sets/
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Charlie,
I think a 3/8 depth of cut would be too much for your 1/4" end mill. Probably 1/2 of the diameter (.125) would be OK, or use a larger diameter end mill. One advantage of drilling holes before milling (besides removing a lot of metal pretty fast) is that it gives the chips someplace to go, rather than having them be recut in the slot. The way I would do this would be to drill some holes, then rough out the opening with a rougher, then make a finish pass (.010) with a four-flute e.m., climb milling.
I think a 3/8 depth of cut would be too much for your 1/4" end mill. Probably 1/2 of the diameter (.125) would be OK, or use a larger diameter end mill. One advantage of drilling holes before milling (besides removing a lot of metal pretty fast) is that it gives the chips someplace to go, rather than having them be recut in the slot. The way I would do this would be to drill some holes, then rough out the opening with a rougher, then make a finish pass (.010) with a four-flute e.m., climb milling.
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga, TN
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Ya, hog it with a rougher. Wouldn't like making that deep of a climb on a .010" but something in the neighborhood of .003". (if I'm zig-zagging back and forth, going down like .020", I'll take .010" climbs with no problem and a beautiful finish.) You can hog with as big of an end mill you can fit in there then come back and clean out the corners with the .25" finisher. The bigger end mills will take more abuse anyway.
Mattaniah Jahn
Matt Corps. Railsystems,
operating on the Manatee Central RR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62441046@N06/sets/
Matt Corps. Railsystems,
operating on the Manatee Central RR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62441046@N06/sets/
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
X2Fender wrote:Charlie,
I think a 3/8 depth of cut would be too much for your 1/4" end mill. Probably 1/2 of the diameter (.125) would be OK, or use a larger diameter end mill. One advantage of drilling holes before milling (besides removing a lot of metal pretty fast) is that it gives the chips someplace to go, rather than having them be recut in the slot. The way I would do this would be to drill some holes, then rough out the opening with a rougher, then make a finish pass (.010) with a four-flute e.m., climb milling.
Drilling has a faster material removal rate than milling, and since the tool pressure is straight down it's easier on the spindle.
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Still making parts and mistakes as my learning curve continues to grow. I am going to start on the two side plates and drilling and tapping the holes in the front and back plate sides.
The side plates have radius on both the front and back edges. Only cosmetic and it will give me a chance to use the radius funtion on the DRO.
The side plates have radius on both the front and back edges. Only cosmetic and it will give me a chance to use the radius funtion on the DRO.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Very Cool! How are you planning on making the diagonal cuts?
Mattaniah Jahn
Matt Corps. Railsystems,
operating on the Manatee Central RR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62441046@N06/sets/
Matt Corps. Railsystems,
operating on the Manatee Central RR
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62441046@N06/sets/
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
The plan is to drill the four corner holes and the large radius at the top. Then shift the part to the angle using the DRO as it has an angle reset capability. You can see it on their web site videos.
Not getting too wrapped around the axle on it as to be honest I have redrawn the part in the areas of the radius to make it easer to cut the part. No bad bad feelings here as all these parts are cosmetic.
Still learning though. Made a cut tonight and it was slightly off. I had trusted that the 0,0 was the same after I cut the mill off and came back to it. Luckily all is fixable and I have learned to recheck my indexing before each cut.
Not getting too wrapped around the axle on it as to be honest I have redrawn the part in the areas of the radius to make it easer to cut the part. No bad bad feelings here as all these parts are cosmetic.
Still learning though. Made a cut tonight and it was slightly off. I had trusted that the 0,0 was the same after I cut the mill off and came back to it. Luckily all is fixable and I have learned to recheck my indexing before each cut.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
-
- Posts: 885
- Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2003 10:12 pm
- Location: Miami Oklahoma (Palm trees not included)
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Sounds like your table was moved while the dro was turned off. There is a function a function to rezero the table. Each scale has an index in the center that the dro can sense to regain postion.Pipescs wrote:The plan is to drill the four corner holes and the large radius at the top. Then shift the part to the angle using the DRO as it has an angle reset capability. You can see it on their web site videos.
Not getting too wrapped around the axle on it as to be honest I have redrawn the part in the areas of the radius to make it easer to cut the part. No bad bad feelings here as all these parts are cosmetic.
Still learning though. Made a cut tonight and it was slightly off. I had trusted that the 0,0 was the same after I cut the mill off and came back to it. Luckily all is fixable and I have learned to recheck my indexing before each cut.
Dennis
Thermal Arc 185-TS
Millermatic Challenger 172
Victor O/A
Atlas Craftsman 12 by 24 Lathe
Esab PCM-875
Wholesale Tool Mill-Drill
Thermal Arc 185-TS
Millermatic Challenger 172
Victor O/A
Atlas Craftsman 12 by 24 Lathe
Esab PCM-875
Wholesale Tool Mill-Drill
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
Zero the dials at 0,0 and you will have a quick reference to check the DRO...
Glenn
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Operating machines is perfectly safe......until you forget how dangerous it really is!
Re: Building the Southern Railway PS-4 Frame
I am sure that is what happened. Luckily it did not have a big impact on the part.
I am off to Maryland for a week to work and then straight out to Washington to visit my daughter and then straight back to maryland. Be gone a round a month all together
Will be working on drawings in the hotels.
I am off to Maryland for a week to work and then straight out to Washington to visit my daughter and then straight back to maryland. Be gone a round a month all together
Will be working on drawings in the hotels.
Charlie Pipes
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)
Mid-South Live Steamers
Current Projects:
Scratch Built 3 3/4 scale 0-4-4 Forney
Little Engines American
20 Ton Shay (Castings and Plans Purchased for future)