Member postings for John Baron

Hi Guys,

I don't have any junk problems ! You should set up black and white lists. Anything not on the white list gets automatically sent to the waste bin. Yes I can check the waste bin, but I no longer bother since I know that it is just junk.

When that gear got damaged on my mill, I went to HPC and bought steel gears and made my own replacement ! In my case quieter as well. The moulded gear was off centre and made a thumping noise as it ran.

Hi Guys,

They also say they have a UK warehouse ?

No mention of where or any real address for them !

Your computer is an open book !

Just about every web page has some kind of spyware attached, as has many Emails. Though getting your Ex directory phone No: has to be via some other source. Probably a third party that has been compromised !

Exactly what I do ! Saves time and you end up with an accurately drilled hole.

+1 for HSS tool bits ! The only carbide inserts that I use is for threading, up until till recently when I was given a box set of brazed carbide tools. Currently unused and still in the box somewhere. Though I did buy a carbide insert tipped boring bar just to bore out a cast Iron pulley.

Yes I use my 12 bore cleaning kit as well ! The brass brush does a good job !

Hi Peter,

JMTPW.

Once I've ground a tool to the shape that I want, I don't grind it again unless I have to ! Its far easier to simply stone the top or the face to put an edge back on and carry on working. Stoning only removes a few thou at most !

Unless you chip or damage a tool grinding it only reduces the amount of metal in the tool and it takes a lot more work to recover it, apart from changing tool heights.

In short the only time I grind a toolbit is to obtain the initial shape, after that stoning is the way to go !

Hi Guys,

The design details for the "Kant Style" clamp are here ! Using this information any size clamp can be produced simply by drawing two circles.

NOTE: that this this drawing is provided for personal use only. Not for any commercial use.

Copyright remains with me and MEM magazine.

Hi Ian,

I know that some people have made and fitted a plate that fits on the top slide that supports a rear tool post ! Its a pity that there isn't a slot at the back and that the top slide isn't a little longer. Unfortunately I don't have any information about this kind of a modification.

Hi Guys,

I've been and modified the drawing by adding a second adjusting screw position at the front of the tool block.

Either position can be used. Drill 5 mm and thread M6. Counter bore to suit cap screw head as required.

Hi Guys,

Ega, MikeK,

Thankyou both for the C T Bower, notes and the nice picture !

I really should go and alter the drawing to move the adjusting screw to the other side, however the original does show the adjusting screw where it is. Unfortunatley I no longer have access to the original patent document, which showed a broached square hole for the tool bit. I modified the drawing to show a slot sized to support a 1/2" inch tool.

One of the reasons that I retained the original split collet design rather than a slot with a clamp screw, was because the split collet offers a more secure grip on a large round post, having three points of contact rather than two.

Both Rolls Royce and Myford used the Norman patent design.

Hi Ega,

Thanks for your post.

The overhang I referred to is the distance from the centre of the post to the middle of the lathe tool. Whilst I agree that the adjusting screw will provide some stability, but since its behind the tip of the tool on mine, it really should be on the front.

I've made a rear post that also uses the same tool holder as the front does. It currently supports a 2 mm thick parting blade. Following some comments about breaking out the rear top slide slot, I made a 25 mm thick collar that fits at the bottom of the post and adds four square inches of support.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture with the collar fitted.

Hi Dave, Guys,

I don't fully agree about loss of rigidity ! I feel that my Norman Patent tool post is at least as rigid as the four way that I used to use. As far as resharpening is concerned I agree that it will move the tool height, but I tend to just touch up the tool using a stone and carry on with no detectable tool height change !

This is mine mounted on my Myford S7. Notice that the overhang is at least 3/4" less than the four way.

The plan for the Norman Patent tool post is here in my pictures.

Hi Felis,

I have an S7 and have made both front and rear tool posts for it ! Pictures below.

This is my front toolpost, it is a Norman Patent one, designed to take a maximum of a 1/2" tool bit and will raise up to allow a 3/8" tool bit to be used.

This is a view from the other side showing the clamping screw.

And this is the rear tool post set up for parting. That blade is a 200 mm long by 12 mm by 2 mm thick Hss one out of China. The post was designed to accept any of the 52 mm bore tool holders. I've since added a 25 mm thick block that sits flat on the top slide, after having been warned that the parting force, particularly if the blade jams, could break out the rear slot.

Here is my original drawing for my Norman Patent tool post.

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the nice comments !

Clive: The timing belt drive allows me to change the small pulley for a larger one to alter the wheel speed. As shown in the picture, the wheel runs at 5k rpm, the wheel being rated for a maximum of 5.2K. The larger pulley drops the wheel speed down to 3K.

The head is moved by the threaded rod and can be raised or lowered 1.25 mm per turn of the M10 thread. Not easy to see in the picture, but the head is locked in any desired position by a split collet tightened by a thumbscrew. The complete motor head unit can be rotated 360 degrees, allowing the machine to be used as a surface grinder with a 170 mm travel. The table feeds are by M6 left and right hand threaded screws, both control knobs being calibrated in 1 thou increments.

Designed to minimise size and weight, I used ball races instead of the precision ground rods that Brooks used. This nicely gets around grinding dust on the rod used as slides.

This is actually one of the things that I would change, since there is no facility to lock the ways as it stands. Fitting Teflon pads and table locks would be an advantage.

Hi Guys,

These are pictures of my modified Brooks TCG that I finished earlier in the year. I've ground several end mill cutters and made some specialised tools with it.

All told its taken quite a while to build in fits and starts.

From experience whilst using it there are one or two things that I would do differently.

Hi John, Guys,

Check the insides of your collets very carefully !

This is what most of mine were like. I used a Stanley knife blade and a stone to clean the swarf remains up. After that I could easily get a couple of tenths of a thou or better.

Hi Michael,

I thought so too !

The chap that did the laser cutting said that they were in the process of cutting a load of 3 mm sheet and that there was quite large areas of that, that were scrap, and that he could put my bits onto the existing job and reduce the amount of material that they would only throw away. I actually ended up with a couple of pieces of 3 mm plate as well.