Hemingway Hacksaw

A bit more done. I had to hand file the radius on the L brackets. A rotary table is on my list of ‘nice to have’ tools, I couldn’t justify the spend just for these.

Cheers

Mark

I am sure EW would not have expected anyone to acquire a rotary table to implement any of his plans! A suitable gringing wheel or sanding belt would easily suffice, after cutting of most of the excess - but hand tools are just as effective, even though requiring a little more manual energy input!

I’m watching this project with interest.

Thanks NDIY,

It was only cast Ali, so it wasn’t too hard, the hardest bit was keeping the file square to the work and not rounding the edges.

Next mini project is the bow. I need to drill a 3/8” hole in the boss for the blade tension screw. I think I’m going to set it up on an angle plate, but with the R8 ER25 collet chuck and the mill head right at the top of its travel, there is very little room for the tooling. I’ve ordered a 3/8 R8 collet and a 3/8 end mill, hopefully they should turn up early next week, give me a bit more room and I can get on with this.

The photo below is it just sat on the table:

Cheers

Mark

I’m surprised it didn’t slide off!

Mark,

Could you not join a local model engineering club so as to use their lathe? Most clubs seem to have a lathe but not a mill in their workshop. Quicker access to a lathe and cheaper temporary solution to get project done then take time sorting out lathe.

John

Hi Gents,

Thanks for your comments.

NDIY, it took me a while to get the joke. This forum's photos work the same way as another that I use, I'm using an iphone and I found with the other forum, photos need to be taken 'landscape' for them to orientate correctly.

John, I've been saving up for the lathe since I started this project about a year ago. I've just about decided what I'm going for, but unfortunately, the supplier has no stock at the moment. I'm in no great rush.

I'm torn between a Warco 280V and a Seig SC4, pretty much decided on the Warco, but, after buying the mill from arc, the fact that arc are fairly local to me and gave great advice and service through the buying process of the mill, I'm still not 100% decided yet. Add to this that the Seig is a lot smaller and lighter - its also nearly half the price.

I took a lot of info from this post on Clicksprings site: **LINK**

I might see if I can get to the show this week and have a proper look on warco's stand.

Cheers

Mark

Before I make a start on the bow, I thought I’d finish off the trunnion brackets. I’ve been holding off on these because I wasn’t sure how to hold them to machine the bases. The drawings show 4” from the base to the centre of the bushing. I had already drilled the bushing centres 6mm and the bracket holes 6mm, so I put them back to back and held them with a nut and bolt, cut up a piece of 6mm silver steel the same width as the bases and got it all set up in the vice.

By using the silver steel, it meant I could use it for measurements while taking the bases to dimension. 4” is 101.6mm, + half of the 6mm gave me 104.6 to aim for.

Cheers

Mark

Edited By Mark Elen 1 on 16/10/2018 18:23:14

Busy day today. Been to the midlands exhibition and bought a rotary table. Got home, marked out one of the 1/8” steel brackets, squared off the end and drilled it out. I now need to make some sort of mounting bracket to get it on the table to mill off the excess and round off the end.

It’s a bit of an extravagance, I could easily file it off, but I’m like a kid in a sweety shop when tools are involved.

Had the chance to look over the lathe I’m planning on, it’s on 6 weeks delivery at the moment. I would dearly like a Myford, but funds won’t stretch that far and for me, just playing, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Cheers

Mark

I guess ETW expected people to hook the bow around the table of a drilling machine and support it directly below where you are drilling.

Hi Neil,

You are more likely correct. The instructions call for filing most of the parts to shape, even the slide ways in the bow. I’m using this project as a learning process and also as a means to build up my workshop.

One of the reasons for buying the rotary table was because I’ve got all of the bits for the CNC Arduino conversion in MEW a year or so ago. I can see a use for that in the future. I got the stepper and Arduino wired up a few weeks ago and tested out, now I need to make up the ‘mechanical interface’ (if it’s anything like this project, it’s 5 years away)😂

Cheers

Mark

As per usual, buying new tools makes it necessary to make new tooling. I got the rotary table, then it became apparent I was going to have to hold things down to it. I haven’t got any t-nuts that fit the table, so I’m going to have to make some.

I toyed with the idea of holding the arm on a sacrificial piece of Ali, but I’m not happy it would be secure, so I’m going to make a ‘rotary table fixture plate’ similar to the one Chris has made at Clickspring. **LINK**

While I’m waiting for the billet to arrive, I got started making up some clamps

That came to a stop as I haven’t got a 2 flute slot drill.

Cheers

Mark

Keep up the great work!

Jim

Do you need to plunge cut?

If not just use an end mill and take it gently

Neil

Hi Gents,

Thanks Jim👍

Neil, I just need to slot out between the two holes on the right of the photo. I’ve reamed them out 8mm so just need to take out the chunk in the middle.

Cheers

Mark

Any cutter 8mm diameter or smaller shoudl manage that

Thanks Neil👍

Called in at Leicester today as I was working just around the corner. Picked up a 8mm 2 flute slot drill.

Got home and slotted the first clamp out, filed and polished, then proceeded to drop it on the concrete floor and mark it.😬

I’m thinking of oil blacking these when they are all done. 5 more to do, another the same length as this, 2 off, 10mm longer with 10mm longer slots and 2 off 20mm longer.

Cheers

Mark

The clamping kit is coming along. 4 clamps done, 2 to go, but I’ve run out of 20mm x 10mm stock. I changed my mind about oil blacking these and ordered some Birchwood Casey Perma Blue after seeing Tubal Cain using it on YouTube.

Cheers

Mark

Just read this post and enjoyed your journey so far. Like many I have also found that I start a project and end up making jigs and the like many can be used for other projects and some are just a one off. I still enjoy making them as much as the project in question

Thanks Derek👍

I’m really enjoying tool making. I’ve now got the clamps done, just a couple of stops to make and some t-nuts. The Ali billet turned up yesterday, it looks pretty good as is, but I think I’m going to fly cut a skim off it before I start drilling and tapping it.

Cheers

Mark

I spent a little time today drawing out the hole layout for the fixture plate. Drew it out in Autocad, and layered up each PCD with its relevant dimensions.

Here's the billet

it just needs a quick facing up and then loads of holes to drill and tap.

The plan is to print out each PCD with its dimensions as a separate sheet, that way I can set it up on the rotary table and work on each separately.

I just need to finish off the clamps and t-nuts, then I can get the Rotary Table on the mill and crack on with this.

Cheers

Mark