Stuart 10V First Ever Build Questions

Hi all,

Just started to have a go at a Stuart Models10V, bought the castings set from them as they are just down the road in Bridport, very nice helpful people.

Their showroom is AMAZING!

Thought I would use this to develop my infant skills using my Warco mill and ML7.

Started on the base box and base plate; carefully hand filed the flashings off and checked the castings on the mill table for no rocking; held in the vice upside down on a piece of cartridge paper tapped down. Milled the bottom just fine, measured, then did the top, all OK, correct thickness etc.

Same thing with the base plate, this had a lot more flashing so filed it all off and machined the bottom after placing on parallels. Did the bearing posts and standard areas. Again no problem.

Where I am a bit stuck is this:

I now want to use the X/Y DRO on the mill to do the 4 holes in the base box and the other holes in the plate but how can I set my zero when I am not totally sure that the castings are sitting EXACTLY square in the milling vice?

I filed as best I can and they LOOK OK but I can foresee problems if they are out a tad.

This has not mattered in the facing operations.

As the vertical sides are tapered I am not sure where to touch off if using a centre finder, also the edges are not machined so will a centre finder give an accurate reading, probably not ?

My other intention was to drill one hole in the base box using one of the dimples and use this as a zero for the other holes. Do the same with the plate and bolt together then drill the plate but I am just not sure about alignment etc. Is there a better way please?

I find the accompanying book on the build usefull but it assumes a level of skill below mine!

I would also really appreciate any thoughts on how to hold the standard casting for facing (in the mill) and particularly how do I centre it on the lathe for boring when the actual axis centre is in fresh air! I will make the holding fixture by H Hill for the legs when faced.

My apologies for what may seem obvious questions to the more experienced.

Regards, Martin

Its worth having a read of the build that Harold Hall did in the magazine and is now available on his web site as that will answer a lot of your questions.

J

Hi Jason,

Point taken and that certainly is on my reading list.

My query re setting the casting in the milling vice and zeroing the DRO is not there however. Am I being too worried about this and should I 'just get on with it!'?

Just really trying not to get into bad habits when I know so little. I realise that I can just get another casting if I screw up but would like to get it right first time.

I have done successful practice pieces using the DRO where all sides are machined but not used it on a casting with the potential problems outlined above.

Any help ther would be most welcome please.

Regards, Martin

With castings its really a case of averaging out to get the cuts and holes in the best place. I would tend to set the holes out on the base plate as that is where you will see the nuts.

You can clamp the baseplate to the mill table if its not very straight or use some packing like a feeler gauge to get it sitting in the best position in your mill vice.

If using the edge finder then provided you touch at the same depth the draft of the casting will equal out, or you may find it better to use the finder against the insides of the bearing housings.

Once you have decided on where your centre point is run round with a point in the mill chuck and just see where the holes come according to the drawings, it may be you need to adjust them or shift your centre point slightly to get them to sit with an even space to the end and side of the casting.

Once happy with the positions make a note of them if they are different to the drawing. For now you are probably better to locate the box base holes by spotting through so change to a spotting drill to start the holes and then drill tapping size.

Get the baseplate sitting evenly on the bed plate, hold the two together and using the tapping drill spot one hole into the box, remove the base and drill and tap that first hole & open the one in the plate to clearance. Use a bolt to hold things together now and repeat for the hole in the opposite corner, then when that is done do the other two holes in one go.

J

Thanks Jason, that makes complete sense. I take your point that the alignment on these relatively non critical parts should be visually acceptable rather than be slaved to the drawing.

Any thoughts on the standard setup, should I go with HH and do the whole thing in the lathe having made the holding fixtures he mentions or go with the mill? I am most worried about getting the bore on axis on such a log part.

Martin

There is also a set of a dozen or two videos on Youtube of the build.

Do you have the booklet from Stewarts? I remember doing my 10V at work on the S&B model A. When the book said mount the column on the faceplate (expecting a Myford to be used) mine just disappeared down the enormouse hole in the middle.

Hi Martin,

I`m working on the 7A at the moment and like yourself I spent a while decided what to use as a reference on the base. In the end I decided to sit the casting on its side and mark it out with a height gauge, adding packing until I was happy that the centre line looked ok. This was then used as the reference for marking out the hole positions. All this marking out was done after the casting had been machined to the correct height.

I clocked up the casting on the mill using the top edge that had previously been machined to height and in the same fixture milled the bearing locating features and the pilot holes for the threads. Machining all these features without re-jigging the casting should mean that everything aligns ok even if they arnt perfectly in the middle.

I had clamps on the upper faces when milling the channels but these were removed to drill the holes.

Mike

Mike,

Nice job! I regret to say that I have already screwed up big time as I read the drawing for the sole plate as having differing heights for the bearing posts to the standard positions, that 1/8 measurement for the centre line of the bearing threw me so they are now too short, b*******ks! New casting on the way from just down the road. They do say that you have to pay to learn!

HH's website is proving a mine of info, I will be making the fixtures and clamps he describes, also the step by step video build from the chap in Texas will be helpful, that was where I saw the error I have made, felt pretty dumb I can tell you.

onward and upward...

cheers martin

Been there. ............ Done that.! ............ Probably will again.!

Nick (also on his first build)

The little book they sell on the build is excellent, and assumes you don't have a milling machine.

I still have the two notched steel plates I made to hold the standard on the faceplate for facing the top and boring the guide.

Neil