Machinist setup help needed
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Topic: Machinist setup help needed
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Subject: Machinist setup help needed
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 6:20pm
| I have to cut about 1 1/2” including the head off of a whole bunch or railroad spikes then drill and tap the 5/8” square to make cabinet door pulls. I need a good way to drill the holes in the center. I’m thinking of turning a hub that the square will fit the center and the of bigger than the r r spike head. I souls drill and tap the hub for a set screw. I could then drill and tap on my lathe. Any ideas to speed this up would be appreciated. |
Replies:
Posted By: wfmurray
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 7:14pm
| Use a 4 jaw chuck and center first one then loosen 2 jaws to put in the next one. |
Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 7:33pm
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I think it would be faster just to center punch the spike and then use the drill press... maybe make a square hole in a 2 x 4 to set the spike into on the drill table so it helps hold it steady ...... but I would probably use a drill vise......... then tap by hand ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: nella(Pa)
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 7:33pm
| Do you have access to a bridgeport with a digital readout? |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 7:48pm
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had to grab a couple spikes to mull this over......i use them and a horseshoe as a door knocker, btw. no 2 spikes are the same( well not from Stelco...) don't think the 'make a jig..mass produce will work', probably faster to chuck in vice,drill,tap,next.... if you use the right size drill bit, you can 'power tap' with a drill and bit of oil. jay ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 8:36pm
Find a bit of 5/8 planter drive shaft, female circle on the outside, 5/8" square on the inside, and put a set screw, on one or 2 sides. Chusk it, and the spike, in a 3 jaw self centering chuck. That's if you have a lot to do. If its a short run, the wooden jig might be cost effective...
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Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 9:00pm
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I would make a soft jaw for mill vise that had a vee in it to hold square shank . Drill and tap it there. JMHO Tracy ------------- No greater gift than healthy grandkids! |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 9:38pm
Ten four,,, This IS the way I would do it too. Once you get the 4 jaw set,,you will find that they are all some different but first setting will be close enough for agnes,,,,,
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wfmurray wrote:Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 11:34pm
| one of my BIL's used to work for a rail road, he made all us bottle openers out of RR spikes, then engraved them, them had them all crome'd. they are mild steel and should drill out and cut off pretty easy. I've used them for drawbar pins here for pulling around empty wagons. |
Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2018 at 11:49pm
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Thad, is that a project for the little lady? I hope my bride doesn't get that idea or I will be looking for railroad spikes. ------------- Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God. |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 5:38am
Yes it is Hubert. She wants them to match all the curtain rod hooks I just forged out of horse shoes. I think your bride would really like these. What’s her phone number??? I can put my wife in contact with yours and they can watch Pinterest and get some ideas to keep you busy. 😂😂😂 |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 5:43am
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I gave the 4 jaw some serious thought but I only have about an inch of square shank left. I would have to keep the head to the inside and it would be so deep in the jaws that I don’t think I could see what I’m doing. I don’t have a mill. Now I think I’ll make a jig out of angle iron that I can clamp in my drillpress vice . Maybe vice grip the spike in the jig. |
Posted By: BrianC
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 6:30am
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What size thread? Make a drill bushing on the lathe, from 5/8 sq. stock or a piece of spike cutoff. Hole size of you tap drill or a little bigger. Lay part and square drill bushing in v-block or angle iron, clamp somehow. Use cordless drill to tap drill the spike. Hand tap. |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 7:07am
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Chit,,,Thad,,,I musta been half asleep,,,cause I was workin on the wrong end of the RR spikes,,,you is wantin to use the head end,,huh,,?? OK,,according to the web,,,the American, Early 20th Century RR spikes are 9/16 square shafts and are from 4 1/2" - 5 1/2" long,,which does not leave you very much meat for chucking in the lathe,,,, PS,,don't use the ones stamped HC on the head,,,these are High Carbon and will not cut or thread very easily,, I believe I would use your 4 1/2" angle grinder to cut the excess off,,then center punch the shafts and use your drill press vise to hold em while you drill em out,,,same for threading em,,,,,clear as mud,,??? LOL I'm assuming the head would be looking down,,,huh,,?? I think they would look really nice for the custom Early American look,,,and,,,,and,,,I ain't givin you my wife's phone number,,,,,!!!!(don't need no more projects),,,, |
Posted By: wfmurray
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 7:30am
| Dito with desertjoe i was thinking of the other end also .Make an x on the end and center punch and make jig to hold in vise and drill and tap.Use a 64 th larger bit than chart calls for and it will tap easier since there will not be a lot of stress on it. |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 8:11am
8x32 threads tap calls for a no 29 drill bit. This ole carpenter has no idea what size a 29 is. |
Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 8:33am
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Thad, thanks for the offer but I have enough projects already and a lot of them came off Pintrest. ------------- Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God. |
Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 9:04am
------------- No greater gift than healthy grandkids! |
Posted By: Jim.ME
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 11:36am
| A #29 drill bit is .1360" diameter, a little over half way between 1/8" and 9/64" drill bits. 9/64" will give a looser fit than the #29 but will likely work for you. |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 12:53pm
Yeah,,I hate them drill bits with numbers,, What I usually do,, is get the calipers and measure the "First" inner thread ID on the end of the tap and that will get you the OD of the drill bit you want to use. That will get petty dang close for what you are doing. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 2:27pm
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OK, ... IF... you haven't cut them yet, cut them say 1" longer so you have something to put into the vice to hold THEN drill the hole(obviously 1" deeper.... now cut off excess, tap hole, done...next....... ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 5:27pm
| I made the first one with success but she wants them a little shorter. That makes them harder to set up in my bandsaw. I started on the second one. It looked like new steel. I started cutting and it went way slow. I finally had to stop and discovered that the head said HC. I assume high carbon as it wouldn’t cut and destroyed my bandsaw blade. I went through the spikes and removed 5 more new lookin ones that said HC. |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 7:49pm
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Hey Thad,,,ole Buddy ole Pal,,,,, check out my post bout 12 hours ago,,,,,, 
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Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 8:32pm
I wish I would of read it sooner. I ate the teeth off of a bandsaw blade. I only found a few like that. I put them to the side for blacksmith projects. I got the rust removed on all the spikes and about 20 or so cut. I should finish cutting ang get several drilled and tapped tomorrow. |
Posted By: wfmurray
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2018 at 10:29am
| One other idea.Put in four jaw chuck with head out side and bore throuh and use round head bolt and fasten with bolt and not bother to tap .8/32 are easy to brake and i presume you are looking for a rustic look. |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2018 at 11:53am
| If I thought that would pass her inspection I’d go that route. I’ve got near 50 to do. I got the rust removed on all and got them cut to length. I’m afraid to tap with a battery drill with such a small tap. |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2018 at 2:28pm
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YEESH FIFTY of them !!! That IS production !! Definitely need some kind of easy to use jig, or two... Any chance you could use 10-32 bolts ?less chance busting the tap and you could power tap them... 50 ,man I'm bushed just thinking about the whole day in the shop,drilling ,tapping,.... better you than me though  just wait til she here's you can take a RR spike and a horseshoe and make GREAT dook knockers ! ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2018 at 1:52pm
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I would like to suggest using rails for the back splash! ------------- D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446 |
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2018 at 8:04am
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I went to the shop to tap threads last night. A big rain storm hit and I was stuck out there. I got all but 2 finished. One I didn’t drill and even after cutting and drilling a few extra I came up one short. I bought a couple Dewalt tap/drillbit combos at Home Depot. 👎👎👎 I broke off both taps and both drill bits inside of the spikes. I found a tap in my tool box that lasted the duration chucked in a Dewalt battery drill clutched down to 9. I’ll finish the other 2 tonight. I’ll make blacksmith crosses out of the left over shanks. |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2018 at 8:46am
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Dang,,Thad,,I hear you,,,I HATE when I break a tap or drill bit ,,!! I know thereare some methods of gettin the broke pieces out,,,,but I ain't figured how,,, sometimes you could melt em out but since I started usin propane instead of acytylene,,,the propane just won't do it ,,,, UMMmmmm,,,you ARE gonna post some pics,,,right,,?? Those sound interesting,,,,
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Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2018 at 9:09am
How about I text you some pics and have you post. Les ain’t here to do it for me this summer. Lol |
Posted By: desertjoe
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2018 at 11:10pm
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PM sent
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