Taking a machinist class | Page 12 | Construction and DIY projects | Forums

going to mill it down this morning, thoughts right now is .750 off each side and leave a .500 tab on each end

then I will mill out the retainer system

I now hate A36 again

so I was able to sneak away for a couple hours yesterday before easter dinner. First we need to find the center of the edge, so we use an edge finder. It has a tip that offsets and once you get it spinning you slowly move it towards your workpiece until it self aligns. It is important not to go over 1000 rpm so you don't kill yourself.

https://youtu.be/3KQ6lS92874

Once you have it lined up you zero out your axis, but the the tip is .200 so you need to adjust for the .100 radius, so you raise your edge finder and adkust it the .100

Now zero it out again

and you now have your dead center of your edge

do the same on the x axis and you have the center of the corner, which you then use for spacing holes for drilling, etc

So I started milling out the tabs, slowly working my way through, got a little aggressive with the depth of cut which resulted in the broken end mills above, that is the complaint with a36, you don't know what is in it, it's basically crab structural steel from what I have read, but it is a good learning experience.

so I just took it slow and steady without too many more hiccups

and finished up the one side before dinner

hope to get the other side knocked out today before class

Just ordered the factory stand for the machine, way too much vibration going through this hard stuff.