tools, materials & knowledge for model makers
Setting out an angle on the mill table so that I can machine a set of gears at 9.5°. I know lots who will now be screaming at me to use a sine bar. It might be easiest to start with the simple right angle triangle. Below we see the triangle with the 9.5° angle, … Read more
Some time ago I made a simple bolt down milling plate with M4 fixing points and itself bolted to the table with M6 CSK bolts. The aim being to give me a board that would allow me to mount small items and where I could drill through and waste the board over time. The milling … Read more
Several people have commented on the radius arm for my ball turner and asked what the engraving bits are. I call them “D” bits as they are a half-round in cross-section. They are also called “V” bits based on the profile. You can buy them in lots of different angles and coatings. I tend to … Read more
Samurai 120 CNC Machine was the brainchild of Ben Izen. The initial series of machines are being funded by a kickstarter page that is running until 30th November 2021. The specifications and features of the Samurai 120 CNC machine are impressive: Spindle BT30 1.2kW 6000rpm Pneumatic drawbar 350mm (13.5″) Spindle nose to table 280x190x220mm XYZ travel … Read more
Machining aluminium with the Genmitsu 3018 has been a challenge ever since I bought this cheap desktop CNC. The challenge has been I have had to update so many aspects. The spindle is now belt driven, the Z-axis rails are now size correctly and backlash springs are stiffer. Quite a few updates, but even so … Read more
Grinding the cylinder saddle to remove the bolt heads felt like the best option. Having considered flycutting was possible too aggressive. One thing to point out is that this is the cylinder for the miniature Burrell that is currently on my bench. The grinding drum was machined from a piece of hardwood. However, first task … Read more
For flycutting a saddle I’m using the example of the cylinder saddle for the miniature traction engine. The saddle was flycut on a manual milling machine (Sieg SX2.7) with a flycutter. The flycutter doesn’t have any fine adjustment, it just has grub screws to hold the tool in place. Here I will show you my … Read more
Why am I sand bagging the milling machine? A great way to add damping to a structure is to use sand. Loud speaker stands are commonly damped using sand. Thus adding mass and damping to the structure. This means the stands don’t vibrate and so radiate sound. The milling machine in question is the Sieg … Read more
Mill Stiffness = Top Finish is a fundamental equation for any milling machine big or small. Increasing stiffness reduces vibration. I increased the column to base connection stiffness with this mild steel plate. The fundamental design principle was to add a thick plate and increase the bending stiffness of the plate using beams. So the … Read more
I’m looking at making helical gears, as per normal I wanted to start with the fundamentals. What is the optimum angle? Can I index them on the milling machine? Can I machine with a normal cutter? Why do I need to make helical gears? The big benefit is they will be quieter. Gear noise on … Read more