David DeCristoforo
08-18-2012, 5:53 PM
My tool rest design calls for a telescoping section at the top of the main post. I want to be sure I can accommodate taller rests like the Robust ones and maybe even taller, custom made rests. I was not sure about this idea but it seems like it will work fine.
A 1" tool rest post fits, with a bit of "slop" inside a 1" iron pipe. So all I need is a hole and a nut welded over that for a locking device. The 1" pipe fits inside a 1 1/4" pipe with about 3/16" of play so I needed a bushing in there somewhere. Here's what I ended up doing:
First I chucked up a 1 1/4" to 1" reducer and, using a rotary file, I ground away the threads and reamed out the inside so that the a 1" pipe would slide in.
239412239413
To make the bushing, I used a 1" lock nut, threaded on to the end of a 12" section of 1" pipe. Chucked that up and used a hand held grinder to take it down to where it would just slip into the 1 1/4" pipe:
239414239415
This is not really precise machine work. Actually it's pretty crude but it did the job. With the parts assembled, the top of the post has a section that will telescope with a range of movement of about 4" while still leaving enough of the 1" pipe "captured" to keep things rigid.
239416239417
The welder is going to drill some holes and weld some nuts on for the locking levers. The telescoping section will be adjustable in increments of 1" with a "through pin" to keep it solidly fixed. The welder is also going to drill these since they need to be aligned. I don't have either a drill press or a pipe vice and I'm afraid I will not get very accurate holes doing it "freehand"!
A 1" tool rest post fits, with a bit of "slop" inside a 1" iron pipe. So all I need is a hole and a nut welded over that for a locking device. The 1" pipe fits inside a 1 1/4" pipe with about 3/16" of play so I needed a bushing in there somewhere. Here's what I ended up doing:
First I chucked up a 1 1/4" to 1" reducer and, using a rotary file, I ground away the threads and reamed out the inside so that the a 1" pipe would slide in.
239412239413
To make the bushing, I used a 1" lock nut, threaded on to the end of a 12" section of 1" pipe. Chucked that up and used a hand held grinder to take it down to where it would just slip into the 1 1/4" pipe:
239414239415
This is not really precise machine work. Actually it's pretty crude but it did the job. With the parts assembled, the top of the post has a section that will telescope with a range of movement of about 4" while still leaving enough of the 1" pipe "captured" to keep things rigid.
239416239417
The welder is going to drill some holes and weld some nuts on for the locking levers. The telescoping section will be adjustable in increments of 1" with a "through pin" to keep it solidly fixed. The welder is also going to drill these since they need to be aligned. I don't have either a drill press or a pipe vice and I'm afraid I will not get very accurate holes doing it "freehand"!