Mark Baldwin III
01-31-2016, 10:45 PM
Making tools is fun for me. I always say it's fun to make things that make things. Now that I have a mill at my house, well...let's just say I'll never have a social life again :)
The frames for the machines I build for my day job are primarily made from 2" square tube. During the build process, I need to add a lot of holes in the tube. Sometimes for modifications, mostly for cable hangers for wires and air lines. The radius on the tubing makes locating a hole difficult with a standard square. Yesterday, I popped into work for a bit and had an idea. I cleared my calendar for this evening and set about making this saddle square. It provides two locations for marking the hole to be drilled: centerline, and 1/2" from the edge. Using a 1/4" transfer punch, I can just tap it in and start drilling.
A simple tool, but it should save me some time and frustration. Shown with a tubing cut-off for perspective.
330766330765
The frames for the machines I build for my day job are primarily made from 2" square tube. During the build process, I need to add a lot of holes in the tube. Sometimes for modifications, mostly for cable hangers for wires and air lines. The radius on the tubing makes locating a hole difficult with a standard square. Yesterday, I popped into work for a bit and had an idea. I cleared my calendar for this evening and set about making this saddle square. It provides two locations for marking the hole to be drilled: centerline, and 1/2" from the edge. Using a 1/4" transfer punch, I can just tap it in and start drilling.
A simple tool, but it should save me some time and frustration. Shown with a tubing cut-off for perspective.
330766330765