Wadkin DM

[Brian Holcombe]

Received a small parcel today.

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I plan to hook up something to blow the chips and dust collection similar to the maka.

[Patrick Kane]

Fantastic. Did someone respond to your ad on woodweb? I would have never guessed those WTB ads worked.

[Jim Becker]

Another nice piece o' iron for the Holcombe shop!

[Curtis Horswill]

Glad to see it made the trip unharmed. I was a bit nervous, I had never crated or shipped a large machine before. Thanks again!!

[Mick Simon]

Nice! And very glad to see your S500P in the background!

[Tom M King]

Looks like we're going to need a bigger boat.

[Mark Hennebury]

Nice one Brian!

[David Kumm]

Curtis, where did you find the DM ?

Curtis is one of the greater scroungers of good stuff. Dave

[Curtis Horswill]

Curtis, where did you find the DM ?

Curtis is one of the greater scroungers of good stuff. Dave

Dave, I found the DM at an estate auction in Port Washington about a year ago. I believe the gentleman that had it purchased it new. It was definitely hard to part with, but I am sure Brian will put it to better use than I would.

[Bill Dufour]

What is a DM ? Dovetail maker?
Bill

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks gents!

Patrick, turns out they work. I had a feeling I was throwing a hail mary, but Curtis reached out from the ad on here.

Curtis, thank you again!

Bill, not sure anyone knows what the letters stand for, hah.

[Patrick Kane]

Ive never used a wadkin machine, but the aesthetics of the machines are without question some of the most attractive. I find myself wanting their 30" disc sander and a PK very badly. Even after publicly saying on this forum that I dont know why you would spend big money on a PK, when used SCMI/Felder machines can be had for much less expensive and with similar or better capability. Cant debate the looks, however. This mortiser is one of the best looking ones out there. I want to say Robinson had an attractive one too, pretty similar looking.

I have to ask, what are you doing with two high end mortisers?

[Brian Holcombe]

After using Chris Hall's Wadkin when I went up to visit earlier in the summer I found myself really enjoying their machinery. They have a nice heft to them that leaves you with an assured feeling, much like the Maka does.

Chris has a Wadkin PK and I was able to put some hours on it that weekend, it's a beautiful machine to use. Super quiet, it can use a gigantic blade (18") and the carriage and fence are like silk. It was very enjoyable to use. I would buy that over a modern machine for certain, especially for joinery (solid wood) work.

The Maka is great for rectangular holes and when I setup to cut a bunch of stuff, I like the hollow chisel for one-off mortises and also for square holes (no way to cut a 1/4" square with the Maka). The Maka needs swing to it in order for chips to clear and my Maka is generally for smaller work like furniture and windows (shoji in my case). The DM can manage larger work.

[mreza Salav]

What a well made skid/box it came in!

[David Eisenhauer]

Got to be no way to swing the proverbial dead cat around in that shop Brian.

[Tom M King]

Steinway Piano makes four standard sizes of grand pianos. S, M, L, and D. S for small, M for medium, and L for large. D is for Damn Large. Maybe the D is for Damn good Mortiser.

[Jacques Gagnon]

What is a DM ?
Bill

DM: « Designed Magnificiently »? :D

[Brian Holcombe]

Cleaned up the table and the stop. I like the stop a lot, need to have the haunch setup built in with the swing away.

I bought material to make up a set of stops for the table in addition to a workstop. I pretty much need both for functionality.

Also at the beginning stages of working out the bushings, I've got sizes.....if anyone else needs bushings please let me know. I'm getting costs around $200 for a set of three (covers 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" Japanese pattern chisels).

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I bought a tumbler recently for brass work, I've been interested to see what it would do for finishing steel.

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[Brian Holcombe]

Got to be no way to swing the proverbial dead cat around in that shop Brian.

For certain, gets a bit tough to swing big boards around.

[Joe Calhoon]

Brian, you did well. The machine looks in great condition! On the stops it looks like a sleeve around a bolt? Mine just had bolts for the stops. The casting work on these are my favorite of any machines I have.

So, I have a friend in the UK that was a long time Wadkin employee. He is my go to for anything Wadkin. I asked him about the DM. Here is what he said.



“The machines were made in God’s County Durham where I’m from


So DM means Durham Mortiser also on the Durham machines the first 2 numbers indicate year of manufacture.

The castings were made at the Wadkin foundry in Falkirk Scotland.”

[David Eisenhauer]

Will this be a full blown rebuild along the lines of your first mortiser?

[Jeff Bartley]

That's a clean machine Brian! Looking forward to the table and stop set up you're planning to build.

What size are the bushings needed for this machine? And what size are the Japanese chisels? I've only used Clicos in my shop, they're 5/8".

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks, Joe! Appreciate the encouragement and for your insight into the acronym. The castings are impressive, they are about 3/8” thick in the column!

David, this one will remain unrestored, it really doesn’t need any work so far as I can tell, save for a couple spots that could use a touch-up on the paint. I plan to check the machine over and measure how accurately machined it is pretty soon.

Thanks Jeff! The bushing sizes for Japanese chisels are odd, 1/4”, 3/8” and 1/2” are .168”, .2665” and .384” respectively. The chisels themselves can be had in 3/4” and 13/16”. Curtis sent a few chisels and bushings with the machine, I may tune them and run them also, but so far I can’t find a Clico sharpener.

[Jeff Bartley]

You might try a WTB on the owwm site. I was shocked at how fast I got a response. And I'd need to go back and look but I got an offer from someone in PA to stop by and use their clico hone if I couldn't find one.
Do you normally run Clicos?

[Brian Holcombe]

I’ll give that a try. Typically I run Japanese chisels but I would not mind tuning up and running these chisels to try it out if for no other reason.

I prep the Japanese chisels by chucking them into a lathe and using a diamond bit into the tail Chuck. I turn it over by hand rather than running the machine. Following that I use an abrasive paste on another diamond bit with the original diamonds removed. That is followed by polishing the outside and removing the burr.

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Ive also been filing the augers to improve clearance at the entrance.

Im thinking dust collection and a chip blower will help keep the cutting action clean and cool. The felder has great dust collection and I found it helpful, adding a chip blower should be more helpful still and I have enough trial and error parts from the maka that I can makeup a good chip blower without much trouble.

[Joe Calhoon]

Brian,
When you get time I would like to see more about filing the augers. Also looking forward to see what you do about dust collection and a blower. I have a 4” drop near mine and plan to do something for DC.

I use a blower with a magnetic base. It’s marginal, would be nice to have the air blast triggered when the handle is lowered so as not to waste air.

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[Jeff Bartley]

I too would love to hear more about filing the augers Brian. Joe, what is the make of that little blower? That's pretty slick.

I typically place two 4" ports on either side of the mortiser as close as possible to the work. Not elegant but works better than nothing.

[Joe Calhoon]

Jeff,
No name on it. I think it came from Woodworkers Supply in NM many years ago. It’s handy but wish the magnet was stronger. Seems like a dust port on a moveable arm would be good. I have seen something like that somewhere?

[Brian Holcombe]

This is the filed auger, in addition to normal sharpening work on the auger I round the inlet. This area clogs with the first chop and prevents clean flow of chips.

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Joe, Thanks for the photo, I’m along the same line of thinking in that I would like something actuated by the movement of the head. My compressor won’t put out a high volume so I’ll have to makeup something to accommodate that. Having an open valve is a drag on any air system but my small compressor especially.

The dust port would be nice if it were positionable, not sure what I will do for that yet. Still percolating ideas. The table has a mount I can use, so that was my first thought.

[Tom M King]

On my mortisers, I rigged up (nothing as pretty as your work, as mine involves duct tape, and a shop vac end) a pickup right behind the fence that uses a shop vac. The higher velocity air movement keeps the area clean around the mortise being cut, with little that escapes the area. No blast air is needed. With a tall fence, there would need to be some modification to the fence, but it might be worth considering.

[Jeff Bartley]

I've thought about those little mag blocks to mount a dust port. Make a base that a hose clamp and the mag block could attach to?

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks gents, I'm thinking of hanging a bar off of the stop mount's bolts which would retain a 5" diameter dust port (for no other reason than I dont want to change sizes). Ideally it could be made in a way that retains the tubing by a neat clamp which can be loosened and readjusted if it's in the way of a job.

I'd like all the modifications to be bolt-on, bolt-off so that the machine itself remains unchanged. I received it in great shape and want to maintain that, unlike the Maka which needed to be gone over soup-to-nuts and was in rough appearance so I had no reservations with making changes there.

[Jim Becker]

Brian, maybe consider a magnetic connection for the 5" hose to be able to move it efficiently. Someone recently posted about a solution in Workshops for that.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Jim, the magnetic port looks like it solves a slightly different problem.

[Brian Holcombe]

Here's what I made for a stop, so far. Basic system. The arm places the rod 1" above the table, so I may need to make additional arms for other setups.

I bought a vibratory tumbler recently so I've been hunting for this to put in it and finish. Imparted a unique finish upon this aluminum, this was bright off the machine but I wanted something complimentary of the styling of Wadkin. I used ball end handles for that same purpose.

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[Joe Calhoon]

That machine looks in excellent condition Brian. And a little newer than mine.
I see you are using the rods for table movement sideways to support the table stops. Clever use of those.

Have you seen the original Wadkin stops that bolt to the holes in the top of the fence? A DM sold in Colorado last year that had these. Pretty rare to find those stops.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks, Joe!

I have seen the original stop setup and I like how it looks. Probably a great setup for production work where the stops can be set and flipped out of the way for multiple parts. In my case I'm finding that a micro-adjuster is more helpful for this kind of machine. Similar to what I made for the Maka, which I found really useful for dialing in a setup.

Often enough when I make a batch of parts I'm scribing my setup part to a knife line, then bringing the part to the tool at that knife line. A micro adjuster is super handy for that, so I feel a rod-stop could be more easily micro adjusted in this case. It could be made as simply as tapping and installing a thumb screw and thumb nut.

[Joe Calhoon]

Brian, micro adjust of the stop would be a nice feature. The original Wadkin stops would be desirable to me for left and right door work but understand furniture making brings on different needs.

I sharpened my 12mm chisel today and tried rounding the edge slightly of the cutting edge of the auger. Seemed like it ejected the chips a little better but think I need to round more. I did not round at the cutting edge. Hard to tell but your picture looks rounded right up to the cutting edge. And rounded fairly heavy.

I chopped quite a few mortises today and kept a eye on the chips. Jeff’s suggestion of DC on both sides of the chisel is a good one.

[Brian Holcombe]

Certainly, I can see where they would be fantastic for door making.

Round is a pretty good amount, I rounded a smooth transition into the flat but without affecting the flat as it nears its cutting edge. On blind mortises I let the auger past the chisel by about 1/4" also, it helps a lot and I've not seen the auger deflect or any other bad effect. I let the auger locate very carefully before I proceed into plunging.

I'm actually starting to think it may be best to build a plenum for chip collection. It's a tight space to work around when the head is at it's lowest position and the Y travel all the way toward the back of the machine, but I think I still have enough space to make a plenum which mounts at the back of the fence.

Also I'm starting to move away from a T-slot table and toward a CNC style fixturing table. This may seem weird on a mortising machine, but recently I have a call for angled mortises with rectangular corners and they're hell to cut by hand (or rout out and square up) so I'm thinking this may be the ticket.

This is an example from CNCcookbook.com

https://images.app.goo.gl/nGvsi3qdSQxP3DvAA

When using a plate like this, pins are used to locate items such as a sine plate and bolts or threaded studs can be used to hold the plate in position. Once the grid plate is located on the machine and inspected it is safe to assume that fixturing is accurately square to the machine ways. This is handy on a machine in which sweeping the Y-travel would take easy 10 minutes of slow cranking back and forth.

This example of Suburban Tool's plate from Travers' website:

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For a long part, it could be positioned near the end of the table, left to hang off and a stop set low.

[Brian Holcombe]

The collets are in, I had these made for me. If anyone needs a set, please send me a PM, I will be making no profit just a referral to the maker.

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[Brian Holcombe]

I put a few of the lines back in the table, at least enough to appear proper. The remainder I may also file in, Ive looked into cutters for this but it requires an odd setup that is very expensive. So I’d rather just see how it grips.

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The ‘mini-pallet’ arrived after much delay and nonsense. It’s 1/4” thicker than I had planned on but it is flat and accurate. I’ve decided to make this easily demountable as my plans for it have changed a bit. I’ve yet to find a suitable tilt table and so I am back to simply making fixturing as needed but the fixturing can be bolted down to this table with ease.

Likely I will cut a recess that is the negative of the wadkin’s table so that this plate can sit down and into the Wadkin table and rest on a ledge. I’d like it to be 3/4”-7/8” above the machine table. I plan to bring the perimeter in to match the Wadkin as well.

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[Brian Holcombe]

On another forum I was advised against using a sine plate for the purpose I had in mind. I have been under the impression that they were acceptable fixturing for light machining, they are not. Instead only for grinding and inspection.

On the Bridgeport I use visejaws specifically made for angled fixturing and in the machine shop I can’t recall that we did much and when we did the machine had fixed points so sine plates are new territory for me.

Great to receive that information prior to proceeding but puts me back a bit in my planning.


A bit it news for all of you wondering about putting Japanese chisels into bushing collet machines like this. I decided to get a new set of chisels so that all of them would have the same 13/16” chisel shank. Well in doing so I ordered ‘harima’ chisels from Axeminster in EU sizing, manufactured by Nakahashi. I already had 1/4” from this group, but added 3/8”, 1/2” and 5/8”. I expected these to be identical to my current set of Nakahashi converted metric sized chisels, but they are not in fact.

Come to find out that all of the augers are cut to imperial sizes rather than the unusual sizes provided with converted metric (12.7mm sold as 1/2", etc). That is not the case with my existing 1/4” EU chisel but I don’t know if that has changed since I purchased it given that the packaging is different

Only downside being that they measure .004” under their nominal sizes. This is a bit excessive in my opinion, intact the collets I had made are a .0005” slip fit to the odd sized augers. All of this came about mainly because I had a few augers that are about 1/2” shorter than ideal (trimmed them for use in the felder) and thought these would be identical replacements.

I found that both amusing and slightly annoying given that I had a set of custom collets made. I have no regrets there being that the collets are perfect but I’m unsure of how to attend to this issue. I ordered a spare auger for each chisel as well so I’m now either going to need to order a round of spare augers for non-EU and hope that they are the same as what they were or have another set of collets made to work with the newer auger sizing.

Harrumph.

[Brian Holcombe]

The appearance of the mini-pallet was really bothering me so I decided to mill it down to the outside perimeter of the machine table. Then cut a groove which matches the table so that it will sit about .800” above the tabletop rather than 1.130”. I wanted this to take up the space normally done with a wooden sacrificial table.

I took the opportunity to knock off those giant chamfers as well. To me this sort of table should have small neat chamfers not big slightly rounded type.

I originally spec’d a bunch if dimensions that were not followed, so I’m taking the time to bring it to those specs.

[Jim Becker]

What are you doing for a sacrificial surface for situations (if there will be any) that the mortises have to be cut through?

[Brian Holcombe]

I don't cut mortises through in one shot, it runs to high a risk of breaking out on the backside. So I always cut both sides toward center.

[Jim Becker]

I don't cut mortises through in one shot, it runs to high a risk of breaking out on the backside. So I always cut both sides toward center.

:D A masterful way to do it.

[Darcy Warner]

I don't cut mortises through in one shot, it runs to high a risk of breaking out on the backside. So I always cut both sides toward center.

I go all the way through, but I still have to profile the exit side any way.

[Brian Holcombe]

Darcy, that’s for parts that are going to get molded I assume?

[Darcy Warner]

Darcy, that’s for parts that are going to get molded I assume?

Yes, stickings. Like sash parts, door parts, etc. Just the way that stuff works out faster. Punch holes fast with chain mortiser, do sticking, do tenons.

[Brian Holcombe]

Ah, how cleanly does the chain mortiser typically break through?

[Brian Holcombe]

Better, but still needs some work. This will come in handy for fixturing, I have one operation I routinely cut that is suitable to a horizontal machine and this solves that now.

I did some hogging first and that took the slab out of flat, but a light cut brought this area back to flat.

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Then I milled the top parallel again. I actually got it parallel to .001” but it’s not perfectly flat so I will bring it for surface grinding. Also the step-over, wouldn’t mind getting rid of that.

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Btw, Kurt manufacturing impresses the heck out of me. These vises are easily 20 years apart in manufacturing and my indicator does not even move when I sweep over them from vise to vise.

[Darcy Warner]

Ah, how cleanly does the chain mortiser typically break through?

Fairly clean, clean enough that the sticking makes anything dissapear

[David Eisenhauer]

Brian: Any chance of some photos of the parts you routinely crank out with the various M&T machines you have put in the fleet lately?

[Brian Holcombe]

David,

Here are some double mortises via the Maka. I cut the haunches on the router table. It can be done in the Maka also but was easier for me to cut them this way given that they are 8’ long.

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[Brian Holcombe]

Recent job on the Wadkin, you can probably see now my logic behind adding that plate. On a job like this I’ll still need to block it up slightly but no jig, just remove the clamp and use fast clamps.

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[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks Brian. How'd you cut the tenons?

[Brian Holcombe]

My pleasure! I cut them with a router table and a good number of setups, hah. Those sticks are molded profiles.

[David Eisenhauer]

Cutting tenons with a router table drove me to hand cutting. Mortising with a router table and loose tenons were OK, but TS tenons were less fuss for me than routed tenons. The allure of the machined M&T work was for me when there were lots and lots to do, but a typical single piece of furniture is handled just fine by hand for me. I never had the pleasure of working with the level of equipment you and some of the other guys are using, but remain fascinated in the descriptions of the machines, their setups and use.

[Brian Holcombe]

I find it actually pretty easy but I have a good number of tricks. I use a big surfacing bit and a miter gauge. The stock prep must very accurate and the end chops must be very square. The router table fence is setup so that it is square to x-travel and square to the table.

[Joe Calhoon]

Brian, I had a time with my DM yesterday. It’s a rare occasion in door and window work to chop a 1/4” mortise. A while back I bought a 1/4” chisel from LV. The bushings I have were not even close and my retired machinist friend made one out of brass on his mini lathe.

Working on some small sash that require this size and I thought a good time to finish the bushing and set it up. The 1/4” that came with my machine was toast. My DM came with a inner bushing to work with the 5/8” shanks of the smaller chisels. This worked with the small bits that came with the machine but would not hold with the new LV chisel. Almost ruined the new one when it slipped! Upon close inspection the new one is slightly smaller at the shank than the originals. I tried several things including smaller washers and finally put my original chisel holder in and with wrenching tighter than you should I got it to hold.

You mentioned Axminister and I looked at their site and see they offer the small chisels with the larger shank. I could not find a bushing to fit the 5/8” plus or minus on the UK venders. This is frustrating, I may give them a shot and hope I come up with something that that works.

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[Brian Holcombe]

Those thin bushings are the problem, I had the same trouble using a 13/16” bushing with a spacer bushing and 3/4 shank chisel.

[Brian Holcombe]

Well finally I’ve decided time to make a chip blower for the Wadkin. I’ve planned it out so that it will start with travel and and end after travel so as to give the air compressor recovery time.

[Darcy Warner]

Most of the old American machines used the fan off the motor to generate the breeze.

[Brian Holcombe]

Most Japanese do also. This machine doesn’t have a fan. This one will have 100psi through .080” nozzle so it will be quite effective and clearing chips and keeping the chisel cool.

[Brian Holcombe]

Concept: this will mount to the top of the motor, the roller bearing will engage the machine ways and depress a valve. Simple enough.

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I found some stainless steel standoffs made for optical equipment that were the right dimensions but needed to made you accommodate bearings. So I slotted them on the Bridgeport, drilled them then reamed for pins. The pins are a press fit so as to eliminate hardware. I recognize that these look like lifters, hah. Next these are attached to hardened steel shafts. The shafts will ride in a bronze bearing and a spring will be housed in the assembly.
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I had to position the shaft out of direct alignment with the pressure valve so in order to account for that I will be making a bronze pad which will also double as a way of aligning the bearings.

The valve hasn’t delivered yet but the ‘cool arm’ has. This thing is neat, tighten the bolt and it locks the entire part’s position.

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[Jeff Bartley]

This is awesome Brian! Where did the 'cool arm' come from?

[Patrick Walsh]

Brian,

You are a special guy ;)

In all seriousness I absolutely 100% mean that lol..

No but seriously those pins with the bearings at the end are the exact design as to what the rip fence of my Martin travels on. The sub fence is a triangle. There is one of those at the tip and one on either side of the triangle at the back or users side. They adjust up and down using a set screw.

Pretty nifty stuff you come up with. Like I said your wicked smaht as they say here in the Boston..

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[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Jeff! The cool arm is from Noga, same company that makes the indicator holders.

[Brian Holcombe]

Hah, thanks Patrick. Glad to see that Martin uses a similar solution.

[Patrick Walsh]

My guess at this point “considering” is it must be a common solution for such applications and I am or have just not been in the know?


Hah, thanks Patrick. Glad to see that Martin uses a similar solution.

[Brian Holcombe]

I wouldn't say it's super common on woodworking equipment, but it seemed like a good way to attend to this. The roller is there to overcome the square edged transition from 'extended' to compressed and do so without a ramp, so a roller bearing made sense. I would have been happy using a bronze slug but then I'd have to make a transitioning piece.

I think it's a good choice where something is exceptionally heavy (or spring compressed in my case) and must still move nicely.

[Brian Holcombe]

Evolving this design a bit;

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Ive been debating wether to make the bearing housing totally round in the part that extends past the mount. I think it would be a nice touch but I’m not sure that I have the setup for it.

[Brian Holcombe]

Bit of progress. Using manual mills one is reminded that each detail can be multiple setups. Still this felt worth it.

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This looks awkward without the other components but should give a reasonable idea of what I have in mind. A two way air switch will attach to this and it will be depressed by the roller bearing/spring setup.

[Jim Becker]

Dang, rounding off that end really makes for a visually elegant component!

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks, Jim! I've been aiming at keeping this in appearance with the machine, it has a lot of smoothed spots. I made a little collar on the end there, and not sure If I should improve upon that a touch before I move on.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Clearly, you've got grander plans - and the machine tools to execute them, but for mere mortals there are several manufacturers that offer roller cam actuated valves (i.e. this is the cam for a range of valves (https://www.clippard.com/part/11925)).

You'd still be faced with some means of mounting it, but this might be manageable for most users?

[Brian Holcombe]

That would work fine, I suspect. Overkilled seemed appropriate in this case. :D

[Brian Holcombe]

Process continues and I realized my current failings and changed my design a touch to accommodate them.

I thought the roller bearing alone would do it, but it doesn't quite give me the travel needed without making the ramp up too harsh. So, 'easy' fix, I will built a rotating ramp.

The 'pistons' are smooth as can be, they're 52000 series bearing rod riding in 1.5" of graphite bronze bearings. The tops are stainless riding in graphite bronze. Everything reamed in one position on the mill, so it is really smooth as can be.

The air solenoid has a spring, so probably the internal spring was redundant but a little extra help can't hurt.

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[Darcy Warner]

I'm not sure what's going on, but I do love me some mcmaster carr too.

[Brian Holcombe]

It’s a fancy extension to a rod actuator. I needed to find a way to actuate from the contact point, to the actuator without putting everything up too high. The contact location is a bit awkward to reach, hence my approach.

[Darcy Warner]

It’s a fancy extension to a rod actuator. I needed to find a way to actuate from the contact point, to the actuator without putting everything up too high. The contact location is a bit awkward to reach, hence my approach.

Right and mcmaster carr is helping. Lol.

[Brian Holcombe]

Quite a bit! :D

[Jim Becker]

I think that Brian has the equivalent one of McMaster's remote warehouses in his shop now as there's such frequent interchange of "stuff" for money. :) :D Pretty soon, they will be installing a conveyor belt right to his door.

[Brian Holcombe]

A conveyer belt to the door sounds nice :D

[Jim Becker]

Yea, I don't think there's been a single time I've visited that you didn't have a nice new package from McMaster sitting there with new goodies inside. LOL

[Brian Holcombe]

Be still my beating heart.

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[Malcolm McLeod]

Knowing McMaster prices, I have to look at a pile like that on my bench and exclaim, "Be beating my still heart!"

[David Eisenhauer]

Jeez Brian, If you ever get completely up and running, they will have to fell the Amazon to keep up with you.

[Darcy Warner]

Knowing McMaster prices, I have to look at a pile like that on my bench and exclaim, "Be beating my still heart!"

Honestly, for most things I find their prices reasonable, but I am not just buying stuff I could get at the hardware store.

[Brian Holcombe]

Knowing McMaster prices, I have to look at a pile like that on my bench and exclaim, "Be beating my still heart!"

:D


Jeez Brian, If you ever get completely up and running, they will have to fell the Amazon to keep up with you.

Hehe, I appreciate your confident!


Honestly, for most things I find their prices reasonable, but I am not just buying stuff I could get at the hardware store.

This is my experience as well, jokes aside I usually check against prices for quality stuff on Amazon. McMaster's real advantage is that everything is next day service (I'm down the street, so that makes it better or worse depending on one's perspective) and anymore the pricing is pretty competitive so long as the comparisons are fair. Plus they have drawings of everything, so that makes planning my projects out way easier. Nice to be able to see something like the tolerance on a shouldered bolt's shaft.

They're very competitive on some things like larger custom shafts. I needed a couple shafts for Patrick's job and having them made locally would have been absurd for a one-piece run.

[Jim Becker]

I think we probably talked about this previously, Brian, but I can't remember...do they have a Will-Call service that you could pick up an order rather than deal with shipping since you are nearby?

[Brian Holcombe]

They do have a will call, comes in handy at times.

[Brian Holcombe]

I’ve taken a short break from writing love letters to the manufacturer of these bolts, to get a few things complete and to scrap that ugly lever I designed. Thankfully I found a way forward.

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I got busy making this part which retains the shaft. It’s complete less a dowel pin which will position the roller bearing.

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Once finished with the machine work they were lapped to a modest polish.

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[Jim Becker]

That's...pretty much a work of art there, Brian... :)

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks, Jim!

[peter gagliardi]

You do very nice work Brian!
I have no metalworking machines, nor the skills, beyond an angle grinder and files.
I do wish I had a metal lathe and milling machine...
My son is graduating from Machine Technology- machine shop at a local vocational school this year though.
I bet if I bought the machines I could get HIM to teach ME a few things.

[Joe Calhoon]

I think having your son as a machinist is a great opportunity Peter! I have also become interested in metalworking after doing a couple machine restores. I would like to learn more and acquire some machines but already have trouble finding time for everything I’m involved with now!

if you notice Brian is making 2 of these. I am excited to have a Brian Holcombe original in my shop!

[David Kumm]

I'm in the same boat, interested in metalworking but no skill and no time. Bought a Smart and Brown lathe and Rambaudi UR60 vertical horizontal mill but they have been sitting more than working. Go Brian! Dave

[Darcy Warner]

I'm in the same boat, interested in metalworking but no skill and no time. Bought a Smart and Brown lathe and Rambaudi UR60 vertical horizontal mill but they have been sitting more than working. Go Brian! Dave

I got the lathe, surface grinder, OD grinder and now a mill, the space for a nice machine shop, but no time to get it all set up.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks, gents! My pleasure, Joe!

Its not the machinery that is the challenge, much like woodworking it’s the tooling and measuring equipment. The Maka caused me to tool up a bit and each further job gives me the excuse to tool
up a bit more.

I do hesitate to come near that tool chest with a calculator however. :D

[Brian Holcombe]

The plunger must push about 3/16” to give full air flow. It worked with my plans to use a 1/2” bearing and I thought that would do ok. Unfortunately I can only get about .140” travel at current. Next size bearing on this same shaft is 11/16” od and slightly wider. Hopefully they will do it.

Finished the additional pin which prevents rotation. That took a specialized Albrecht mini Chuck, carbide twist bit and reamer to get in along side the back.

It should now be more obvious as to why I had to make this setup for this whole ordeal to work.

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[Malcolm McLeod]

The plunger must push about 3/16” to give full air flow. It worked with my plans to use a 1/2” bearing and I thought that would do ok. Unfortunately I can only get about .140” travel at current. Next size bearing on this same shaft is 11/16” od and slightly wider. Hopefully they will do it....

I wouldn't expect a round cam, installed as you have it, to give me any more travel than 1/4 of the cam's OD. The seemingly sharp edge of the contact point (way?) will probably only work if it hits at 45deg (or less) from tangent...??

You might get more and smoother travel by using a 'ramp' to contact the cam?

[Brian Holcombe]

I think I will break that edge with a file and see if that improves things, it may not take much to make a successful ramp.

[Brian Holcombe]

Working beautifully, now so I finished filing and graining the aluminum and polishing the brass parts I made (decided to leave the hardware as is). I left some of the machining marks if they were really nice but if I had to do multiple passes then I prefer graining. I do that on a surface plate so that it doesn't mess up the accuracy of the part.

Next I have to make the holder.

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[Malcolm McLeod]

hmmmm .... I must have clicked the wrong button. This seems to be the jewelry forum.:confused:

....Gotta go look for the Power Tools.;)

[Brian Holcombe]

Hah! Thanks, Malcolm!

[Brian Holcombe]

Wrapped up.

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[Malcolm McLeod]

Wrapped up.
...


:cool: Professionally wrapped up. :cool:

[Brian Holcombe]

Thank you!

[Mel Fulks]

We always got out material out 1/8th over on each edge for bars, muntins and “intermediate” rails. The tear-out by chain mortiser would be cut off by the “sticker”. We were usually using N.E. white pine. But we also had orders for yellow pine, mahogany,walnut, fir , and other woods. Top rails were always made to exact size. Bottom rails were always made 1/8th over size. Strict standardization of all processes is lacking in many modern shops.