48" Featherweight Camelback Machining Video

[hmw1972]

Denis,

You would have to consider where you're measuring the spindle growth from. The headstock itself will also grow as it warms up. I discovered this soon after I installed the DRO scales on my HBM. The headstock leadscrew nut and locks are located at the bottom of the headstock. The DRO bracket that moves the scale head is located near the top of the headstock. One day I had the read out zeroed and then I ran the headstock for about half and hour without moving it. After a while the readout was up .0001" and then .0002" etc. until it settled at .0004". I shut the machine off and went home. When I came back the next morning it was back to zero. The headstock had grown .0004" taller from the warming. I would assume it got .0004" wider as well (it's as wide as it is tall), which would have moved the spindle toward the table. You would likely have to measure spindle growth relative to the table itself, not the headstock. Of course if you actually managed to get the straight edge perfectly flat by machining there would be no enjoyment from scraping it.

Ken

 

[Garwood]

Just do the best you can with the machine you've got. I think it's important to have an understanding of your machine's quirks and just do your best to make good parts.

I personally find it's more profitable to figure out where and how much your machine is off then make some sharpie marks on the ways for every .0005" taper and get good at bumping the handwheel that increment rather than rebuild an on ok manual machine.

 

[hmw1972]

Just do the best you can with the machine you've got. I think it's important to have an understanding of your machine's quirks and just do your best to make good parts.

I personally find it's more profitable to figure out where and how much your machine is off then make some sharpie marks on the ways for every .0005" taper and get good at bumping the handwheel that increment rather than rebuild an on ok manual machine.

I agree. Every time I get a 'new to me' machine it takes a bit of use to learn its quirks and then I find ways to work around them. I'm still figuring them out on my HBM but it will eventually come. Having to do a few accurate jobs can teach a guy a lot about his machine.

Ken

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I agree. Every time I get a 'new to me' machine it takes a bit of use to learn its quirks and then I find ways to work around them. I'm still figuring them out on my HBM but it will eventually come. Having to do a few accurate jobs can teach a guy a lot about his machine.

Ken

You need an experienced guy to show the ropes on a Hor bore. You can teach yourself bad habits as well as good ones. All that I know about machining set ups I learnt from the guys whose machines I was repairing/installing. They were the masters.

Regards Tyrone

 

[dgfoster]

You need an experienced guy to show the ropes on a Hor bore. You can teach yourself bad habits as well as good ones. All that I know about machining set ups I learnt from the guys whose machines I was repairing/installing. They were the masters.

Regards Tyrone

Ummm, heading to the Pacific NW of the “colonies” any time soon?

Denis

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Ummm, heading to the Pacific NW of the “colonies” any time soon?

Denis

Nah, Southern Spain is as far as I want to fly these days. Having said that at the moment we’re having “ Manchester “ weather down in Spain. Cold and wet.
If you have any questions I’d be glad to answer them to the best of my ability.I’m not familiar with “ Wotan “ machines but most Hor bores work along the same lines.

Regards Tyrone

 

[dgfoster]

Nah, Southern Spain is as far as I want to fly these days. Having said that at the moment we’re having “ Manchester “ weather down in Spain. Cold and wet.
If you have any questions I’d be glad to answer them to the best of my ability.I’m not familiar with “ Wotan “ machines but most Hor bores work along the same lines.

Regards Tyrone

That is a kind and generous offer, Tyrone. I think I need to do some more work before asking more questions. But, I am also sure there will be more questions and I'll try to pick your brain.

Bellingham has Manchester weather too. Lots of 50 degree days, complete with drizzle the entire day, followed by many more just like it.

Denis

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just for future reference. The guys I worked with made more use of the tee slots and the edges of the revolving table to set up work and to stabilise components. They’d push work up to slot stops for a quick set up and then run the DTI over the job for a quick double check. Of course you need your table to be set up perfectly square to the spindle In the first place.

Regards Tyrone

 

[hmw1972]

Nah, Southern Spain is as far as I want to fly these days. Having said that at the moment we’re having “ Manchester “ weather down in Spain. Cold and wet.
If you have any questions I’d be glad to answer them to the best of my ability.I’m not familiar with “ Wotan “ machines but most Hor bores work along the same lines.

Regards Tyrone

Hello Tyrone,

Wotan was a German machine tool builder and by all accounts they built pretty good. stuff. They had factories in Germany, Spain and Brazil. Mine was built in Spain for the European market (50 Hz motors, 380 Volts etc.) and then at some point in its life it was imported by someone into North America. They are pretty much set up like any other HBM with a rotary table but the build quality is supposedly high. I've never had a different one to compare to so I can't personally judge that. However, I must say that in the two months I have had it running it's been a great addition to my shop.

Did you work on other machines or did you specialize in HBMs (or Hor-Bores)?

Ken

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Hello Tyrone,

Wotan was a German machine tool builder and by all accounts they built pretty good. stuff. They had factories in Germany, Spain and Brazil. Mine was built in Spain for the European market (50 Hz motors, 380 Volts etc.) and then at some point in its life it was imported by someone into North America. They are pretty much set up like any other HBM with a rotary table but the build quality is supposedly high. I've never had a different one to compare to so I can't personally judge that. However, I must say that in the two months I have had it running it's been a great addition to my shop.

Did you work on other machines or did you specialize in HBMs (or Hor-Bores)?

Ken

I worked on most machine tools but towards the end of my career I spent most of my time on Hor bores. Anything the Germans had a hand in producing will be decent. They don’t make rubbish over there.
Most of the machines I worked on had built in facing slides. They are great until they start going wrong. A “ spindle only “ machine like yours is a lot easier to set up. Getting the facing slide spindle to run in harmony with the milling spindle can be problematical alignments wise.

Regards Tyrone