MetalworkingFun Forum

Here's a quick and dirty project for the mill that will get used all the time; laminated step blocks. To use them, all you do is spin out as many layers as you need and slide them under the clamp. They are a lot more convenient than stair step blocks and a lot more stable.

The blocks are made from 2 pieces of 2" x 2" x 1/4" and 12 pieces of 2" x 2" x 1/8" aluminum sheet with a 1/4" socket head cap screw to hold them all together. The bottom 1/4" piece is tapped for the screw and the top 13 pieces have clearance holes all centered and about 1/2" from the edge. The screw is then staked in place or Loctited to keep it from rotating. If you want to get fancy, you can mill radii on the corners for appearance.

Tom

Now that I'm home and can view the pictures, those look very handy Tom. So simple yet so useful. I'll be adding some of those to my ever growing project list.

Thanks for posting that project. It's a good one for beginner metalworkers to tackle and end up with a useful tool.

Ed

fantastic, another addition to my to do list. tom

They are very useful and as you can see from my pics, they get used all the time. I have a nice set of the stair step blocks but they rarely leave the case unless I need a taller stack.

Tom

I've been meaning to make a set since I saw the guys at work using them.

Damm you Tom, my to do list just got longer.

(09-18-2012, 07:03 PM)f350ca Wrote: [ -> ]Damm you Tom, my to do list just got longer.

That's the thing about these forums. The more you root around in them the more stuff you find that you can't live without.

Tom

Isn't that the case, they do look incredibly handy. They'd be great as a spacer in the bandsaw vice when I'm cutting short stock, along with a host of other uses.

I'm a huge fan of screw jacks for this and similar jobs but my smallest screw jack is 25mm / 1" tall at it's fully closed position so it looks like I need to make a set of these, Of course I have a little idea that might make these "step blocks" just a little better for my purposes.

Thanks for the inspiration Tom,

Rick

(09-19-2012, 01:15 AM)f350ca Wrote: [ -> ]They'd be great as a spacer in the bandsaw vice when I'm cutting short stock, ...

Greg,

Now that's a good idea. This project just moved up on the project list.

Ed