+- MetalworkingFun Forum (http://www.metalworkingfun.com)
+-- Forum: Machining (http://www.metalworkingfun.com/forum-5.html)
+--- Forum: General Metalworking Discussion (http://www.metalworkingfun.com/forum-6.html)
+--- Thread: Aluminum Fixture Plate (/thread-3655.html)
Aluminum Fixture Plate - the penguin - 08-11-2017
I have a few steel fixture plates, very handy, but I need a bigger one. So I made a 12" x 24" x 1/2" fixture plate, with (126) 3/8"-16 and (127) 1/2"-13 threaded holes. I have to roll over the edges with the 1/8" bit, in the router, to clean up the sharp edges.
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - randyc - 08-12-2017
Great project, Jack, but 253 tapped holes ?????!!!
Holy cow, that's a lotta' work even with a tapping head, but definitely a useful fixture. I'd sure like to have one of those plates but lack of patience prevents it. Did you use jig plate ? I bought a 1 inch thick piece of jig plate and really liked the way it machined.
It was the first time I'd used that material and it seemed harder than 6061-T6 and definitely tapped better. Did you also get that impression ?
This is the piece, used as a baseplate for a tiny lathe. (To give a scale sense, that is a 1/4 inch drill chuck in the tailstock.) The material also routed well, I used a 1/4 radius corner rounding cutter.
[attachment=14783]
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - f350ca - 08-12-2017
Mine only has 215 3/8th holes. 6x18 made from mystery aluminum from a Boeing plant.
![[Image: tdCVN1NunoIzm9thdfH7FM4dM8NLqbGotZ2BP4e9...2-h1276-no]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tdCVN1NunoIzm9thdfH7FM4dM8NLqbGotZ2BP4e95Q5fMOTtezJe7kkTY9MsskszvTKzXwn8zu2s3gbgNu6jwaPuMQZsvMg5gQOTEqZTvEGEJd6lo6qTIYf4PkgvKNog9oSrysfLm7_cKrPV3zgg90hKDMm7EYOGBOCvfId809SGIPEl7oZ1KK3aJQbe_8MoU6G7V4rN33c2E3ZkmsvHg2x0sBxcjeI7zSqn5m0EHE7Rxb61YUtirpbfZF6eB6Z-bcvvHB0lB72VpD-OsXJjTq2G7r8bSLaGeuOGJIPJ8Rpt4EXOMXUj6YFaa7RT5U5vPuhmLFl_8mbELzzw8GPPLERMwpea_gghc8mwzCW33GguRY-Jzh4VbKiequputrZGRJES4otBqYXWtu5NiXXgNhmXpb8l0-bFlhlyoAe_Ed-Cy1HNybo9y2dwuHVgkL1-PwRGLbiWHXbtoSSrXarf3MoEm0_4YfpS7a71i0ClfITQEmoqx6OG1sxw0dVa6Pil1WTxOSdqyoRH2HyUjrvNX25cntQTdAxxmgrq6wosH3EBiI0Ix9xFtBwzrnepG5mkv6YExwVHmHbeGG3x4ycb6eSFh0JFOt5UIXRHDNtTjz_WgoMoIfNY=w1702-h1276-no)
Sure handy
Cutting a keyway in a tapered shaft.
![[Image: QxxaYd_WlRPvExP1xTWWOhk27UkRcy_QVxM1bdIC...2-h1276-no]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QxxaYd_WlRPvExP1xTWWOhk27UkRcy_QVxM1bdICUp3DInj9XWvcAewQPWUMwRlcIVTXmq5aSsBgSqa24K3iCK7V65AK3Sq5ANqqJDX8CGJOWertoowTFmE3wIAHx5POkFhy_uR4PVaP7qzWj_ukHBgDn9ymmZLQprJ8YXYKE1YhpcDKeaKa52pn8p2Mw3Bp0Ev3AZ5x_dfeLJ28oS7cjzKqxbyhiy4W_a5HX0ixrWHp07atiDPnnwq6rvMjKFuxmjFv8xgBA-HJE1zyP67rgCVRcFj6mdR_V_YdUssdRdOoEn6ya59e4ljsQB-zY-hPmJ5rd1tEsKP0zvgK8oVOxPsUrmwbsBk6OVq2KqhyTYtQHcAtZiO51nks_XdqrbtRrg_v5N8OGX2-kScVdXDCizTTJuD2nkqiGe-a6nxT1O2Xkw5lK53Hny9enoj1e_3TMqUD-tj_ab9IM3DUbrvWgpikuTll7EXtvVOquLRSMZm22U7dv8uU2YHcZDPum7vWCDv_-5NZan5ZIXOECbKREvRIY96LQ-o00xq3Q409w064wJNe-47p8VeCEQHz_w6DYLYE_F6cgIOzyU0Tld3oFy7ABsLzGCrymVLBqILC9kuo2fTVkZxR=w1702-h1276-no)
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - randyc - 08-12-2017
You guys are CRAZY patient and motivated (unlike moi). That is such a useful fixture that one should be included with new milling machines (the mill manufacturer's CNC line would make short work of those 200-plus tapped holes, LOL). Wish I wasn't too lazy to make one :o( But it would also take away from my nap time and my
time. (Old guys need a little of one and maybe a lot of the other, alternating them from time to time :o)I'd assumed that the fixture would be mounted directly to the table after removing the vise. That's a very cool idea, Greg, leaving the vise mounted, clamping the fixture plate and supporting the outboard work with the jack ! (Also a neat idea for milling a taper.)
Cheers,
randy
(P.S. Sorry for the thread diversion, just had to sneak in a photo of that tiny, weird little lathe somehow, ha-ha.)
(P.P.S. Is that a Gorton, Greg ?)
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - Highpower - 08-12-2017
(08-12-2017, 09:50 PM)randyc Wrote: You guys are CRAZY patient and motivated (unlike moi). That is such a useful fixture that one should be included with new milling machines (the mill manufacturer's CNC line would make short work of those 200-plus tapped holes, LOL). Wish I wasn't too lazy to make one
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger here Randy. I've got a nice piece of MIC6 1" tooling plate sitting here (for quite awhile now) without a single hole in it yet....
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - f350ca - 08-13-2017
Didn't know Gorton made milling machines Randy, mine is a Taiwanese clone of the Bridgeport. Have often thought I'd like one of their panagraph machines but not really sure what I need it for. Did do a really rough copy of one of their cutter grinders though.
![[Image: nE-h15HnU4lzK8Gzoqj-ZeuuGgXi8b-NuDtqT4NF...2-h1276-no]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nE-h15HnU4lzK8Gzoqj-ZeuuGgXi8b-NuDtqT4NFXL2q2h-AIaO19w6NiKVr_P4A917SeASBoB_fJCa2TrA0VFIMPtkatM7gs_iVNByqyYRfCTMarRQKJTz2NdW3BPACUtrRqgO35DxEBTn1800_Geh_U-op4ZyBy_TInom1RqksH9F93xDhwquUQjyQ126yEdQN_DAEsD3wwMpkZndEspMHqE3qZlkuLpzWhz3GGjBlQ-3KF-IgjBX44CxMOfsT9HA1nqWujN9ogfyMDZ3QnRwuQrGHhbBz52Gzcie-hfz8oKJyN2W9h9DKF-CCkiO559Zu9AgAdq-Hmbsr9gjSyiN8mnVm90BwNVCVcPJ5lA9bN5awyHoiQ_GfFvCosAkg5wnbK_45FndEjlRDsUfLCuk_5Om3EikYgtPbu1N1NIJwvvBWFoge6EjHdmCevv1UjWf3DcIVsKAV16QuwWY6FWZUy6J0LzsvvKTkwpjGpQsq6p5KmtGC7po5C_1MlnUryBWQ2sXC9C8UIfi83vHRTyK_6Gw-g_Rf43kUPj3MS6FxgR2lbBTwRbqLaNHOPFX7aMpnjiukk5BWoI7wxXJK3SD4sol7wqBp_TE3KCuzvKmGRUfM91uX=w1702-h1276-no)
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - randyc - 08-13-2017
Greg, I sure wouldn't call that T & C grinder a "rough copy" LOL, looks very impressive to me ! Gorton made some of the huskiest vertical mills ever. There are lots of photos on the internet.
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - the penguin - 08-13-2017
Here are a couple of the old steel plates I've been using for years, the Aluminum on is bigger, I'd like to do a 16" x 32", there is a blank jig plate, that size, at he supplier. All that is needed is cash and some fab time.
RE: Aluminum Fixture Plate - the penguin - 08-22-2017
I set the plate up on the Rockwell milling machine, to machine a Saab 2 stroke cylinder head, to repair spark plug threads, and clean up the exhaust manifold. I spent the time to locate and attach the plate to the mill table, then had to reinstall the milling vise for a quick job.