Todays Project - What did you do today?

[PixMan]

About 4 hours in the shop today, wish I had more time to finish this! This is the third attempt at making a feed trip bracket for Darren. First one I screwed up on thickness of the blank, didn't realize it was too thin until I'd gotten to this step. Second one came out right to the OEM print (other than some mom-essential casting features I couldn't replicate with 2-axis machining), too bad the print was WRONG as compared to the actual part. Couldn't be savd my altering it.

So the other day I squared up the block of "mystery steel", though I am petty certain it's 4140 annealed plate. Today, I did on the operations on the first side, but not without a casualty. In taking a very heavy cut with a 1/2" 3-flute solid carbide end mill, the cutter slipped in the R8 collet and dug into my new Kurt hardened vise jaw. Oh well, stuff happens.

Today I finished Op #1. I did have a scare though, because after drilling the holes I mounted my 3" boring head and started a cut to finish the Ø14mm bore. Uh oh, either the drill hole is off center or the boring head. I pulled out my Interapid indicator and checked the Ø43mm boss, it seems my DRO/Protorak control somehow skipped and lost the X axis position by .028"! Just barely enough to finish the bore. Not happy with the chatter in the bore, but it'll work fine. As compared to the worn out original part (which I now have for comparison), it's tighter on my home shop make gauge pin.




I've got three more setups to finish it. First, flip it over and finish the counterbores for the M6 mounting screws. Mill the top profile, finish mill the Ø38mm spotface, add the 10mm wide access notch and add a number of radii to make it look good. Second, stand it up on its side and complete the Ø16mm bore through. Last, stand it on it's round head and add the 6mm wide slot for the actuation lever.

Wish me luck!