wquiles
Flashaholic
Although my massive 1" BXA holder is awesome, it took a long time to make from scratch. I have since acquired some good buys on tool holders that have a 3/4" and 1" shank, so I need to make new ones. Since I am still learning this machining "stuff", I decided to try something new.
For perspective, my 1" holder in the left, and a standard 5/8" holder in the right:
Instead of making one completely out a a solid piece of still, I decided to start from an existing BXA holder: a 1" boring bar holder:
I picked this type of holder in particular because it is fairly massive compared to the standard BXA holders:
It is unfortunately not quite as tall as my 1" BXA holder, but it will do:
First, a small "deviation" (kind of going OT on my own post for a short while - yes, I know I am a little bit crazy!). I made a custom shield for my milling machine, to try to both protect my face better, but also to contain some of the chips. I started with a face shield ($8-9):
I cut (with a Dremel tool) and smooth the raw/sharp edges:
and then I mounted it on an adjustable, hydraulic magnetic mount, for total adjustability:
OK, back on topic. For this project I am using my new Bison ER40 collets and ball-bearing collet closer/nut:
For cutting duty I used my trusted 1" milling cutter:
I did two holders, with slightly different methods. This is method 1, which I do NOT recommend. You basically start milling the whole piece:
man, do I hate these sharp curls!:
So you progressively keep cutting away:
until you eventually get to the interior part that is 1" dia:
You then cut a little bit more, so that the tool has a nice, straight edge upon to rest/alight itself:
It is still too long/deep, but it looks like this with a 1" shank tool inside the holder:
A 3/4" shank tool of course still fits, but it is of course smaller than the opening (think of it as using a 1/2" tool on a 5/8" tool holder):
The next step is to of course cut the excess, as this would prevent the cutting tool from getting as close to the chuck as possible:
So, here comes method #2, and what I will do from now on: Cut the piece first, then mill it:
I then go back to the mill, and open the hole using the same 1" mill:
You can see in this picture how much bigger this already-cut holder is compared to the standard 5/8" holder:
again, with a 1" shank tool:
not quite as big as my own 1" holder, isn't? :devil:
I finished the holder (cleaned and makes edges level/flat on the mill, cleaned the edges with a file, etc.) and blackened the steel, but the bolt on the 1" boring bar holder was not long enough for using the 1" shank tools, so I decided to make my own 10mm-1.0 bolts. Here just taking some quick measurements on the existing bolt:
So I changed my lathe to cut metric threads, and proceeded to make a new bolt (long enough for my two new holders). For the turning operation, note how my trusty 4xx CNMG holder can't quite fit in there:
but my 4x DNMG can:
Here I got the OD done:
and here I am threading the bolt:
I cut the bolt:
and screwed it in the holder (the bolt was "slightly" oversize for a tight fit on the holder):
All done on this holder which I will use for a 3/4" shank tool:
But for the 1" shank tool, just like I found out with the 1" BXA holder that I made earlier, I had to cut a little (0.150" x 0.350") the bottom part of the holder for it to drop low enough to center the 1" shank tool:
and now it fits:
And this is the final product for the "simpler" 1" BXA tool holder:
Except for having to make a bolt from scratch, this was easier and more straight forward than my prior 1" BXA holder since I don't have to cut a new dovetail. They are not as big/heavy as my original 1" BXA holder, and not as pretty/elegant, but they work well, so when I have to make new ones, I will do them this way again.
For perspective, my 1" holder in the left, and a standard 5/8" holder in the right:
Instead of making one completely out a a solid piece of still, I decided to start from an existing BXA holder: a 1" boring bar holder:
I picked this type of holder in particular because it is fairly massive compared to the standard BXA holders:
It is unfortunately not quite as tall as my 1" BXA holder, but it will do:
First, a small "deviation" (kind of going OT on my own post for a short while - yes, I know I am a little bit crazy!). I made a custom shield for my milling machine, to try to both protect my face better, but also to contain some of the chips. I started with a face shield ($8-9):
I cut (with a Dremel tool) and smooth the raw/sharp edges:
and then I mounted it on an adjustable, hydraulic magnetic mount, for total adjustability:
OK, back on topic. For this project I am using my new Bison ER40 collets and ball-bearing collet closer/nut:
For cutting duty I used my trusted 1" milling cutter:
I did two holders, with slightly different methods. This is method 1, which I do NOT recommend. You basically start milling the whole piece:
man, do I hate these sharp curls!:
So you progressively keep cutting away:
until you eventually get to the interior part that is 1" dia:
You then cut a little bit more, so that the tool has a nice, straight edge upon to rest/alight itself:
It is still too long/deep, but it looks like this with a 1" shank tool inside the holder:
A 3/4" shank tool of course still fits, but it is of course smaller than the opening (think of it as using a 1/2" tool on a 5/8" tool holder):
The next step is to of course cut the excess, as this would prevent the cutting tool from getting as close to the chuck as possible:
So, here comes method #2, and what I will do from now on: Cut the piece first, then mill it:
I then go back to the mill, and open the hole using the same 1" mill:
You can see in this picture how much bigger this already-cut holder is compared to the standard 5/8" holder:
again, with a 1" shank tool:
not quite as big as my own 1" holder, isn't? :devil:
I finished the holder (cleaned and makes edges level/flat on the mill, cleaned the edges with a file, etc.) and blackened the steel, but the bolt on the 1" boring bar holder was not long enough for using the 1" shank tools, so I decided to make my own 10mm-1.0 bolts. Here just taking some quick measurements on the existing bolt:
So I changed my lathe to cut metric threads, and proceeded to make a new bolt (long enough for my two new holders). For the turning operation, note how my trusty 4xx CNMG holder can't quite fit in there:
but my 4x DNMG can:
Here I got the OD done:
and here I am threading the bolt:
I cut the bolt:
and screwed it in the holder (the bolt was "slightly" oversize for a tight fit on the holder):
All done on this holder which I will use for a 3/4" shank tool:
But for the 1" shank tool, just like I found out with the 1" BXA holder that I made earlier, I had to cut a little (0.150" x 0.350") the bottom part of the holder for it to drop low enough to center the 1" shank tool:
and now it fits:
And this is the final product for the "simpler" 1" BXA tool holder:
Except for having to make a bolt from scratch, this was easier and more straight forward than my prior 1" BXA holder since I don't have to cut a new dovetail. They are not as big/heavy as my original 1" BXA holder, and not as pretty/elegant, but they work well, so when I have to make new ones, I will do them this way again.
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