I Have a Ream

 Everybody knows that drills put holes in things.  Most people assume they are perfect holes - but some people who need accuracy know that is not the case.  So, what kinds of holes, and what to expect?  My brief, inexpertise scale from worst to best :

• Hand drill - if you need a quick hole and don't care about vertical, size, or anything else, do this.  Even with "drill guide" blocks, you're likely to not get it vertical.  If you are going to thread this hole for a bolt, please avoid this one.  I will throw in cheap drill presses here - though with some work, they can be a little more acceptable toward the next category.
  
• Drill press - these are good for getting rid of the above "vertical" orientation issues of a hand drill.  For this category, I'm throwing in drill presses, magnetic drill braces, and I'll even throw in the old Craftsman "Port-Align" attachments to the above hand drills.  They offer better consistency in your vertical alignment.
• Drill in a lathe - sometimes you can throw the part into a lathe.  These give you MUCH better control over axis alignment, plus the holes become much more - dare I say it - ROUND!  Now, you thought the previous holes were round.  Sure, they were, kind of.  But now we're getting into a much better category and much more accurate concentricity.
• Boring bars in lathes (or boring heads in mills).  These give you not just a concentric and round hole - these actually let you control the diameters of the said holes.  One drawback of these is the machining marks in the holes, as these are typically single-point-cutter tools that have radii on the cutting end, so while the holes are much more accurate, they still are on the rough side.
• Reamers.  These are specialty tools designed to give you the best finishes possible, while giving you exactly the dimension you wanted.  The holes are round, concentric and parallel (provided you don't let them wander off course).
  

Now, I've started thinking through a low-profile, small, milling vise build, and I know I'm going to need better holes than I've done.  So, a "drill" isn't going to cut it, and what I really want are "reamers".  I found a hodgepodge of reamers on eBay that might cover the sizes I need, so I bought it, and classified their sizes (not all are stamped).

So, I measured these, not with actual use, but using some metrology equipment, which means these are likely +/-0.002".  For example, the 0.373 might be a 0.374, and the 0.374 might be a 0.376.  The only way for me to tell is to use each individual reamer, but I'm too tired and fatigued to drill that many holes without good test equipment that I can chuck some of these reamers into without moving drill heads, bases, or anything the like.

For now, suffice to say I have the following sizes in hand :

• 0.155"
• 0.183"
• 0.187"
• 0.189"
• 0.218"
• 0.219"
• 0.246"
• 0.280"
  
• 0.308" (2x)
  
• 0.309" 
• 0.310"
• 0.311" (5/16") (2x)
• 0.354"
  
• 0.373"
• 0.374"
  
• 0.382"
  
• 0.498"
• 0.499" (2x)
  
• 0.500"
• 0.515"
  
• 0.749"
• 0.751"
• Morse Taper #2 (this was a bit of a surprise!)
  

Next up, trying to feel a bit better.  This could be a longer road to travel before I can get back to projects, but I've gotten this far.  If I can do so, perhaps I can start doing the mill vise.

Bolt Organization - Over Engineering

We've all beheld big bolt bins, and many have begrudgingly bought into them.  I held out for as long as I could, and finally declared that I need something better.

I don't want bolt bins.  In our house, we had some old canning jars left over from eons ago, and I decided to use those.  Yup, glass jars to hold my metal bolts.  It should be fine.  So, this write up is about the journey to create a bolt storage system.

This project has been on my back burner for some time.  Unfortunately, my spouse came home with some Pyrex for a wedding gift that we ended up etching names into for personalization.  This was exactly what I'd been wanting to do with the glass jars (save the addition of some colorant to the etched glass when done for contrast), and since we now had a bottle of glass etchant (Armour Etch), I figured I had nothing to lose but start the storage.

First, the etching of the Pyrex :

\

Yes, I am now worried about the end result, since the etching seems to be a bit hidden - we'll see if the colorant additions (Sharpie) help this later.

I generated a list of bolt sizes from an old Machinists' Handbook to get a bit wider range of sizes, so not having only modern stuff, but some of the more common older sizes, too.  Note, I only did imperial since that is most of what my restoration work uses).  I fed that into the vinyl cutter, and had my sticky stencils setting in storage.

The next task was to simply cut the stencils out and apply them.  I used some "transfer tape" designed for transferring vinyl to do this, and set the stencils into place on the jars.

Short jars were for fine threads, and large jars were for coarse threads, because most cases I've seen had the longer bolts with coarse threads.  It will make it easier to know that the full quart jars were coarse, and the pint jars were for fine threads.  Visual organization makes for fast grabbing of what is needed when you need it.

I applied the Armour Etch, and let it set for 15 minutes (should be fine in 5, and the additional 10 minutes likely didn't help much, which doesn't matter for me).  I rinsed them off, and then I let them dry.

I grabbed my red Sharpie, and filled in the stencils.  This made it fast work to color in the lines.  The Sharpie doesn't help much (less sticking to glass), but the tint might show up better against black, silver, or yellow (grade 8) bolts.  That's why I chose the color - we'll see how well it works when we get there.

Now, peal off the labels.  I'm getting more nervous that the Sharpie isn't going to help much.

Okay, with that against a white background, the Sharpie shows superbly.  I expect it will help with the silver-colored bolts (zinc-plated) just fine.  The black ones... still unsure of.  I'm going to let these jars set for a while to get as much locked in place as I can.

I ordered some brackets I designed to bold vertically.  They should match up to an 8mm through hole (so I can use a skate bearing, or a 608 bearing - I have a number of 608RS's that I can use - with a 7mm thickness, and a 22mm outside diameter, they should fit a 1.5" x 5/16" aluminum barstock - all I have to do is cut and drill them out.)

The SendCutSend brackets actually look really good.  There are some powder coating issues around the bearing hole (flashing, or extra coating chunks), but really look fantastic over all.  The DXC file for the brackets was loaded to Google Drive if you need it.

These use M8-1.0x30mm bolts for the 1/4" brackets.  You need to use an M8 washer for these, or the bearings will be flush with the brackets and fail to operate, so, one washer per bearing.  Those washers must be less than the 22mm outside diameter with ah 8mm inner diameter.  Thickness doesn't matter, because they don't make washers thin enough to not work.  My washers have a 16mm outside diameter and a 1.5mm thickness.

I cut some 1"x4" x8' common board into 4" lengths (about the diameter of the jars, and I have about 37 of those for these).  The thickness is 3/4", so don't be alarmed if it doesn't match up.  The lids will screw into the boards, the aluminum bar will screw into the ends of these, and then the bearings will cap that off.  For these parts, I need clearance for the bolt heads and nuts. I started by boring a single board at a time, offset for the aluminum bar width for these 3/4" boards, and just decided it was easier to do two at a time.  I used a 3/4" Forstner bit, a vise bolted to the table, and then simply added a chunk of aluminum that I could use to align the sides of the vise jaws to the boards as I put them in.

Okay - we're getting close.  Here's how they will sit (the lids screw underneath, and I still need to make the parts that connect the boards to the bearings).

Next, I need to cut out bars for each bearing.  These should have file holes in them, and be about the same length as the boards.  The center hole will be exactly centered, and will need to be a 22" hole diameter.  The others will need to be centered on the boards, so those will be 3/8" from the bottom side.  A countersink on them will allow those screws to fit all the way in and not interfere with anything.

The bars (1.5" wide, 5/16" thick) were sawn on the bandsaw.  I set it for a 45 degree angle to get more braces out of each bar, and then I'd just use the bandsaw end stop and flip the bar (you can see one in the picture below).  I didn't care to take the time to mill or clean up the saw cuts other than a deburing tool.  I only needed about 42 of them, but cut as much into these things as I could, just in case I needed some metric storage later.  I wanted to get as close to a production-style as I could (so that things were all lined up the same way).  On the drill press, I used my square angle brackets to get the small screw holes into the same places (I just flipped the parts to get the opposite end), then set the depths and countersunk each one.

Next came the larger bearing hole.  It's a 22mm hole, and I'm too cheap to go buy a single drill bit just for this job.  A 7/8" drill bit is  22.225mm, so I know there will be a little slack in these holes (0.0088" plus whatever the drill bit oversize is, to be exact).

It was just a ,matter of running through them all to drill, debur, and call those parts done.

Installation is simple.  I installed one bracket (the end one), and got it vertical using a level.  Then, I would slide one jar-assembly on along with the opposite bracket (for spacing), and then screw down the second bracket.  Repeat until they were all lined up.

 

 Instant storage, and when I need one, just find the jar, thread it off, and the nuts and bolts are contained.  Thread it back on when done.  Each jar pivots to make stowing the tray in an upright position and the seat up makes this flight a successful one.

Storing Pipe Clamps

 Ever since that table project, I've had pipe clamps laying on the floor of the garage, and when it rains, everything is covered in water.  I needed to get them off of the floor.  I used a 2x4 for each end, and I used another one to create the braces to screw that too the wall.  I bored them out using a 1-1/4" Forstner bit, and then finished the cuts for one side (I left the complete hole on the second end).

Bolted them to the wall.

Now, my clamps are off the floor!

Ram 1500 Rack and Pinion Loose

As I've driven my Ram 1500 lately, I've had these weird thoughts that the steering was getting loose.  And then, on Thursday, it started "popping" when I was cranking the steering wheel all the way right and then to the left as I've been parking it.  I panicked, and parked the truck until the most recent snow storm finished.

I slid underneath and inspected all of the steering knuckles and bots to make sure the linkage was in good shape.  Nothing looked off, so I started inspecting everything, and that is when I noticed one of the rack and pinion bolt fasteners (holds it to the frame) had about a 3/8" gap.  I could turn it by finger.  Probably not supposed to be like that.

I grabbed my tools, and secured the bolt.

Now, I don't have the torque specifications for that bolt - and I couldn't find them anywhere (I don't have a service manual for this thing).  So, I slowly incremented my torque wrench and tried the other bolt until I got to the point where the other one would turn.

That is where I put the torque on this loose one.  Steering is again tight, and I feel much better about driving this thing.

Bernina 900 Foot Pedal Fix Request

I had some family hand me an old Bernina sewing machine (a Nova, looks like a 900 but I cannot confirm this).  It's not working.  The pedal is simply not allowing it to function.  Apparently, they had taken the pedal to a repair shop, and the shop turned them away, because it was only used for a short time, and the parts stopped being made a long time ago.

Granted, they have a few extra sewing machines, but they REALLY like this light weight machine, and were hoping I could get the pedal fixed.  It's called an "air pedal".  It seems to function just like other sewing machine pedals, but it "floats", or at least, it is supposed to.  This one just floated without connection.  So, I took it home, and promptly took the thing apart.

 First thing I noticed is that there is a barbell of sorts used to connect the pedal to the actual hinge hardware, and it is not in position.  Problem?

Perhaps.  The blue circle is around the barbell.  The green circles are two concave holes where the two ends of the barbell are supposed to go (think of a hip joint - one round ball and one socket).

 Here are some more views of the two halves.

Let's put it back together in what we'd call "the Right Way" (trademarked?) and see what happens.

Here we can see the ball joint in it's natural habitat, with the actual pedal ready for installation.

So, was it the actual problem?  Yes. The machine actually started up this time.  It immediately stopped, which sent me home with the whole machine for some electrical tests.

I flipped it over, and a pin fell out (one you might see holding sleeves on a brand new dress shirt that is being opened, not machinists pins or internal pins).  I paused, flipped the machine upright, plugged everything in, and hit the pedal.

Nothing. 

While holding the pedal, I rotated the manual crank wheel, and it started working.  That's it - a pin held the whole thing hostage.  It's back online.

Small Parts Sled

In the process of building the tool chests, I have encountered the need to do some small parts.  Since I do not desire to lose any fingers, and since I didn't want to use my big panel sled used to cut the sides, it was time to tackle yet another sled.  I've seen a Rockler sled listed on Amazon for $90, and it was severely tempting. However, I thought I could save a couple bucks and do it myself, since that sled likely had to be built for my specific table saw, anyway.  So, let's see.

• $20 for a sheet of melamine shelving from Home Depot (surprise! It was cheaper than Amazon?)
• $36 for 36" bars of t-track (4 pack)
  
• (not included on the Rockler) $28 for two fence stops (not on the Rockler jig) (could have gone for $14 for a single one)
  
•  $28.50 for some UHMW pre-drilled bars to build a jig (3/4" - I had to trim one of these down to fit) (HDPE will work okayish, too, but UHMW is a little more durable and wears better)
  
• (not included on the Rockler) $10 for a t-track hold down kit (ended up not needing this one until the angle bar is used)
• (not included on the Rockler) $21 for a 12" long 3"x3" aluminum angle that is 1/4" thick (think of this as potentially holding a part at a right angle - I will need to trim this to length
• (not included on the Rockler) $25 for two t-track hold down clamps for my inside t-track
  

Now, if I filter out the costs of the stuff that wouldn't be included in the Rockler kit, we're looking at the melamine ($20), UHWM ($29), t-track ($36), and a couple of screws that you likely have sitting around for a grand total of $85.

Hold on - I ONLY saved $4?  [sigh].  But, the parts would let me build a second jig if I needed to, say for instance that I was going to build a jig for my router (which IS on the docket).

Anyway, I added t-track folding stops ($28), two t-track hold down clamps (I got mine from Rockler for $8 a piece on sale, but $25 on Amazon for two), an aluminum angle bar for some custom jigging on this thing for $21.  All this, with enough to make a second jig, for $150, and that included stuff the Rockler kit did not for only $60 more.  Off to the build (which you'd have to do with the Rockler kit, too, but most parts are pre-cut).

First, mark up the melamine board for the parts.

The usual cutting of those parts out (yes, I have quite a bit of left over material - I could build a slightly larger sled, or [again] a sled for possibly cutting some custom grooves on the router) went pretty quietly.

With parts cut out, it was time to install the UHMW (again, slicker than HDPE, and the stuff I ordered came pre-drilled).  Note that in my case, my table saw miter slots are NOT 3/4", so I had to use the table saw to trim the width down - and that was a bit harrowing because the blade wanted to grab that material BADLY and throw it at me.  Please take note of your own table saw slot dimensions!

The first bar went on relatively straight forward.  I used a 90-degree square (a carpenters square will work, too - pretty much anything that will get you close) and simply attached it to the bottom.  It didn't have to be on the table saw to get it set into the right position.  I actually set it on the left side when looking at the bottom, about an inch away from the side.  This would become the right side of the jig when flipped over.

The second bar was where I was a little more careful.  It needed to be parallel with the first (the board itself did not need to be exactly perpendicular).  I used some super glue (it won't stick very well to melamine, so be gentle until it's screwed on).  With the UHMW set properly in the left miter slot on the saw, and some super glue/cyanoacrylate set on top, I dropped the previously-attached board and miter into the other slot, and slowly dropped the board onto this new one.  Give it a minute to set up.  It should hold just long enough to pull the board and the two miter bars out, flip it over, and screw the second bar down.

Now is when we get a LITTLE more careful with getting everything square.

Raise the saw blade on your table saw to be just above the top of the melamine board when it is in the slots properly.  Yes, we're going to cut into it (not all the way through, yet).  Start the table saw, and feed your sled base into the blade until we have the top being cut by 1/4".  We will then back the sled base out, and set it to the top and pull back to do the same for the other side of the board.  In this case, we want to cut 1" on the top surface of the sled base (1/4" more than our melamine material that will be used for the sides of the sled).

Now, drill all the holes to hold the fences/sides, and countersink for the screws.  Use a square to make sure the fence/side is at 90-degrees, and then put the first screw in (pick the hole farthest away from the cuts on the sled base - it will be less finicky on the next step).

Now, use a right angle (I used a drafting triangle) to square up the fence to the two marks from the saw blade.  If you are going to use this as a reference for your parts, make sure this is accurate.

Clamp that fence into final position.  I used a 90-degree clamp I'd made for my tool chest drawers, just to make sure.  Then, flip it, and drive the screws into position for the first side/fence.

The second is a little easier.  Find a length of material that will set between them.  Square the fence up to the sled base, and drive one screw.  Move your material height block to the other end, square it, and drive that screw.  Now you can drive the screws in that will hold those sides/fences in position.  Make sure you have at least two screws on each fence/side ON EACH side of where the cut marks are to ensure it is secured.  I ended up with 6 screws on each fence to attach the sides/fences to the sled base.

Flip the sled, and install your t-track slot onto the tops of the fences.  Now, raise the saw to where you will likely have it (I raised it about a half inch above the sled base), and make one final cut through the entire base.

You can use those fences to cut a perpendicular groove with a 3/4" straight flute router bit (parallel to your sides) for the hold down clamps.  Rockler has this going parallel to the saw cut, I have two of them perpendicular so I have a little more range.

Then you can install the final bits of t-track onto the sled base.

Now, with potential hardware installed, you have a very solid, manipulable jig to hold small parts on.  The angle block can use the t-track hold down to give me a 90-degree surface for clamping, too, so I am very versatile with this little jig.