Make Your Own PRECISION Setup Blocks! - Save $$$ UPGRADE Your Shop!

Get the drawings on Patreon!: / herschtoolroom
Precision tools are essential in metal working.
They are also very expensive, the more accurate a tool, the higher the price tag.
Generally, we don't have a large budget to throw around int he hobby shop, but we make up for that in creativity and ingenuity!
Today I'll be showing how I made a matched pair of precision setup blocks for my horizontal milling machine.
Accurate setup tools like these can save a lot of time and effort on the milling machine by allowing fast, versatile, and accurate fixtures for machining ops.
So, grab a set of drawings from my Patreon and follow along as we walk through the process of making these useful tools!
My Lathe: MSC / Prince 9517350 - 13x40 Manual Metal Lathe
My Milling Machine: Bridgeport Variable Speed Series 1 "J Head"
My other Milling Machine: Brown & Sharpe No. 2 Plain "light type" Universal Milling Machine
CREDITS:
Music and Sound Effects courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
/ @hersch_tool

[@jimsvideos7201]

Nice bit of handiwork. Making your own 1-2-3 blocks is a bit extra but making something custom like this is time well-spent.

[@hersch_tool]

thanks very much. yeah 1-2-3 blocks are cheap enough for a decent pair, but a custom precision set of setup blocks will hopefully come in handy on the old B&S. thanks for watching btw!

[@richardjones1022]

Those Blocks are 1018/A36 Cold Rolled Steel. The dead give away was the original cold rolled mill scale on the raw bar stock. You can send them out to be Case Hardened if you want them to resist ware. Great video! Thanks for sharing

[@hersch_tool]

Yeah I'm not super concerned about hardening them so I'm ok with it. I'll use em till they get beat up and then make an even better pair with all the practice I'll get between now and then lol. Thanks very much btw, and thank you for watching!

[@markschweter6371]

If that's the case, shouldn't they be stress-relieved at least ?

[@marley589]

When you ground the sides they were not set square to the ends. The key slots will not be the same distance from the ends so will not sit on the same plane using keys.

[@hersch_tool]

Hmm, I'll have to look into what I did there. Definitely have a LOT to learn when it comes to grinding. Thanks very much!

[@marley589]

@@hersch_tool Thanks, Faces first, then sides square to faces, then ends. The ends need to be square in two directions, in your case the first end could be held between a pair of vee blocks, they will locate square on both the faces and the sides.

[@hersch_tool]

@@marley589 Ahh, ok I see what you're saying, that makes sense immediately as I picture it. And it never even occurred to me to use vee blocks... learning every day. Thank you for taking the time to pass some knowledge, I can't even tell you how incredibly helpful it is for me and I really appreciate it.

[@MultiXGoDz]

Good job on the parts. You might want to either dress your wheel or try a softer/harder wheel depending on if the part is heat treated and what type of material it is. Grinding can be quite confusing at first with all the different grits and everything, but that will come with time. Glad to see you are taking on the challenge.

[@hersch_tool]

Thanks very much. And yeah, grinding seems to be its own complex skill set. A bit of an art, but also a science, sprinkled with a little arcane black magic, and smooshed between two halves of a skill sandwich. lol. But I'm looking forward to continuing to challenge myself, learn and practice more as it's obviously well worth it for the possibilities that grinding unlocks. Thanks for watching btw, I appreciate it.

[@jameshisself9324]

Interesting. That 'USAAF' etching on the B&S interface if it is what I think it is dates that to around the end of WW2. The USAAF left the Army and become the independent 'USAF' in 1947. Great video, thanks.

[@hersch_tool]

yeah i think you're probably right. it's super cool to think about the history of some of these old tools, i love it. and thanks for watching!

[@Rustinox]

And even if they get beaten up, nothing can stop you from grinding them again.

[@hersch_tool]

yep, just more practice for the grinder!

[@ThantiK]

Hah, I love the this-old-tony style blips in this episode :D

[@hersch_tool]

Thanks very much! And thank you for watching :)

[@Michel-Uphoff]

Nice work! There's a good chance you've ground a parallelepiped. You forgot that the ends should be square in two directions, instead of one. These types of blocks seem to me to be an excellent candidate for case hardening followed by again very light grinding.

[@hersch_tool]

Yeah you're absolutely right about the ends. This was my first time grinding something so I still have a LOT to learn lol. Now that I've had a few days to think back over the project I think that I'd definitely like to harden them and then give them another once over on the grinder to fix some of those mistakes from the first attempt. Really enjoyed the process though and beginning to learn the grinder so definitely will be doing more in the future.

[@Michel-Uphoff]

@@hersch_tool Is it hardenable steel? The stock bar looks like cold rolled steel to me. That would be a pity, because cold rolled steel can deform annoyingly when heated. What you could do is heat the steel in a closed container with aquarium carbon and some washing soda for 3.5 hours at 900 degrees. Then the carbon soaks approximately 1 mm deep into the steel. Then quench it in water and you have created a quite hard and durable outer layer. Then adjust to size under the surface grinder. I do hope the steel doesn't deform too much..

[@hersch_tool]

@@Michel-Uphoff yeah that's the problem, I'm not really sure of the type of steel. That's why I decided not to try and heat treat it in the original vid. I bought a couple hundred pounds of steel from a local shop for $100 bucks a while ago, great deal but the only issue is it's all mystery metal... Definitely cold rolled though from the finish I'd say.

[@hersch_tool]

@@Michel-Uphoff case hardening is a solid plan though. Also something I've not done yet so would be a good learning experience as well

[@improviseddiy]

A handy set of fixture blocks!

[@hersch_tool]

Thanks!

[@Warped65er]

RIP Shell Mill ... Nice project and thx for the vid.

[@hersch_tool]

yeah bummer, and thanks!

[@ellieprice363]

I wouldn’t trust that B & S cam holder as much as the threaded one. Something about that deep cam on one side of the tool messes up my OCD.

[@hersch_tool]

yeah i'm kinda with you on that. i've already had it let go on me once and cause a serious crash. granted it was on standard 30 taper modified to work with the cam, but still... i like the fact that i have the vertical head as an option but i'd much rather use that beefy 40 taper

[@robertharper8776]

Got to toot your own horn! I know 90% of my projects don't get seen by anyone. Thanks for your efforts hopefully us poor people in KZbin land can give you some recognition

[@hersch_tool]

thanks very much, i do appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment, makes it all worth it!

[@kevinmullen4352]

Always use coolant when grinding

[@DudleyToolwright]

I love your horizontal mill.

[@hersch_tool]

Haha thanks, me too! I love these old mechanical mills.

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Nice work sir. Very handy to have. I have not used mine much. I suppose it will change when I get a mill

[@hersch_tool]

Thanks very much! And yeah I'm just getting around to really using my grinder as well, had it for a while. But definitely hoping to get more use out of it now that I've "broken the ice" ;)

[@bernhard_derProtoTyp]

Nice! Thanks for sharing! You‘ll for sure enjoy using these! When you described the sk30 taper I was wondering if you could just modify standard (and cheap) sk30 tooling? Would love to have a quick change system on my mill. Fehlmann has a very neat system too, using balls instead of a cam if I understand correctly.

[@hersch_tool]

Yeah you can definitely modify standard 30 taper tooling, the only thing is it's usually hard as nails and it's a bit of a PITA. I do have an ER32 collet chuck that's been modified to work in the vertical head. And thank you very much for watching!

[@strykerjones8842]

The B&S tool holder has USAAF engraved on it. I believe that stands for United States Army Air Force, the precursor of the USAF which was founded Sep. 18 1947. That tool holder is at least 77 years old .

[@hersch_tool]

Yeah, I think that's just super cool. I love the history in some of these old tools.

[@fna-wrightengineering]

Nicely done! The blocks turned out really well. I've only recently used my surface grinder for an actual project, and I agree it can be a bit nerve wracking. But experience (and KZbin) are good teachers, so I'm sure you'll get the hang of it relatively quickly, and start turning out better and better parts. Though do yourself a favor... Find or make a cover for that grinding wheel. As you found out, crashes do happen, and they tend to be much more violent on a grinder.

[@hersch_tool]

thanks very much! and yeah it's on my todo list. i'd like to make a cover with integrated dust collection i think.

[@syldysnya]

Looks good!

[@hersch_tool]

thanks 🙂

[@nerddub]

are you planning on filming your inspection of these blocks on a surface plate? would be very interesting to see how accurate these beautiful blocks came out! awesome project! easy to watch the whole video, you did great!

[@hersch_tool]

I had wanted to squeeze some inspection into this video but honestly I just ran out of time. By the time I took them off the grinder I had about a day and a half to edit, thumbnail, etc and get it posted for Thurs publish, and I REALLY didn't want to push it out another week as it was already 2 weeks between vids for me. Thanks very much btw, I really appreciate the watch, and the positive feedback not only is gratifying but it's incredibly helpful to hear when I'm doing something right. Im learning everyday and trying to get better so thank you!

[@skyfreakwi]

I told my friend what I was buying and what it did he promptly said "What? That's the stupidest machine I've ever heard of!" Once you get past that and get the damn thing moved into your basement and get the first couple a parts ground it starts looking better after the first couple a tools you grind in it starts becoming your new secret favorite tool. If I can grind or mill a part odds are I'll grind it. It's cathartic, fulfilling and accurate. I just gotta get some finer wheels.

[@hersch_tool]

I agree! I guess sometimes it's overlooked because it isn't as flashy of a tool as a lathe or a mill, but it's powerful and is what takes your projects to that next level. And it "seems like" it would be pretty straightforward to use, but there is a quite an art to grinding lol. I haven't even got the basics down yet, but am looking forward to learning more about it. Thanks for watching!

[@zoltannagy1813]

Nice work.

[@hersch_tool]

thanks!

[@johnspathonis1078]

Very nice job. Just a bit concerned with the sharp edges for two reasons. The main reason is an edge ding will stop the surface lying flat. A cut hand will heal itself but an out of square job will not. 🙂Cheers.

[@hersch_tool]

Thanks very much! And yeah very true, I may yet do something about the edges. Thanks for watching btw!

[@Papou_Pete]

Great video.

[@hersch_tool]

Thank you!

[@mfs5493]

Why didn't you grind the blocks BEFORE you started the milling work?

[@hersch_tool]

It wouldn't make any sense to do so, grinding is far more accurate that any cutting operation. Thanks very much for watching!

[@dagorithe]

Why did the piece come loose? Were you taking too big a bite with the shell mill? 4:53 Love the videos.

[@hersch_tool]

I think it really just boils down to inexperience. I had the cutting forces attempting to lift the part from the table and not enough support to overcome those forces. Could I have gotten away with it by taking lighter cuts? Maybe? But I wasn't taking huge cuts either way. It was really just me lol, not taking everything into account. Thanks very much btw. I really appreciate it and am grateful for you taking the time to watch!

[@haydenc2742]

Are you going to blue them for rust resistance? Very cool tooling upgrade...and that grinder will DEFINITELY help make sure all your tooling is square and parallel! Oh an if not running flood coolant on the grinder...would a "cooler mister" setup work? Keep em coming!!!!

[@hersch_tool]

i considered "heat bluing" but ultimately decided not to bother. i've never tried cold blue but in general i haven't really liked the results i see from it. if i'd have hardened them then i would have tried heat bluing though, just tempering to a blue color basically. i would like to get flood coolant on the grinder though for sure!

[@glhays6832]

Wait just a moment there, YT watchers 😢 aren't your boss? Whattttt. Great video thumbs up 👍 to you.

[@hersch_tool]

Haha, maybe just a little bit? Thanks very much for watching!

[@robertfontaine3650]

Very handy tools but yup hardening will come back and bite you if this wasn't just a video for youtube.

[@hersch_tool]

You may very well be right. Thanks for watching!

[@jeremylastname873]

Turn the vise 90°?

[@hersch_tool]

That unfortunately only solves the problem in a small handful of situations. Thanks very much for watching!

[@joell439]

shiny 👍👍

[@hersch_tool]

Thanks!

[@voodoochild1954]

You may have already said it in a previous video but what camera are you using? Your video quality is spectacular.

[@hersch_tool]

Thank you very much, I appreciate it. I'm just using my 4 year old phone. I would like to learn to use a good camera though at some point in the future.

[@voodoochild1954]

@@hersch_tool Wow! That is great results with just your phone.

[@hersch_tool]

@@voodoochild1954 Thanks, I legitimately work really hard on these vids. I normally record several different variations of shots for any given segment and then I'll choose the best one. This is especially exciting when I'm filming machining segments as I'm literally running around the machine trying to get the camera set, film for a few seconds, move camera, repeat... haha.

[@voodoochild1954]

@@hersch_tool well it shows. Very nice work!

[@PaulSteMarie]

The bottom half of that sine plate is really odd. How they got the bottom of the pin in the groove to align perfectly with the flat section of the base is beyond me.

[@hersch_tool]

A bit of fancy math I guess? Beyond my pay grade... ;) Thanks very much for watching!

[@Coopedupintheshop]

Hey I'm still interested in getting in contact with you to send the other 2 of my BS tool holders. Let me know!

[@hersch_tool]

Yeah definitely! You can shoot me an email directly through the channel. If you click on the main channel page it's listed there. I don't think I can type it here but it's just hersch . tool @ gmail . com Just remove all the spaces lol. Would love to hear from you and we can sort it out!

[@grippgoat]

Where's the segment where you inspect them on the surface plate to show off how precise and matched they are? 😂

[@hersch_tool]

Haha, yeah I should have included some inspection, I just ran out of time! Thank you for watching!

[@camillosteuss]

Nice... Btw, am i just overdoing it with fume huffing, or have i just seen the grinder for the first time in your shop?(will be the best thing if i watched a whole video and left an a4 long essay of a comment on it, while totally forgetting all about it...) Also, damn, i would have literally hurt myself if i had such a crash on my machines... Dayum... I guess it goes to show that there is no such thing as an over-constrained setup... If it ain`t as tight as a nuclear bunker, it ain`t good enough - give `er more clamps, for the thoughts of crashes give me the cramps... Best regards! Steuss

[@hersch_tool]

lol to the first question, highly possible... 😂 to the second question, nah you didn't miss anything this is the first time it's popped up. and trust me, the crash hurt, bad... lol

[@camillosteuss]

@@hersch_tool yuh, no shit, that crash would have driven me mad... i`m still pissed about a crash i had with my baby emco like the second time i used her, i still have to fix the resulting issue... the quill binds a bit at the top of the stroke... i haven`t yet detected why... the handle of the quill actuator crashed quite slightly into the table as i was lowering the head... i took the gear out, but found no shaft bending or anything sus... still makes me want to slit my wrists when i think about it... Glad to know that this is the first time the grinder appeared, a decent sanity check... A somewhat needed one :P

[@mikejurisic]

break those corners

[@hersch_tool]

😉

[@NightsReign]

So, 17:05 Did NASA force you to sign an NDA? Blink twice if Yes. Blink thrice if they're in the room with you right now. 👀

[@hersch_tool]

I am answering this of my own accord, and am in no way being coerced by armed astronauts wearing ski masks… 🤐

[@NightsReign]

@@hersch_tool Who knew engineers could be so...threatening? Also, are they employing the astronauts as muscle now? I mean, makes sense, they are commissioned officers at peak fitness. ERRR, uhhhh, oh wow! That was a pretty crazy improv script I was just reading, right? Haha. Apropos of nothing, I still can't believe they outsourced the shuttle redesign, from NASA, to Space X. The disrespect... What I was meaning to say was, Roger that! Tracking 0 blinks. All clear on the Western front. Message ends. *NOTHING FOLLOWS*

[@jasonhull5712]

Toot away my friend… wait a minute…

[@hersch_tool]

😂😂😂 wait... 😳 lol

[@RobB_VK6ES]

Your blocks moved because you were climb milling. Definitely not a recommended process on an old manual mill for anything but a fine fish pass. Essentially the cutting forces dragged the block under the cutter, greatly increasing the feed rate because the lead screw has backlash. Second observation. When clamping the work piece with strap clamps keep the clamp nearly parallel to spread the load and to maintain full contact of the stepped packers. Also keep the clamp bolt close to the workpiece. This ensures the majority of the clamp force acts on the workpiece rather than the packer block.

[@hersch_tool]

I wasn't climb milling when the blocks moved, I was conventional milling. The cutter lifted the blocks like I described in the vid. This old machine doesn't like climb milling, not even for finish passes. Thanks though I appreciate the advice either way.

[@SergeiPetrov]

Not a single measurement on camera? )) And having a surface grinding machine, it was necessary to harden this equipment

[@hersch_tool]

I wish I'd have included some inspection footage in hindsight.

[@user-hz1ry4cd2r]

Используй СОЖ, а не так жидкость, что ты используешь.

[@hersch_tool]

масло отлично подходит для этой мельницы. Спасибо за просмотр.

[@stevesfascinations1516]

I just received spam from you via patreon. So much for watching your videos. Bye.

[@hersch_tool]

i haven't sent anything to anyone from patreon, ever. matter of fact, i don't even know how you would do that or if it's even possible. so why don't you check your facts before throwing accusations. but whatever, bye.

[@branchandfoundry560]

@@hersch_tool Fwiw Welcome this comment. You really only want true friends. Be glad when the fair weather friends fade away. The rest of us are here for you 👍

[@hersch_tool]

@@branchandfoundry560 Thanks very much, I appreciate the kind words. Honestly, it can be a little frustrating. I looked, there's no way you can send anything to anyone from Patreon. It's ridiculous. But people like this, they are angry with themselves for some reason or another, directing it towards some random target. It has nothing to do with me.

[@branchandfoundry560]

@@hersch_tool You're totally right. We have to find happiness within before we can find it with others. Keep on keepin' on!

[@elric9892]

almost two minutes in and i am getting cursed at... WTF? ...unsubscribed