Making a Dovetail Slide (Also a Belt Sander Fixture)

[@BrianFullerton]

Quinn, my hack for more aggressive chain drilling: first pass is every other hole. Then drill the bridges between the holes. It seems to help reduce (balance) some of the deflection compared to a heavy gap in the cut on only one side. Great job (as always)!

[@Reach41]

This was an exceptionally extra-good video! Kind of embarrassing how many new ideas I learned.

[@mglenadel]

Indeed. By giving the subsequent holes an equal amount of already existing previous holes on either side, the forces would be balanced out. And by drilling the first holes by themselves without them encroaching on previous ones leads to straighter drilling.

[@Blondihacks]

That’s a great tip!

[@Juhuuu]

This is what I do when I have to make a slot with my drill press. No mill in the shop unfortunately but I have a compound slide table on the drill press which allows for accurate positioning of the holes. Drilling every other hole first allows for way more overlap than regular chain milling. For even more overlap you can pilot drill the holes after center drilling to keep the second drill on center while being hammered by the interrupted cut.

[@DragonBornish]

As @Blondiehacks said, great tip, I'm gonna use that.

[@j.behrens7332]

Thank goodness. Here we are again! That was a loooong week. 😂

[@mglenadel]

Quinn, I just HAVE to commend you on your videos: excellent lighting and framing, those helpful insets with the part schematics and arrows pointing to the features being worked on, clear and helpful voiceover comments. A textbook case of good presentation. Congratulations on a job superbly well-done!

[@DavidLindes]

Hmmmmm, this gives me an idea... sometime, Quinn, you might possibly want (or not, and that's fine) to have a video that includes "twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one"??!? :D [If you don't know the reference, look it up and give a listen. It's fun times.]

[@mrsansen8619]

I am simple, I know, but the "canadian right" etc signs gave me enormous pleasure. Never change.

[@natthewsmith]

new Saturday morning cartoons just dropped. love to see a new video waking up after a workweek.

[@timandrew4515]

No better hobby machinist resource on YT. I always learn so much. Thanks again!

[@garycullen1241]

I love your videos, and you"re an excellent teacher! I had to teach myself machining, welding, electrical, etc., but I have had my own manufacturing business for 43 years! My son has taken it over our business now, but at 71 years old I still enjoy making parts in my machine shop. Your videos are very relaxing to watch. I like how your so down to earth, and when you make little errors you don't act like a know it all. I am an expert at fixing my mistakes, that everyone will surely make! I sure wish I would have had the internet with KZbin 43 years ago. Everything I learned was from trial and error. When you learn like that, you retain the good parts forever!

[@Unrivaledanime]

Wow what a complicated solution to a simple process love it

[@christopher.m.estelow]

Great job as always Quinn!! Make another and stack them 90° apart so you can move side to side as well. Thanks for the chuckles with the Canadian right and Canadian cube!! Swarfy 2024!!

[@donaldsutherland244]

Missed you! Very glad to see you back.

[@spdy3926]

Excellent!! I love your videos and personality. A touch quirky and very much so fun. For the work you do (all the explaining), and your level of intelligence, it does not come off dry.

[@marcelocarnicelli6200]

Quinn, you always teach us how to be efficient, practical and organized. Your calm and patience in every action is inspiring. In addition to teaching us the mechanical concepts of each piece created! Hugs here from Brazil

[@peterdushchenko1118]

Hey Quinn! You're doing great job! Thanks for sharing your approach.

[@darrinswanson]

To offset the cost of your new dovetail cutter :)

[@joeybobbie1]

Very Nice Quinn. It looks Great. As soon as I get to feeling better, I think I will try making one. You need to make a Fixture Plate that you can mount larger pieces to. That would be really handy.👍👍❤️

[@firebird8600]

Yay! It's Blondihacks time!!!

[@russellwall1964]

Always a pleasure to watch how you work in your shop! Nice recoveries on the ‘oops’ and a fabulous finished tool!

[@rupertkingsley]

Closing in on 200k subscribers and this video is a great example of why!

[@DonaldYoung-q1f]

Hi Quinn. We love your videos. By we I mean my 6 year old daughter and I. I wanted you to know you have inspired an new generation of girls getting into machining. She has built her own "shop" out of leggos & toy power tools and makes "KZbin videos" for us explaining how to use the tools and has copied many of your mannerisms. She's been doing this since she was about 2 -1/2. She'll ask me "Can we watch Blondihacks, daddy?" Violet loves seeing sprocket too. I've been watching your videos since I got my lathe (Sheldon 13x78 from 1956) July 2019 and have learned a great deal from you. I had done a little machining before that but very little and crude at best. I'm not someone who is easily impressed by people but for someone who has no formal training in machining you impress me with your knowledge and your ability to explain it to those of us who are trying to teach ourselves. I've been an electrical, security and HVAC contractor for the last 40 years and spent a lot of time working on machines. I love to figure out how to make things work and how to improve on them. I've considered making my own KZbin channel as well but it seems like a lot of work and time to do it well like you do. I wonder how you find the time to not only do the work, film, edit, think up new ideas and still have a life outside of doing this? I remember you saying you moved to be closer to your dad who was having health issues and I know from experience that alone can take up a lot of time. Keep up the good work.

[@Blondihacks]

This is amazing! Drop me an email (see About tab on my KZbin channel) and I’ll send her some stickers

[@DonaldYoung-q1f]

She would love that. I will definitely send you an email. Thank you so much for replying. @@Blondihacks

[@lindonwatson5402]

YAY, foreshadowing Quinn goodness day

[@TheRecreationalMachinist]

Lovely work! Thanks for sharing 👍 🇬🇧

[@thomasstapel6824]

Just came across your channel. I was thinking of buying a milling machine but now that I see there is a lot to learn to become moderately proficient I decided against it. Mainly because I have limited use cases and at 77 years old I don't want to invest that much time. BUT I am very impressed with your work. I currently just use tool called a ShaperOrigin which is a handheld cnc type machine.

[@stephenjohnson6841]

Looks like a very practical and ingenious addition to your tool box. Thanks for sharing Quinn!

[@eatenkate]

Maybe this is a stupid thought, but couldn't you have put a shim or thin gauge block under the gib while you were milling it inside the dovetail? That way you could cut it to size in one operation without milling into your dovetail.

[@v3ctors69]

Amazing result Quinn! This looks fantastic, thanks for sharing with us as always.

[@Kim-kl5jh]

Wow, Quinn! You really outdid yourself with your belt sander rounding jig! Very kind of you to attribute the idea to me, but your version of it is head and shoulders above my simple clamped jig. Though, my simple version does work, yours is so much more elegant, and I'm sure it's great fun to use. One thing that I've found very helpful when rounding those small parts is to use a small pair of needle nose pliers (or tweezers even) to rotate them. It really helps save the tips of your fingers from getting sanded off! 😅 Well done and a great video on making dovetails!

[@Blondihacks]

Good idea! I did not like to have my fingers so close to the belt. 😅

[@mikestevens8046]

Quinn, Thanks for giving us a little break from the locomotive vids. Mike

[@Blondihacks]

Locomotive videos are less than 50% of my videos, for the record.

[@pressokaytocancel]

Non-machinist question, could you have used paper as a shim when milling the bevel to save filing or would that have been too thick?

[@jeanbarbier9448]

Or more precisely some strip of calibrated shim under the gib and the sacrificial square, it certainly wouln't be too thick, but much more consistent in thickness. Nice job as always...

[@TomCardinali]

Came to post this but was beaten to it! Great video Quinn. I love how you openly share your mistakes and how you resolve them. You're just like us 😃

[@mikeshellito6621]

I learn so much from you and all the contributions from everyone. Love this channel!

[@johnapel2856]

That was very neat, despite the highly technical jargon you were using. Thanks, and Meow to Sprocket.

[@arachnophob97]

What a clean workshop ! I wish my kitchen would be that clean.

[@jibeji]

This is really great! I love your videos, your sense of humor and of course the quality of your projects. The best hobby machinist channel ever, which makes my saturdays 🥰

[@JosePaz-vt5ge]

No puedo expresar en Inglés lo bello, preciso y creativo de su trabajo. Ustedes siempre serán superiores a nosotros. Gracias por visualizar tanto talento.

[@SenorGonzo]

For the chain-drilling (with too much overlap) would there be any benefit to first drill every other hole? 1st, 3rd, 5th hole etc, and then the 2nd, 4th hole. So the material being drilled is symmetrical on the left to right axis.

[@lesmaybury793]

That's a nice neat little tool. Dove tails a fun and satisfying to make. I made a Fret wire bending machine years ago based on a verticle dovetail with roller skate bearings for the bending rollers. It works a treat.

[@mrimmortal1579]

Awesome build, Quinn! I’m gonna build one, and use it to make my own milling machine. But first, I’m gonna need a, uhhh.. hmmm…. Milling machine. 🤔

[@oregonexpat]

Hey Quinn the mighty, hello from Germany. What a great end to my day! Love your channel.

[@paulthomas3782]

Very useful addition to the shop thanks so much for sharing.

[@peterlavin9373]

Can’t wait . Trophy Trophy

[@JohnBarnatt]

I worked with aluminium inlet manifolds and rotary burrs for gas flowing and we found that neat parrafin was a good cutting fluid. When I used to knurl, the trick was not to have the knurling tool dead perpendicular and knurl a longer pass

[@DimaProk]

I've been using the same diamond shape cutting tool ever since I got in to machining and I use it for 99% of my turning. I made my own holder and it works great. I have other cutting tool holders with carbide inserts but can never get same surface finish as my diamond tangential cutter.

[@wandabairdlilroseartworks4029]

Consider making the fixture adjustable along the slotted table by use of (1) a saw cut in the piece fitting into the slot then (2) a countersunk clearance hole and (3) a flat head screw that in arranged so that its tapered head spreads the slot when pulled up. The pulling up is achieved by a knob on top if the flush top is not important. You will want to recess the guide block into the bottom of the fixture. This works well with my wooden fixtures used on a table saw. If the flush top is important to you then maybe some clever hobby machinist can figure a way to arrange a wedge to spread the block that is tightened/loosened via a set screw along the side of the fixture. Keep the vids coming!

[@geckoproductions4128]

Quinn I fancy myself as an OK machinist, but I always learn a bunch of tips and tricks when I watch your videos. Thanks, well done.

[@EricHansen-fr3cz]

Toolmaker work excellent job skilled with precision. Good Video

[@alexandrachernysh7]

Dovetails! whooh-ooh Every day they're out there making Dovetails! whooh-ooh

[@georgekeilman1225]

To lock your position in the 3/4” slot on the sander, you could use a miter bar that has a screw to adjust the width, or you could use a miter stop (or make one). Microjig has a miter bar called Zeroplay and there may be others. Feather boards (as used on table saws) also lock into the miter slot using expanding nuts, which would also work. Then you can easily adjust the position of the dovetail slide across the width of the belt.

[@deniswasley5860]

another excellent video Quinn, thank you. I look forward to each Sunday night (in Oz) to see your latest creation. I am making quick change tool holders for my lathe and this video has given me some ideas to refine the process.

[@johnathancorgan3994]

Adding the CAD diagram of the part you are currently making is a nice touch.

[@testbenchdude]

Hi Quinn, I just wanted to say that I think your videos are simply delightful. I hope to get into hobby machining in the future, thanks in part to you. Thank you for doing what you do, and have a nice weekend!

[@radiusnorth1675]

For future reference (and technical accuracy) the fit between the brass plug and the aluminum hole (at 11:11) is a Goldilocks fit. [not too big, not too small] I think this can be seen on page 911 section IC of the Machinists Handbook!

[@MrDLWheeler]

What a great project. Now my head is full of ideas for upgrades on some of my most used jigs. Thanks!

[@GaryDeWitt-t6p]

As you said, great for other fixtures as well. Band sawing circular parts comes to mind. Also custom cross slide for a drill press.

[@vicmiller7191]

Nicely done and I do like the Canadian right side insert views LOL. And I may have to send one of my not so surley quckers your way to mellow out your fine pointed head plastic feather friend again LOL. Your work is fantastic and thanks for sharing.

[@havokca]

Ahhh yes, good old reverse cuts… my favourite 😂

[@NomadismeExperimental]

I'm a machinist and I truly enjoy your videos. 👍

[@mr_voron]

Reverse cuts are ideal, but a can of Add-A-Thou is handy if the part is too big to fit in the mill.

[@jorkusmalorkus]

quinn for president of earth

[@jaimevidalteller7265]

Excelente ,como todos tus trabajos ,gracias por hacernos disfrutar con tus mecanizados

[@lenroddis5933]

I chain drill first with a drill bit leaving a small land between the holes then remove the lands with a slot drill, used like a drill bit.

[@richardlincoln8438]

Quinn, the most profound statement You gifted us with in this episode was "Nice tools can not make up for lack of skills. 👌🏼 It seems that the modern generation wishes to buy their way into prestige. Thank You for Your efforts, Best Wishes. "You've not seen nothing like the Mighty Quinn ! " 👌🏼💪

[@bostedtap8399]

Nicely designed and built Quinn, right hand thread means its failsafe, purchasing these is mega expensive 👏. Thanks for sharing

[@benjaminc1816]

This was a great video! I now have the urge to buy a dovetail cutter to have a go myself! I have 0 need for anything with a dovetail currently but now i just need to cut one in some scrap 😂😂

[@luckyirvin]

"if he attempts to murder the reflection..." i love this fine site

[@manythingslefttobuild]

Great stand alone tool episode Quinn.

[@mkrcbuilds]

Ms Quinn, I discovered your channel by accident a couple of days ago. You have my addicted LOL.... I really like your presentation and your methods. Explaining your thoughts on the fly is fantastic. P.S. Now I know how dovetails are cut for the machines. Thanks for what you do...

[@holton345]

Great job! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!

[@terrytopliss9506]

Neat job Quinn, useful jig for the shop.👍👍

[@davidkaye821]

I'm realizing now that I've never actually WATCHED your Mill Skills - Reverse Cuts video, I'll have to go look for it when I finish this one! ;)

[@robsmith2956]

Nice setup looking to do something kinda like that . Don't have a mill so a bit Bubba with saw and grinder lathe bits and files. But better then I have now . Keep building the little weird tooling it's cool to see it

[@richardvanasse9287]

Hey Quinn, I had a dream the other night and you were in it. It went like this: Somehow we ended up at the same Halloween party, and as the party was wrapping up people started asking for Tupperware so that they could take home the leftovers, only there was no Tupperware to be had. You said, "Hold on, I got this." Out of nowhere you produced a potters wheel and started to give a master class in ceramic dinnerware production. In short order you had produced plenty of ceramic bowls with lids for everyone to bring their nachos home. Somehow, I'm assuming through the magic of KZbin, the bowls were even fired and glazed. You saved the party. 😂 When I woke up the dream got me wondering... The potters wheel was humanity's first machine center, invented thousands of years ago... Do you suppose this is when the chamfer was invented? Or did they invent the potters wheel to make better chamfers? 🤔

[@oldfarthacks]

It;s how we came to be separated from the animals. That and the log roller, but most people never chamfered the ends of the logs.

[@Cooper_42]

@@oldfarthacksUmmm, I’m thinking Greene and Greene (on a very small scale, of course)!

[@jkyontz]

Another job well done!

[@sailaway1015]

When I used to work in the shop, producing an off standard reamed hole could be produced by grinding a radius on each side of the drill where the point angle meets the side cutting edge. The drill is easily resharpened for regular use again.

[@heighRick]

Thanks Quinn, helps a lot!

[@pauayelo3024]

Great idea and great gob 👌

[@TheDistur]

Cool project and as you say potentially a base for many tools!

[@johnmoyer2255]

Awesome job 😊

[@maskuryrochmat1541]

You are a good tool and your work is also good

[@joeromanak8797]

Well, I like that one. I made a larger, cruder version for my wood shop when I had 36 pieces requiring a rounded end around a drilled hole. Your is ever so much more elegant and it seems a project that a novice+ could manage. That same jig could prove it’s worth when cutting down toothbrushes to feline dimensions. Thanks for giving us the 411. 🥸👍👀✅

[@homemadetools]

Nice job yet again. We shared this video on our homemade tool forum this week 😎

[@bbrockert]

Really nice work. The downside of aluminum (and stainless) for this kind of application is that eventually, and when most inconvenient, some grit will scrape the thin natural oxide layer off the sliding aluminum surfaces and they'll gall and be welded together. You can dramatically increase the lifetime by anodizing. It's why weld-on fittings are basically the only non-anodized aluminum tubing fittings you find on Summit Racing, etc. Swagelok stainless fittings actually have a coating of silver inside the nuts as a permanent form of anti-seize. You can probably do type 1 or 2 without changing the dimensions, but if you wanted to go all out with a type 3 hard coat for maximum life then you'd want to increase the clearance by a few thousandths. Often friendly local anodizing shops will do one-off parts for cheap if you're willing to wait for it to be added to someone else's batch. You could mask the top surface so as to not make it harder to drill.

[@MrArray1967]

Best ever surface test!😅🐥🦆

[@MirekDvorak]

That duck got me. 😂 I'll need a mascot too... 👍

[@tinaliebe5118]

Hi Quinn ❤it thank you 😊

[@MadMakersLair]

A solution for side-to-side repositioning a longer bar with slit ends under the jig extending past the jig with tapered holes for screws in the slit bar will expand and clamp the jig in place.

[@TheFreshmanWIT]

So for the gibs, I have 2 suggestions. 1- If you ALSO cut a 30 degree angle on the sacrificial piece, you can can use clamps 'the other way' to hold it against the vise-jaw side of the dovetail. 2- If you place a 5 thou (or so) shim-stock under it before you fixture it (between it and hte bottom of the sliding piece), you just have to get sub-5 thou to the aluminum (in this case), and be guaranteed a nice sliding fit within a few thou.

[@funwithmadness]

I've envisioned a simplified version of this for woodworking. I might have to build it now.

[@dannysteele4013]

Thanks Quinn your an awesome teacher I really enjoyed your videos.. I’m just an want to be machinist 😁

[@Sanguine1196]

Welcome back!

[@franciscoyague4886]

Muchas gracias una bonita lección de precisión 😍😍

[@arcrad]

That turned out beautifully! Perhaps for other pin sizes you can turn adapter pins that are all a standard size on one end and then the target size on the other. Could even offset the target size end so it maintains a constant distance from the end of the platen. That way you can get all the needed pin sizes and only have to put one or two holes in the slide platen.

[@jimc4731]

You do nice work! JIM🎉

[@gregfeneis609]

12:56 Compensate by using dual gibs, one on each side?

[@EdgePrecision]

When you drill holes to rough material like you did in this video. What works better is to first drill every other hole. Then go back and drill the holes in between. That way the first holes are full diameter cuts and the second holes removing the webs are balanced cuts (or not cutting) on both sides of the drill and not deflecting the drill to the side.

[@bdgackle]

Haven't checked in since you were first setting up the new shop (have some projects to binge it looks like) -- just wanted to say the new setup is looking great! I hope to someday achieve half as much garage Zen.

[@johnkunze5362]

Depth offset using feeler gauge.... If you put an ohm meter on the spindle and stock, and then lower till you get contact, your right on and can offset from there. A higher current can spark and give clearance if you need, but there are many factors affecting spark...humidity, voltage.etc..💕🤗,jpk

[@user-fy2tm2jg6c]

Line boring the two journals at the same time might have been fun, if a bit overkill. Thank you Quinn! Very enjoyable.

[@stephenbridges2791]

Nice and well thought out project.

[@dj-bn1fj]

Don't need more hole in the table, to make it adjustable cut another bar for the table slot about 3" longer then on the ends drill a hole 1" from the end to fit a small flush head screw. Once hole it drilled and count sink made so the screw head is flush then cut a slot on each end about 3/4" passed the hole. What this will do is as you tighten a nut the flat head will push the bar wider to lock it in the slot so you can use the full width on your sanding belt.

[@Palerider1942]

one suggestion from experience with similar fixtures, have a sacrificial plate that bolts on top of the mechanism for drilling the holes and setting teh pins in. at some point you will need another pin location that you just cant fit, and will have to remake teh whole dovetail mechanism again and refit. whereas with a top plate, you just need a random bit of stock that you drill the right bolt hole pattern in to fit to the mechansim.

[@LouCars]

A tip about bolting stuff down. I'm not a machinist but for machines I don't use daily I bolt on a block of wood and put them in my end vice when I need them. This way they don't slide around but can also be put away in a second.

[@Fran_S25Argentina]

en el minuto 10:51 usted usa en el torno una herramienta porta inserto para barra cuadrada de cobalto, ¿podria ver alguna foto de esa herramienta?