Big 45 Degree Block (Part 3)

This is the finish grind of the Big 45 Degree Block on all sides except the 45 degree angle which will be in part 4. I am using the step method for high accuracy.

[@outsidescrewball]

Enjoyed…GREAT video production/discussion/demonstration/craftsmanship and mentoring…thank you for sharing

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You are welcome Chuck.

[@homemadetools]

Beautiful work; we've been enjoying this project on our forum 😎

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@ginawhite1503]

I’m starting to try my hand at a bit of surface grinding and feel like this video is helpful in many ways. Thank you so much for sharing it!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@James-fs4rn]

👍 great stuff! Thanks again for sharing.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Pappaoh]

Always enjoy when you and the fam post a new vid. I always learn something new or deepen my understanding. I know you cover a lot of this but I'd love to see a wheel selection vid, kind of an overview for guys like me with limited experience and limited budgets to try new things.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I can try to add that to a future project which will be awhile. Have you watched this one yet? kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZvdYY2qbJt6gJY toward the end it covers wheel dressing. Also check out these instagram.com/p/B867gixp3J2/ instagram.com/p/B866sF_pI98/ instagram.com/p/B8655MBpl6B/

[@michaelguzzi1]

Man I wish I knew this earlier! Would have saved much fiddling on some parts I made last year... Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us all!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

you are welcome.

[@465maltbie]

Great explanation, thanks. Charles

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jdmccorful]

Quite intetesting. Enjoying this project. Thanks for your time and skill.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You are welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@DudleyToolwright]

Amazing Tips and Tricks, Steve. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You are welcome Robert.

[@perrypark8485]

Super cool, love your content

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks so much!

[@kentuckytrapper780]

You guy's do a excellent job, quality tools..great video.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks 👍

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Very nice Steve. Love the process. I have used the step several times with great results.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks Randy, I really like the step method it has not failed me yet. Steve

[@josephlovell6951]

Amazing work as always. Good to see you back at it..God bless my friend

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thank you kindly

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks for watching.

[@EmmaRitson]

always learn so much from your videos steve

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I appreciate that Emma!

[@roylucas4414]

Whew! The cost of precision is high. Wonderful video.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Yes it is. It is a slow time consuming prosses if done correctly.

[@toolbox-gua]

Awsome work and teaching. Thank you.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

My pleasure!

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Hello Steve, Extremely interesting to see your approach to getting squareness... thank you. Take care. Paul,,

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You are welcome.

[@hullygully-3599]

Not heard from you for a while Steve. Hope your keeping ok buddy. Take care from the UK

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I had a health set back. Doctors insisted I take a high dose of Thyroid T4 meds. I told them I believe that is what is causing my health issues. It takes a long time taking the meds to get an accurate blood lab result. I continually went down hill taking the meds to where I was back to being useless. I went back to the doctor a few days ago and my lab numbers were mostly normal but showed that I needed to increase the dosage. Yet, I was visible showing many signs of the opposite. I talked the doctor into me going off the meds cold turkey and see if I improve like I did 3 times already in the past. I said if I start feeling better then they can run more lab test and see if they can figure what is going on. I been off the meds 2 days now and things are already improving in some areas. The meds have a 5 day half life so it will be a week before things to start to get better faster. I believe we are finally going to get the answers we need now. Steve

[@MF175mp]

At least on metric screws the screw is always a little bit undersize so you can use just the nominal size hole if you want on fully threaded screws.

[@be007]

thanks guys !

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You bet!

[@RyanWeishalla]

Only a few months late watching this video.I hope you and the kids are doing well.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

For the most part everyone is fine. I am still struggling with my health issues but it looks like the doctor is making some good progress.

[@RyanWeishalla]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Good to hear. Been struggling with some of my own issues.

[@t.d.mich.7064]

For a little more flexibility, some 5/8" keys in 1side would be handy with a couple 1/2" sock hd cap screw holes through to bolt it to the Bridgeport Table. Make an end plate for location register. Looks good!

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I agree been thinking about that too. Steve

[@t.d.mich.7064]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc I made a Tombstone years ago for a B.Port with the keys and screws. 2 1/4×7x10" in size with sideplates on each end. Lots of tapped holes in the face. All hardened and ground. I used that thing almost everyday up until I retired.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@t.d.mich.7064 Sounds like that was a nice tool. Having the right tools makes machining life a lot better.

[@jobkneppers]

No nagging here but quite a setup for enlarging holes in a hardened ring.. Why not use a soft collet with a pocket for the ring and use a carbide turning tool? Appreciate your answer and your content. Thank you. Best, Job

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

There are many ways to skin a cat. This is just one of them. This is a very simple way of doing it and will be used often and took very little time to make. Off camera I do not even need to open and close the movable jaw, it holds the part good tight enough without it. There are multiple ways of doing most simple jobs this is just the way I choose to do this one. The fixture was a piece of scrap 4140 prehard the with the radius already on it. the rest of the machining was basic, simple and fast. Steve

[@azenginerd9498]

McMaster (and others) have some MIL-Spec washers for 1/4" fasteners with OD at either 0.468" or 0.500". However, their thickness is only about 0.06" and they are cadmium or zinc yellow chromate plated (5360N127 & 95229A430). Might save the work of creating the custom washers...

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks for the info. I like to use hardened washers for my projects are these hardened? Steve

[@azenginerd9498]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc The first P/N shows hardness @ Rockwell B70. The second is not rated.

[@azenginerd9498]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc P/N 90945A761 is an 18-8 passionate stainless washer @ Rockwell B70 hardness, 0.255ID, 0.468 OD, 0.06+ thickness

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@azenginerd9498 These would be way to soft for what I like. On the B scale B82 equals 1 on the C scale the conversion chart doesn't go lower than that. The ones in the video that I use are in the 10-12 on the C scale according to my tester.

[@robertginther9248]

Steve, I just bought Daryl's Harig 6 x 12 Ballway. What grit on the green wheel as I don't have one yet. Use a 60 grit on A2 & A3, or something finer. Daryl scraped the tower & the table. I did the table printing & both sides of the chuck. Used a 46 grit wheel & thet came out nice. Just need a little help to get started & I'll go super slow & careful as I learn. Thanks.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Here is a video you will want to watch kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZvdYY2qbJt6gJY especially toward the end on wheel dressing. Here is the green silicon wheel I use it is a 60 grit J hardness instagram.com/p/B8655MBpl6B/ I like 46 grit H wheels in aluminum oxide wheels you can see them on my Instagram page right by the green silicon one posted above. Steve

[@joell439]

👍😎👍

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Thanks.

[@tonio3723]

Hi Steve. Thanks for another fantastic video! Approximately how long do you typically warm up your surface grinder for? If I recall correctly, Robin said that he leaves his running overnight for fussy work.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

If the part needs roughing then I let it warm up while I rough the part in. If I am just doing finish work then I will let it warm up for about 20 minutes with the coolant flooding the table.

[@tonio3723]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Thanks Steve, I'm glad to hear that you get such excellent results with a much shorter warm up time.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@tonio3723 Just remember, Robin works at a level of accuracy far greater than I do. I work in tolerances of less than .0001". Robin does things over 5 times that which requires a lot more attention to details such as heat. some of the things I seen him do is within a few millionths of an inch.

[@johnson2207]

Do you use an ultrasonic to clean out all the holes? EDIT: I asked this just before you explained the modded air nozzle. Also, are the bolt-on side supports the same alloy as the block itself? Finally (I know, lotsa questions) when you do the squareness correcting passes, is there an advantage in going from the low side into the high rather than starting high?

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I do not use the ultra sonic to clean the holes, only air. The side supports are made of soft 4140. It could have been any steel as its only function is to support and aid in the squaring of the Big 45. Once squareness is achieved they are no longer needed. The order of squaring was based on truing everything to the largest flat surface. I have found this method best and most accurate for squaring on any machine. Going from low to high or high to low will only change the ratio of the step you need to grind in order to achieve squareness. Steve

[@johnson2207]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Thanks for the answer. I wondered about the support pieces because maybe on some tiny level it would be important to have all same materials to maintain equal thermal expansion. I'm probably really splitting some tiny hairs, though.

[@davidsohlstrom6977]

Hi Steve At the start of this video you showed using a block you have talked about in other of your videos. Is there a video that shows the making of those blocks or some where I could find dimensions of those blocks. Thank You Dave

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Can you open fusion 360 files?

[@davidsohlstrom6977]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Yes I have fusion 360 on two computers. One in the house and one in the shop. I also own a Tormach 770 mill. Dave

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@davidsohlstrom6977 Send me an email a [e-mail] and I will send you the model. Steve

[@TheMudfly80]

Hi, just wondering, if I want to get into surface grinding, to do the sort of things you do, what sort of accuracy in flatness should I seek out over say 450mm or 20" of grinder travel? I'm looking for a second hand grinder to keep prices down for my hobby and the best I've seen so far is 0.01mm over 400mm or 4 tenths for the x-axis in a model I saw recently. I let it go, as my chinese vise parallels are closer than that in terms of slope. I don't know what is 'good', 'ok' and 'poor'. Thanks for any help.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Buying a used surface grinder is a roll of the dice. Many are being sold because they are worn out and can no longer hold close tolerances. If you do not know about the grinder first hand or from someone you can trust I would be very careful. Cut a test piece and see the finish and accuracy. If you have wheel hop I would stay away from it. If it is not accurate it could be worn or in many cases the mag chuck has not been properly installed and maintained. How flat it needs grinds will be up to what you are using it for. The stuff I do will require a very accurate grinder. Mine is less than a .0001" in 20".

[@robertegan3889]

Absolutelylove your videos! You are an outstanding toolmaker/machinist! I wish i could work with you. This is a long shot but I have quite a few nice sets of parralels that are odd sizes. I would really like to grind them to a nominal size and keep them very flat and parralel. Im not very confident I won't screw them up. Is there any chance you'd like to do a video either with the ones i have, or something similar that I am trying to achieve? Thanks, Robert

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

Hi Robert, thanks for watching. Right now I don't have the time for any more projects. I am still struggling with health issues. I take 2 steps forward and one step backwards for the last 2 years. As a result I am way behind on customer orders and have to devote any spare time to that. Steve

[@robertegan3889]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc thank you for your response. Im sorry to hear about your health. I hope you start doing better very soon. Is there any advice you can give me? I'm afraid of them curling. I plan on doing a fresh grind on the magnet, i will be using coolant. Should i use a very light magnet? Do i need to take very light passes the whole time? Do I need to leave a few tenths of material and lap them to obtain a percision flatness or can that be obtained with a grinding wheel alone? Thanks, Robert

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@robertegan3889 Are these 1/8" thick parallels?

[@robertegan3889]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc no, they are parralel bars. 5/8" - 3/4" thick and 6"- 9" long. Height is anywhere from just over 3/4" to just over 2". I want to match some and take them to nominal sizes. They are either .093", .009", or .007" over a standard nominal size.

[@robertegan3889]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc I wish I could post a picture.

[@DB-thats-me]

Silly question, with the washers, could you not have ground a flat on two of them such that, the the flats facing each other, the bolts fit the hole spacing? This, to my mind, would maintain as much surface area as possible.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

You could but then you would have to fiddle around with them to line them up right. The purpose of the washers is not about surface contact but to protect the strap from gouging as you tighten the screw if no washer was used. Steve

[@DB-thats-me]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc Cool. Thanks for the reply.

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

@@DB-thats-me I got a little ahead of myself. I was thinking the washers on the Vblock straps in the next video which is in the making right now. What you suggested would work fine too. I custom make a lot of these washers so I default to them most of the time. Steve

[@simonsaelaertfurniture9883]

hi steve, you are being missed out here. whats up?

[@SolidRockMachineShopInc]

I am still struggling with heath issues and the few hours I have in the shop is focused on get way past due orders out.

[@simonsaelaertfurniture9883]

@@SolidRockMachineShopInc take care of yourselve. I m looking foreward at your return. You make very informative and inspiring videos. Thanks