Well, not exactly my first, but it is the first decent looking part from my mini mill! It'll hold new 5/16" fuel line tubing against the frame of my '55 Mercury. I'll make a couple more just like it for the complete tubing run.
Here's another picture. "De-billetization" will be accomplished by using gun smith's aluminum blackening solution.
Thanks, Jay! There's about one hour's worth of machining time in the piece. I'm certainly not geared for production!
That's cool...spending hours makin those simple little parts is how you get good at it, and get to know your machine. It is a great feeling when you can make a valuable part out of an old chunk of nothin. Then when some critic points out that you can buy them from a catalog, you can think "What a clueless jerk" And go back to the shop to make more stuff.
Looks like a good first project Chris. Small parts like that have their own difficulties in manufacture, like how to hold them without distorting them. Lil John Buttera showed how to do those in Hot Rod back in the early 80's, and a whole industry was born making copies. Power tools are great,but they still have their limitations. Don't be affraid to use a files and emery paper, if it will help you create the shape you want.
Chris, If you don't mind my asking, what mill do you have and what did it set you back? One of these days I'd like to get one so I can stop sneaking machine time at work. Thanks, Ed
the easy way to make more, is to make one really long clamp, as long as you can hold in your mill, mill the profile, then cut it up int individual pieces, if you can start wit a blank 6" long, you should be able to get a dozen clamps or so from it. lookin good!
[ QUOTE ] I'm certainly not geared for production! [/ QUOTE ] Yes . . . but, as an old machinist once said, "It's just about as easy to make ten of something as it is to make one." I've found it to be true. When I made the brake line hold downs for the 32 - using an un-rare non-ferrous metal - I wasn't sure how many I'd need so I made twenty. Used nine and the other 11 are still hanging on the pegboard. They'll get used on the 31.
Some times it's easier to make more,than just one, because you can justify a better setup or different tooling. Most of the time spent making the first one, is in doing the setups and developing the sequence. So the cost,and time,to do 10 is perhaps only 2 or 3 times as much as the cost of the first one.
Ed - My mill is a Harbor Freight mini mill. I got it for $459.99 (with free shipping! ) It's a nice, sturdy little machine, but it did take a little work to get set up for use. As far as tooling, I think I've spent almost as much as the mill itself. And I don't even have a rotary table, yet! Unkl Ian, Ray and Jay - My little clamp was made from a chunk of 1/2" square aluminum rod. If I can scrounge up some 1/2" X 1 1/2" rectangular aluminum bar stock, I can cut the profile of the clamp sort of like an extrusion. Then cut the individual clamps off the longer section. I wish I could raid the dumpsters at work for material, but that's a big No-No! I'll just have to see what I can find at the recycler.
Need to grab it before it gets IN the dumpster. I built 2 full size English Wheels, a power Bead Roller, and a pneumatic Planishing Hammer, out of stuff headed for the dumpster. Of course it's not worth losing your job for a $5 piece of Aluminum. Don't woory about getting a roatry table too much.A digital readout is a better investment.
Nice! I am so jealous! I'd love to buy a mini mill but my one-car garage says I don't have enough room. I've talked my bench-mount drill press into thinking it's a real mill anyway.
that's cool chris... my boss gives me free reign to take whatever i like from the scrap bin... actually, he lets me take whatever i like from the material store too! he's a nice dude. i think custom pieces, made for a specific place on a specific car, are what make the hobby interesting. good job.
The Jalopy Journal
