Newbie CNC Workshop Tools

[wizard]

I guess this is another point I have to disagree with. It is always worth the expense of having measuring tools more accurate than your machining tools. Otherwise how do you really achieve anything on the tool?

Maybe others will disagree but I see the ability to measure better than your machine as being a key to doing quality work. After all wear in leadscrews and ways happen and a machinist has to compensate for that. Without do tools you won't know how or where to do so. For many here that won't mean a lot of tools either, maybe a good caliper and a micrometer. Relative to the cost of everything else it just seems silly to cut corners here. Given that you buy a good caliper and a micrometer you might be out say $225 which is maybe a tenth of the cost of a well outfitted small lathe. Frankly I'd cut corners in other ways such as making my own tooling and such then to go with questionable measuring tools.

Maybe my priorities are different than others here but starting out with good basics is a win in the long term.

dave


Dave

Originally Posted by in2steam Burn it depends, its not always worth getting a tool thats more accurate then your machine can be. With my current setup I can measure far more accurate then I can machine, but then again I am not doing tool and die work either. If I am within .003 I am happy. chris

[Burn]

Originally Posted by wizard I guess this is another point I have to disagree with. It is always worth the expense of having measuring tools more accurate than your machining tools. Otherwise how do you really achieve anything on the tool? Maybe others will disagree but I see the ability to measure better than your machine as being a key to doing quality work. After all wear in leadscrews and ways happen and a machinist has to compensate for that. Without do tools you won't know how or where to do so. For many here that won't mean a lot of tools either, maybe a good caliper and a micrometer. Relative to the cost of everything else it just seems silly to cut corners here. Given that you buy a good caliper and a micrometer you might be out say $225 which is maybe a tenth of the cost of a well outfitted small lathe. Frankly I'd cut corners in other ways such as making my own tooling and such then to go with questionable measuring tools. Maybe my priorities are different than others here but starting out with good basics is a win in the long term. dave Dave

First off, thank you for the suggestions- I do agree that high precision instruments is one of the most important "things" a shop can have.

I would love to spend as much money as is necessary on calipers and micrometers, but not having a full machine shop's budget, this hobby really becomes difficult to buy tooling for.

So if I were to spend, say, $150 at the absolute maximum for calipers and micrometers, what would you say fits that range? Not having much experience in machining, I myself can't really pick what's right for me. Others, who have been in the industry for years, are much better suited to choosing tools because they know what "works".

[Burn]

Okay, got around to ordering the stuff yesterday. Decided to go with the Phase II vise over the toolmaker's grinding vise, because I figure that the purpose for which it was intended for is what I need to match it to. So the milling vise is what I am using it for, to mill.

Thanks to everyone who helped out- I will have pictures in a few days or so

[Burn]

Ooh, what could this be?



It's a vise!

[Smitty911]

Your other half allowed you to put that heavy vise on the kitchen counter tops granite at that. Wow, mine would be looking to make sure the insurance is paid up, cause someone is gonna die.

Where did you get that one and how much? I need a vise also.

Smitty

[in2steam]

Originally Posted by wizard I guess this is another point I have to disagree with. It is always worth the expense of having measuring tools more accurate than your machining tools. Otherwise how do you really achieve anything on the tool? Maybe others will disagree but I see the ability to measure better than your machine as being a key to doing quality work. After all wear in leadscrews and ways happen and a machinist has to compensate for that. Without do tools you won't know how or where to do so. For many here that won't mean a lot of tools either, maybe a good caliper and a micrometer. Relative to the cost of everything else it just seems silly to cut corners here. Given that you buy a good caliper and a micrometer you might be out say $225 which is maybe a tenth of the cost of a well outfitted small lathe. Frankly I'd cut corners in other ways such as making my own tooling and such then to go with questionable measuring tools. Maybe my priorities are different than others here but starting out with good basics is a win in the long term. dave Dave

Dave, I don't disagree with you, but there are times and circumstances that its not always needed either. The ideal and the reality are almost always two seperate things, if I were doing this as a my one and only job then I am entirely inclined to agree with you. This does not excuse subpar work or craftsman ship, but the ablity to do the work(buying the machine and vise) supersedes the ablity to measure it.... In my particluar case finish is of the outmost importance, flatness is second, niether of which I use precision insturments on(unless you consider a cheap surface plate). The actual measurement needs to be with .010 of defined thickness and thats it, as long as I am clean and flat(via blueing) and over my min thickness I am very happy. Thats not say I do other things, but those typically don't need to be that close. If I was making parts for the medical industry, well then yes I would be using the cadilac of tools. I agree with you on making tools, and I think alot people would benefit from making there own tools, I think to many people run to carbide, when they could be or should be using something else which would have been much cheaper and better.


chris

[Burn]

Originally Posted by Smitty911 Your other half allowed you to put that heavy vise on the kitchen counter tops granite at that. Wow, mine would be looking to make sure the insurance is paid up, cause someone is gonna die. Where did you get that one and how much? I need a vise also. Smitty

I made sure I had the styrofoam packaging underneath it and plenty of napkins

Littlemachineshop: http://www.littlemachineshop.com/pro...904&category=3

[jl123]

Hmm. I'm getting tired of loading and unloading my 6 inch precision vise I got from there... Its close to 50 pounds and it's getting pretty old moving that thing around for small parts.

[Burn]

Rushed home today UPS came through!