Machinist's or Toolmakers Jacks

[rrmrd66]

Hi Jools

No sooner said than done.

I have borrowed the magnet from my new mini mag base. There is a shallow vee face to attach to cylindrical surfaces. It makes the jack much more stable.

Whilst not a complete answer it shows the principle. The picture is stage managed. I wasn't really going to mill that piece of black bar.

The parallel jack I will explain later.

fullsizeoutput_6e1 by Malcolm HARWOOD, on Flickr

Incidentally Roger had a good point about those high power button magnets attracting any and all (ferrous) swarf.

My optician supplied me with a new pair of varifocals at a ridiculous price (why are glasses so expensive?) that incorporate two tiny (3mm) permanent magnets in the hinge mechanism with which to anchor a neat pair of polarised sun lenses.

Very sexy.

However, guess where most of the cast iron dust ended up after turning the CI wheels for my Hunslet?

Yes. You got it.

About 1/2" from my eyes and it is almost impossible to remove it completely.

The "switchable" magnet seen above seems to be about right.

Thanks for reading

Cheers

Malcolm

[rrmrd66]

Hi Jem

Reference your request for "useful" things in ones toolbox.

fullsizeoutput_6e7 by Malcolm HARWOOD, on Flickr

I call them my "crocodile jacks", for obvious reasons.

I have a feeling that they await being hardened and ground.

If I remember correctly they were an exercise in the use of the shaper and the surface grinder.

Each tooth advance gives a height increase of approx 0.015".

Ideally, of course they are a matched pair. To keep the pitch of the teeth constant so that the jacks are always truly parallel is I imagine somewhat difficult and probably beyond me ,as it almost certainly was when I made them.

Your turn now.

Cheers

Malcolm

[jem]

thanks very much Malcolm, they look really useful, but as you say not that easy to make truly parallel. but since you have made them, perhaps you could make us all a pair!?
I have always used bits of shim etc for jacking up, but now I see that I will have to make some proper ones, I like your use of the mini mag base.

best wishes

Jem.

[rrmrd66]

Hi Jem

Thanks. Glad you liked them.

Minor problem. No shaper and no surface grinder.

Regards

Malcolm

[Roger]

I like those too, I often use two of the clamping stepped pieces like that, but they are much taller. I like the idea of something similar but with a smooth pair of wedges and an adjustment screw to set an exact height.

[jools]

I like them too, I imagine that they would need to be machined as a single piece for the steps and then cut in half to maintain consistency and machined flat as a pair.

Just wondering how 6061 Alloy would fair for these, if they are only used in a work support role ?
Machining would be an easier process followed by hard anodise process afterwards, its not like they would be used in full production environment ?

[Roger]

May 31, 2018 22:49:02 GMT jools said:

I like them too, I imagine that they would need to be machined as a single piece for the steps and then cut in half to maintain consistency and machined flat as a pair.

Just wondering how 6061 Alloy would fair for these, if they are only used in a work support role ?
Machining would be an easier process followed by hard anodise process afterwards, its not like they would be used in full production environment ?

Personally I'd just machine them from Mild Steel. That's pretty durable and easy enough to machine.

[isc]

A useful base for a jack would be a key/tongue to fit in the T slot of the mill table, this just needs to be a shallow button that the jack can sit on.
isc

[jon38r80]

Jun 1, 2018 10:46:02 GMT isc said:

A useful base for a jack would be a key/tongue to fit in the T slot of the mill table, this just needs to be a shallow button that the jack can sit on.
isc

A T nut with the base unit screwed to it with a cap screw? trouble with that is you would be confined to using it where the T slots are. Not always convenient to locate over a T slot. It is probably a very  good idea to have one as one of the kit of parts though as it would be less clutter on the work table if the location of the workpiece suited. A base unit with a extended rim as I think Roger was suggesting so it could be clamped using standard clamping arrangements would perhaps be more flexible.

[abby]

Guess that most of us aged around 70 made a pair of jacks in metal work at school, along with the toolmakers clamps .
Another useful tool we made was a bell punch,and now my eyes ain't so good I am thinking of making another !
Dan.