Knock Down the Burrs
Before you clamp a hunk of material into
your mill vise, make sure it's clean. This
is what I do and it seems to work.
- Wash the material with a bio cleaner
like Marine Clean, Purple Stuff, etc., etc.
I degrease and wipe it down with a 3M pad.
Even though I'm going to cut it up, I like
it squeaky clean.
-
- Now take a file and clean up all the
surfaces. You see what happens is there is
a good chance that piece of material got
bumped or dropped and picked up a burr.
That's the last thing you need when
starting to machine your new little
project. Break all the edges with the same
file or deburring tool. I like the
deburring tool because it leaves a nice
edge. The burrs can cause havoc especially
if you are removing and replacing the part
for some reason or another.
-
- If you are going to scribe some lines
for reference or to machine too, use some
Dykem. Without the contrast it's so easy
for those lines to get mixed up or
disappear. Trust me, it saves time and
material.
-
- If you need to remove the part from the
vise, use the same cleaner to get it spick
& span before you take it to the surface
plate to check measurements. If you don't
have a granite plate, a nice piece of thick
glass will come in handy as a substitute.
-
The second photo shows what can become of a
chunk of aluminum. It turns my compressor
fittings 90 degrees.
Shim It For Protection
If I am machining a part and need to
protect the finish, a couple of shims
prevents the jaws from leaving some ugly
marks. It's easy, you just have to remember
to do it.
More on Lubing
I have really become attached to my step
drills. The easist way to keep them lubed
is the acid brush. Step drills like to be lubed also.
The Picture Tells It All
The 4 Jaw Chuck
It is very unlikely you would ever have to
perform this operation. I had to turn the
threads down for a breather application.
The drill was used to center the part.
Nothing very precise here. I am only
submitting this photo to open ones eyes to
the different applications that can be
accomplished with the 4 jaw. One word of
caution when chucking a piece like this,
take light cuts. You could lose your tool
and part easily.
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