Face Plate Fixture Eccentric Turning or Universal Fixture

[jjr2001]

Just a little fixture for my face plate to allow holding parts that may be odd shaped. The face plate is cast iron from Little Machine Shop. Holes were drilled and tapped in the face plate for this jig. There are 3 sets of "jaws" shown, one for large diameter, one for small, and one blank for whatever. Works with round also but then so does a 4 jaw chuck. Made from hot rolled steel plate and one slice from some hot rolled angle iron. This was really just a test of my "surface grinder" but I wanted to make something usefull that I could use when I get around to making my steam engine.

[mklotz]

You've almost made yourself a "Keats angle plate", a mainstay of model engineers in the UK. One of the best of the latter had an extensive discussion of the tool over at MEM...

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php?topic=632.0

You might enjoy reading it.

[jjr2001]

Thanks Marv,
I have enjoyed your tool posts for quite a while now. Even before I had my mini lathe and mini mill. I have all of your freeware (stored in more than one hard drive) that I have seen on the net. Thanks for all of your hard work and inspiration for machining.

And now the secret is out. I almost titled my fixture "Keats Like Plate". The Keats angle plate is the exact inspiration for my fixture but I thought I would simplify it a bit and use some of my in house stock.

This is one great hobby that has replaced my model airplane building or at least put it on the back burner.

Cheers, JR

[mklotz]

I'm flattered. The fact that you've downloaded ALL the software makes me glad I made the individual archives as small as possible. Of course, storage is dead cheap these days.

The Keats plate and your very nice interpretation of it look like a very handy bit of kit. I'm sure you'll find lots of uses for it; perhaps even design some new fittings for it.

[PJs]

Thanks to you both! Learned a lot with this thread. But JR I have to ask...Do you actually sleep? Prolific!!

Great Share...Thanks! ~PJ

[jjr2001]

PJs,
Yes I do sleep, however when I am not sleeping I am in the shop or looking at tools on Homemadetools.net.
Love this hobby.

Cheers, JR

[PJs]

JR, Roger that....Me too but need to spend more time in the shop...to keep up with all the ideas here!

[Toolmaker51]

PJs,
Yes I do sleep, however when I am not sleeping I am in the shop or looking at tools on Homemadetools.net.
Love this hobby.

Cheers, JR

Hobby?
Well, it can be; but what all us emulate at ANY level, the ONLY trade that builds durable goods, economies, entire Nations, yes Empires. Read some of my earlier posts - project size has nothing to do with importance, accuracy, or creative thinking.

These angle and face plates, in lathes or large radial drills; were the only means of controlled, accurate, center to center boring barely 100 years ago. Not 1 in 100 shops had a true 3 axis machine yet. Anyone want a discourse on 'Toolmaker Buttons'? Just ask, I'd be pleased to do exactly that.

To those watching "How It's Made", you ain't getting one-hundredth the story. They really just advertise some exclusive, and superfluous products. When is the last time they delved into what it takes to manufacture all the items to construct a bottling line? Or immense capital investments in machinery, tooling, real estate, revolutionary patents and so on?

No, I don't think this is just a hobby. I hope you don't either.

[jjr2001]

Hello there Toolmaker51.

For me it is just a hobby. For many of the posts, projects, and videos I have seen it is obviously not a hobby for a lot of the machinists that do this exacting work. I appreciate the work for many reasons and have a deep regard and respect for the machinists that make a living with precision machining and anyone than can take a piece of steel and turn it into a tool. My father was a tool and die maker starting in about 1946, right after the war. In the 50's and 60's I would go with him to the shop on occasion. He also had a small basement work shop in Ohio and taught me at that time how to use some of the equipment (mostly wood working). Now, I never had any real training but what he showed me did sink in. (at least some of it). I spent my working career in the computer industry and never had a chance to "machine" anything. (I did do some woodworking)
I enjoy watching Keith Fenner, Tom Lipton, Mr. Pete and countless others make and repair items of steel. I am not a machinist but I do aspire to make perfect tools and parts, at least for my use. One of these days I will start my model steam engine.

Cheers, JR

[Frank S]

Hobby or business you have created and shared quite a selection useful and valuable tools.
Over the years I had made 100's of tooling fixtures and accessories for my lathes and mills. Most are gone now but one day soon when I set up in a more permanent facility and have room plus hopefully time to start remaking some of the ones I used most often.
A very good friend of mine is the manufacturer of the Mirage ULR line of rifles, I hadn't seen George in decades, but a while back while visiting his facility I noticed some tooling on his shelves which were reminiscent of many things he and I made back in our oilfield trash days