Machinist Jack

[PJs]

If you want, I've been thinking about posting my humble mod of my HFT 14" to cut metal. I watched for a long time and picked up one locally for $75. The most expensive part of the mod was buying the nice blade guides online somewhere because I didn't have all the tooling and know how to make them at the time. It's been a great thing and is waaaay safer to use than the old horizontal bandsaw in vertical mode.

Thanks, C-Bag. I got coupons. and have eyeballed theirs as well. Yes, Please Sir, show us what you did. Would love to get a feel for what all you had to do to make it workable. Those SFM numbers look proper to me. Blades are everything I think. Wish I could remember the brand of the ones I got for the DM's, they held up through thick and thin and Hard. Look forward to your post when you can! ~PJ

[DIYer]

Thanks PJs! We've added your Machinist Jack to our Machining category,
as well as to your builder page: PJs's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Machinist Jack by PJs

tags: machining, jack

[Paul Jones]

C-Bag,

I have a HFT store nearby so thank you for the recommendation to convert the HFT 14" vertical bandsaw to cut metals. Like you, I have been using YouTube as my "see what's out there" idea generator.

On my horizontal bandsaw, I use a high quality M42 (8% cobalt) bi-metal variable tooth 10-14 bandsaw blade that seems to last a long time. I cut just about any kind of steel with it but not drill rods. I use an abrasive cut-off wheel for the cutting drill rod in order to save the bandsaw blade (do this outside so the place doesn't smell like cordite).

Paul

[C-Bag]

Ok then, it's settled. I'm swamped today so it will be a couple of days, but I'll get my stuff together and get 'er posted.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[rossbotics]

Hey PJ
I think you did an excellent job on the jack, I love the way alloy steels finish, 4140 is my most favored steel along with O-1,

I keep telling myself I need to make a pair of them, or at least one, the only time I think about it is when I need one, little to late then wouldn't you say?

Anyway great job

Doug

[PJs]

Hey PJ
I think you did an excellent job on the jack, I love the way alloy steels finish, 4140 is my most favored steel along with O-1,

I keep telling myself I need to make a pair of them, or at least one, the only time I think about it is when I need one, little to late then wouldn't you say?

Anyway great job

Doug

Thank you Kindly Doug. That coming from you is an honor. They are better as a pair and did want to make two but ran out of time, plus I want to work on the attachments and maybe a swivel head like the Starrett Mighty has. I've got all the numbers so should be able to reproduce them and the add-on's. I think 4140 is now my other favorite to 1144 stress relieved & O1 on the peanut. CRS is a tough one for it and poor finish.

Thanks again, ~PJ

[Toolmaker51]

...Agreed, never too many clamps. What I thought was ingenious about your machinist jack build was the ball bearing...Very cool! Interesting use and a good topic possibly for various uses of these versatile & handy little tools. ~PJ

Probably my oft-used case for machinist jacks is inspection. They'll support most any object which hasn't a flat or plane to start from on a surface plate, or machine table.
Usually I set two an arbitrary height [via height gauge] and regulate the level position with the third. Just takes an indicator to finish within small increments, but I start with the height gauge, subtracting highest reading from lowest. Also pays to record amount of change your jacks produce in one revolution, write it on the base. Since so many varieties exist, none are same thread pitch, it's the easiest reference.
IMHO, some commercial jacks have too-small a thread diameter + too-coarse thread pitch. Those detract from the purpose. That is avoided making your own, in mind a decent diameter and small pitch support more weight, while offering greater mechanical advantage by lessened pitch incline.
While satisfying to achieve a close fit, they work best if they turn easily! A wrench is convenient, but can be fiddly. I like small crossbars more, and just in case, 4 wrench flats, not 6.
Why you ask?. Because 4 flats have more engagement area in a smaller equivalent wrench size!