Tool Makers V-Blocks

Over the weekend I was thinking about what tool I didn't have as far as machine shop tooling, On several occasions I have had the need for a pair of small V-Blocks just to fit the mill vise, I went to the steel rack where I keep my small pieces and found a piece of 4140 1.000" x 1.500" X 4.000", so I cut it in half and machined the blocks to the specs I wanted, I stamped the numeral 1 on one end of each block for a reference then oil hardened and tempered them, I cleaned them up and ground them together making a matched pair, I didn't take any manufacturing photos but took a few photos of the finished blocks and the cad drawing.

As always thanks for looking and happy machining

Doug

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Nice set of V-blocks Doug.

I like the mounting holes which my small set does not have. Makes mounting on a tooling plate easy.

Cheers, JR

When I have made pairs of things like V-blocks I do not cut them in half at the beginning. I make a cut on each face less than or equal to 1/4 of the material thickness. Then I do the grinding with it as a single piece. When finished I cut through and face off the ends.

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Originally Posted by tonyfoale

When I have made pairs of things like V-blocks I do not cut them in half at the beginning. I make a cut on each face less than or equal to 1/4 of the material thickness. Then I do the grinding with it as a single piece. When finished I cut through and face off the ends.

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Well it's fine to make them in one piece as long as your not using hardened steel.

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Originally Posted by rossbotics

Well it's fine to make them in one piece as long as your not using hardened steel.

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Doug,

You have lost me there. I have done it with hardened steel, what problem do you see?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tonyfoale

Doug,

You have lost me there. I have done it with hardened steel, what problem do you see?

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Tony I understand what you're saying about how you would have done something like this, and I don't see anything wrong with your approach, I guess thats just the difference between two different tool makers.

Cheers
Doug

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rossbotics

Tony I understand what you're saying about how you would have done something like this, and I don't see anything wrong with your approach, I guess thats just the difference between two different tool makers.

Cheers
Doug

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Of course.
My initial post was not meant as a "mine is better than yours" approach.

Considering the time difference you must be an early riser.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tonyfoale

Of course.
My initial post was not meant as a "mine is better than yours" approach.

Considering the time difference you must be an early riser.

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No intent taken Tony,
I retired this past March and I'm really having a hard time adjusting to the "nothing to do world" but I'm learning, after working all your life it's hard to just sit on your azz and do nothing, I wake up at some weird hours sometimes but I'm adjusting, you can only work so long in the shop and you get tired of it too.

Cheers
Doug

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rossbotics

No intent taken Tony,
I retired this past March............... but I'm adjusting, you can only work so long in the shop and you get tired of it too.
Doug

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I will only be 75 in a couple of months so I am still too young to feel the effects of a full day in the workshop. I feel unsettled if I am not there.

First nice work on the Vee blocks! I like seeing all the different approaches to what is a very basic tool in the shop

It is kind of funny but I just pulled apart some fixturing at work that has a bunch of Vee blocks (well chucks of steel passable as such). I like the idea of found materials being leveraged in the shop

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rossbotics

No intent taken Tony,
I retired this past March and I'm really having a hard time adjusting to the "nothing to do world" but I'm learning, after working all your life it's hard to just sit on your azz and do nothing, I wake up at some weird hours sometimes but I'm adjusting, you can only work so long in the shop and you get tired of it too.

Cheers
Doug

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This is what bothers me more than anything about a pending retirement. I really think I will need to find part time work or maybe set up a small business of some sort. I'm 58 and I'd like to leave ASAP but the idea of not having something to focus on is unsettling to say the least.

I think the worst thing you can do is spend to much time worrying about it, my wife was quite worried about my retiring as I have always been a fidget and get bored easily. She need not have as I still feel there is not enough hours in a day and spend around 6 or 7hrs of it in the workshop (my happy place), usually from midday to the late evening and grateful for still having the health to do so.
I will be 76 this summer and so far so good.

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Originally Posted by olderdan

I think the worst thing you can do is spend to much time worrying about it, my wife was quite worried about my retiring as I have always been a fidget and get bored easily. She need not have as I still feel there is not enough hours in a day and spend around 6 or 7hrs of it in the workshop (my happy place), usually from midday to the late evening and grateful for still having the health to do so.
I will be 76 this summer and so far so good.

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Your probably right Dan, I was the same way, and still am

Doug

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Thanks rossbotics! We've added your Toolmaker V Blocks to our Machining category,
as well as to your builder page: rossbotics's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-toolmaker-v-blocks"> <img src="/uploads/220149/homemade-toolmaker-v-blocks.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-toolmaker-v-blocks">Toolmaker V Blocks</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/rossbotics">rossbotics</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/v-block'>V-block</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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