With the feet machined flat some modified clamps were used to hold the standard on the faceplate.
Clocking the outside edge of the standard – bit fiddly with lots of re-mounting of the faceplate.
Turning and facing the top of the standard is pretty straightforward – Lots of light cuts meant boring took a while.
Standard facing and boring completed – quite a nice finish.
Progress so far…
More filework in the vice – I used needle files to get everything looking good before machining.
Same for the standard – I cleaned off the lumps, presumably where the metal was poured into the mould.
Fairly odd setup for the machining the feet. I was half expecting bits of casting to fly around the workshop, but it seemed to be rigid enough to machine. I popped a washer over the point of the centre in the tailstock to stop it digging too far into the dowel.
Just a closer look at the setup after a couple of passes.
Just a closer look at the setup after a couple of passes.
First steps – clean the boxbed up with a Dremel and a file to get rid of any casting flash.
Mount in the 4-jaw. I’m using brass sheet to protect the casting. Doesn’t have to be super concentric, as long as it’s fairly well balanced.
Facing off – I’m using a tipped tool here and 320 RPM. Seems alright to me ! I cut .20mm at a time, with a .10mm finishing cut.
Once faced, flip over in the chuck, ensure it’s seated nicely, and face the top.
Quick check with the height gauge.
