What is better than a tool? Two. What is better than two? Two tools tooling together. [tintek33] wanted a rotary tool to become an attachment on his mini lathe, the video is also below the break. Fortunately, Dremels and Proxxons are built to receive accessories, or in this case, become one. Even if the exact measurements do not apply to your specific hardware, we get to see the meat of the procedure from concept to use.
We start with where the rotary tool should be and get an idea of what type of bracket will be necessary. The design phase examines the important dimensions with a sketch and then a CAD mock-up. Suitably thick material is selected, and the steps for pulling the tool from the raw stock are shown with enough detail to replicate everything yet there is no wasted time in this video. That is important if you are making a quick decision as to whether or not this is worth your hard work. Once the brace is fully functional and tested, it is anodized for the “summer ocean” blue color to make it easy to spot in the tool heap. Some complex cuts are made and shown close-up.
Thank you [jafinch78] for your comment on Take a Mini Lathe for a Spin and check out [tintek33] using his mini lathe to make a hydraulic cylinder for an RC snow plow.
I’ve been wanting to make one of these for my lathe as well. Nice for simple drilling in place, instead of doing a second setup on the mill for simple stuff. Not going to be doing any milling with it, but it’s something :)
Interesting how the “hydraulic cylinder for an RC snow plow” video is demonstrating indexing without an indexing head. The indexing head build was my plan for this drill attachment as well as the ski pole discone antenna (I keep going back and forth… thinking I do or don’t really need an indexing head yet). Great videos… thanks for dealing with my comments!
Is this how Relativity Space plans on launching a Proxon into orbit?
There are several companies that make these, you can buy them to use with dremel tools. I have one and I don’t remember it being that expensive, it was something like 20 bucks.
check out http://www.alisam.com. mine is 3/4 inch by 12 TPI and about a half inch thick solid aluminum. I use it on my taig lathe. I’m not affiliated with the maker in any way it’s just a good product. If you have one of these the real advantage is being able to do off center holes, such bolt holes around a flange while it is still in the lathe.
Even Proxxon sells one for their rotary tools (i.e. 20mm nectk diameter), it’s no, 24098.
Wow. If I just had a lathe, and somewhere to put it, and material, and knowledge of which material to use, and skill…
I could make a huge mess.
+1 !
For turning stock into scrap they are not the best, but can get the job done :-)
Taig lathe fits in an 18″ by 10″ space or so, has powerfeed, is quite accurate, and is less than 400$. With collets snd powerfeed. Nothings stopping you…
where are you finding a taig lathe for $400?
Aka “toolpost grinder”.
There are TPG designs that mount at this (albeit somewhat unusual) orientation. Have a look at how some of them work, if you’re gonna build such a thing, you’ll find many ideas to borrow from!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=toolpost+grinder
Someone asked me to grind a really small part, and I thought about doing this. I have resolved never to put a grinder on my lathe though, too much wear on the ways.
I’ve wondered about testing the hardness and easiest case or other hardening method if needed.
Easy enough to throw some rags on the ways. It’s really not that big of a deal. Unless you’re in a production facility, hardened ways will outlast the owner by a long shot.
I prefer to catch the sparks in a bowl of water.
With a rag the pieces of wornd grindstone migh fall out of it and still get caught between the lathe ways.
It’s also easy to “re use” the rag multiple times and/or put it with the dirty side downwards.
The water in the bowl catches sparks without letting them bounce anywere you don’t want them to go, you never put it upside down in the lathe :) and you empty / clean it easily afterwards.
But there is still a bit of grindstone dust flying around. Wet grinding will also catch most of those.
Drop’in this link here since thought was interesting (how can dumpstercnc not be):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1IDHIcyHLY
This seems relevant to have a connection the level with this field also:
https://hackaday.com/2018/07/10/the-machinists-mantra-level-thy-lathe/
Here’s a little tangent… though man… I’m wanting to make some boards and this seems like so easier that the chemical methods:
This will help (I totally saw the link paste… though the keyboard wanted to post the comment must have been a fraction of a second sooner)… https://hackaday.com/2018/11/16/turning-a-rotary-tool-into-a-cnc/