Project Information
For my swap item I made a bar gauge inspired by the WoodPeckers OneTimeTool bar gauge.
I used 303 stainless 3/8" solid round bar for the rods, there are 6 at 12", 2 at 8" and 1 at. 6" plus the two fixed 6" bars. Each end of the bars was locked into a collet on my lathe, faced, chamfered, center drilled and tapped 1/4-20. A stud was installed in one end with blue loctite, in the event threads become damaged they can be replaced.
For the blocks I used 6061 aluminum, rough cut in my bench vise with a sawzall then secured in a 4-jaw chuck on the lathe and faced on 4 sides into 2 matching rectangular blocks. I then offset them in the chuck to bore the through holes, positioning them so I could bore one then carefully loosen the jaws & flip the block for the other. I got to finally use an adjustable hand reamer I picked up a while back to ream the holes a little bigger than 3/8 for the bars to slide.
All edges were eased on the belt sander and the blocks were sanded to a brushed finish for a working tool.
I then drilled the vertical holes (on the drill press) in the blocks for the thumbscrews- on one block there is a countersunk 10-32 machine screw on the bottom securing a fixed rod. That block also has a hole on top threaded 10-32 which can pinch the top sliding rod. The other block has the fixed rod on top with a hole allowing a 10-32 screw to pass into the lower rod's passageway. The fixed rods themselves are drilled and tapped 10-32 across the 3/8 dimension- this was a little tricky, you can see it in one of the photos mounted in the lathe chuck sideways.
The thumbscrews are female threaded knobs with cut-to-length stainless bolts installed with red loctite- hopefully they stay put!
I machined 3 pairs of brass tips, without the tips the gauge can go as small as 6", and it can go over 8ft
I sure hope Earl enjoys it!
Thanks for looking! Click the link below for a video
Grant
I used 303 stainless 3/8" solid round bar for the rods, there are 6 at 12", 2 at 8" and 1 at. 6" plus the two fixed 6" bars. Each end of the bars was locked into a collet on my lathe, faced, chamfered, center drilled and tapped 1/4-20. A stud was installed in one end with blue loctite, in the event threads become damaged they can be replaced.
For the blocks I used 6061 aluminum, rough cut in my bench vise with a sawzall then secured in a 4-jaw chuck on the lathe and faced on 4 sides into 2 matching rectangular blocks. I then offset them in the chuck to bore the through holes, positioning them so I could bore one then carefully loosen the jaws & flip the block for the other. I got to finally use an adjustable hand reamer I picked up a while back to ream the holes a little bigger than 3/8 for the bars to slide.
All edges were eased on the belt sander and the blocks were sanded to a brushed finish for a working tool.
I then drilled the vertical holes (on the drill press) in the blocks for the thumbscrews- on one block there is a countersunk 10-32 machine screw on the bottom securing a fixed rod. That block also has a hole on top threaded 10-32 which can pinch the top sliding rod. The other block has the fixed rod on top with a hole allowing a 10-32 screw to pass into the lower rod's passageway. The fixed rods themselves are drilled and tapped 10-32 across the 3/8 dimension- this was a little tricky, you can see it in one of the photos mounted in the lathe chuck sideways.
The thumbscrews are female threaded knobs with cut-to-length stainless bolts installed with red loctite- hopefully they stay put!
I machined 3 pairs of brass tips, without the tips the gauge can go as small as 6", and it can go over 8ft
I sure hope Earl enjoys it!
Thanks for looking! Click the link below for a video
Grant