Steam Stoker Engine Restoration 15: Building a Mounting Plate for Machining 

Totally agreed. It's also nice to see a machine being set up for a process - such as swapping a mill from vertical to horizontal mode or using a heavy rotary table lifted by crane. It's not just seeing the actual 'work' being done (such as drilling a big hole) but all the prepatory effort that goes into the setup. There's something about seeing the machine being operated. Possibly more so with Adam Booth (Abom79) when he has something large in a lathe - and the easy operation of the clutch lever and the chuck and work just start rotating seemingly effortlessly. I will say with Keith's radial drill - it seems the spindle motor switch moves left or right for forward and reverse and noting Keith setting it going the wrong way, it perhaps isn't as intuitive as a radial drill I used where down was for forward and up for reverse - which makes total sense.

I notice that Keith will usually do this. He doesn't make us watch every single hole drilled, milling pass, surface grind or gear tooth cut but he repeats enough of them, at various camera angles, to give us a full sense of the process. I've learned a lot by osmosis. Even though I've never laid a hand on any metal working equipment, because of him I have a deeper appreciation of what goes into the every day machined items I've heretofore taken for granted. Plus marveled at not only the progress of metal working technology but also at how much older technology is very important to modern day industry. Thanks, Keith!

@@johnmanning4577 But Keith Fenner drags everything out - so I don't usually watch his long videos !

@@millomweb Exactly!

And that's without using the power traverse !

... and sometimes more than once around the chuck. The one I use on my lathe requires several rounds

Not sure if driving home the Morse taper tool using the chuck jaws is “good practice.”

Your's should be the same but just a smaller version.

@@CraigLYoung What's he got ?

@@millomweb : Subscribe to Steve's chanel.

Hello Steve, Keith’s radial drill did make that an easy job! If used a couple of parallels he would not of even have to unbolt and spin the plate!

@@KG-yn9qi If he'd bolted it down at 45°, all holes would have been just off the table !

Works---like a charm!

My dad taught me that 50 yrs ago, I dont know if it works or why but I still do it anyway 😛

6 or 7 motors on it WHAT !!!!!!!!! But it does look like his spindle motor's running backwards !

Just guessing, but from what Adam is putting up lately he is not at the shop but on the road and not even available to give him the plate right now.

Which way do you move the lever to get the spindle rotating in the forward direction ? Like a lot of other commenters, we love that drill !

I have learned that very same thing. It is amazing how easy the first pull on the second position on your chuck is. No more spinning andor galling.

On New Yankee Workshop, Norm was certainly a stickler for safety. I remember his speech before using any of his woodworking machines. Both he and Keith are definitely excellent teachers.

Same make ?

@@millomweb I honestly don't remember, that was back in the late 70's.

"rotary drill used" - it's a 'radia'l drill - as the drilling head is on a radial arm from the main column.

Generally, I use just one hole. One hole should be sufficient - especially if the chuck is properly lubricated (most aren't!). For more secure gripping, I will go around the holes tightening each in turn, possibly more than once. Taps are supposed to be driven via their square end - where no slipping can occur. Driving them as Keith shows generates a clutch - the tap slips - which is a lot better than having a properly driven tap breaking ! One of somebody else's pet peeves is calling a drill a drill bit !

Has he got a pillar drill as well ?

Cheap? No. Easy to find? Half a dozen places within 15km, off the shelf. So locally (South Africa), a 600 x 900 x 20mm plate (about 24 x 36 x ¾ inch) would cost R3200. About $225. What would that cost in the rest of the world?

Try doubling that in Zimbabwe

BosstedBoiz Kyle just added a chunk of plate to his MR2 - it was a chunk of 3/8 plate, and he paid almost $400. It was around 130lbs when he picked it up from the steel yard.

@@johnalexander2349 Where are you ? Jo'berg ? SA is still an active country and I've been surprised how easy it is to get hold of stuff. England's dying - you'll struggle to find any England made machine tools now. Maybe different for CNC but traditional MT companies import Chinese and just add their badge to them.

In Australia it’s it’s pretty much sold by the kg over 6 mm 12 /1/2 inch is a about $1000 for a sheet 2.4 x. 1.2 so 2000aud for 1 inch and finding some one to cut you a small pice over 8 mm pretty much not going to happen and if it dose it’s 4 x the price sold by the kg unless you know some one

Ag Dealers too. Actually John Deere bolts,nuts and such aren't as expensive as you might think.

You have a right to be very proud of that fact sir! Nephew is an eagle, takes huge parental support!

A similar Carlton ?

@@millomweb Cincinnati

W. Edwards Demming can take much blame for our supply chain issues. JIT delivery is actually, Just Too Late delivery.

Agreed. I always "go around the horn" on all my chucks ... lathe and drill.

I always do and hearing protection as well. Sadly I see way too many people not protecting themselves.

Why, Dennis? Is there something inherently wrong with a chain hoist? Just asking.

@@5x535 Nothing wrong with a chain hoist as a mater of fact it suits the portability of Keith's gantry crane. An electric hoist would be much smoother to operate. Using your thumb to push a control button is a lot easier than pulling on a chain. It does have to be plugged into the wall however.

That is the way that I was taught. Never failed me either.

The new ones have computer control spindles.

@@keithgutshall9559 so in ten years time we will be able to buy dead CNC drills, just have to work out how to remove the controls!

Kieth, I cringed when you changed the chuck's and seated them by banging the jaw tips onto the plate. That's a good way to crack the scrolls or the jaw teath. The jaws should be retracted into the body and pressure applied to the body of the chuck not the jaw tips. I believe that instruction comes with the Jacob's Chuck's as well as the rebuild kits. I inherited a size 16 that was jammed. I managed to repair it by changing the scrolls which had half the teeth torn off presumably by doing exactly what you did. Other wise good to see the big RD in use. It looks to be a gentle giant.

Me too! On our American radial drill we always retracted the jaws. Also had a 4" x 6" piece of 1/2" plywood attached by a cable lanyard to the drift for bumping the chuck and Morris taper drill during changes. Holes drilled ranged from 1 1/8" - 4 1/8" through pre-hardened steel. Also had a 2" x 4" tag lanyarded to the chuck key for quick find identification.

I have a Jacobs 20N chuck at home in my shed. Minimum shaft size in chuck is 3/8", max is 1". Think Keith was using smaller than 3/8" as pilot hole.

@@bobhudson6659 he could have used a slightly larger pilot drill and saved all the changes but when your time is not charged by the hour a bit wasted is not a problem.

@@ralphgesler5110 unless he has a bigger centre punch perhaps.

@@littleworkshopofhorrors2395 I hate wasting time .. even when it isn't a factor in the job. I just like being efficient. I would have used the 20N from the git-go and used a spring loaded tap guide with a 1/2" shank to locate the hole and a 1/2" drill for a pilot. But ... that's just me. There's numerous ways to run a job.

@@tsmartin always different ways as it varies with machinist and equipment and which way the wind blows.😉

Not hardly in this job, machining that casting is going to be tough!

Common practice. Lots better chance of breaking the tap.