It's produced by http://www.heckind.net/products.htm I guess you have to write for prices but their 3000 model would work for what we are doing.

Maby this one would be better.

http://www.heckind.net/benchbeveler/benchbeveler.html

Some more - notice the modified angle-grinder concept.....

Here's another toy we could make using these ideas. An inverted router on a table with the right bits and fence would allow you to do the same thing.... When that CNC Mill isn't being used you could use the 3 1/2 HP router to make other things.

A 3 1/2 HP router doesn't like putting out power at less than 15 000 rpm, what cutter will cut steel at that speed? Drill press speeds are more suitable........

Inverted router on table.....drillpress....
Those ideas could link back to a milling machine, but sliding the rails through guides while the table stays static. See again what my guy said in my post of 8.39pm: "...in future he would think of having some loaded rollers (or greased guide plates) so that he could simply push the rail through while the cutter position stayed fixed. The actual cut is very light." http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/clipart/happy.gif

If anyone does build a handfed device, you must feed against the cutter rotation to prevent the the cutter from grabbing the rail and breaking things.

Gerald,

"If anyone does build a handfed device, you must feed against the cutter rotation to prevent the the cutter from grabbing the rail and breaking things."

Excellent advice!

John

John,

I give it a try. Here's the picture I wanted to include when I got the error message.

http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/messages/11/1947.jpg

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

$34.25 Page 80 of their catalog

Greg,
I've seen the drill conversion. I think(simply an
opinion) that by the time you rework the head,
because the stock quill isn't going to handle
the lateral forces, you'd have to much $$ tied
up in it.

An idea is to use the head from a standard
mini-mill which one could get wordwide or here
in the U.S. as a repair item from littlemachineshop.com. As a single-purpose
tool/machine it could be bolted to something
extremely ridgid.

John

The more I think about...and I do, By weighing
costs, availability of tools, how much of it one
person would actually need, it looks like Gerald's
table saw idea is probably the shortest of shortcuts.

For light production, light $$ has to be spent. I'd look at the grinding rig.

John

I wonder how much the blade for the saw will cost? Also, you might be better off to cut/grind on the back side of the saw so that the blade is coming up rather than grinding down.

I just bought 2 from Harbor Freight on sale
for $3.99 ea. Mine are 14" "Abrasive Cut-off Wheels",
14" is to big for a table saw, but that tells you
they ain't expensive or hard to come by.

Look at the way Gerald did it. He's "been there-done that"

John

Good Morning, I see you are still at it! The times on the posts are my local time.

Take a break from the V-cap for a while and think how to remove about 12mm [1/2"] or more of surplus width from that angle iron. (Without distorting it too much - shearing and flame-cutting are out of the question)

By the way, a 110mm [4.5"] diam grind wheel will make a hollow face on a V-cap by only 0.03mm[0.001"] which should be okay for a roller.

How about a metal bandsaw with a rip-fence set up? As for the "V" cap, just one more comment and then I'll let it rest. Why couldn't you use a good bench grinder to cut the faces?

This is the fit if a 102mm [4"] diam. grindstone is used. The gap (if you can see it on your screen) is only 0.030 mm [0.0012"]

http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/messages/11/1951.gif

The gap is actually a lot smaller than what I was thinking before. Now that I've drawn it accurately, I reckon this type of rail will be 100% http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/clipart/happy.gif

Here is Gert cutting rails on a bandsaw and then on a milling machine:

Hello Gerald,

I must commend you on all your efforts! Well done Mate. I am new here to your forum, and I am enjoying watching the few that are actually getting down to business. Great job on keeping your forum clean and organized. The site is easy to use and get around. I have been a Machinist for about 15 years now. This is an awesome project that my wife and I are considering building. Ok enough allready...

This guy doing the rails on a milling machine here, I'm curious how he is doing the X axis rails? Since they are so long, he must be unclamping them, then sliding them down, and reclamping, followed by a bit of hand blend work. Interesting to see how people get by with what they have available to them. Looks like he has a good set up there.

Cheers.

Welcome Travish! Yes, those rails are unclamped, slid along and re-clamped. Havn't seen signs of hand blend work, but you machinists are good at this, aren't you? http://www.mechmate.com/Forum/clipart/wink.gif

Yes, your right it is all about technique. There is more than one way to make a cut in this trade. Cool to see the different ways to do the rails. I too am thinking about how I would do the rails. If I decide to build, I'm going to go with a 4x8' machine. I have access to a mill that has 8ft of travel, even at that, I will still have to re-clamp. Shouldn't be a problem though. just would be nice to do it in all in one go. It will be interesting to see what Fabrica comes up with.

The beds that the rails screw to are very solid - there is nothing wrong with a carefully aligned joint in the rail. Only one wheel out of 4 need to cross a joint at a time.

Gerald,

What HP and overall size is that bandsaw Gert is using to rip those rails?

How long did it take to cut a foot of metal?

I ask because my welder says it would take "forever" to rip 1/4" angle on this bandsaw:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93762

Hi James, the bandsaw you linked to is the baby brother of the one that Gert has. He has this one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93507.
I'll ask him how long it took....

I do know the smaller version as well, and I tend to agree with your welder. There is a big difference in performance between these two models of bandsaw. We use the small one for thin-walled tube, under 2mm - still a handy machine though.

Gerald,Would i be able to cut the 6mm rails with the small bandsaw,(can't afford the larger one 700.00 pounds here in the uk) I have tried the evolution saw and made the jig for the angle grinder but the cuts are really wavey.i dont mind how long it takes as long as it will cut the rails down.Phil

Phil, the small bandsaw will probably take 50 to 75% of the time some vigorous manual hacksawing would take. Snag is that the small one snaps blades too easily.

The grinder with thin, edge-cutting disk does make a wavey cut, but the straightness comes when the thick, face-cutting disk is used. Well, at least as straight as the angle iron itself - is your iron straight to start with?

yes it's straight enough,i have been trying all day and getting nowhere.i just bought a small bandsaw from my local machine supplier and can see what you mean,very slow.oh well thats another tool to add to my collection.guess i'll go back to the thin disk and thick grinding disk.by the way i could not get the thin pferd disk only the 2.5mm thick ones so i bought some other make thin ones 1mm,

gerald. i ment to tell you that the evolution metal cutting saw cuts it like butter.cant keep it straight though.maybe fixed in a bench with a guid fence might work better,

This post originally made here

J.R Nice peace of art. :)Because you are capable of doing such a beauty, I want to ask you if you have seen working

http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT...r=2458%50mode=

Attachment 359

I am thinking very seriously like I told Gerald at the beginning in making Mechmates for selling and started looking for the correct tools to organize my shop ¿If I wanted to do various rails could this machine work for the Mechmate rails? ¿Would it reach the space left to bevel in the angle?
There is a smaller one
http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT...r=2458%50mode=

Attachment 360

I want something to make my rails with the precision required and don't have the tools (and the skill) :oto make one like yours.
P.D. All opinions are welcome and hope my English is understandable.

These machines all leave a fairly rough finish because they use a low-speed cutter and they are not a high-speed grinder like in the "JR Skate"

Thank guys for the feed back.
Before a meet Gerald and his Mechmate I was trying to build something strong enough for medium commercial production. After I found Gerald's beauty and the great opportunity he offers I decided to build those beasts ,that I know I can sell in my country. That is why I been asking about different tools and machinery adequate for this project. I love build in this design and now I am very interested build in a Mechmate plasma version . I haven't talk nothing officially to Gerald yet, because I want to show first my finished machine like he suggested the first time I contac him. I don't plan in getting rich with this but the satisfaction doing this and checking every day the forum and learning with you guys make me feel:):D;):cool::):)
Right now I am concerned in the rails because I would like to make them my self, because a cannot import them. The rest is fairly easy to import (Hope I can keep counting with Donald) Any advise or suggestions to adequate my shop to this protect will be very appreciated.:)