I've got my Dremel set up as a light duty toolpost grinder (had the
setup for years) with a heavy duty cutoff wheel . I think I need a lot
of practice in positioning the tool/workpiece - maybe an index wheel* -
but I think this is going to work just fine . The smaller end mills are
the most difficult ... guess which ones I fuck up the most often ?
I've got a ring light magnifying glass down on the reloading bench
that might just get relocated . I think my eyes are getting old faster
than the rest of me .
*Now I've got my mind churning ideas for a standalone indexing
fixture for this , probably using another 5C collet setup . Using collet
blocks will cut down on the amount of machining I'll need to do ... got
a 4 and a 6 sided .
--
Snag
"You can lead a dummy to facts
but you can't make him think."

On Sat, 29 Apr 2023 10:52:06 -0500
Snag <Snag_one@msn.com> wrote:

<snip>
>I've got a ring light magnifying glass down on the reloading bench
>that might just get relocated . I think my eyes are getting old faster
>than the rest of me .

In another hobby of mine guys were recommending a clip-on Macro Lens
for your smartphone. An added advantage going that route is being
able to record/save an image and then look at it in more detail later
on.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=macro+phone+lens

Also have a couple magnifying visors I sometimes use while working
on circuit boards and the likes. Problem is working distance with
strong magnification which is very little. Have another lens setup that
just clips to one side of my glasses. A lot of the time I just use a
loupe to inspect, make some mods, inspect, make mods...

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=magnifying+visor

I've always had crappy eyes and needed aids to help...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI

On 4/29/2023 12:58 PM, Leon Fisk wrote:
> On Sat, 29 Apr 2023 10:52:06 -0500
> Snag <Snag_one@msn.com> wrote:
>
> <snip>
>> I've got a ring light magnifying glass down on the reloading bench
>> that might just get relocated . I think my eyes are getting old faster
>> than the rest of me .
>
> In another hobby of mine guys were recommending a clip-on Macro Lens
> for your smartphone. An added advantage going that route is being
> able to record/save an image and then look at it in more detail later
> on.
>
> https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=macro+phone+lens
>

That might work if we used a cellphone a lot ... We have a nice smart
phone , it resides in the door pocket of the car . Where we live there
is no cell reception - or TV , or FM radio . Well , I do get about 3 FM
stations . Even on the ride to town reception is spotty . The only times
we turn the phone on is emergencies and when we go on a trip (farther
than just to town ) .

> Also have a couple magnifying visors I sometimes use while working
> on circuit boards and the likes. Problem is working distance with
> strong magnification which is very little. Have another lens setup that
> just clips to one side of my glasses. A lot of the time I just use a
> loupe to inspect, make some mods, inspect, make mods...
>
> https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=magnifying+visor
>
> I've always had crappy eyes and needed aids to help...
>

I've had glasses for nearsightedness since I was a teen . The problem
here is as much lighting as it is magnification . I used to have a
goose-neck lamp over the lathe , it broke and I never replaced it . I
have a flashlight that would help - if I had 3 hands .
--
Snag
"You can lead a dummy to facts
but you can't make him think."

On 4/29/2023 10:58 AM, Leon Fisk wrote:
> On Sat, 29 Apr 2023 10:52:06 -0500
> Snag <Snag_one@msn.com> wrote:
>
> <snip>
>> I've got a ring light magnifying glass down on the reloading bench
>> that might just get relocated . I think my eyes are getting old faster
>> than the rest of me .
>
> In another hobby of mine guys were recommending a clip-on Macro Lens
> for your smartphone. An added advantage going that route is being
> able to record/save an image and then look at it in more detail later
> on.
>
> https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=macro+phone+lens
>
> Also have a couple magnifying visors I sometimes use while working
> on circuit boards and the likes. Problem is working distance with
> strong magnification which is very little. Have another lens setup that
> just clips to one side of my glasses. A lot of the time I just use a
> loupe to inspect, make some mods, inspect, make mods...
>
> https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=magnifying+visor
>
> I've always had crappy eyes and needed aids to help...
>

Heck, just sharpening a drill bit I have a 3X magnifier lamp I swing
over the bench grinder so I can really see what is happening. Have
another one in my front office on that bench. I often use a small clamp
on bench vise and a rotary hand piece there in conjunction with it to
sharpen, grind, and cut stuff. More than once I've used an abrasive
disc to shorten screws so I could get a finished job out the door. Its
easy when I can clamp the screw in a vise and SEE it.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
www.avg.com

On Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:51:56 -0500
Snag <Snag_one@msn.com> wrote:

<snip>
>I've had glasses for nearsightedness since I was a teen . The problem
>here is as much lighting as it is magnification . I used to have a
>goose-neck lamp over the lathe , it broke and I never replaced it . I
>have a flashlight that would help - if I had 3 hands .

Really nearsighted, had glasses since third grade. Amazing how much
that helped in school...

I splurged on a Fenix E12 a few years ago. BEST flashlight I've ever
had. Gold plated contacts, real on/off switch, defaults to low at power
up and only one AA battery. Almost always wear a visor or cap and these
can clip on the visor. The clip that comes with them is too tight for
most visors but can be spread open a tad. Maybe they've fixed that
issue nowadays...

https://www.amazon.com/Fenix-Compact-Flashlight-LumenTac-Organizer/dp/B08HDL6NWF/

I've bought some from Ebay sellers for ~$25 to give as gifts...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI

"Snag" wrote in message news:u2jef4$30hmm$1@dont-email.me...
I've got my Dremel set up as a light duty toolpost grinder (had the
setup for years) with a heavy duty cutoff wheel . I think I need a lot
of practice in positioning the tool/workpiece - maybe an index wheel* -
but I think this is going to work just fine . The smaller end mills are
the most difficult ... guess which ones I fuck up the most often ?
I've got a ring light magnifying glass down on the reloading bench
that might just get relocated . I think my eyes are getting old faster
than the rest of me .
*Now I've got my mind churning ideas for a standalone indexing
fixture for this , probably using another 5C collet setup . Using collet
blocks will cut down on the amount of machining I'll need to do ... got
a 4 and a 6 sided .
Snag

-----------------------

I have a pair of the $50 import versions of this:
https://www.aaabrasives.com/kalamazoo-5c-index-fixture
At least that's what I paid in the stores where I found them. Googling for
images shows only the Kalamazoo and Hardinge versions.

I used a 1" rod in a collet to level the base of one on its side in the
milling vise and machined the rough cast sides parallel so it can be clamped
in the vise, level or on angle blocks. As-is it has 24 spring-loaded stops
but it could be set and clamped by eye at any angular rotation.

The other one is upright on an angle plate. The collet nut is a ring with
spanner holes on the OD and doesn't need much clearance to tighten it. Both
can take the 3, 4 or 6 jaw chucks on 5C mounts for my lathe.

Another possibility is a spin index:
https://www.amazon.com/TTC-5C-Spin-Index-Fixture/dp/B006UHFO62

If you cut gears or splines there's this:
https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/bs0dividinghead/
My Clausing mill also uses B&S-7 collets. They almost interchange with Morse
#2.
https://www.amazon.com/HHIP-Brown-Sharpe-Collet-Various/dp/B01IATAYLC

On 4/29/2023 2:14 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
> "Snag"  wrote in message news:u2jef4$30hmm$1@dont-email.me...
>   I've got my Dremel set up as a light duty toolpost grinder (had the
> setup for years) with a heavy duty cutoff wheel . I think I need a lot
> of practice in positioning the tool/workpiece - maybe an index wheel* -
> but I think this is going to work just fine . The smaller end mills are
> the most difficult ... guess which ones I fuck up the most often ?
>   I've got a ring light magnifying glass down on the reloading bench
> that might just get relocated . I think my eyes are getting old faster
> than the rest of me .
>   *Now I've got my mind churning ideas for a standalone indexing
> fixture for this , probably using another 5C collet setup . Using collet
> blocks will cut down on the amount of machining I'll need to do ... got
> a 4 and a 6 sided .
> Snag
>
> -----------------------
>
> I have a pair of the $50 import versions of this:
> https://www.aaabrasives.com/kalamazoo-5c-index-fixture
> At least that's what I paid in the stores where I found them. Googling
> for images shows only the Kalamazoo and Hardinge versions.
>
> I used a 1" rod in a collet to level the base of one on its side in the
> milling vise and machined the rough cast sides parallel so it can be
> clamped in the vise, level or on angle blocks. As-is it has 24
> spring-loaded stops but it could be set and clamped by eye at any
> angular rotation.
>
> The other one is upright on an angle plate. The collet nut is a ring
> with spanner holes on the OD and doesn't need much clearance to tighten
> it. Both can take the 3, 4 or 6 jaw chucks on 5C mounts for my lathe.
>
> Another possibility is a spin index:
> https://www.amazon.com/TTC-5C-Spin-Index-Fixture/dp/B006UHFO62
>
> If you cut gears or splines there's this:
> https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/bs0dividinghead/
> My Clausing mill also uses B&S-7 collets. They almost interchange with
> Morse #2.
> https://www.amazon.com/HHIP-Brown-Sharpe-Collet-Various/dp/B01IATAYLC
>

I'm thinking something a lot more simple than most of those .
Probably something with a clamp ring for the Dremel on a pivoting arm ,
and a flat surface to set the collet blocks on . It'll need a way to
clamp and locate the blocks laterally .
For now though the ring light/magnifier is coming from the loading
bench to the shop . It's not like I'm going to be sharpening end mills
every day ...
--
Snag
"You can lead a dummy to facts
but you can't make him think."

"Snag" wrote in message news:u2js5r$32t04$1@dont-email.me...

I'm thinking something a lot more simple than most of those .
Probably something with a clamp ring for the Dremel on a pivoting arm ,
and a flat surface to set the collet blocks on . It'll need a way to
clamp and locate the blocks laterally .
For now though the ring light/magnifier is coming from the loading
bench to the shop . It's not like I'm going to be sharpening end mills
every day ...
Snag

----------------------

I don't have better answers because if I don't need 0.001" accuracy I just
Dremel grind by hand, with a Magnivisor and my wrists supported on the bench
vise or such. I made adapters to mount my Dremels on lathe tool posts which
also hold them in the vise.

Even a 4-1/2" angle grinder can make reasonably precise cuts on lathe bits
etc held in the vise. That's how I shape internal threading bits from
blanks. It's not much different from smoothing a MIG weld bead on a fender
repair, or cleaning up a forged blade.

On 4/29/2023 1:25 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:
> "Snag"  wrote in message news:u2js5r$32t04$1@dont-email.me...
>
>   I'm thinking something a lot more simple than most of those .
> Probably something with a clamp ring for the Dremel on a pivoting arm ,
> and a flat surface to set the collet blocks on . It'll need a way to
> clamp and locate the blocks laterally .
>   For now though the ring light/magnifier is coming from the loading
> bench to the shop . It's not like I'm going to be sharpening end mills
> every day ...
> Snag
>
> ----------------------
>
> I don't have better answers because if I don't need 0.001" accuracy I
> just Dremel grind by hand, with a Magnivisor and my wrists supported on
> the bench vise or such. I made adapters to mount my Dremels on lathe
> tool posts which also hold them in the vise.
>
> Even a 4-1/2" angle grinder can make reasonably precise cuts on lathe
> bits etc held in the vise. That's how I shape internal threading bits
> from blanks. It's not much different from smoothing a MIG weld bead on a
> fender repair, or cleaning up a forged blade.

Its actually pretty hard to beat an angle grinder for roughing lathe
tools. I keep one with a hard cut blade in it all the time. Even if I
need something a little more accurate it saves gobs of time to rough out
the waste first.

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff

--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
www.avg.com

"Snag" wrote in message news:u2js5r$32t04$1@dont-email.me...

I'm thinking something a lot more simple than most of those .
Probably something with a clamp ring for the Dremel on a pivoting arm ,
and a flat surface to set the collet blocks on . It'll need a way to
clamp and locate the blocks laterally .
For now though the ring light/magnifier is coming from the loading
bench to the shop . It's not like I'm going to be sharpening end mills
every day ...
Snag
--------------------

My simplest angle fixture is a Suburban (copy?) angle plate salvaged from a
second-hand machining fixture with a work holding block bolted to it.
Normally the block is a height and tilt adjustable dead center for my
various indexers, or a 5C collet block could be strapped on. A cheaper
slotted cast iron angle plate should work as long as it is tall enough.

https://www.freertool.com/products/precision-ground-angle-plate-ap446s2-6-x-4-x-4-x-1

Mine was stained and somewhat rusted from the coolant but scattered rust
pits don't make it less precise as long as some original surface survives
between them. It cleaned up nicely with fine steel wool and kerosene.

The once thriving industrial second-hand market in New England is rapidly
drying up as manufacturing closes. The ham radio (+ industrial surplus) flea
market I attended this weekend was lightly attended compared to earlier
years, though I found most of what I wanted.

On Sun, 30 Apr 2023 07:26:55 -0400
"Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> wrote:

<snip>
>The once thriving industrial second-hand market in New England is rapidly
>drying up as manufacturing closes. The ham radio (+ industrial surplus) flea
>market I attended this weekend was lightly attended compared to earlier
>years, though I found most of what I wanted.

Was searching for some Ebay info and came across this yesterday in the
Sellers Community. A lot of responses blamed the economy/inflation. Good
time for buyers who still have money...

==Been on ebay for 18 yrs. top rated seller with 100% approval ratings.
Over the course of that time, I've grown and added many new product
lines & put thousands of dollars in new items online here this year
alone.

This year it seems is the year that ebay has died, for in spite of
discounts, and sales, I am now lucky if I get 100 dollars in sales in a
week! (used to be 3-5x that much) I have 1400+ current active
listings on ebay and not a single sale in 2 days now? WTH is going on
here? I do price searches for similar items. Our prices are
competitive, nearly always lower than others. I share several product
posts daily on facebook, instagram ect. (free advertising) Still
nothing. Some say its the new algorithms, but how do we counter or
fix that if this is the problem? (you'd THINK ebay would be more on
top of this issue) I'm not going to be able to hang on here if things
don't perk up. 😢 Open to suggestions.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Where-are-the-customers-WHY-aren-t-we-getting-any-sales-lately/td-p/33713553/jump-to/first-unread-message
==--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI