The past six weeks have been filled mostly with repetition and progression of existing projects. The 4th axis is progressing nicely, almost finished with the final step of making a custom adapter plate for a 3 jaw chuck. I mostly plan to use round stock material on the 4th axis so a self-centering chuck is needed for a quick and accurate part change out.
The Bridgeport mill has been getting some good ol' fashion trial and error practice making parts. After 7 attempts I finally have an "acceptable" quality part for a custom racecar project. Each piece was an experiment with different cutting strategies. There is much to learn!
The bad news is I ruined 1 drill bit and 3 new end mills trying, but the good news is I learned ALOT!
It's quite a satisfying feeling to see the mess that a running machine makes! You may notice the coolant spray that has been added to the machine :-) Once the cutting begins there's alot of heat generated! That's how the above picture has melted aluminum in the teeth of the cutter...
Not a huge pile of swarf, but hopefully a sign of bigger ones to come!
