Let's Make T-Nuts! Your first milling project
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- This is Mill Skills, a multi-part series to help you learn basic machine shop work. Exclusive videos, drawings, models & plans available on Patreon!
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"blacker than the devils carbon fibre fiddle" had me on the floor xD
Another benefit of having the thread stopped at the bottom of the nut is so that the bolt won’t jack the nut off the bottom of the table and fracture the lips of the slot. 4 am in Australia and I’m watching Blondihacks!
I was just going to say that, but you beat me to it at 4 am! (and its 2:30 pm here).
Chris Stephens, do you mean that the step blocks should be positioned abutting the clamp bolt, to protect the t-slot shoulder from tearing upwards?
Those t-nuts are just cherry Blondie. Sometimes it is nice if studs stay put in the slot, but not most of the time.
@@qcnck2776 That's funny, I'm in Canada and it's currently 2:30 am! lol.
Yeah, you are now stuck with "tappy tap tap", "metric/imperial fist shake", aaannndddd "Yahtzee".
If I have to say them every time, and apparently I do, then so do you. So there.
Neat project.
Thanks and Meow back at Sprocket.
@@markfergerson2145 ave didn't invent it, it's from the movie Happy Gilmore
@@markfergerson2145 You cought me, English is my third language after German and Russian. My point was that neither of them must have gotten it from the other as this expression is much older than youtube.
I know, weird, I’ve started saying it while working on my mill now!
Christoph Pech, a gentlemanly response, well done.
@@markfergerson2145 he even has me doing it!
I am so glad I came across your channel. No one explains anything better than you. Love your work!
You had me worried at the 17 min mark, I had to turn my tablet upside down to see the T nut. Thank goodness it was just an editing error and you don't really have to mount your milling machine on the ceiling! Thanks for another great vid.
I came for, well I actually don't remember that, but I definitely stayed for the stupid jokes.
I think NASA produced the blackest of blacks... could have been someone else though...….
"Tappy tap tap" is infectious! I found myself saying it last week when milling some dovetails.Also, can state: Never climb with a dovetail cutter!
Oh, yes. Never climb with a dovetail cutter. I have a video that accidentally illustrates why.
Ok fellas, I’m trying to imagine the bad result and why: force vectors pull the mill out of the collet, changing height of cut? Can you oblige?
@@leehaelters6182 the flutes are generally straight, and the neck of the tool is narrow, so as the flutes pound away, the tool flexes into the cut, taking a bigger chipbload, which increases the force and makes it worse. The tool flexes and tries to climb up out of the workpiece, jamming or breaking. I think the biggest factor is that the diameter at the end of the tool is large, so the leverage vs the small neck is a bad combination.
@@Clough42 Combine this all with the limited rigidity of a mini-mill, and you get the idea. Fortunately my spindle stalled, so the cutter was not damaged. Very fortunate as I do not have a spare. Even the Chinese ones are pricey.
@@gregloubser4744 did it look and sound like this? th-cam.com/video/8SVJqfpQKX8/w-d-xo.htmlm52s
My gosh I was a big boy back then...
Wow such a clear but information-packed video full of useful tips! 😎 As a video producer myself I know just how long this will have taken you to create, especially the voiceover - thanks Quinn! 🙏
So I've always wanted a workshop, with a focus on tree carcasses. This channel is making me want to work with stuff that was never alive.
@@Ddabig40mac Carbon may be the base for life, but it isn't synonymous with it. Either way, my point surely comes through, no?
This was actually my 2nd project, from a couple of old railroad spikes; the 1st was a tiny variable capacitor for a piece of electronic test equipment, which involved both functions of a combo lathe/mill. My 3rd project was a better drawbar for the quill. I enjoy making not only end products, but the tools to make them with and i enjoy re-purposing items and materials that others would throw away. i sometimes make special tools that cannot otherwise be bought. I also enjoy rehabbing old tools and machinery.
These videos are fabulous! I have been binge watching the lathe and milling series since I discovered them, thanks Quinn
Awesome, thanks for watching! 😁
@@Blondihacks I have been looking at getting a hobby lathe and vertical mill home set up as I approach retirement. I learnt basic milling and lathe work a million years ago at trade school, but I moved away from that into another career (my father was a turner and fitter/toolmaker and discouraged me from being a machinist!)...but keen to get back into it. Easy and cheaper now than I recall. Your video series is pitched just right...
This was literally my first milling project, as I needed T nuts for the mill to be able to do the next project. And since I already had a set of clamping hardware, I didn't really fancy buying anything. Also, because it's more fun making things than buying things (some people don't agree on this one!)
I've always wanted a lathe and milling machine, etc and I finally got one! (older industrial monster) Not even home yet but I've been binge watching your video's, lol! I think this will be my first project, before getting into why I bought it in the first place. (head work on my race car) On to your next vid!!
I prefer the older industrial monster on several points. Cost is the same or less compared to Chinesium. This really surprised me, but I sold off my desktop Harbour Freight mill of the same price I paid for a small industrial. Performance is better and obviously I can work on bigger/longer parts. And finally I like the idea of saving perfectly good useable equipment instead of importing.
I would have given you your complimentary comment before now but my 10 second Zen break morphed into a 3 hour nap. I like to see simple work done to its finest specs. Every time you use any tool, it should be practice of doing your best possible work. This was a good tutorial for newbies and a good refresher for the old vets. 😎👍👏
I have been machinist for 30+ years and I did not know about the paralell trick for determining height. Thanks great job. Don't think I would have done anything different.
Thank you! 😀
I mark the box of parallels to show how much jaw each size leaves, so knowing I can grab .250 of the part I just grab a pair that leaves less than that.
Hi Quin, excellent video, very clear instruction. I just wanted to bring another slant as to why the bases of T nuts are peened. If the stud can go through and hit the lower surface of the slot, the nut could be jacked up and break the edges out of the slot. This problem does not exist when fastening an item that will sit over the stud completely such as a vice, as the bottom of the item counteracts the jacking force of the nut. At all other times, the forces on the flanges of the T slot have the potential of breaking the flange upward. This being said, due caution should ben exercised when tightening the T nut to avoid the possibility of spoiling the work table. If excessive tightening force needs to be applied to secure the part, another setup may be advisable. I look forward to your next video, keep well and kind regards, Richard
The elaborate clamping set up at the end was helpful. I struggle with having the right length threaded studs and i never thought to stack a second strap clamp on top
The hero shot of the completed nuts at 17:30 is very nice. You nailed the black level.
i appreciate the commentary on Your channel. Thanks for sharing.
I really enjoy your videos but your commentary cracks me up. Keep up the good work. A big fan. Mike from NJ
Yes, the first thing I made with my Atlas horizontal mill. Not from scratch but modified some I bought to fit the table. This is also when I found out just how deadly sharp those slivers of steel are that a horizontal cutter throws off.
Another great project Quinn. They are the best looking T-nuts I ever seen.
Thinking this will be the first mill project. Seems to be a great way to start. Can get the project done and for the most part unless you really mess up they are going to still work.
Tappy Tap Tap is such a fun phrase it is slowly entering my normal vocabulary.
Always joyful and educational videos. Take care.
Thank you so much! New here trying to finish a e steamer train and these videos are great!
Just found this channel. WOW. Pretty impressive!
I use the same thread gages. They're a good bit of kit to have. Stay well...
Another great video. I’ve become a regular Blondihacks machining fan. I started with your videos of the lathe and now for milling. If I had bought my mill before or even when I bought my lathe I could have used this video to mount my aftermarket Chinese aloris knock-off qctp. It seemed to be a lot more involved making a t-nut on the lathe. Thanks again
TH-cams stupid auto captions said, "Hello internet my name is Quinton and this is bloody axe" that would be a VERY different kinda video.
I would watch THAT in a heartbeat! lol
Sounds like a death metal group.
I watch the Hardware Unboxed (computer tech) channel, and yootoob CC can't understand their Australian accents, so gives us such gems as "hammer on box", "harbor unbox", "hadron box"... They embraced it and made some Hammer On Box and Harbor Unbox t-shirts; I could totally see Quinn selling Bloody Axe shirts.
My bloody axe is between me and the demons in my head.
@@Blondihacks Hello, Internet! I'm Lizzie Borden and this is BlondieHACKS
Very well put together video. New fiddler from sunny old England added
That Niagara cutter really gives me end mill envy! Hmmm... “endvy”?
I am a few steps behind you... I still have mill-envy, pure and simple :)
They look perfect! Brilliant videos thanks
Ha, my first finished shaper/mill project was exactly that :D Great video, as always.
I'm sorry mate but that magnetic stand as a end stop is genius! Using that on my Haas!
I had a good time watching this. As luck would have it, I was having a nice hot cup of tea when I got the subscriber notification that the episode was posted ... using tea time to tee up a vid about T-nuts. If I was between twelve and twenty it would have been even more exciting, I suppose, but here we are and it was still very entertaining. Thanks very much, as always.
Kismet! 😀
Awesome job! I made some”T”nuts for my mill a long time ago, but I’ll tell what I did that worked far better… I took bolts that matched the diameter of the studs for my t nuts, then ground the heads down to match my t nuts. This way my studs and t nuts were one piece, thus stronger, and longer lasting!
Quinn you are a pleasure to watch always enjoy your vids. something as simple as making t-nuts you add your little comedic inputs keep it up you also give very good instructions. And gotten love a lady that doesn't mind getting her hands dirty
After watching tens of these and other videos, I feel theoretically prepared to do a milling operation. Now I need a mill. And lathe. And workshop.
You had me at "That's not right! What did I do?" :D
Quinn,when I ordered a coffee mug I thought of the sly commercial in your video's!
Haha, excellent! 😀
@@Blondihacks Quinn, I got my mug today! looks good and now I have two cups!!
Istill waiting for some parts to do some small milling on my lathe and this is the perfect starter project, thanks for the idea
Thank you informative and entertaining as usual.
So very clear , ace and thorough thank you
Love your videos, very interesting and informative, I’ve had my warco mill a week and I have made T nuts as my first project today🤣👍
Quinn,
instead of running the tap all the way thru the T-nut and then having to ding the threads to keep the bolts from coming thru, just observe the tap as the end of it comes out the bottom. usually one thread stick out is all that it needs. dinging the threads is no guarantee the bolt won't go past and into the table groove or lift the T-nut up and break the slot of the table when some gronk is applied to it.
also, it's not a bad idea to heat treat the T-nuts and quench them in oil. that way you get a nice black finish and threads that are more wear resistant
Just made my first set of T-nuts on my new to me mill. Like you sed very good first little project. Was great fun
One of my very first projects was the making of T nuts. I still have them 50 years later.
Very nice job Quinn Sadly I am usually rushing to fix some thing I have a broken on the farm go through and my boxes of hold down and clamping bits and end up taking the quick and dirty approach on the larger t slots a bit of 3/8 or 1/2" flat bar with a hole tapped in it can surfice on those jobs that require a little more precision I have been known to make a pretty one.
I use a center drill that is large enough to make the chamfer before the tapping. Have done so for decades.
Thanks you fro the great videos I juts got a grizzly go705 mill drill and have a lot to learn you are a great help
Wow for a first time project you did awesome.....lol Well I guess you did say for our first time project. Now I'm really going to catch-up to 2021 on your video's too. Thank you
I just found my first project thank you.
The "touching and the Guy off" and a Billie Jean reference in one video was only offset by the fact that you made the T-nuts darker. ;-) We hear AvE tappy tap tapping at every opportunity he has now! Nice job Quinn.
Thanks Quinn another quality video, fantastic content.
Good to see you Quinn!
Goody, I had not heard the word "patootie" since... well, whenever I last listened to the Rocky Horror Picture Show sound track ;)
With that and the great video, thank you muchly!
Very Nice, Thanks Quinn.
As I've mentioned in an earlier episode: T nuts will be my first foray into milling (when my mill turns up) as only 4 are supplied as standard. However the only stock metal I have is too thin to carve the whole things from a single piece, so I will be doing some _real_ welding, also for the first time, with my TIG welder. I just need to buy a set of R8 collets and a crap load of end mills!
Expensive doesn't even begin to describe this hobby!
Just got a Emco Unimat SL as my first lathe/Mill and I don't have any t-nuts. I shall go ahead and try to make some.
Oh, those things are thin! Have one.
Perfect timing for me to watch this video somehow i lucked out and found 2 rotary tables i could afford.they have different size t slots and didnt come with any so i have to make my hardware for it. Thank you for another excellent video.
Even though I’m only a woodworker,😳, I have added tappy, tap, tap to my vocabulary.😀
In gunsmithing, we use Awesome Degreaser before bluing. It's cheap and works well.
If you're trying to conserve gloves you might want to use an alternative. I've been using Ansell Hyflex 11-600 reusable gloves. They can be used about a week before they need to be cleaned or thrown out.
I have a 1969 Bridgeport with 0.624" slots. The mill came with 1/2-13 T nuts. I have been modifying other T nuts with 5/8-11 thread to fit in my narrow slots. Those female threads are breaking through on top.
A nice project and the video was well done as usual. I just buy the T nuts because they come already made for almost the same cost as the material to make them.
I get most of my material free as scrap/salvage. I made a set of T-nuts out of a couple of old railroad
spikes. Metal is expensive in small quantities, but you'd be surprised by what people throw away.
Quin I haven't been guilty of actually saying "Tappy Tappy" But i do think it and then laff about it to myself. LOL Thanks for the humor.
I made mine today thanks for the help.
Tappy tap tap is a nice salute to AvE. Obviously an influence. :-)
Nice reference, And nice vid as usual there Quinn. Always killer explinations,
and production quality is top notch.
Use a piece of metal shipping strapping as a string between the parrellels. 5 in pc bend in the middle. It will keep them apart while drilling holes or machining. Good info in your videos
I like the highfalutin way. Is it weird that I could watch milling all day long and still want more?
Love your videos!! One thing i hate is de-burring! Ever think of using a drill mill??? Makes quick work of those nasty burrs!! Just a thought. Take care!! Can't wait for your next video!!😊✌
Weirdly, I actually enjoy deburring. I find it soothing. 😀
You could add a couple of extra types of T-nut.
First of the split nut. Just cut one in half lengthwise. Now when you discover your setup could do with just one more hold-down, but you can't slide a nut in without breaking the setup down, you can get each half of the split nut in and the stud will line them up. A good fit in the slot makes this work well.
Second, make some nuts with smaller threaded holes, but with the holes offset as far as you can to the edge of the slot. Might be just what you need to sneak that extra hold down past the edge of an awkward part.
tip , use a reloading tumbler / vibrator with BBs as an affordable shot peener / deburring tool .
So i made a T-nut the other day in a bit of an unconventional way... I needed it for a QCTP for my grandfather's champion blower and forge 9L Lathe, the square block it came with was too big to fit in the slots of the compound cross slide, so i got my dremel tool router, a cut off wheel, and a wood stop block, and I used that to cut off a .2" x.2" section from the square block on both sides. wasn't sure if it was gonna work, but I got it to fit in the compound cross slide! Things are a lot harder without a mill :P
Great in-depth video!!
Yep Tappy Tap Tap I say it every time myself Quinn... TFS, G :)
That was really fun!
if your making something that going to get regular use its worth making it well . my old metalwork teach told me that and i have never forgotten
Run the facing cuts in a clockwise direction around the part to save a lot of de-burring.The cutters won't mind.
Gotta love your dry humour~
🌵 🐫
You are like a milling scientist.
When I’m working and need to tap something the tappytaptap pops up in my mind 😂
Good one, thank you!
I can't help but say "Tappy, Tap Tap" and "Yahtzee" ....as is tradition LOL
Have you tried chamfering (countersink) both sides of the hole before you thread it? I just learned this from my machinist (old school know it all type). Clean threads and lets the tap start easier. You won't have to debur and chase the threads again.
Thanks Quinn
Nice job Quinn, hope you are doing well, I know I'm kind of a worrier but maybe it's part of the fun of getting old and I haven't commented in a while. It's probably cause I'm so long winded on these things. Thanks
"Billie Jean Protocol" - LOL
I actually prefer my threaded holes to go all the way through as I like to hand tighten the threaded rod through and into the table to hold it in place. Makes for less fumbling when setting things up.
Good point!
Careful doing that with a cast iron table. Cast is not known for having great tensile strength and you wouldn’t be the first person to crack a T slot doing just that
If you allow the rod to pass through and contact the bottom of the slot, you apply pressure on the underside of the small slot. Then, when you tighten the hold down nut, you add more pressure on the same point, potentially to excess. Tables have been damaged this way; manufacturers would not add feature cost for no reason.
@@Blondihacks I say they shouldn't thread through, the bolt will bottom out on the table and act as a "jack" between the table floor and tee nut rails, terrible way to break a cast iron table!
Great idea for a starter project!
Like the NUT-and-BOLT thread checker! In the chicken and egg problem, where did the initial T-BOLTS come from that were used to hold your vise down? :)
Quinn , Those Tee nut look like jewelry when you were done , with your Precise approach to everything , I believe you could make a very fine set of shop made 1.2.3. blocks , I have learned so much more about the D.R.O. from you Thanks for taking the time to do this Pete M
Aww, thanks! 😁
Is there a reason you didn't make all the threaded holes in the stock prior to cutting the individual pieces? Seems like that would have been easier on setup rather than placing a lot of smaller pieces and running though tool changes on each.
Keep tap tappin' away Thanks for your informative videos ... One Question since you have the DRO ... Couldnt you just drill and tap them all first before cutting them apart
Thanks 🎉️
Nicely done!
Just watched Joe Pie talking about incremental mode on the DRO and bam! I see Quinn using it 2 minutes later...
@@chrishill6276 Me too. Saturdays are great for YT machinists.
Sometimes I see Tom Lipton use a long rubber band to keep his parallel against the moving jaw when opening and closing the vise in those repetitive setups. I think it might be worth a try.
That’s a great idea! I will try that
Ahhhhh T nuts. The reason I had to spend $7200 on a mill. Aloris tool post didn't come with the proper one for my lathe when I picked it up off ebay. Seemed like a perfect excuse.................and it was ;-)
Uh oh.. Quinn is losing it. The always perfect intro had a little preview😁 Nice looking necklace btw