Houston, we have a problem.........

[Runs With Scissors]

Ok fellas,

I have been chipping away at the "Hydraulic Thumb" project.....slowly....

As per normal, each project I do, creates 4 more projects, and so on....and so on.....

I had a post written, but apparantly the "drafts" folder has a short time limit on it.

ASIDE: So in my "lost post" I eloquently pointed out that @Chanceywd had a perfectly good way of dealing with the length problem, by boring out and plugging the tail end of the cylinder....and I was going to use it.........But sometimes, I do things differently....Just because.

So I was testing out the Hyd. Thumb recently and it took forever to retract. (like 40 seconds long)

So I immedialty figured that my hose crimps were to to blame.

Therefore I decide to troubleshoot it by using the "Squirt Test"


So what is the "Squirt test" you ask?


Well its a scientifically engineered test that is universally accepted by the ASE, NASA, and all of the governing hydraulic agencies, and all 3 letter .gov agencies.

You take the temp of you hydraulic fluid, then plug that into a complicated quaratic equation, then divide by the logrythim of the .......

hahahah....JK

I just actuated my levers in both directions and shot that sh1t across the shop.






Well both of them made an equal mess, so I conclude that the hoses are not the problem.


The next thing that pops into my head is my "spacer" that I made to limit the retraction distance.

I figure that it is probably blocking the oil port, thus limiting the amount of fluid that can pass.




Well, I am fairly sure that this "spacer" is the problem. So now I gotta figure out how to stop the pistons from traveling too far, but I need to not limit the flow of oil.


Hmmmmm??????

About 10 ideas hit me simultaneously........All of them are some sort of a "drilled/machined matrix" of channels and holes.

Now the big problem is how do I keep the plug/slug/spacer indexed properly as to not "turn in the bore" and block fluid flow?

This keeps me awake for a night or two.........

Then it hits me like a "sack of hammers" in my sleep............

Why not make a "star" shaped spacer?

This way the spacer will allow for fluid flow in any orientation......(In theory)

Too bad it woke me at 0200 though........

ASIDE: kind of funny how 25 years ago I would be getting kicked out of a bar at this time....but now I am making a pot of covvffe, firing up the computer, and warming up the lathe.......



At 0" Dark hundred I fire up the computer and "draw" this up.




So at 0'Dark Thirty, there I am, in the Fortress of Solitude, smoke poring off the lathe (Not really), and me making chips. (my wife loves it when the compressor goes off then too)

Now at this point, I am also at a "cross roads" of sorts.

I learned that the cylinder was also a "wee bit" too long, so it was just barely hitting the cross member of the BH. HOWEVER, I would have to take off the piston of my "new cylinder" to make a spacer ....Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm??????????????



Well, "in for a penny, in for a pound" I suppose, so after my 4th coveffe I decide thats exactly what I am going to do.


But first things first........The "Star"


So the first thing I have to decide is how to make the "valleys".....Well that damned "Machinist Phenomena" hits me square in the face......I think of about 3 ways to do it.....DAMN IT MAN!!!!!!!!


Being a "NOOB" I decide that the "best way" to do this is to turn a "nub" that will fit into a collet and use my "indexer' to mill the valleys on the Bridgeport.....

So I very carefully measure it, and take my time.....Double and............ triple checking things





So thats exactly what I do, then flip it around and face the backside.





Looking good so far.......


Now its off to the mill.......then chuck it up.



It takes me a little while, and I figure that the best place to check for X axis alignment is on the "shaft part" of the indexer.





So after a few "love taps", to get it aligned, I am ready to take the first cut.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I am feeling pretty good at this point.....I have been taking my time, and things are going well.

Everything is double and triple checked, instead of taking it all in one pass, I decide to make 3 or four passes to cut the valleys.

First pass...........Good!!!!!

Second pass...............

YOU DIRTY ROTTEN MO_______F_____G, SON OF A F_______G B_______H!!!!!!!!

DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






I apparently did not tighten the damn indexer enough, and as I took a deeper cut it began to "twist" as it was cutting.

Now the whole thing is "jacked up".......Damn it!!!!!!

Well I decide that since it is AFU, I may as well practice with it.

Hell I might even use it????? I mean really.....why not? It will never be seen by anyone, right? (anyone that does not have the internet anyway.....so all those people in Somalia won't know)

Oh well......I suck up my pride and finish it regardless.

The rest of it goes well though..........and if I hide it with my thumb it looks pretty good.



But here is "Reality"...............




Oh welll............Live to fight another day I guess

 

[JustJim]

I am feeling pretty good at this point.....

I could ask about the pipe wrench among all the precision stuff in your pics ;-)

I have a similar setup (Enco 9x42 bridgeport clone, Chinesium indexer). I've found that the indexer is not very rigid and a tailstock is helpful at keeping cutting forces from pushing the part around. A tailstock wouldn't have fixed your faux-pas, but it makes the indexer more useful.

Anyhow, I flipped the spindle on mine to make it more useful on the surface grinder, and it works pretty well. Certainly not a cylindrical grinder, but OK for my hobby work.

 

[Chanceywd]

Well first I must say thanks for the update!

Did you see any areas where the cylinder or rod were going to hit in your dry fit of the cylinder?
I know it came close in mine and that is why i did the base hole change .
So if I am getting your method right in my head the spacer keeps the thumb from coming up tight to the cylinder?

Bill

 

[hagrid]

Proper fixturing is essential.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I could ask about the pipe wrench among all the precision stuff in your pics ;-)

I have a similar setup (Enco 9x42 bridgeport clone, Chinesium indexer). I've found that the indexer is not very rigid and a tailstock is helpful at keeping cutting forces from pushing the part around. A tailstock wouldn't have fixed your faux-pas, but it makes the indexer more useful.

Anyhow, I flipped the spindle on mine to make it more useful on the surface grinder, and it works pretty well. Certainly not a cylindrical grinder, but OK for my hobby work.
View attachment 181305

So the pipe wrench was called into action when I picked up the indexer, the shaft fell out of it and broke off the "tighening tab" on the back. Then after the F'up I grabbed it to "reef her down"

Well first I must say thanks for the update!

Did you see any areas where the cylinder or rod were going to hit in your dry fit of the cylinder?
I know it came close in mine and that is why i did the base hole change .
So if I am getting your method right in my head the spacer keeps the thumb from coming up tight to the cylinder?

Bill

Yes sir, thats correct.

It was barely touching, but with the amount of force that I think is there, I figured I better stop it from "touching"

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Well, to conintue,

A few days later, decide that I am going to remake the "star spacer".

Did I absolutely need to?????? Of course not, but I hate defeat.

However, this time I decide to try a different method.

I did not like the finish left by the round ended endmil, and after some searching it appears that this is a common problem due to the cutting edges nearing the tip have "basically" no cutting speed due to their position at the tip......


So I decided to try and drill the holes, then use the lathe to take off the unnecessary parts


So I turn out another blank, and break out the "rotary table"





Took me while to get it dialed in, but then I had to secure the blank.

Although I was not "super pleased" with how much material I was gripping, I reasoned that it should work for a "drilling operation".




It took a while. I first used a center drill to start the holes.




After that, I drilled it out.




ASIDE: During this time, I noticed how much cutting fluid I was "slopping all over" and decided to use a syringe to administer the fluid......Wow.....it worked really well and cut my fluid usage way down


Well, now it's "lathe time". So I chuck'er up and commence to making "strings"......




Well it's at this point, that I get a little pissed off......I love the way my HSS inserts cut, but they make "razor strings" that "whip around", and I tired of that, so I switch to a carbide insert that I must have purchased a while back (I just saw the package in my box, I can't recall ordering them)


Anywhooo......JUST WOW.......

I cranked up the speed a little, ( Y'all told me carbide likes a fast speed) and I was presented with nice little (but hot as hell) .....CHIPS.......And a beautiful surface finish to boot.




But alas, as per normal, the fun begins to wane as soon as I start the "interrupted cuts"


Yep, you machinist probably know what comes next.............

Broken bits and a sh1tty finish. Broke a total of 3 inserts.





Then, not learning my lesson, I f'ing broke my favorite parting off tool.




DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is NOT what I hoped for, but I gotta keep going.

So I resort to the trusty horizontal bandsaw to "part it off"

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Anothe ASIDE: Someone was asking me what size and brand it was a little while ago.

Here is the tag on it.......It's a 4 1/2 inch not a 6 inch like I said....But I am reasonably confident that I got it at KBC Tools....way back when.

EDIT: see post below for pic of name plate due to technical difficulties beyond my control



Now I gotta try to face off the "jagged nub" left by the "hacksaw job" I just did.


Hmmmmmmm?????? ..........How do I hold it????????

I decide that a "homemade collet" is going to be my best bet.....I hope.

So I rummage through the "scrap pile" and come up with this beauty.



A few minutes with the bandsaw, and I have what I hope will work.




A few minutes on the lathe, and a little "hand file work", and here she is.........My "Star Spacer"..................So now in my estimation, if the spacer turns in any direction, it will not stop the fluid flow.




Now for the "October surprise"

I made a spacer for the piston too, but I gotta get it on. i was going to just cut it in half, and weld it back together, but that seemed a bit "Cromagnon" I suppose.

So I decide to take the nut off, even though it was "staked on".

Well let me tell you brother...........That thing was ON....BIGLY.





Now after I got the 'staking" removed I ordered a "gland nut wrench" to try and remove it.

Wel that sh1tty little wrench lasted all of 4 F'ing seconds




So now I "up Shits Creek, without a paddle".............


After some "hand wringing", I come up with an idea

I salvage the pins, from the crappy tool, and grab an "El Cheapo" socket, and commence to making my own "spanner socket" (I guess thats what you would call it)




I head over to the TIG machine and Waa Laaa (Voila for some)




BUT I STILL CAN"T GET THE DAMN THING OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There must be some sort of "super duper" thread locker on this damn thing, so I break out the heat gun, and commence to trying to heat it up.

I am avoiding using the torch, but it might come to that.




ASIDE: Yes that is a 'new to me" Genuine Snap-On ratchet that I paid 150 dollars for

I know, I know......I ain't a real mechanic anymore, but I love my other one upstairs in the garage, so I decide to treat myself to a red one, so I don't mix them up




OK, back to the story............

Well I sit there heating it up for about 30 minutes.....It still won't budge.

So now, as a "last resort" I decide to break out the "big guns"........The Flame Wrench......


However as I carried it upstairs, the heat must have 'soaked in".....I hit it one more time with my "homemade Spanner Socket", and BAM......There was some thread locker on it.




Well, I throw my new spacer on, and put everything back together....


Now it's "Go Time".......time to test it and see if my "theories" prove correct??????

 

[Runs With Scissors]

EDIT: I jacked something up when posting and ran out of picture room so the first paragraph above should have had a pic of my horizontal bandsaw name plate....so here it is

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Ok, well here we are................





WORKS GREAT BOTH WAYS







So now I just gotta figure out how to control it from the BH seat.

 

[Chanceywd]

So you had to break some eggs to make that omelet?
The results are impressive!
Thanks for picking me up on the way thru this adventure ride.

I have an old atlas 10 36 lathe and an old rockwell mill but no real skill level and struggle to do fine work.
That is part of the reason I end up doing what I did..

Still thinking about adding my spare 3rd function valve to the backhoe hydraulics and only needing my 12 plug with the push buttons I already have in the knobs.
I run it now with hoses connected to the 3rd function on the loader that is teed and comes to the back for a third rear outlet.

Bill

 

[Sawdust&Shavings]

Ok, well here we are................

View attachment 181340



WORKS GREAT BOTH WAYS



View attachment 181341



So now I just gotta figure out how to control it from the BH seat.

You’re saying you go both ways?!?