Tool Makers V-Blocks

[rossbotics]

Over the weekend I was thinking about what tool I didn't have as far as machine shop tooling, On several occasions I have had the need for a pair of small V-Blocks just to fit the mill vise, I went to the steel rack where I keep my small pieces and found a piece of 4140 1.000" x 1.500" X 4.000", so I cut it in half and machined the blocks to the specs I wanted, I stamped the numeral 1 on one end of each block for a reference then oil hardened and tempered them, I cleaned them up and ground them together making a matched pair, I didn't take any manufacturing photos but took a few photos of the finished blocks and the cad drawing.

As always thanks for looking and happy machining

Doug

[jjr2001]

Nice set of V-blocks Doug.

I like the mounting holes which my small set does not have. Makes mounting on a tooling plate easy.

Cheers, JR

[tonyfoale]

When I have made pairs of things like V-blocks I do not cut them in half at the beginning. I make a cut on each face less than or equal to 1/4 of the material thickness. Then I do the grinding with it as a single piece. When finished I cut through and face off the ends.

[rossbotics]

When I have made pairs of things like V-blocks I do not cut them in half at the beginning. I make a cut on each face less than or equal to 1/4 of the material thickness. Then I do the grinding with it as a single piece. When finished I cut through and face off the ends.

Well it's fine to make them in one piece as long as your not using hardened steel.

[tonyfoale]

Well it's fine to make them in one piece as long as your not using hardened steel.

Doug,

You have lost me there. I have done it with hardened steel, what problem do you see?

[rossbotics]

Doug,

You have lost me there. I have done it with hardened steel, what problem do you see?

Tony I understand what you're saying about how you would have done something like this, and I don't see anything wrong with your approach, I guess thats just the difference between two different tool makers.

Cheers
Doug

[tonyfoale]

Tony I understand what you're saying about how you would have done something like this, and I don't see anything wrong with your approach, I guess thats just the difference between two different tool makers.

Cheers
Doug

Of course.
My initial post was not meant as a "mine is better than yours" approach.

Considering the time difference you must be an early riser.

[rossbotics]

Of course.
My initial post was not meant as a "mine is better than yours" approach.

Considering the time difference you must be an early riser.

No intent taken Tony,
I retired this past March and I'm really having a hard time adjusting to the "nothing to do world" but I'm learning, after working all your life it's hard to just sit on your azz and do nothing, I wake up at some weird hours sometimes but I'm adjusting, you can only work so long in the shop and you get tired of it too.

Cheers
Doug

[tonyfoale]

No intent taken Tony,
I retired this past March............... but I'm adjusting, you can only work so long in the shop and you get tired of it too.
Doug

I will only be 75 in a couple of months so I am still too young to feel the effects of a full day in the workshop. I feel unsettled if I am not there.

[wizard69]

First nice work on the Vee blocks! I like seeing all the different approaches to what is a very basic tool in the shop

It is kind of funny but I just pulled apart some fixturing at work that has a bunch of Vee blocks (well chucks of steel passable as such). I like the idea of found materials being leveraged in the shop

No intent taken Tony,
I retired this past March and I'm really having a hard time adjusting to the "nothing to do world" but I'm learning, after working all your life it's hard to just sit on your azz and do nothing, I wake up at some weird hours sometimes but I'm adjusting, you can only work so long in the shop and you get tired of it too.

Cheers
Doug

This is what bothers me more than anything about a pending retirement. I really think I will need to find part time work or maybe set up a small business of some sort. I'm 58 and I'd like to leave ASAP but the idea of not having something to focus on is unsettling to say the least.