The cool tool wall

[TFrench]

This was mooted a little while ago. Somewhere to show off those cool (to other tool nerds), weird and unique metalworking tools.

I'll kick it off with one I've been acquiring pieces of for a long time. It's a diprofil filing machine. I got the motor and some other bits in an auction lot. Did some research to find what it fitted and it intrigued me. I've been buying and selling them on eBay ever since and I've pretty much acquired a full set. The quick release driveshaft lets you swap tools in seconds - I've got a pencil grinder and a angled dental drill type tool. You can fit all sorts of files to the diprofil - Swiss pattern files fit it perfectly with the knurled piece of the handle cut off. There are also holders for wooden laps that you use with diamond paste for polishing hardened steels. Not sure how much I'll use that but you never know!

 

[AES]

Cor "TF", that ain't 'arf a "nerdy" tool. Thanks for showing. I've heard of those machines before (is "Diprofil" the manufacturer/brand name, or just a general tool name BTW?), but this is the 1st time I've seen one. Thanks.

P.S. I'm not quite sure if I'll let you off your altogether for the "less than ideal" taps, etc, storage "system", but this post has - perhaps - made a step toward making amends! (Nice one mate).

 

[Alpha-Dave]

To be honest I’m more impressed by the Leinen-E. I have a Leinen-D with swivel and a Boley-E. They are great.

 

[marcros]

To be honest I’m more impressed by the Leinen-E. I have a Leinen-D with swivel and a Boley-E. They are great.

lets see them then Dave!

 

[Droogs]

@TFrench that would be the ideal companion on an ornamental lathe

 

[Alpha-Dave]

lets see them then Dave!

I am quite enjoying taking rusty lumps and making then nice again. Perhaps one day I will go full-Wadkin, but for the moment:

Leinen D after reassembling:

Leinen D at work:


Boley E on temporary stand:


Other motley crew, including the 112 before the cleanup:
:

112 refreshed:

 

[Yojevol]

@Alpha-Dave
A man of vice, eh. Most of us keep quiet about them

 

[TFrench]

Looks like a record 75 and a York there as well Dave? Nice collection!
Here's a funky vice I got recently. It's a Hilma hydraulic machine vice. Winding the handle works as normal, then a half turn as you tighten it brings the hydraulic piston up to pressure. Releasing it takes almost no effort as well, because all you're doing is releasing the pressure in the cylinder. It's obscenely heavy! Unfortunately not a keeper as it's too big for my kit, but I'm certainly glad I saved it from the scrap men.

 

[Alpha-Dave]

Yes, a Record 75 and a York 150 (6”), and a Record 35. I haven’t tried to collect, but I end up being curious about the mechanisms. I think I’m heading towards just keeping the Leinen D and Record 112 as best-in-class for 4” and 6”.

the Hilma is pretty cool. I have seen a trend on YouTube of people who build their own vices are adding hydraulic cylinders in to them to add squeezing strength, but often at a cost of speed-to-open. Having the cylinder only engage at the end of winding must have a clever mechanism. I suspect that also then leads to more potential failure points.

 

[Alpha-Dave]

I managed to get this Sevo vice on Facebook Marketplace, which as been brilliant for holding round shapes under the drill press. I then copied the idea for a vice to hold wooden bowls for hand-carving but that is still a work in progress.

 

[TFrench]

Ok, how's this for a haul of cool Metrology nerdiness. Spur of the moment eBay buy - all the indicator stands and v blocks and angle plates you could ever want, a Baty shadowgraph and a sigmasize analogue comparator gauge. Mainly I wanted to have a play with the shadowgraph - more on that when I get chance. The sigmasize has blown me away though - firstly that it worked when I turned it on, secondly by how accurate it is. You can adjust the +/- limits so the light goes amber or red if it's out of tolerance, it's metric or imperial, and it measures down to 0.00015 of an inch/ 0.005mm. Which is insane. The gauge block in the pictures is almost perfect, but you can see the difference in it's size if you warm it up in your hand for a minute. Amazing!

 

[Trevanion]

and it measures down to 0.00015 of an inch/ 0.005mm. Which is insane.

And I'm very happy if I'm within a thou or two...

I'm kind of curious what they would've been making that required accuracy to that level!

 

[AES]

Ok, how's this for a haul of cool Metrology nerdiness. Spur of the moment eBay buy - all the indicator stands and v blocks and angle plates you could ever want, a Baty shadowgraph and a sigmasize analogue comparator gauge. Mainly I wanted to have a play with the shadowgraph - more on that when I get chance. The sigmasize has blown me away though - firstly that it worked when I turned it on, secondly by how accurate it is. You can adjust the +/- limits so the light goes amber or red if it's out of tolerance, it's metric or imperial, and it measures down to 0.00015 of an inch/ 0.005mm. Which is insane. The gauge block in the pictures is almost perfect, but you can see the difference in it's size if you warm it up in your hand for a minute. Amazing!

I'm NOT in the least jealous "TF" (you barsteward you ), though like Trevanion I do wonder what you're going to use all that stuff for - you no longer have a "home workshop" (actually, you haven't had one of those for a long time!) but now you have a home Metrology Lab!!!

BTW; and being serious for a mo, I've used shadowgraphs before, but "WTH" is a sigmasize, what does it do and how does it work (forgive my "igerance" please)?

 

[Alpha-Dave]

And I'm very happy if I'm within a thou or two...

I'm kind of curious what they would've been making that required accuracy to that level!

An easy example would be pumps, especially gas handling ones need even finer tolerances than that. Vacuum pumps even more so. The less leakage around the moving parts, the lower the ‘back pressure’, the less wasted energy pumping something twice (or more), and the smaller (and lighter) it can be. You can then imagine this gets important for vehicles, jets, submarines, etc.

 

[Bm101]

Cut out a little bat shape and stick it on the screen.

 

[Alpha-Dave]

Cut out a little bat shape and stick it on the screen.

To 0.005 mm tolerance.

 

[Bm101]

0.0005 I'm the Batman.

 

[toolsntat]

Der, Der Der Der Der Der Der Der Der Der Der
EXACTMAN......

 

[AES]

An easy example would be pumps, especially gas handling ones need even finer tolerances than that. Vacuum pumps even more so. The less leakage around the moving parts, the lower the ‘back pressure’, the less wasted energy pumping something twice (or more), and the smaller (and lighter) it can be. You can then imagine this gets important for vehicles, jets, submarines, etc.

Yeah, quite right Alpha-Dave, but my point was (along with several other members posting here I think) is that those sorts of things - which need such tolerances - are not usually made in what most of us here call a "home workshop"!!

BUT you can all simply ignore my comments here, I'm simply jealous!

Though I would still like to know what on earth a sigmasize is - I s'pose Google is my friend eh?

 

[TFrench]

A sigmasize is an electro-mechanical comparator gauge. Basically, sliding your part under it tells you if it's within tolerance. I'd never even heard of one before I got this - chances of me mass producing anything to the tolerances it can work to are zero. It's pretty much obsolete these days with CMM's and laser measuring but it's a pretty interesting curio. I'll try to get some video of it in action, should explain it a bit better!