Posted by Sean H. on 3/22/2023 to
New Products
There I was, working away on a soon-to-be product for Hidgit at the mill, and I broke a brand new $40 carbide cutter. It's not the first time I have done such a boneheaded move. Over 20+ years of being in the machine shop, I have dropped plenty of calipers, cutters, and a great many other things that don't like landing on concrete floors. Sometimes, given the round nature of most machine tools (collets, end mills, drill bits, etc.), things can roll off the mill table when making a rapid move. Other times, I can just be clumsy and knock something off the table. On this fateful day, I was making a tool change using the same size collet so I loosened the drawbar, gave it a little rap, and end mill just slid out, hit the table, and broke. Damn it! No matter how it happens or what gets broken- it sucks. Especially, when you are the one buying your own tools. I decided it was time to do something about it. So, I left the metal shop and hit the woodshop (aka- my garage) to make a solution. The design is simple: A plywood base with recessed magnets glued in it, a nice border that gives it a lip to prevent things contained, and a 1/4" thick cork bottom to protect everything in it (or dropping in it). I slapped it a little polyurethane on it to protect it and voila. Perfect.
Figure 1.- The finished side table on the mill.
Figure 2.- Magnets recessed in the bottom to hold it on the milling table.
Figure 3.- The milling table in action! Safely holding some tools that I normally let roll right off.
The finished product works great for my needs. I have even changed my practices. When I need to change a tool now, I just jog over so that it is safely over the cork surface in case I drop it. If I save even one nice tool, this would pay for itself (and I surely will). I love the use of magnets because it easily allows me to move it to the other side and dump out chips that get in it. You can just unload it (safely), then take it to the garbage can and dump it out. Easy. If I were to make more, I would change ceramic magnets to neodymium so that it sticks on a little stronger. I might even make some snazzy box joints in the corners. But I am very happy with it!
Would this solution work for you as well? Are you interested in one? If so, please leave a comment below and let me know what you would pay. Think about these factors: What would it cost you to replace one pair of nice calipers? What does it cost you to stop a project you have setup if you drop and break a tool or cutter and have to wait to get a new one? Also, let me know what width your t-slot table is and how long you would like it (the space next to your vise). My table is 10" wide but I know many Bridgeport tables are 9". I hope to hear from you and would love to make more of these!
Copyright Hidgit, Inc. All Rights Reserved.