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konrad___far_north

Working with metal is fun!

Konrad___far_north
11 years ago

I want to encourage people taking on jobs or trades working with metal.
Most trade people are on their feet all day and get some of their physical exercise in the same time,..it's good for you!

Please post pictures from your creations...working with metal and produce parts can be very satisfying.

I'll start with some...being a machinist tool & die maker.

These are hole saws I make from solid bar stock..up to around 18 inches in diameter, used in hot taping into pipelines out in the field.


I also do the sharpening

Large bolts

Rubber Mold

Complete dies,..this one for hot forming points on ends of metal rods for surveying.

These are die replacements for it,...finished machined, going out for heat treatment.

Another die, made all part's except two punches, holders, like die plates, guide pins, bushings etc.

Made this long shaft, key way put in on the mill

Special tool holders, made from solid 4140H round stock.

Large plates for molding press.

Large bronze bearing made from solid.

Cutting key way into the bore of sleeve.

Cut bolt holes into large bronze split bearing.



Cut in half in the vertical saw..

Splined shaft made from solid, for main spindle /milling machine on the left, also boring bar going out for heat treatment.

Made a set of precision squares from tool steel.

Boring and threading replaceable heads.

Set of precision angle plates from solid 8620 material.

Comments (31)

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here a couple of hot taping/spade pilot drills, inserts/spades can be interchanged when dull. These are 1 1/4" in diameter in various length, the cutouts with holes on the shanks are for 1/8" wire put into place and bend on both sides 90 degree folded into pockets, these wires will pivot, fall outward when the pipe is drilled through and retrieving the larger piece, anywhere from around 4 inches to 16 inches or more.

    Upper drill shows the insert/spade put in, [without the screw holding it]

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Before major pipelines go into the ground vigorous test's are sometimes done like here, a test laboratory had me making test strips from pipes, every 90 or 180 degree, 2 thin strips were needed about 7 inches long, one near the outside of pipe, one near the inside, two strips in one section, saw cut first, bent flat, saw cut in half, then machined and ground surface for analyzing corrosion under chemical etc. also chemical composition for wear etc.

  • Collin001
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looks good Konrad. If I hadn't injured my hand ten years back I'd still be in the trade. You've done a good job promoting the trade!

  • anon2u
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Interesting reading, Konrad, but could you explain in more detail what you meant by "and retrieving the larger piece, anywhere from around 4 inches to 16 inches or more"?

    I couldn't quite visualize what was going on here.

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been fortunate to make a bunch of tool holders with different angles, used in pipe facing before welding.

    Since no odd ball size in rectangle bar stock is available, I got slabs of rounds, faced in lathe, cut strips, then cut to length in vertical saw, milled the two saw cut to about .010" over size, then ground, squared, within .001" to size, then milled.

    Taped two slabs together before saw cut.

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ground to size, this will be a 30 degree style.

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here a finished product 45 degree style.

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Had fun with some flying very hot metal chips coming off a hardened thread gauge, had to take off 3/8" in length, using ceramic insert.

    It looks more dramatic in this picture because of low shutter speed on my little camera made the red strings allot wider then they really are.

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Latest creation...
    these metal strips, about 1/8 thick, ..had to cut out two window and insert, [sliver solder] HSS pieces into. These two spots had a wear spot from rollers running back and force under high pressure,..they called it pressure plates. They needed in a emergency basis, 2 day's. I'll be making a bunch of new one's from better material, [O1] then heat treat.

  • Konrad___far_north
    Original Author
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    For the machine shop

    To speed things up in the shop I've made nuts with the same hex size of 7/8", this is standard for 1/2 NC thread which I use most of the time, some nuts are 3/8 and 5/8 NC thread but I maintain the hex size of 7/8, this way, only one wrench size of 7/8 is needed throughout the shop.

    As you see,.. no washer needed on these nuts.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    8 years ago

    Some fun parts made the other day using stainless 17- 4 PH, cut from solid block, used for fingers, a industrial fortune cookie baking machine holding the hot dough and dropping into a folding apparatus when inserting labels.


    12 pieces, 7/8" deep cut

    Then cut off in the bandsaw, I only needed one piece for a new holding unit, rest is spare parts for future orders, [ hopefully ? ]


    Sliver soldered onto a long tubing, 1/4x1/2" which has a 1/8" rod through, supported with bearings on ends, soldered another finger, [machined similar] this is the center piece, [opposite finger] which can rotate, holding and releasing the baked dough.


  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    8 years ago

    Gorgeous.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    8 years ago

    Manufactured some small hex screws which couldn't be bought.

    1/4" - 28NF x 1/4" long with 5/16 hex ..hardened for holding planer blades in place. Made of D2 material. Done on manual machine.


  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    8 years ago

    Here I came up with my own design in making a inspection stand for checking engine valve stems for concentricity before grinding,.. for a diesel engine rebuilder.


  • archer Costa
    7 years ago

    Looks great!

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    And...you can do a little of your own repair, ...Hydrostatic Transmission rebuild.


    Hydrostatic transmission rebuild

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Made some tapered Ring & Plug gauges, 1 degree inclusive taper, .20939" taper per foot.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Showing more detailed, step by step on these tool holders.

    Turning sides on 14" diameter material.


    Then grinding


    Band saw cutting/milling sides and grinding


    Milling


    Going out for heat treatment.

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    7 years ago

    Beautiful work and welds. I wish I could TIG like that.

  • PRO
    Ornametals and Finer Welding, Inc.
    7 years ago

    Thanks, that's all Mig by the way!

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    7 years ago

    Wow....even better then. TIG is much more "dialable" when comes to heat and making a good pool. If that was MIG, I am impressed even more.

  • Piet Bakker
    7 years ago

    I'll probably never do this myself but it looks impressed nontheless. Thanks for sharing.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    7 years ago

    Great craftsmanship on these gates!

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    6 years ago

    Made a grafting tool....


    Grafting

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    6 years ago

    The time has come...retirement coming up..really? By next year around this time the machine shop be either sold or auctioned off.

    Any interest please contact @ Horst's Quality Grinding & Machining in Edmonton

    I'd be willing to work with the potential buyer to get familiar with customers & products...especially tool holders and molds.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    6 years ago

    Made up some hot tapping drills...longest 22 inches.

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Made this face driver for lathe work when turning between centers, could be used for wood also. Morse 5 taper, hardened and ground including I.D. for center piece which under load transfers force onto the driver plate over 3 dowel pins.

  • RedDogsCrafts
    6 years ago

    Built a T handle on a tap for a guy this week that needed to get into a difficult spot. The wall thickness of the socket for the tap was too thick so the T handle worked well. I used my TIG machine for this

  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    6 years ago

    That's a interesting tap! Got a little hot and in the danger zone of loosing hardness, cooling the threads in water before the heat travels down would have helped.


    Made a grinding fixture for grinding/sharpening 3/8" square HSS tools, 32 at the time, 7 degree angle on top, [rake]. Picture showing cutting V grooves on a ring using a vertical slotter.


    Here showing 32 tools, two pieces held with one screw and flat bar from the side, finished ground on top using a rotary Blanchard type grinder...about 1/16 to 1/8" needs to be taken off.




  • Konrad..just outside of Edmonton Alberta
    6 years ago

    More close up...


    Have 2 - about 20 year old worn out drill chuck key repaired..I find the pin on the key engaging the chuck hole is too short when new...thus tilting too much when tightening the chuck and wearing out the teeth, I drilled out and reamed in lathe and installed a hardened dowel pin, should have a few more years life in them.


    Oil field is getting busy again, been manufacturing some tooling/tool holders for cutting welding bevels on pipelines out in the field for welding, some going to Huston.

    Single insert..



    double insert and one prototype on the side.


    A grinding fixture for internal grinding carbide sleeves..


    Manufactured some meat grinding plates..

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