LBSC Virginia plans

[shild]

Thanks LVRR. Thinking about getting the frame rails and drivers here. Nothing wrong with that is there? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Virginia-by-LB ... 0009.m1982

[Joe Tanski]

If you want a Virginia buy the full set of castings,makes the build go a lot faster ,and these castings will follow the drawing very close,thus you will a nice copy of the original
Joe

[shild]

If you want a Virginia buy the full set of castings,makes the build go a lot faster ,and these castings will follow the drawing very close,thus you will a nice copy of the original
Joe

Where do you suggest I get the castings?

[shild]

Found a piece of 1/8 thick steel for the pilot beam I'm trying to do at the moment. I'm cutting down to the 5/8 height required. I'm traditional milling in an inch, backing out an inch then I release the vice to move the stock over for the next inch. So I'm always close to the vice where it's more rigid. Is this a proper method? I hope the next step of curling the ends isn't going to be too tough.

[Builder01]

Remove the vice and clamp the piece to the table, then you can machine around the edge. This avoids having to keep moving the part in the vice. Will also eliminate the small step between each time you reposition in the vice.

[Builder01]

Or, just buy of metal the right size. https://www.onlinemetals.com/buy/materi ... .625%2522/

[shild]

Remove the vice and clamp the piece to the table, then you can machine around the edge. This avoids having to keep moving the part in the vice. Will also eliminate the small step between each time you reposition in the vice.

You mean use a smaller endmill that will fit down in the t-slot and do it in there? I think I tried that before and it moved. Could be I didn't clamp it down tight enough. But anyway, too late now. I'm trying to figure out how to curl the ends at the moment. I'm also too cheap to buy stock already 5/8 when I can jut cut this down.

[Builder01]

When you clamp it to the table, it must be on a spacer. Don't try to mill inside the T slot. You can use this method to machine the ends also. Too cheap to buy stock?? A small piece of steel this size is only a few bucks. I usually order a foot extra to have for the next project. Online metals also offers cut offs at very cheap prices including shipping. If I can purchase something the correct size, and it's cheap, I usually just buy it. You are wasting time machining stock to size that can be purchased cheaply. I think you are also interested in being more efficient, this is one way to do so.

[shild]

When you clamp it to the table, it must be on a spacer. Don't try to mill inside the T slot. You can use this method to machine the ends also. Too cheap to buy stock?? A small piece of steel this size is only a few bucks. I usually order a foot extra to have for the next project. Online metals also offers cut offs at very cheap prices including shipping. If I can purchase something the correct size, and it's cheap, I usually just buy it. You are wasting time machining stock to size that can be purchased cheaply. I think you are also interested in being more efficient, this is one way to do so.

Maybe so. Things didn't go so well on trying to bend the ends to a curl. It snapped while I was bending it. Guess I really have to heat it up. Can't use a map gas torch or can I? Could probably get it red hot in my fireplace but once I get it to my vice to bend it it might cool too much. Does annealing work with steel like it would copper?

[NP317]

When milling a piece over a length, I clamp it with the excess material above the vice jaws, raised up on parallel supports.
Then one clamping setup can hold it while you move the entire piece under the mill cutter.
Although I am not sure I understand what specific job you are trying to mill.

The ease of bending steel depends on its alloy.
You might have a higher carbon content steel that cracks when bending.

You could be experiencing one of the problems of building with unknown "scrap" materials.
That often ends up being more expensive and time consuming than purchasing the correct materials in the beginning.
BTDT.
RussN

[shild]

When milling a piece over a length, I clamp it with the excess material above the vice jaws, raised up on parallel supports.
Then one clamping setup can hold it while you move the entire piece under the mill cutter.
Although I am not sure I understand what specific job you are trying to mill.

The ease of bending steel depends on its alloy.
You might have a higher carbon content steel that cracks when bending.

You could be experiencing one of the problems of building with unknown "scrap" materials.
That often ends up being more expensive and time consuming than purchasing the correct materials in the beginning.
BTDT.
RussN

It was more difficult to mill than usual steel so I believe it probably is high carbon content. Although I don't own proper parallel supports, I have done it with excess material sticking out of top of vice also. In fact you can see where the endmill came a little too close to the vice jaws one day. What size endmill do you pick when you do it that way? Do you have endmill centered to the center of stock? A little off to one side? This vice originally only had one jaw with a horizontal v groove so I cut a matching v groove in the other jaw so I would be able to hold parts this way and this was my very first cut that way.

[Joe Tanski]

A.J.Reeves Model Engineers in england offers both the Virginia & Drawings in the Small & The Large Boiler versions.they are on sale 15% off now

ajreeves.com