03-03-2018, 10:48 AM
About 3-4 yrs ago I did a job, to manufacture 30 natural gas orifice spuds, for a boiler job at a maple syrup co-op. That job has run flawlessly since then, but I got a call, were doing 3 more jobs, using similar equipment, they now need about 200 of the spuds, so here we go. I get paid to work in my own shop and get to expense the materials and consumables, so basically a win-win for me.
I start with a stainless steel 1/2" x 6" pipe nipple, thats cut to the proper length, then 10 orifice holes are drilled in the spud, then its threaded on the inside for a plug at the end opposite of the remaining pipe threads, then plugged, then a 3/4" x 1/2" SS hex bushing is screwed on, the the hex is machined off to make it just a round collar. Not supper complicated by any means, but somewhat time consuming, as each spud has to to be handled, fixtured about 8 times.
The real time consuming part is the drilling of the 10 orifice holes in each spud. This part of the job is performed in the Franken-Drill, the melding of a small Atlas-Clausing (Johansson) knee mill, and a 20" high quality Jet drill press. This gives me a very sturdy X-Y drill press with a knee, this has become the go to drill press in the shop.
The use of the $6 Harbor Freight, centering jig make drill hole in the side of a round object very easy.
The Atlas-Clausing mill, was bought because it was, extremely solid, knee and table tight and all movement was perfect. The flaw in the mill was the whole head assembly was non-repairable, many parts either missing or broken. It was bought, knowing that it life as a milling machine was over, but the column was to me very valuable. Seeing what this was going to become, the decision to cut apart of the Jet drill press was an easy choice.
So the job starts Monday, the pipe parts were ordered, should be able to pick them up after noon on Monday.
1 - the Franken-Drill
2 - the parts for the original job
3 - all drilled
4 - drilling set up
5 - the job in progress
6 - ready to go to the job
I start with a stainless steel 1/2" x 6" pipe nipple, thats cut to the proper length, then 10 orifice holes are drilled in the spud, then its threaded on the inside for a plug at the end opposite of the remaining pipe threads, then plugged, then a 3/4" x 1/2" SS hex bushing is screwed on, the the hex is machined off to make it just a round collar. Not supper complicated by any means, but somewhat time consuming, as each spud has to to be handled, fixtured about 8 times.
The real time consuming part is the drilling of the 10 orifice holes in each spud. This part of the job is performed in the Franken-Drill, the melding of a small Atlas-Clausing (Johansson) knee mill, and a 20" high quality Jet drill press. This gives me a very sturdy X-Y drill press with a knee, this has become the go to drill press in the shop.
The use of the $6 Harbor Freight, centering jig make drill hole in the side of a round object very easy.
The Atlas-Clausing mill, was bought because it was, extremely solid, knee and table tight and all movement was perfect. The flaw in the mill was the whole head assembly was non-repairable, many parts either missing or broken. It was bought, knowing that it life as a milling machine was over, but the column was to me very valuable. Seeing what this was going to become, the decision to cut apart of the Jet drill press was an easy choice.
So the job starts Monday, the pipe parts were ordered, should be able to pick them up after noon on Monday.
1 - the Franken-Drill
2 - the parts for the original job
3 - all drilled
4 - drilling set up
5 - the job in progress
6 - ready to go to the job
jack