Well done! Being able to see it in your head means you're an experienced machinist. I built a 48" wingspan glider once without ever setting pencil to paper and it flew great.
I love that true quote that I’ve heard all of my life. Here’s another that’s just as true although not as well known. “Curiosity is the mother of learning”. Many useful things are created during wartime but it’s so much better when curious minds solve difficult problems in industry.
Nice! Yes at 72 and a retired engineer I too let things soak in my brain for a while and it seems always to produce a much better and fully functioning solution, in my younger years I would grab the first solution that came to mind a jump on it , most always I would have to make changes and modify.
@@justinl.3587 I don't think he's fighting it. I think he does not have access to those machines you speak of, and works with what he has.The guys that have those machines want way more than a charity budget allows. I'm sure if one of them offered, he would take them up on it?
@@rexmyers991 I actually made the suggestion a couple videos back. I think instead of trying to cut the metal he would be better off designing some sort of grinder Or a motorized cutter. Kind of like you would find on one of these little CNC's . One of these 500 watt spindles with the collets included. Just build a tool holder for that. That tool he built is almost guaranteed to chatter. Hopefully I'm wrong.
The mighty Dremel to the rescue! That gave me a chuckle thinking about it, I know that idea is sound and grinding will probably be the next thing to try, but I couldn’t help myself. That bar of steel probably cost more money than a dremel does. I’ll finish my coffee now and then I’ll be alright.
@@tomjewett5839 I think the tool itself is OK, but the amount of torque on the clapper box and head with the tool out that far, looks like a potential issue.
Thanks for all your postings. I joined your channel when you worked on the tally Ho Capstan project and never missed an episode since. I wish you a very productive new year and look forward to great content as always. Many Thanks
Keith, I know how it is to work without plans. Even when I have detailed plans I generally make changes as I go. It makes people crazy, especially my wife, but it always comes out at the end. Keep up your great work. NOLA Steve
Nice job! I often make stuff like you... make it as I see it . and often adapt along the way. sometimes I goof, other times it works out perfect. Never have been one to make drawings .
Nice! Nothing wrong with working with an idea and not actually putting anything on paper. A workmate and I built a 120'ft boom spray from a few chalk sketches on the workshop floor and talking about what we wanted. It took us about six weeks, it came back for a day for a couple of modifications and aside from a phone call to say it was working as he wanted, we never heard from the customer again.
Keith we would have never known the angst and uncertainty you had prior to making the tool holder because your execution of the project looked smooth as 16 Ra. Thanks for sharing another great video!
nice ... looks like you've got this job in your sights ... always amazed at how you keep the dimensions straight ... (a couple of thousand ... twenty one sixty fourths ... letter F ... a three eights ... etc) ... would have my head spinning
After many years of machining you tend to memorize the basic tap and clearance drills for many sizes of taps. It saves a lot of time looking them up on charts.
Watching the last couple minutes and had a thought that the back of the tool holder needed to be notched to fit over those bars on the clapper box so the holder can't work its way up under tool pressure. It would be a lot less force on those clamps if they were just making sure it couldn't come out of the notches.
I'm thinking the same thing but as an anti-rotation feature. As it steps over, the tool only cuts on one side. That torque at the end of a long bar will try and rotate that tool. When it gets to the shoulder, it will have the strongest effect. There's just not a lot of surface area being clamped.
5:43 - As the designer of the products we sell, the drawing is always the result of what you have visualized. You have the complete product in mind, and use of CAD might confirm you haven't made an oops in some X-Y-Z dim. But the design is done. Never found CAD of assistance in design in my case. It is of assistance in communicating the design to those who produce the part.
Adam booth doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary- not like you who takes the time to do a proper restoration or job - love the extra effort you take - a true craftsman
Not so pumps, Adam had this exact item in his shop about two years ago and had it clamped down and ready to go but his shaper didn’t have the reach for what needed to be done so he sent it out to Keith where it sat for two years until Keith got this machine running. And that where we are today.
@levitated-pit yes, he did and still does. He also does an awful lot of work for other people.Probably for little or no charge since he does make money off the videos, And he did state back in the before times That he would not be charging as much or anything for work that he did that he videoed.
Did you consider building a stout bar to lower the clapper down into the stoker engine? You could the use a normal size tool holder. The bar to lower the clapper could be as ridgid as you like -- you could easily use material thicker than 1 and a quarter inch.
Thanks for video Keith. Please include "Stoker Engine" into the video title moving forward. Any video with "Stoker Engine" should draw many more views from this crowd.
I hope you went back and read the threads on Adam's video as part of your process. The way I recall it, this approach (and other options) were pretty well described in suggestions.
Seems like a better job for the horizontal boring mill with a facing tool - see Topper Machine - no need for a crazy long holder or to trust those old flatbelts to control stroke correctly and not hit the side wall of the part
Nicely done! I kinda expected to see a 5-degree cut on the underside of the clamp (so it doesn't contact the bit at just one point), and I think the notches others have mentioned on the back side of the bar (for the clapper box) are a good idea, but those can be easily added later if needed. Can't wait to see it go!
I don't want to add to Keith's todo list but wouldn't it be better to make another holder with the two necessary notches for the clapper box that would then hold this apex toolholder? If the length of the apex toolholder turns out to be an issue, it could be solved by not placing it directly in the clappêr box but by creating a 1.25" toolholder that would be wider and have notches on it's back to match the the clapper box. This 1.25" toolholder would rigidify the Apex toolholder Keith has created. Weight may be an issue though but having a 1.25" toolholder that could hold the Apex bit toolholder seems like a possibility (that Keith may already have considered and is holding off on unless it proves to be necessary).
Wow, Talk about reaching for the moon. That is one beefy tool holder. Light cut should do it. Nice job of creativity, Keith. That's what you are all about, isn't it. Let's see the engine restored to good condition. It will be exciting to see it finished. QUESTION: Will you be able to test the stoker engine in your chop with compressed air?? Have a wonderful New Year Keith, Looking forward to some awesome projects. Great job on the Cane Mill AND the story behind it. Living history brought back to life.
Looks great, Keith. Happy New Year! My gut tells me for the long extension down into that cavity, you're gonna want a larger cross section. I still hope it works well. I'm curious about how you decided what features should follow the 5 degree tilt and what would remain orthogonal. Perhaps you were just following after the design of the other tool holders.
The tool holder looks great; finished and it will be fascinating to see how the metal planer in action. Will you cover the newly cut steel with some oil to prevent flash rust?
I believe you're going to be using this on cast, and it should be plenty good for that, but it might be a good candidate for case hardening. A hard surface would help with rigidity and the soft and squishy center would protect against breakage.
At first when I saw that 2” tool holder I was thinking no way that thing would be insufficient … but then when I thought about it, wouldn’t you want additional bracing for the tool holder horizontally? When you see tools upgraded in size they usually keep the ratio pretty consistent, so i’m not sure if bracing the tool holder in only 1 dimension by increasing the depth to 2” will solve things. Granted it will stiffen it up considerably against deflection in the primary direction of movement but that will only have a marginal impact on horizontal deflection compared to if you increased the tool holder width in that direction as well. Don’t get me wrong, Increasing the depth does help stiffen it up in that other direction so it may actually be enough, it’s just when 2 immobile objects are forced to collide something has to give … whether that’s the tool holder deflecting into the available airspace or the cast iron crumbling along its crystalline micro structure is anyone’s guess. I personally think you’ll be ok, but it did cross my kind. From every example i’ve seen of cutting cast iron the materials either crumbles when plowing through cuts with a shaper or turns powder/dust when using a milling machine. It would blow my mind if that tool holder ended up insufficiently rigid … and then I guess we would all learn something new 😅.
Small cuts may work, but I suspect the holder needs to be twice as thick or so. Am also a little worried about the stoutness of the machine with such a long arm on it. Fingers crossed I am wrong and it works perfectly as is.
You did a great job making the tool holder. I think its length will cause chatter. Why don't you use the horizontal boring machine? Brian's should be large enough.
That came out beautifully, Keith. A tool like that needs a maker's mark.
YAY! Back to the Stoker Engine! Its been going on 5 years, and needed the Metal Planer to be restored, and man....I can't wait to see it finished!
Nice work - I've ALWAYS felt that tool-making is the most interesting aspect of machining.
The tool & die makers were historically the most important guys on any production floor.
Well done! Being able to see it in your head means you're an experienced machinist. I built a 48" wingspan glider once without ever setting pencil to paper and it flew great.
Necessity is the mother of invention ! Great Job !!!
I love that true quote that I’ve heard all of my life. Here’s another that’s just as true although not as well known. “Curiosity is the mother of learning”. Many useful things are created during wartime but it’s so much better when curious minds solve difficult problems in industry.
Keith I never comment but I can't wait to watch it "carve"! Lol. that beautiful machine wants to play so let it run!
Nice! Yes at 72 and a retired engineer I too let things soak in my brain for a while and it seems always to produce a much better and fully functioning solution, in my younger years I would grab the first solution that came to mind a jump on it , most always I would have to make changes and modify.
You make things look so simple; that would take much longer to do! Nice job
The tool holder turned out nice! Your thinking process obviously works quite well. Now, I am waiting to see the old shaper in action!
make it up as you go ,works
for me just about every time 😎
Nice work on the tool holder Keith.
Looking forward to see that machine in action on the Stoker.
Thanks for sharing. 👍🇺🇸👍
Congratulations on your success Keith. I look forward to seeing it being used!
I can't wait to see it working you are a good machinist .
I’m glad to see you back working on the stoker engine. Look forward to your next video.
One of your best videos, right up there with the RH removal of the LH nut. A true machinist solving a difficult problem.
Don't call this clown a "machinist"!
Still giggling at the thought that a 140 year old machine can do a job that MODERN machines CAN'T! 🤣
Can't wait to see it actually working!
Not an accurate statement. The right modern machine would do this with ease. Not a feel good thought for you, but truth.
I’m pretty sure there are plenty of modern machines that could knock this out.
There are options on modern machines that this job would only take a few hours if that. He’s just being stubborn and fighting this job forever.
@@justinl.3587 I don't think he's fighting it. I think he does not have access to those machines you speak of, and works with what he has.The guys that have those machines want way more than a charity budget allows. I'm sure if one of them offered, he would take them up on it?
@justinl.3587 It's a hobby, why would he spend 100K on a machine to just play around with? He's retired and enjoying it.
Can't wait to see you use it. If that doesn't work you can always strap a dremel on a length of tool steel and make a grinder
Oh! I never considered the option of grinding. Good suggestion.
@@rexmyers991 I actually made the suggestion a couple videos back. I think instead of trying to cut the metal he would be better off designing some sort of grinder Or a motorized cutter. Kind of like you would find on one of these little CNC's . One of these 500 watt spindles with the collets included. Just build a tool holder for that. That tool he built is almost guaranteed to chatter. Hopefully I'm wrong.
The mighty Dremel to the rescue! That gave me a chuckle thinking about it, I know that idea is sound and grinding will probably be the next thing to try, but I couldn’t help myself. That bar of steel probably cost more money than a dremel does. I’ll finish my coffee now and then I’ll be alright.
@@tomjewett5839 I think the tool itself is OK, but the amount of torque on the clapper box and head with the tool out that far, looks like a potential issue.
@@Hoaxer51 It would certainly stop any chattering that might occur.
Nice work. Looking forward to seeing it in action!
Thanks Keith for the video. Always good to see shop jobs.
I look forward to seeing how that tool holder works. Thanks Keith!
Well, now I'm bummed out... was hoping to see this in action. At least you got the tool holder done. Great video, cheers :)
That tool holder looks great.
keith i have been waching you for many years now, a brilliant video.
Very good job ! Making tools for specific jobs sometimes is in your head and you just have to go,for,it ! Great tool,!
Fascinating video thank you, I always wondered how toolmakers made tools.
Looking forward to seeing that metal planer in action, working out this difficult job.
Thanks for all your postings. I joined your channel when you worked on the tally Ho Capstan project and never missed an episode since. I wish you a very productive new year and look forward to great content as always. Many Thanks
Keith,
I know how it is to work without plans. Even when I have detailed plans I generally make changes as I go. It makes people crazy, especially my wife, but it always comes out at the end.
Keep up your great work.
NOLA Steve
Nice job! I often make stuff like you... make it as I see it . and often adapt along the way. sometimes I goof, other times it works out perfect. Never have been one to make drawings .
Well done Keith. Can’t wait to see your new tool put to work. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Another wonderful video! Thank you Keith!
Brother Keith always doing outstanding work. Stay Safe.
*- Nice video and nice job, Keith.*
*- The music of it and the build's evolution worked well.*
Very good , in the beginning was wondering how you were gonna make that . really good video for a beginner
, thank you
Happy new year Keith. Thats is a fine toolholder, it will do the work, I am sure. Greetings from Germany.
Nice! Nothing wrong with working with an idea and not actually putting anything on paper.
A workmate and I built a 120'ft boom spray from a few chalk sketches on the workshop floor and talking about what we wanted.
It took us about six weeks, it came back for a day for a couple of modifications and aside from a phone call to say it was working as he wanted, we never heard from the customer again.
Professor Tool Maker strikes again!
Way to go Keith.
Awesomeness Extreme!
Happy new year Keith! Always liked tool making, had to do it in my old job.
Keith we would have never known the angst and uncertainty you had prior to making the tool holder because your execution of the project looked smooth as 16 Ra. Thanks for sharing another great video!
nice ... looks like you've got this job in your sights ... always amazed at how you keep the dimensions straight ... (a couple of thousand ... twenty one sixty fourths ... letter F ... a three eights ... etc) ... would have my head spinning
After many years of machining you tend to memorize the basic tap and clearance drills for many sizes of taps. It saves a lot of time looking them up on charts.
Or you could just use the metric system …
Fascinating. What a cool project. Next step… try it out.
Watching the last couple minutes and had a thought that the back of the tool holder needed to be notched to fit over those bars on the clapper box so the holder can't work its way up under tool pressure. It would be a lot less force on those clamps if they were just making sure it couldn't come out of the notches.
I'm thinking the same thing but as an anti-rotation feature. As it steps over, the tool only cuts on one side. That torque at the end of a long bar will try and rotate that tool. When it gets to the shoulder, it will have the strongest effect. There's just not a lot of surface area being clamped.
Happy Friday Georgia!😊
5:43 - As the designer of the products we sell, the drawing is always the result of what you have visualized. You have the complete product in mind, and use of CAD might confirm you haven't made an oops in some X-Y-Z dim. But the design is done.
Never found CAD of assistance in design in my case.
It is of assistance in communicating the design to those who produce the part.
My workflow is visualize, chicken scratch on paper and lastly cad.
Doing the actual design fully in cad from start to finish doesn't seem to work.
Adam booth doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary- not like you who takes the time to do a proper restoration or job - love the extra effort you take - a true craftsman
lets not get too hard on Abomb.... he did a lot of good/educational stuff before he started promoting products. in fact he still does !
Not so pumps, Adam had this exact item in his shop about two years ago and had it clamped down and ready to go but his shaper didn’t have the reach for what needed to be done so he sent it out to Keith where it sat for two years until Keith got this machine running. And that where we are today.
@@davidt8438 adams still running a business so didnt have the time to do this!
cant blame the guy! lets move on.
hear hear! hear!
@levitated-pit yes, he did and still does. He also does an awful lot of work for other people.Probably for little or no charge since he does make money off the videos, And he did state back in the before times That he would not be charging as much or anything for work that he did that he videoed.
Keith, Happy New Year from Austin!
Did you consider building a stout bar to lower the clapper down into the stoker engine? You could the use a normal size tool holder. The bar to lower the clapper could be as ridgid as you like -- you could easily use material thicker than 1 and a quarter inch.
Great tool, i know it will work, if not you will always modify it for the better, great job Keith, Happy Christmas and New Year
Start with a piece of bar stock and, in the end, have the part that you needed. That's the essence of the toolmaker's job.
Que lindo trabalho. Parabéns. Ficou 👌 perfeito.
Thanks for video Keith.
Please include "Stoker Engine" into the video title moving forward. Any video with "Stoker Engine" should draw many more views from this crowd.
Awesome job Keith!
I hope you went back and read the threads on Adam's video as part of your process. The way I recall it, this approach (and other options) were pretty well described in suggestions.
Right on Keith 👍🏻 I forgot about that one. I remember Adam trying to set it up. I hope the tool holder works out.
Seems like a better job for the horizontal boring mill with a facing tool - see Topper Machine - no need for a crazy long holder or to trust those old flatbelts to control stroke correctly and not hit the side wall of the part
Thank you Keith!
Nice! Thanks, Keith.
Wonderful tool work Keith.
Excellent like always, happy new year 😊
Good job! I can't wait to see it working.
44:44 - Looks like it will do what nothing else would. Standing O!
Thanks Keith
Nice Job!!
Nicely done! I kinda expected to see a 5-degree cut on the underside of the clamp (so it doesn't contact the bit at just one point), and I think the notches others have mentioned on the back side of the bar (for the clapper box) are a good idea, but those can be easily added later if needed. Can't wait to see it go!
I don't want to add to Keith's todo list but wouldn't it be better to make another holder with the two necessary notches for the clapper box that would then hold this apex toolholder? If the length of the apex toolholder turns out to be an issue, it could be solved by not placing it directly in the clappêr box but by creating a 1.25" toolholder that would be wider and have notches on it's back to match the the clapper box. This 1.25" toolholder would rigidify the Apex toolholder Keith has created. Weight may be an issue though but having a 1.25" toolholder that could hold the Apex bit toolholder seems like a possibility (that Keith may already have considered and is holding off on unless it proves to be necessary).
Creativity.... love it.
Is there an open space at the bottom of the retainer?
Really hoping this works Keith, looking foward to seeing the Stoker Engine getting completed and ready for more stoking.
Even if it decides to chatter, you can still add additional support ribs to the back or edges to make it more rigid.
Nice Keith They want the cho cho back
Wow, Talk about reaching for the moon. That is one beefy tool holder. Light cut should do it. Nice job of creativity, Keith. That's what you are all about, isn't it. Let's see the engine restored to good condition. It will be exciting to see it finished. QUESTION: Will you be able to test the stoker engine in your chop with compressed air?? Have a wonderful New Year Keith, Looking forward to some awesome projects. Great job on the Cane Mill AND the story behind it. Living history brought back to life.
Interesting that I go through the same dread and anxiety when starting a project.
Well done sir!
You can reenforce that bar stock for your new cutter in the front and back with gussets to prevent thrust deflection.
2025 is forever going to be known as The Year of The Stoker!
Looks great, Keith. Happy New Year!
My gut tells me for the long extension down into that cavity, you're gonna want a larger cross section. I still hope it works well.
I'm curious about how you decided what features should follow the 5 degree tilt and what would remain orthogonal. Perhaps you were just following after the design of the other tool holders.
Nice work!
The tool holder looks great; finished and it will be fascinating to see how the metal planer in action. Will you cover the newly cut steel with some oil to prevent flash rust?
Thank you for sharing👍
Amazing work!!! But why not just weld an extension to the holder you already have?
Great job. I enjoyed the video
Nice Keith, hope it works good.
I believe you're going to be using this on cast, and it should be plenty good for that, but it might be a good candidate for case hardening. A hard surface would help with rigidity and the soft and squishy center would protect against breakage.
At first when I saw that 2” tool holder I was thinking no way that thing would be insufficient … but then when I thought about it, wouldn’t you want additional bracing for the tool holder horizontally? When you see tools upgraded in size they usually keep the ratio pretty consistent, so i’m not sure if bracing the tool holder in only 1 dimension by increasing the depth to 2” will solve things. Granted it will stiffen it up considerably against deflection in the primary direction of movement but that will only have a marginal impact on horizontal deflection compared to if you increased the tool holder width in that direction as well.
Don’t get me wrong, Increasing the depth does help stiffen it up in that other direction so it may actually be enough, it’s just when 2 immobile objects are forced to collide something has to give … whether that’s the tool holder deflecting into the available airspace or the cast iron crumbling along its crystalline micro structure is anyone’s guess. I personally think you’ll be ok, but it did cross my kind.
From every example i’ve seen of cutting cast iron the materials either crumbles when plowing through cuts with a shaper or turns powder/dust when using a milling machine. It would blow my mind if that tool holder ended up insufficiently rigid … and then I guess we would all learn something new 😅.
Keith, could the machining of the 'ways' have been done on the boring mill with the reach of the spindle? Good content as always!
Hope the planer has good stroke control.
Hope it works.
Tools making tools. Cool!
Great job.
Wow! That was a lot of work to make a custom tool holder you will likely never use again. But, if it works it was worth the effort.
Small cuts may work, but I suspect the holder needs to be twice as thick or so. Am also a little worried about the stoutness of the machine with such a long arm on it. Fingers crossed I am wrong and it works perfectly as is.
Looks good
You did a great job making the tool holder. I think its length will cause chatter.
Why don't you use the horizontal boring machine? Brian's should be large enough.
Will that cutter get to both sides of the surface?
wow thats good
Nice work.
What material is that bar stock?
Nice Looking 👀
Nice work
Needs must, as the Brits say 🙌
Bonsoir
Bon courage pour cette nouvelle année 2025