Thanks for making this video. I learned a lot. May i add something to the idea. I work daily with magnetic circuits designing loudspeakers. What we find is that the greater the carbon content of a steel the worse the capacity of that steel to guide the magnetic strength or flux. Ideally we use a 1008 grade steel. Common bright nails usually fit the bill for this application. smooth un-coated framing nails work reasonably well. Mark
Great video! Thanks for sharing your insight on making these. I have a set that i inherited from an old timer i worked with. Now that i found your channel I'll have to check out more of your vids.
Just by coincidence or maybe youtube algorithm i was watching a video on homemade magnetic transfer blocks yesterday on Andy the Machinist channel. The consensus there was to use soft iron rather than hardened steel like gauge pins, in his case he used nails. But as they say if it works, it works!
Hello Chris, This project was started probably in 1993 so my youtube was the journeyman I worked with. As apprentices we would make things we borrowed from our journeyman. Theses I made with dowel pins that are case hard with the aluminum. This type worked so I started making a set. Most die makers and tool makers have many home made tools. Thanks for watching and commenting...Please subscribe... Mike - Plus8Precision
@@chrisstephens6673 Sure thing, I can't always see who subscribes. It doesn't show up write away, it's the same with comments too... Mike - Plus8Precision
Thanks for demonstrating how these are made with steel pins instead of laminated plates. They're not "magnetic" in themselves but are "transfer blocks." Their purpose is to transfer the magnetism from the magnetic chuck to the surface being ground.
Hello Ellie, Yes that is true, they transfer enough magnetism thru themselves to hold your work being ground. That was one of my apprenticeship projects from years ago. Thanks for watching and commenting... Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello I have been making aluminum molds out of 70-75 for almost 45 years.I have used WD-40 in the past. I have much better luck with A9 you can buy it online it is made specifically for cutting.
Hello Sam, thanks for the comment I never heard of A9. WD40 was readily available in the shop, so that's what was used. I only use wd40 for surface grinding nothing else. Thanks for watching and commenting and subscribing! Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello, I have used that technique in the past. I want a decent finish on these as I have had them longer than I have had my children lol. Thanks for adding the tip to the comment section. Thanks for watching and commenting and please subscribe if you haven't done so already! Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello Mike, Good video... Nice to see these have been completed. If I have the space I would have a surface grinder and would make some of these parallels, I can see they would be very useful. Take care. Paul,,
Hey Paul, Thank you, it was like they were staring at me everytime i opened that drawer in my tool box. Just needing to be finished after all these years. They do come in handy and are good to have around. My shop is small to, it would be bigger if i let it spill over onto the other side of my garage. Thanks for watching and commenting. Mike - Plus8Precision
Adam Duchert "Adam the machinist" suggest using 16 penny nails, as they are much cheaper, are long enough to use the nail multiple times, are much smaller in diameter so fine pole is doable, and because theyre much longer than dowel pins, making larger angle blocks is easier.
Hello Machinist, as stated in the video I started this project almost 30yrs ago when I was an apprentice. As an apprentice we were incouraged to make tools. In a tool and die shop dowels are more plentiful than 16d nails. I'm not a scientist but I have a fine pole chuck on my surface grinder and my magnetic parallels hold extremely well. I don't know Adam's background so he has his way and I have my way. If you went through an apprenticeship you work with alot of journeyman. So you might learn 10 different ways to do something. So as an apprentice you choose which way works best for you! That's the same here on you tube. Thanks for watching and commenting... Mike - Plus8Precision
D K, The grinding wheel details are...CGW Wheel, 7 X 1/2 X 1 1/4, 32A 46 H8VN, part # M107399. The wheel is on the softerside but is not very porous, it has close grit pattern. Its my general all around go to wheel. I will add its not very good for chuck grinding unless its all you had. Thanks for watching and commenting... Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello Mike, glad you completed your project. Is there any specific grit grinding wheel that we should use along with wd-40 for smooth surface, or any wheel will work? Also, how do we lock the aluminium workpiece in its place for grinding?
Thank you it only took 20yrs lol. I neverthought it would have taken so long. Thanks for watching and commenting and please subscribe if you have not already... Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello Ken, In my situation the benefit was the materials were readily available. Time wasn't a consideration because I was an apprentice and we were encouraged to make our own tools. It was a way of defining your skills. Another consideration was all the shop made magnetic parallels where I worked at; were made in this fashion not the laminated steel type. As for holding power I don't know which are better or stronger. Just know when you using magnetic parallels your going to block in your work. I hope this answered your question...thanks for watching and commenting... Mike - Plus8Precision
The pins are 5/16 dowel pins and the parallels work perfectly. Maybe there is an ideal ratio but I don't know what that would be. These work as intended to. When I started these decades ago I copied them from a set my leader had I'm sure. Thanks for watching and commenting...and subscribe if you like my channel. Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello Brandon, yes WD 40 improves your quality when surface grinding aluminum. Thanks for watching and commenting, please consider subscribing... Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello Paul, I have been in my trade (Tool and Die Maker) since 92' and I have never balanced a grinding wheel. I have never worked with anyone that balanced a grinding wheel, not even the grinderhands. Is that right or wrong I don't know but I have never had or seen any issues with all sorts of grinding. The motors on surface grinders start with such torque that the wheel and hub never stay aligned. I was taught if you turn the wheel off you must dress it again. If you don't you get chatter marks on your work piece. I see alot of youtubers turning off the wheels and resuming grinding without dressing the wheel to me that's a no-no. That's my answer Paul, thank you for subscribing, watching, and commenting... Mike - Plus8Precision
Thanks for making this video. I learned a lot. May i add something to the idea. I work daily with magnetic circuits designing loudspeakers. What we find is that the greater the carbon content of a steel the worse the capacity of that steel to guide the magnetic strength or flux. Ideally we use a 1008 grade steel. Common bright nails usually fit the bill for this application. smooth un-coated framing nails work reasonably well.
Mark
Great video! Thanks for sharing your insight on making these. I have a set that i inherited from an old timer i worked with. Now that i found your channel I'll have to check out more of your vids.
Thank you Kevin, I'm am now an oldtimer at 52 lol...
👍🏻 thanks for sharing
Just by coincidence or maybe youtube algorithm i was watching a video on homemade magnetic transfer blocks yesterday on Andy the Machinist channel. The consensus there was to use soft iron rather than hardened steel like gauge pins, in his case he used nails. But as they say if it works, it works!
Make that "Adam the machinist"
Hello Chris,
This project was started probably in 1993 so my youtube was the journeyman I worked with. As apprentices we would make things we borrowed from our journeyman. Theses I made with dowel pins that are case hard with the aluminum. This type worked so I started making a set. Most die makers and tool makers have many home made tools. Thanks for watching and commenting...Please subscribe...
Mike - Plus8Precision
@@Plus8Precision I thought I had, I will if you will too😉
@@chrisstephens6673 Sure thing, I can't always see who subscribes. It doesn't show up write away, it's the same with comments too...
Mike - Plus8Precision
@@Plus8Precision yeh, tell me about it.🙄
Thanks for demonstrating how these are made with steel pins instead of laminated plates. They're not "magnetic" in themselves but are "transfer blocks." Their purpose is to transfer the magnetism from the magnetic chuck to the surface being ground.
Hello Ellie,
Yes that is true, they transfer enough magnetism thru themselves to hold your work being ground. That was one of my apprenticeship projects from years ago. Thanks for watching and commenting...
Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello I have been making aluminum molds out of 70-75 for almost 45 years.I have used WD-40 in the past. I have much better luck with A9 you can buy it online it is made specifically for cutting.
Hello Sam, thanks for the comment I never heard of A9. WD40 was readily available in the shop, so that's what was used. I only use wd40 for surface grinding nothing else. Thanks for watching and commenting and subscribing!
Mike - Plus8Precision
Pro tip: Put that and any grinding setup you can on an angle. Wheel spends less time on the part. Less heat is good stuff when dry grinding.
Hello, I have used that technique in the past. I want a decent finish on these as I have had them longer than I have had my children lol. Thanks for adding the tip to the comment section. Thanks for watching and commenting and please subscribe if you haven't done so already!
Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello Mike,
Good video... Nice to see these have been completed. If I have the space I would have a surface grinder and would make some of these parallels, I can see they would be very useful.
Take care.
Paul,,
Hey Paul,
Thank you, it was like they were staring at me everytime i opened that drawer in my tool box. Just needing to be finished after all these years. They do come in handy and are good to have around. My shop is small to, it would be bigger if i let it spill over onto the other side of my garage. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Mike - Plus8Precision
Adam Duchert "Adam the machinist" suggest using 16 penny nails, as they are much cheaper, are long enough to use the nail multiple times, are much smaller in diameter so fine pole is doable, and because theyre much longer than dowel pins, making larger angle blocks is easier.
Hello Machinist, as stated in the video I started this project almost 30yrs ago when I was an apprentice. As an apprentice we were incouraged to make tools. In a tool and die shop dowels are more plentiful than 16d nails. I'm not a scientist but I have a fine pole chuck on my surface grinder and my magnetic parallels hold extremely well. I don't know Adam's background so he has his way and I have my way. If you went through an apprenticeship you work with alot of journeyman. So you might learn 10 different ways to do something. So as an apprentice you choose which way works best for you! That's the same here on you tube. Thanks for watching and commenting...
Mike - Plus8Precision
Those came out nice, thanks for sharing! I'd like to know the wheel specs
D K, The grinding wheel details are...CGW Wheel, 7 X 1/2 X 1 1/4, 32A 46 H8VN, part # M107399. The wheel is on the softerside but is not very porous, it has close grit pattern. Its my general all around go to wheel. I will add its not very good for chuck grinding unless its all you had. Thanks for watching and commenting...
Mike - Plus8Precision
Hello Mike, glad you completed your project.
Is there any specific grit grinding wheel that we should use along with wd-40 for smooth surface, or any wheel will work?
Also, how do we lock the aluminium workpiece in its place for grinding?
Thank you it only took 20yrs lol. I neverthought it would have taken so long. Thanks for watching and commenting and please subscribe if you have not already...
Mike - Plus8Precision
Hi, I don't understand the benefit of these over ones made of steel for grinding and would take a lot more time, thanks for the video.
Hello Ken,
In my situation the benefit was the materials were readily available. Time wasn't a consideration because I was an apprentice and we were encouraged to make our own tools. It was a way of defining your skills. Another consideration was all the shop made magnetic parallels where I worked at; were made in this fashion not the laminated steel type. As for holding power I don't know which are better or stronger. Just know when you using magnetic parallels your going to block in your work. I hope this answered your question...thanks for watching and commenting...
Mike - Plus8Precision
The size of the pins looks far bigger than the laminations of your vise. Shouldn't the grid be finer for it to transfer the magnetism properly?
The pins are 5/16 dowel pins and the parallels work perfectly. Maybe there is an ideal ratio but I don't know what that would be. These work as intended to. When I started these decades ago I copied them from a set my leader had I'm sure. Thanks for watching and commenting...and subscribe if you like my channel.
Mike - Plus8Precision
Whats the answer to the pop quiz on grinding aluminum? Was WD40 the answer?
Hello Brandon, yes WD 40 improves your quality when surface grinding aluminum. Thanks for watching and commenting, please consider subscribing...
Mike - Plus8Precision
Why did you not balance the wheel? Just dressed it.
Hello Paul,
I have been in my trade (Tool and Die Maker) since 92' and I have never balanced a grinding wheel. I have never worked with anyone that balanced a grinding wheel, not even the grinderhands. Is that right or wrong I don't know but I have never had or seen any issues with all sorts of grinding.
The motors on surface grinders start with such torque that the wheel and hub never stay aligned. I was taught if you turn the wheel off you must dress it again. If you don't you get chatter marks on your work piece. I see alot of youtubers turning off the wheels and resuming grinding without dressing the wheel to me that's a no-no.
That's my answer Paul, thank you for subscribing, watching, and commenting...
Mike - Plus8Precision
Sounds good to me. Thanks.