The Fingerplate (First stage)

 

The Clamping bar and the four tapped holes to accomadate it.

 

 

 

In position. (sorry, the camera was a bit squiffy)

 

Mark out and drill the three holes after cleaning up the base plate. Decide what the thread will be for the centre. Contrary to what I said yesterday, we found in the scrap box a short length of 8mm studding, ideal, so the centre hole was drilled and tapped accordingly. 2” or 2 ½” of studding was cleaned up for the centre post.

It took quite a while to mill the base flat and square, but after a couple of cups of tea and taking it in turns on the small milling machine it all looked shiny and ready for the next step.

When I made mine, because I suppose it wasn’t on the old drawing I had found, there wasn’t any thought of the clamping bar on the base. Over the years I had found this to be an essential part of my old fingerplate. So the underside of the base had to have four tapped holes to accommodate the clamping bar. You probably ask ‘why four’?

The reason being your little tool can then be clamped in the vice at any orientation, so this was the next step.

The clamping bar is just a ¾ x ¾ inch piece of stuff 2 ½” long with two holes drilled to accommodate the appropriate bolts you have chosen to use. (I think it is quite obvious what I mean from the picture.) Make sure these tapped holes are as accurate as you can get, this is very important, there is nothing more frustrating when you want to clamp your fingerplate in the vice than a bent bolt through misalignment of the holes.

Anyway, dinnertime, a good mornings work, tomorrow the 'V' groove and side grasping and clamping grooves to be milled. 

 

Thanks for stopping by.