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Shop Made BXA tool holders

Those look great!
I'm slowly making progress on my shaper repair and am looking forward to getting back making tool holders. My AXA inventory is looking pretty good, now it's time to make some BXA's. I was in the middle of making a cut-off holder when the clutch let loose, bringing production to a halt. Since then it's been a case of touch and break..... I touch it, and it breaks. :oops:
 

trevj

Ultra Member
Nice!

I built a batch of holders for my clone of a Tripan Tool post. Similar style dovetailed holders, but much smaller.

Did the dovetail in foot long sections, cut off what I needed and batch processed half an ice cream bucket of them...

Like the home made dovetail cutter, that rocks. And I AM gonna steal the idea for the HSS tooling sub-holder! :p Thanks for that!
 

ducdon

Super User
Premium Member
I want to do some sort of finish to protect them from rust. Any kind of plating is out as it would effect the dimensions and fit. Some sort of surface conversion process? Anyone with experience? Suggestions?
 

Everett

Super User
Nicely done! They look good. Like @trevj I approve of the HSS holder shanks and may "borrow" the idea if I ever get some shop time, lol!
 

ducdon

Super User
Premium Member
Nice!

I built a batch of holders for my clone of a Tripan Tool post. Similar style dovetailed holders, but much smaller.

Did the dovetail in foot long sections, cut off what I needed and batch processed half an ice cream bucket of them...

Like the home made dovetail cutter, that rocks. And I AM gonna steal the idea for the HSS tooling sub-holder! :p Thanks for that!
The dovetail cutter worked OK. But chip load is pretty high with only one insert. It was a long slow process with lots of small slow cuts. It would probably better with at least 2 inserts.
 

trevj

Ultra Member
I want to do some sort of finish to protect them from rust. Any kind of plating is out as it would effect the dimensions and fit. Some sort of surface conversion process? Anyone with experience? Suggestions?
I dunno that a light layer of plating would be noticed, fit-wise. There are a couple different tool blackening kits out there, check out Caswell Plating Supply, IIRC, they carry some of that too.
Basic cold blue from CTire is a choice, though not much in the way of protection.

Or you could stock up on stump rot powder or buy the chems directly, and hot blue them. Hot process, dipping them in molten salts.

If you really want to 'live the adventure', you could have a go at color case hardening them!

Lots of options, really.
 

Dan Dubeau

Ultra Member
Great job on those, they look great.

Look into black oxide coatings, as there are some pretty cheap ones that are easy to apply. When I made mine for my OXA post a few years ago, I ran them through our blackfast system at work.

Heating them up cherry red and dunking them in used motor oil is another method that works ok ish. I have a few homemade tools done that way, and while it's not as uniform, it does prevent rust. Not sure I'd recommend it for something like this, but for other not so precision machined stuff it works ok.
 

curmudgeon

(Steve)
I want to do some sort of finish to protect them from rust. Any kind of plating is out as it would effect the dimensions and fit. Some sort of surface conversion process? Anyone with experience? Suggestions?
I use a salt bath @ about 950F to anneal brass. I try not to waste any of it, but a few drips escape, and when they land on steel they turn it a nice black.
 

trlvn

Ultra Member
I want to do some sort of finish to protect them from rust. Any kind of plating is out as it would effect the dimensions and fit. Some sort of surface conversion process? Anyone with experience? Suggestions?

Jax Blackening solution has worked well for me and isn't too expensive. Available in Canada at:


Craig
 

Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
If I cannot paint (which is the case with tool holders) I just use Cold Gun Blue and then oil. The oil part is an evolving process as I find better oils. So far I like Wd-40 rust Inhibitor - it's very expensive but so are my tools and my work.

The cold gun blue is up for grabs. The first time something superior comes along, I'm done with that. Love to find an easy to do black anodizing process. I need to try Jaxx.
 

historicalarms

Ultra Member
All "cold gun blue" formula's are not created equal, one manufacturer's formula will work excellent on some steel whereas others leave a blotchy covering. I keep a choice of formulas on hand all the time, test one and keep testing until I find the best for the steel Im working with...I think, in this instance a cold bluing application done 3 or 4 times would be a very effective protector. I have replacement barrels completely cold blued that very knowledgeable gun guys cant tell it has been cold blued. Some folks heat the object their cold bluing but I never have...never seen a need.
As for Susq. suggestion of color casing these beauties' would be awesome but that is a very exacting time consuming process, but man they would be the centerpiece of any mans work bench when done. There is a couple fellows on CGN that do color casing. Oskar Kobb from out in the maritimes somewhere does it on a commercial basis so that is a simple "$$$-plus time" option or there is a guy in Saskatoon that does it hobby shop ways and writes threads with photo's on how to do it quite regularly in CGN....search member rwnblack or the most current thread I can find "At home case hardening".
Excuse me for saying again "color casing those beauties' would be a fitting finish-up to the time time you've already spent so far.
 

Janger

(John)
Administrator
Vendor
Jax Blackening solution has worked well for me and isn't too expensive. Available in Canada at:


Craig
Can you please post a picture or two of your results?
 

ducdon

Super User
Premium Member
Jax Blackening solution has worked well for me and isn't too expensive. Available in Canada at:


Craig
Thanks Craig! I'll check it out
 

trlvn

Ultra Member
Can you please post a picture or two of your results?
Here are a couple of small parts that I already had pictures of:

IMG_4649 blackened locks.jpg

IMG_4593 blackened washer.jpg

I just brake cleaner to prepare the parts before applying the Jax blackener. I believe I did 2 coats on eash of these parts and then submerged them in light oil. I had tried the '1 hour rust blueing process' before and the Jax product is so much easier that there is no comparison. I'm sure I can scratch through the blackening but so far it seems durable enough for what I want.

And if you happen to be in the Toronto area, the Sculpture Supply store is worth a visit just to see the wild stuff they have. They carry a lot of stuff special effects folks in the movie industry use to create masks and set pieces and all other props. Plus stuff for any kind of art sculpture you can imagine. Very near the Kipling subway station. I think they'll do mail order but I have no experience buying from them that way.

Craig
 

trevj

Ultra Member
Here are a couple of small parts that I already had pictures of:

View attachment 30430

View attachment 30429

I just brake cleaner to prepare the parts before applying the Jax blackener. I believe I did 2 coats on eash of these parts and then submerged them in light oil. I had tried the '1 hour rust blueing process' before and the Jax product is so much easier that there is no comparison. I'm sure I can scratch through the blackening but so far it seems durable enough for what I want.

And if you happen to be in the Toronto area, the Sculpture Supply store is worth a visit just to see the wild stuff they have. They carry a lot of stuff special effects folks in the movie industry use to create masks and set pieces and all other props. Plus stuff for any kind of art sculpture you can imagine. Very near the Kipling subway station. I think they'll do mail order but I have no experience buying from them that way.

Craig
That sounds like a VERY interesting store to wander through!

In Edmonton, my go-to was a place called Bedrock Supply, who sold everything from Gold mining, lapidary, jewellery findings, casting supplies, precious metals, and glass blowing stuff, without scratching the surface. Used to tell people that if they could walk around the place, without ideas going off in their heads like fireworks, that it was time they were buried!

That blacking compound looks great! Sounds like it's not a headache to use, either.
 
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