Stoning, Pure & Simple

[vicegrip]

My employment of a tad more than two years now puts me in
anywhere from 10% to 50% involvement in welding.
In other jobs over the years this would have been mig instead of tig.
Stick in some cases too.
I'm convinced that you can get into more trouble as a welder
attempting machining, than a machinist attempting welding.
This due to the limitation inherent to the lack of welding skill
and experience, limitting the usable outcome severely.
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Machining can allow you to get quite a bit further allong
before you realize you have damaged your work, your machinery,
your tools, or even set yourself up for a significant injury.

Found a Bridgeport or a Tree or maybe a surface grinder.
"Stoning" the table / chuck is just another area that can be
done "ALL WRONG"!
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First is the wrong stones.
Soft stones will take too much off before you know it.
Use only hard stones like these.
http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/No...e-P148C25.aspx
http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/No...ne-P69C25.aspx (6" max !!)
Use these only for stoning your machine workholding surfaces.
The stones must remain flat.
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Second, stone the entire table / chuck, not just the area to receive a part.
DO NOT bare down! just move uniformly over the entire table "feeling"
for any indications of nicks, dents or gouges. ONLY then rub a tad harder,
untill the stone again feels uniform in the amount of drag.
use only the fine side (brown) and only the course side (black)
having found a high spot, to begin to brake into it.
As soon as prudent switch back to the fine side.
THEN continue.
++++++++++++++++++
If you do not first thuroughly clean your table, your stone will load up with debriss.
A little debriss in the stone actually helps prolong the life and flattness of the table.
BUT only just a little.
..................................
I love 409 (red lable) applied to my stones, it clears the stones and makes a great
"glide" feel, so as to best "read" the table. Once done, spay WD
or fave preservent on your table or risk rusting.
Cheers
Phil

[SidecarFlip]

Interesting post. My 'stoning' is limited to trigger jobs, specifically sear and actuator parts. I never 'stone' my machine tables, never had to, because I'm the only one that uses the machines. Stoning a machine table is the result of 'others' using a machine incorrectly.

Truing a surface grinder mag chuck is a different animal, truing is accomplished with the grinding wheel mounted to the arbor of the grinder.

[vicegrip]

Interesting post. My 'stoning' is limited to trigger jobs, specifically sear and actuator parts. I never 'stone' my machine tables, never had to, because I'm the only one that uses the machines. Stoning a machine table is the result of 'others' using a machine incorrectly.
Truing a surface grinder mag chuck is a different animal, truing is accomplished with the grinding wheel mounted to the arbor of the grinder.

Hmnnn
I've been sharing machinery with the world at large since 1975.
Hence my post.
vg

[SidecarFlip]

I 'shared' in high school and my apprenticeship and then went to work in a gage shop and everyone was ainel about the machiines and all the beds were pristine. Then I bought my own so I'm totally responsible about mishaps, preventable, or otherwise.

I bought a used Series 1 B'port some years back that the bed was, lets say had, a case of divots and knicks. It came off and went out for a resurface immediately.

I'd never make a good shop owner because if I caught an employee marking a bed or causing damage in any way, I'd terminate him, or herI have little patience with stupidity.

[vicegrip]

My intention is to put a thread in the wheelbarrow that can be searched
from here to here-after.
Anytime a new entrant into shop-world finds a machine.....
he / she will also find advice. Much of it being incorrect.
==============
If 40% of professional machinists stone incorrectly or excessivly,
what chance is there a Nube will get sound advice?
As for what is an acceptable table oWWie, if you are under the gun
in today's pace, it's gonna happen! And it ain't usually stupidity.

Boss can tell who's careless and who just had a human OOps.

vg

[SidecarFlip]

...and I agree. However, I'm never 'under the gun'. Behind the gun (especially on Tuesday afternoon), but never under. My workload is self-imposed.

I've pretty much gotten away from stones in general. I use diamond hones for almost everything.

[urch55]

I've pretty much gotten away from stones in general.

Yea, Now Flip uses bullets.. Beats throwing stones at something/someone.....

Phil,
The way your post title reads I thought I would see a bloody mess..

[Rbeckett]

Yea, Now Flip uses bullets.. Beats throwing stones at something/someone.....

Phil,
The way your post title reads I thought I would see a bloody mess..

I thought we were gonna get an old hippy with red eyes, Urch. I guess I'm just getting old....
Bob

[urch55]

I thought we were gonna get an old hippy with red eyes, Urch. I guess I'm just getting old....
Bob

Yea, I guess it's how you look at "stoned" or "stoning".

[usmcpop]

Phil is my buddy and he's only trying to get us on track. He's talking about a 1 ounce stone on a table of a machine that weighs maybe 10,000 pounds or so. You don't slap your kids in the head, you work with them.

[urch55]

You don't slap your kids in the head, you work with them.

Pop's,
What are you talking about?????

[usmcpop]

Maybe I read something into that that wasn't meant to be, I don't know. Just sounded like you were knocking him.

[urch55]

Maybe I read something into that that wasn't meant to be, I don't know. Just sounded like you were knocking him.

Pop's,
You misread. Phil is a ok kid. (don't take offense for the word kid).
Reread my posts and tell me where I attacked Him or his character.
I did not know I had to be stiffed necked and use wording to match.
==================================================
"injected" "humor" don't sit well in the Hobart Forums.
This comment is for the one person that will recognize the key word...

[vicegrip]

Even in person, I seem to insight comunication canundrums.
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This thread however was intended to be str8 and uncomplicated.
I tryed to load it with searchable text.

Cheers
Phil

[brucer]

good post vicegrip..

i've been a machinist/toolmaker for 22yrs.. wish i had a dime for every horizontal or vertical mill table i've stoned.. i just got through stoning my new toy in the garage, 1972 bridgeport..

you have to stone them, if not, one little nick or scratch and your out of tolerance..