Milling heads

Last year sometime I asked for ideas about how to hold 45 heads for milling the gasket surface, also to take off enough to turn #5 to #6 heads. Got lots of good responses, still not sure about the tennis court as a lapping plate though!! I had an idea to go with and just finished it up. Works GREAT so far! I made a 3 post plate up, turned the post diameter to a shoulder to stop on the washer surfaces. split the posts at the top and counter sunk so beveled flathead screws would spread the split diameter, holding on the bolt holes. Put 4 leveling screws at corners to square up the top surface. Also secured the posts with set screws so I can flip them around to do the other side head with only 1 fixture. Check it out!

With the leveling screws I can get the top surface indicated to within a couple thou.

Then it's off to the races!

Steve † www.resurrectioncycle.com


[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 12 September 2002).]

Steve, ain't it funny how great minds think alike! : http://photos.yahoo.com/boogiemanz1 I don't know if this is going to make a link or not, but go here under Indian fixture. I made this to serve as a stress/torque plate, and a mill fixture for machining the combustion chamber for bonneville pistons on Indian chiefs. I just use clamps to hold the head down, and shims on stands to adjust...jb

[This message has been edited by Boogiemanz1 (edited 12 September 2002).]

Hey,
I like your fixture too! Boogie On!
Steve † www.resurrectioncycle.com

[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 12 September 2002).]

Steve,
Your question last year and the replys got me to design and build a fixture similar to yours. I use 4 posts to support the head on the headbolt washer surfaces. Instead of splitting and expanding the tops I use a tappered pull down fixture thru the sparkplug hole. The plate is 1" and the posts are moveable to do both front and rear heads on the same fixture. It works very well.
Yours looks real nice. Great idea and execution.
Thanks for getting me going on mine. I've used it to cut pop-ups in to heads, make #6s out of #5s and true up WR heads. 'dog

Boog,
Just checked out your fixture. JIMS won't make what we need so we have to. NICE JOB. Seeing this stuff reminds me of the old days when we made ALL our own stuff. Building a custom scoot meant making the parts not just bolting them on. We were all fabricators with good imaginations. Glad to see there are still some guys out there that can do more than write a check. Renews my faith.
'dog

Well I think we're all here cause we don't want the cookie cutter stuff, and if we have to make a thing or two it's worth it. I'm just glad there's a place where people share this stuff, it's rough learning all this on your own.

The expandible posts are a great idea.

I can only wonder where you found the free time. Most of us in this industry just look at our pile of personal projects and sigh:
Self-employment is a purgatory of its own.

Cotten,
Funny you should ask about making the time, we're all busy that's for sure, and I've been thinking about this for a bit, then a while back I got a call from a long ago friend that explained he has the bad cancer Juice in him and wanted to take one last ride, he asked if I could mill the heads on his 45 so he could go just a little faster. Priorities changs QUICK!
Enjoy the time you got, it's limited here.
Steve † www.resurrectioncycle.com