I’m in the process of completing my fixture table. I am using your jig, on a 2 x 2 grid. The table size is 60 x 30. Space in my single car garage is tight, so I plan on using the fixture table for many different tools, while it is not in use for its main purpose. I plan on securing those tools using steel plates. For example, I will mount my vice on a steel plate, which in turn will be mounted to the 2 x 2 grid pattern (if this makes sense)? My table thickness is 3/4 of an inch. What would you recommend for the thickness of the steel plates I intend to use? Other tools, I hope to mount are my benchtop drill press, a bench top wood lathe and my 2 x 72 belt grinder. Also, would you mount these tools Using bolts and nuts or your tack bolts? Your advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks
I would use 1/2 inch plate. If you plan on using tacking pins you will need washers or spacers as the pins only clamp to 1 3/4 of an inch and this only gives you 1 1/4 of an inch thickness.
1/2 plate is a great overall base plate thickness. I like it because you can drill and tap into the plate and mount the equipment to it. Or bolt the plate from underneath the table if necessary. Or you can stack a few washers or use the red shim collars that we use with the dragon wagons and use the tack bolts for tools that you want to remove fast. If the vise or other tools are more permanent, standard hex bolts are what I use. 1/2 or thicker gives more mounting options.
Thank you very much for getting back to me so quickly. I will, of course be moving forward using your recommendations. Something that may interest you: My champion carbide tipped annular cutter drilled through more than 200 holes before giving out. I then switched to a Euroboor, Also, carbide tipped. It only drilled an additional 10 holes before giving out Needless to say, I’m over the halfway point. No stopping now! Your jig is working flawlessly. Thanks for everything!
Thank you for your suggestions. They are very much appreciated
That’s not many holes for a carbide cutter. I have got 400-450 with HSS.
Are you running the correct feeds and speeds?
Nice looking table! I like the idea of mounting ancillary equipment to sub-plates too. 2 x 72 belts? Is that a Square Wheel belt grinder?
OK down to business- If I were going to put sub-plates under my bench tools I would locate and attach (These are two distinct functions!!) them with 2 to 4 pins (Depending on sub-plate size).
One sub-plate hole would be the size of the the holes in the table. A second “hole” would actually be a slot, slightly longer than it is wide (its width being the same as the diameter of the first hole), POINTING DIRECTLY AT THE FIRST HOLE, and a third hole, if needed, would be a slightly larger diameter, (perhaps the same as the length of the slot…). The first hole and the slot should be as far apart on the sub-plate as possible. (Not right next to each other!)
With this arrangement in the sub-plate, the slightly deviated positions of both the table holes and the sub-plate hole, slot and oversize hole (and even a 4th oversize hole for tools like your lathe) will be accommodated. Pins located tightly in the table holes can then locate the sub-plate without binding or slop, before being tightened down.
In GD&T speak, the plate-to-table mate establishes the primary datum, the tight hole the secondary datum and the slot the tertiary datum. The other holes (in the sub-plate) are simply located with respect to the datum reference frame established by the datums established from the sub-plate surface, hole, and slot…