Brief Description: Using a milling machine for the first time
The other thing that had been slowing me up a bit was wondering how I was going to make the gizmo that allows you to hammer over the flange edge on the T-25 ribs. Both Russ and Eric show a cool little device they machined to do the job. They both kind of non-chalantly say they made it on a Bridgeport (or something :-) as if the rest of us do that every day.
Sigh...
I have never touched a milling machine in my life, but it turns out our EAA chapter has one of the manual three axis ones (looks like a super drill press on steroids). I got one of the guys to give me a basic check ride on how to operate it (set the speeds, replace the cutter, etc). After that, I was on my own
Well, after four hours of fiddling with the thing and milling off a LOT of material (the bandsaw we have there has a vice that is in the wrong spot to cut off the extra material I wanted to remove) I had my tool. It wouldn't win any shop awards, but for my first try, I'm pretty happy with it.
I made the tool to make both of the T-25 rib types on the horizontal stab: the ones with the 3/8" flange, and the end ones with the 5/8" flange.
