How to find the centre of a hole.

[Alpha1]

Hmm I knew it they are super happy with the two blocks I have done. They want the other six doing as soon as.(Groan) Boring Boring Boring. How you machining people do batch runs all day is beyond me. But I guess you would just chuck these on a CNC machine and let it make the whole thing or program in a AutoCAD type file to cut the holes. Obviously I don,t have that luxury. But the only way I can do this is at home in my Shed so every cloud as they say ?. I am sure they will not be bothered if I turn a few fountain pens while I am in there.

[Polchraine]

Hmm I knew it they are super happy with the two blocks I have done. They want the other six doing as soon as.(Groan) Boring Boring Boring. How you machining people do batch runs all day is beyond me. But I guess you would just chuck these on a CNC machine and let it make the whole thing or program in a AutoCAD type file to cut the holes. Obviously I don,t have that luxury. But the only way I can do this is at home in my Shed so every cloud as they say ?. I am sure they will not be bothered if I turn a few fountain pens while I am in there.

I hope you are billing them - in some way for tooling, power and wear and tear ... Obviously time is covered by you doing it in works time. Ways I have used in teh past is to put some extra tools on an expenses claim - ones that do not look out of place but are for your hoppy not work.

[Alpha1]

Hmm I knew it they are super happy with the two blocks I have done. They want the other six doing as soon as.(Groan) Boring Boring Boring. How you machining people do batch runs all day is beyond me. But I guess you would just chuck these on a CNC machine and let it make the whole thing or program in a AutoCAD type file to cut the holes. Obviously I don,t have that luxury. But the only way I can do this is at home in my Shed so every cloud as they say ?. I am sure they will not be bothered if I turn a few fountain pens while I am in there.

I hope you are billing them - in some way for tooling, power and wear and tear ... Obviously time is covered by you doing it in works time. Ways I have used in teh past is to put some extra tools on an expenses claim - ones that do not look out of place but are for your hoppy not work.

They pay for all the tooling plus some with out any quibbles. Lets just say I have no complaints about how they pay me for these projects and they are quite happy for me to work from home.
As stupid as it sounds I was not allowed to use any of the machines in the work shops at work because I don,t have a trade back ground. They have scrapped or sold most of the contents of the work shops off now any way.
But no I am not doing this for nothing it probably costs them more for me to do it than a local machining Company.

[Pippin89]

As stupid as it sounds I was not allowed to use any of the machines in the work shops at work because I don,t have a trade back ground.

I had the health and safety guy at my work moaning at me for using an angle grinder because I had not been signed off to use it. I explained to him that I am signed off to use an entire workshop of manual and CNC machines, but apparently I need someone to show me how to use an angle grinder..... Anyway a year later and I regularly remind him I need to be signed off and he still hasn't done it. One of these people that is happy to point out problems but not happy to do anything about it. Still use one regularly, if he complains its his fault for not signing me off.

[Polchraine]

They pay for all the tooling plus some with out any quibbles. Lets just say I have no complaints about how they pay me for these projects and they are quite happy for me to work from home.
As stupid as it sounds I was not allowed to use any of the machines in the work shops at work because I don,t have a trade back ground. They have scrapped or sold most of the contents of the work shops off now any way.
But no I am not doing this for nothing it probably costs them more for me to do it than a local machining Company.

Excellent ... I have seen it both ways, yours seems to have teh right idea.

[Alpha1]

I have two left to do. Proper work and life got in the way. I am hoping to finish them this week end. Never again I have never been so bored in all my life. The Shed looks like a bomb has hit it swarf every were.

[Alpha1]

Hooray they are done and in use. They are talking about buying more groan.

[Polchraine]

Up the price and you can afford a new machine ... or at least some new tools/toys you want.

[strangesam]

How much would a small CNC mill, or the required adaptions to your mill to make it into a CNC mill cost?

Then charge them that much..

(also if it is a regular grid of holes, I've used DROs in the past which had a grid function, define the start point, define the grid, and then just move to 0-0 on the display, drill, press the next button and wind to 0-0 again...)

[Alpha1]

How much would a small CNC mill, or the required adaptions to your mill to make it into a CNC mill cost?

Then charge them that much..

(also if it is a regular grid of holes, I've used DROs in the past which had a grid function, define the start point, define the grid, and then just move to 0-0 on the display, drill, press the next button and wind to 0-0 again...)

Hi the DRO thing sounds interesting not sure I would be able to do that I will have to read up. I am not a machinist and do not claim to be.
I have no issues about how I am getting paid.
The Company buys the blocks in. They pay for any tooling I need.
There are 8 blocks each block has 28 10mm holes in the block that needs to be opened up to 11.9mm the depth stays the same.
I billed them 4 hours at £22.50p per hour for each block = £720.00 and they never batted a eye lid.