A quick look at how I modified the bed of this nifty Harbor Freight cut-off saw. I changed the stock holding scheme by removing the supplied mini-vice and replacing it with a simple V-channel holding fixture. Along the length of the V-channel I marked off specific lengths, guides that later dictated the lengths of brass bar, rod, and tube -- all pieces that go into the fabrication of a 1/72 torpedo launcher.
The mini cut-off saw available from harbor freight is a good tool, but only after you removing the safety-guard which has to be operated by hand to drop the saw onto the work, very aggravating when you're doing production work; removal of the saw return spring; and replacing the nearly useless (under-engineered) angle adjustable work holding vice. Here you see the removed parts and the new V-channel stock holding fixture ready to be bolted onto the saws bed. The other shot is of the two shop drawings I use as I manufacture production versions of our 1/72 torpedo launcher.



Most of the fastening of the new holding fixture was done with 3/32" pop-rivets. Note that during the alteration work on the saw I removed the bed from the saw portion of the tool. The V-channel is 1/16" thick, 1/2" X 1/2" aluminum secured from the local hardware store.


Cheat-marks in pencil within the V-channel to the right of the blade guided me as I cut specific items of brass stock to length. Eliminating the bulky and unreliable vice and substituting the V-channel stock holding fixture greatly simplified and speeding up production work.


Here you see an assembled and ready-for-use launcher next to the major brass items used in its fabrication. Most machining was done on the saw, with lesser efforts made at the lathe and mill. Last shot is of the bagged brass parts ready for more machining, fitting, and soldering.


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NEW MEXICO DISPENSARY
The mini cut-off saw available from harbor freight is a good tool, but only after you removing the safety-guard which has to be operated by hand to drop the saw onto the work, very aggravating when you're doing production work; removal of the saw return spring; and replacing the nearly useless (under-engineered) angle adjustable work holding vice. Here you see the removed parts and the new V-channel stock holding fixture ready to be bolted onto the saws bed. The other shot is of the two shop drawings I use as I manufacture production versions of our 1/72 torpedo launcher.
Most of the fastening of the new holding fixture was done with 3/32" pop-rivets. Note that during the alteration work on the saw I removed the bed from the saw portion of the tool. The V-channel is 1/16" thick, 1/2" X 1/2" aluminum secured from the local hardware store.
Cheat-marks in pencil within the V-channel to the right of the blade guided me as I cut specific items of brass stock to length. Eliminating the bulky and unreliable vice and substituting the V-channel stock holding fixture greatly simplified and speeding up production work.
Here you see an assembled and ready-for-use launcher next to the major brass items used in its fabrication. Most machining was done on the saw, with lesser efforts made at the lathe and mill. Last shot is of the bagged brass parts ready for more machining, fitting, and soldering.
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NEW MEXICO DISPENSARY
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