how to drill this properly

[Kidpaint]

This is the shift linkage for my motorcycle. It was to replace the part that was just a bent piece of .25" rod. That was poorly put welded together. The pull is front to back so I dont think the ovals with effect the strength too much in this movement. since it wont just bent without cracking I will be pie cutting and welding up the seams, then polishing it out. I will be doing the same design with my rear brake caliper bracket, but no bends cause that cant fail lol. The studs are 3/8" but since that doesnt leave much side wall I am doing to look for 1/4" threaded heim joint with the same diameter hole for the bolt to go through

[Kidpaint]

I do have a friend that I could ask if he has one. He does more wood turning that anything, but never hurts to ask. Im about to run to the garage to see if i can turn the drill head and things with get started on making a jig.

thanks
everyone

[sblack]

I would get a block of steel and drill a hole in it which id the right distance from a datum surface so that if you clamp the block and your part to the same surface the hole is at the right height. For longitudinal alignment I would scribe centerlines on the part and te block and align them with a long steel rule.

[Kidpaint]

sblack, im not sure Im following you, can you describe it a little differently?

[Oldnek]

You can try it this way, it works on anything that is the height of your bench to floor.
Modify Drill press.jpg

Just a thought as well, are you making the heim joints right and left hand thread, so you just need to loosen the nuts and spin the arm.

Please excuse the kiddy drawing, not very good at drawing with a mouse.

[Kidpaint]

Thats better than my mouse drawings and even a bad sketch is often easier to follow than well written words.

[crystallographic]

Originally Posted by Kidpaint

Thats better than my mouse drawings and even a bad sketch is often easier to follow than well written words.

--ain't THAT the truth!

[Ranchero50]

Yep, just take your time with the setup and it should turn out OK if a test piece turns out OK.

[Kidpaint]

sorry been away a bit but I did get the holes drilled and tapped. I took some of the advice and also some that I saw on a video about machining. I turned the table like mentioned, what I did that I saw in the machining video was this. In the video he used the shaft where the collet goes as a vertical face to match his part up to, to make sure it was square with the machine. So I took a piece of 1/4" rod that I knew was straight and but it in the chuck. Then used this to make sure that once the vice was tight that the part was vertical with the drill. Then center punched the ends and used a small drill bit to start a pilot. drill and tapped and set the depth so both sides where equal.





A few days after I did this, I was at an auction and a full size delta drill press came up for sale. So far the only thing I can find wrong is that the crank to raise and lower the table doesnt work and has to be done by hand. I havent had time to investigate. Low and behold there were 2 doweling jigs and I asked how much thinking maybe in the future. For $75 I got the drill the jigs and a few other things. Pay no attention to the messy garage. I got worse before it got better lol

[Pokie]

Good job and nice find! Now you're ready for some serious time in the garage.