Methods of milling a piece of raw steel stock into a machine-ready piece of steel

A method of milling a piece of raw steel stock comprising:

• arranging a minimum of four solid pole extensions on top surface segments of a magnetic chuck such that the solid pole extensions are relatively evenly distributed under a piece of raw steel stock and within 2 inches of a perimeter of the piece of raw steel stock;
• the piece of raw steel stock having a length of at least 36 inches, a width of at least 36 inches, and a thickness of at least ½ inch, and a first surface and a second surface that are approximately flat and parallel;
• arranging multiple mobile pole extensions beneath the piece of raw steel stock and on every other top surface segment of the magnetic chuck under the piece of raw steel stock that is not occupied by the solid pole extensions but beneath the piece of raw steel stock, each of the multiple mobile pole extensions having a biased top portion that contacts the piece of raw steel stock;
• activating magnetic capabilities of the magnetic chuck such that the top portion of each of the mobile pole extensions locks into place supporting the piece of raw steel stock;
• milling the first surface of the piece of raw steel stock with a face mill;
• flipping the piece of raw steel stock over and milling the second surface of the piece of raw steel stock with the face mill;
• and
• continuing flipping the piece of raw steel stock over and milling whichever of the first surface and the second surface of the piece of the raw steel stock is available for milling until both the first surface and the second surface have an arithmetic mean surface roughness (“Ra”) of 21 micrometers or less, and the first surface and the second surface are parallel to within a tolerance of at least of 0.001 inch per 36 inches.

A method of milling a piece of raw steel stock comprising:

• arranging a minimum of four solid pole extensions on top surface segments of a magnetic chuck such that the solid pole extensions are distributed under either (i) centers of edges or (ii) corners of a piece of raw steel stock and within 2 inches of a perimeter of the piece of raw steel stock;
• the piece of raw steel stock having a length of at least 36 inches, a width of at least 36 inches, and a thickness of at least ½ inch, the piece of raw steel stock comprising a first surface and a second surface;
• arranging multiple mobile pole extensions beneath the piece of raw steel stock and on top surface segments of the magnetic chuck under the piece of raw steel stock, each of the multiple mobile pole extensions having a biased top portion that contacts the piece of raw steel stock;
• activating magnetic capabilities of the magnetic chuck such that the top portion of each of the mobile pole extensions locks into place supporting the piece of raw steel stock;
• and
• milling the first surface of the piece of raw steel stock with a face mill, generating swarf from the piece of raw steel stock that consists essentially of steel chip.