MetalworkingFun Forum
Todays Project - What did you do today? - Printable Version

+- MetalworkingFun Forum (http://www.metalworkingfun.com)
+-- Forum: Machining (http://www.metalworkingfun.com/forum-5.html)
+--- Forum: Projects (http://www.metalworkingfun.com/forum-7.html)
+--- Thread: Todays Project - What did you do today? (/thread-727.html)

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - Vinny - 02-17-2017

Back when I was doing CDs and DVDs we also made a few clocks. Unfortunately, this is the only one I took a picture of the whole thing, the rest of the pics are just the clock face.

The clock face is a CD, printed directly then laminated. In this one, the wood washer in the middle is something I made on the lathe from a chunk of the wood the frame was made from.

To countersink the CD, I had to make a tool for the drill press that would cut it out. I don't think they make paddle or forstner bits that big.

My neighbor did the wood part, I did the CD, artwork and clock. The artwork was from their wedding video, I froze a frame and used it. Since they were long time friends, making the CDs and clock were a wedding gift.

EDIT: Almost forgot, the wood is a hunk of old barn wood.


[Image: hillorieclock-final-sm.jpg]

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - TomG - 02-17-2017

Andrew,

I remember the Ampex quality, with their industrial pushbutton solenoid controls. Didn't realize they used vacuum as well.

[Image: Ampex351RemoteLights.jpg]

Looking on eBay, reel to reel seems to be the new vinyl? I have a couple of old Tandbergs. Maybe it's time to dust them off.

Tom

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - awemawson - 02-17-2017

It was a very clever system. The tape was pulled by vacuum into two glass fronted slots one either side of the capstan wheel. There were photo sensors at each end of the columns that were part of the spool reel servo system. Each spool reel motor had a servo amp that maintained the loop between the photo-sensors of it's respective column.  When the capstan wheel turned tape was either allowed into or pulled out of the columns, and the spool motor servo amps reacted accordingly.  This meant that there was very little inertia thus allowing the capstan wheel to accelerate and reverse very quickly.

About the only thing that went wrong apart from drifting set points was the pea bulbs in the photo-sensors and carbon dust from the vacuum motor getting on the electronics. After VERY long mileage the tape heads would wear increasing the head gap and hence giving miss-reads. Oh happy days from my youth !!!!

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - TomG - 02-17-2017

Today's project was to finish installing a gas fireplace insert for my mom and dad. I had already run the gas and electrical and my son helped pull the flex ducts through the chimney for the intake and exhaust. Today I finished up a few details on that and permanently installed the chimney cap. Then I pulled wire for the thermostat and hooked it up to the gas valve, hooked up the flex line to the gas supply, leveled the insert and installed the decorative surround. It took longer than I expected to purge the air from the supply line via the pilot light, but once that was done, it fired right up. The only real issue I ran into was the blower wouldn't turn on. The cause turned out to be a thermo-switch that had worked loose in shipping, so it was no longer in contact with the fire box. I'll have to go back and fix it because by the time I had it figured out, the insert was too hot to handle.

Mom and Dad are happy and warm. Cool 

Tom

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - Roadracer_Al - 02-18-2017

I've been doing a major service on my wife's 09 Kawasaki Versys 650. She bought in in '12 with 9k miles on it, and now it has 65k miles. Roughly 11k miles a year.

The motor has literally never been apart. Maintenance has consisted of changing the oil every 3~5k with good oil, keeping the chain tight & oiled (she's been through 4 sets), and making sure the tires are inflated, and not worn out. She's been through 6 sets of tires (about 1 set a year, plus an extra set for our Alaska trip 4 years ago). Plus the occasional filter cleaning & oiling.

Remarkably, it needed neither valve adjustment (shim under bucket), nor throttle body syncing. And, can I just say, what a PITA to sync. With EFI, you can't just throw a fuel bottle on it and run it, the tank has to be fully connected (about 6 hoses and 3 electrical connectors), then you have to use your tiny Trump hands and work under the tank.

The OEM NGK "iridium" plugs were, however, pretty well-consumed, even though they continued to work fine. I'll never hesitate to use the iridium plugs again - they are a *high mileage* plug!

Next job on deck will be to install all new bearings in the wheels, steering head & swingarm, and those are being replaced "just because". Should be good for another 65k miles after that.

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - Mayhem - 02-20-2017

To add to the clock theme:

[attachment=14224]

Back when I was playing in bands and making my own guitars, I was talking to someone about the fact that most of the "off the rack" instruments sold have bodies that are either made from plywood or basswood (there are other names for basswood - micktoon carved a rabbit out of it).  

He didn't believe me, so then next time I brought a second hand guitar (I bought them for the necks only and tossed the rest) I decided to sand the paint off whilst he watched.  Once he saw the plywood beneath the paint he ate some humble pie and never mentioned it again.  

I decided to sand the remainder of the paint off and turn the body into a clock.  I painted the scratch plate and drew on the symbols that indicate the numbers.  I think I had to enlarge the pickup pocket to place the mechanism where I wanted it and that was about it.

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - Old Minger - 02-20-2017

I bet the guy from 'Clickspring' is seriously worried with all these clocks that are popping up on the forum! Big Grin

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - Wongster - 02-20-2017

Hope I'm not off topic.

I just completed my very first pen!  Bought the kits and acrylic blanks from Penn State Industries in US.  Started this morning before work and finished it up when I got home from work.  The bundle that I bought which is on sale is called the Gatsby Grande.  Nice simple pens with only one blank to turn for each.  To save money, I didn't purchase the barrel trimmer and the mandrel with Morse taper.  Got myself a simple drill chuck mandrel.  If I've the dimensions of the mandrel, I may even make the mandrel myself.  But for USD12 over... 

Some pics of the pen:

[Image: 38ACD23D-D4A9-46F1-A482-BEF0773D4F67_zpsgtvby39b.jpg]

[Image: 98061084-9263-425C-B667-1280B76F8529_zpsscfufzmg.jpg]

[Image: 4F85E2D9-8D38-45A3-9E1B-1B4FAB9F5CE8_zpsn9kh1ljt.jpg]

This is a fun and simple project.   Great as gifts.  Will be turning a few more to give away and maybe even sell some to fund my hobby.

Regards,
Wong

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - Vinny - 02-20-2017

Nice looking pen. A friend of mine's been trying to get me to start making them. I know they sell real well.

RE: Todays Project - What did you do today? - texx - 02-20-2017

i have been making and selling pens for about 10 years and i stopped using a mandrel about 8 years ago , i only use the mandrel for the 7mm pens all the rest are turned between 2 centres on custom bushes that i made, makes for a much better end result .
i stopped using the barrel trimmer about the same time and i have my own method of trimming them now which is a lot better and quicker .

johno

heres a few i prepared earlier .