Todays Project - What did you do today?

[Highpower]

This is where Billy G's plans for a die filer will come in handy.   

[dallen]

(02-26-2015, 11:03 AM)DaveH Wrote:

(02-26-2015, 10:20 AM)dallen Wrote: takes some patience and a lot of practice with the filing to make one right, guess I need more practice.

DA 

Nope, a little more patience  

DaveH

nope more practice, I never really got the hang of filing flat and square,

DA

[dallen]

(02-26-2015, 01:14 PM)Highpower Wrote: This is where Billy G's plans for a die filer will come in handy.   

broach would of been nice but for one hole I'll keep my 100 dollar bill that it would cost.

DA

[f350ca]

Tried Bob's method of making a lens for a couple of abused DTI's I had.
Not as pretty as his by any means but usable now.
How do you get the lens to form smoothly Bob, I tried the bottom of aerosol can like you did, and used a light bulb to form it but still got wrinkles, guess they match me.

 

[krv3000]

hi  it sawnds if you got it to hot

[Bill Gruby]

(02-26-2015, 01:14 PM)Highpower Wrote: This is where Billy G's plans for a die filer will come in handy.   

Mount a square file of appropriate size. Drill the round hole and file the corners out. Done deal.

"Billy G"

[Hawkeye]

This is about the closest I've come to shop work in the last five months, other than getting the wiring in my house almost done. My big Ashiko (drum) had the head split in two by the heat when my house caught fire.
   

The new skin finally arrived this week, so today was skinning day. The skin needed to be soaked for up to 8 hours. Since it was 26" in diameter, I didn't have a tub big enough to lay it out. A very large garbage bag in the bottom of the shower does the job well.
   

Here's the drum with the two steel rings waiting for the skin. The wooden rim is liberally rubbed with beeswax to prevent the hide from sticking.
   
(Unfortunately, having the photo rotated correctly in your hard drive doesn't result in having it correct in this new software.)

It's amazing how fast you can get the skin wrapped around the flesh ring and tucked under the clamping ring. All the wrinkles pull out easily, since the rawhide is quite slippery when hydrated.
   

The excess is then trimmed off. I use a piece of aluminum as a guard, since a nick will ruin a $100 skin.
   

The finished head. Now all that remains is to let it dry slowly for a bunch of days, then tune it up.
   

[Mayhem]

Nice Mike. How is everything shaping up? Are you happy with the process since changing companies?

[schor]

Not really a project, and I'm sure some of you know Tom Lipton from Ox Tool.

[Hawkeye]

(03-01-2015, 01:23 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Nice Mike. How is everything shaping up? Are you happy with the process since changing companies?

It's almost scary how fast things are moving now. The guy who heads up the new restoration company is also the plumber. He got most of the drainage system in yesterday. I only have a few hours wiring to do to finish the rough-in. The HVAC system is in, just needs the gas lines and A/C compressor. Should be ready for insulation this week, then drywall. They still have to replace the windows and doors and the vinyl siding.

If this much progress had taken place during the 1 1/2 months that nothing was done, I'd almost be moved back in now. Any day now, I'll have to start the daunting process of choosing flooring, paint, appliances and furniture. Nobody's asked those questions yet.