Die Filer (part 4)

Time to finish the main body of the die filer...

Now it's time to use the pin that I placed in the housing to locate the center. From there I can drill out the hole for the reciprocating rod.

Die Filer (part 3)

Where do we start today....

Let's work on the main body of the filer, shall we?

Having a conference with my good friend, Sammy Smith, to discuss clamping. This was a part that I had to think about. How best to hold this casting for machining the first surfaces that would then determine the placement of everything else?

Die Filer (part 2)

So...onward and upward. Or something.

For Part 2 we're going to focus on the Scotch Yoke. Like many cast parts, this has no reference surface to start with. We have to figure that out for ourselves.

Die Filer (part 1)

This is a project that I started some time ago. I've done a lot of hemming and hawing over how to do it, and I'm now knee deep in getting it done. Here goes...

Oh, first things first. I s'pose I should answer the question, "What is a die filer?" Simple, it's a small, motor driven, benchtop machine that drives a file. The rotary motion of the motor is converted to reciprocating motion by way of a crank shaft/pully combination. You rest your work on the table and move it around the file. Trust me, it will make sense.

 Here is the basic casting kit as it came from Martin Models. There is a base, table, pulley, and scotch yolk.

Lathe Compound Slide (cont)

These mini lathes have a slight problem. While I was installing my 20 TPI conversion and new compound, I decided to fix it once and for all.  Lets look at that problem, and how I solved it.

On the compound slide, the moving dial can (uh...will) bind against the stationary dial (see the pointer). What this means is that you can't always trust the reading. I don't run a DRO on the lathe, I never have. I have this thing about DRO's on lathes, I don't know why. Anyway, I rely on the dials.

The cross feed screw does not bind up. Hmmm...but why? As it turns out the cross slide screw is captured by the thread housing (for lack of a better word). The screw has a shoulder, and that shoulder is used to limit the movement of the screw. The compound slide lacks this feature. So, no matter what, the screw will bind against the dial as you feed in.

Lathe Compound Slide

Starting with squaring up a block of cast iron.

First run on the little fly cutter I just made. I did the big material removal with a large carbide insert face mill and then took the final cut with the fly cutter

Lathe Carriage Stop

A thing for making things. There's a lot of geometry going on there.

Lathe Tool Holders Part 1

I seem to be spending a little more time with my 'puter lately. Let's see if I can turn that into some productive writing. (I will do my best, despite Blogger working against me by randomly moving pics when I try to add captions and just making me want to throw shit...so sorry for any strange formatting that takes place)

Current project is new tool holders for my lathe. Sure, I can buy them for about $15 each, but then I wouldn't learn anything. Also, it's a good opportunity to learn 3D modeling with Fusion 360 (more on that later...maybe?).

This is what we're aiming for. How are we going to get there? Ignore the rough finish on the end...that's the result of a roughing mill and will be smoothed out later.

Recent Tools

A few recent tools...

Bench block...

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here in the US. To everyone else...happy Thursday.

I am still very busy making stuff, just not posting here because my read counter says that nobody has read any of my content for some time. I don't like just talking off into space. If the read counter is totally wrong and you want to see new content, leave a comment and I will start posting again.

Reconstruction Begins

One of the most important tasks was getting my laundry back!! I had to install a new utility sink, and then with the help of my pops, we got the washer, dryer, and freezer placed. The freezer left me with a large bruise on my thigh...but I won't get into it.

Shop Floor Done

Shop floor as of right now. I'm stoned on fumes, and I've had a few beers...but it looks good. Hiring pros was the way to go. Once I saw how bad it REALLY was, I had to hand it off.

Shop Is F*cked!!!

My shop looks like this...as of about 15 minutes ago...

New floor on Wednesday. Move back in over the weekend? Maybe? Hopefully? 101 year old basement shop. Everything except the water heater and furnace is coming out. Honestly, I can't wait to get the shop back together and get back to doing cool shit. New layout, new Gusto!

Porsche: Rennlin Pedals

Yesterday, I installed new pedals and a driver's side floor board into the Boxster. Not a difficult task on paper, but the footwell of a small sports car is not an easy place to work. Though I mainly did this for cosmetic reasons, there are other benefits. One, the rubber grips on the pedals are better than the OEM pedal covers. Second, as I get a little better with performance driving techniques, the shape of the gas pedal lends itself to heel-toe shifting better than the stock pedal.

Let's get started, shall we...

The Rennline floor board and pedals. The four piece pedal set also includes a dead pedal.

Saying Goodbye...

...to one of my bikes. After four and a half years, it's time to send my Aprilia off to her new home. I've been considering this move since last fall. My day job leaves little time to ride, and this is not my only bike. I have plans for my Porsche, and other tools and machines that I would like to add, so something had to give.

My one big hangup was that I didn't want to sell it to some dude-brah type guy. No. Just no. Aprilias are special machines that deserve good homes. The new owner intends to make her into a track bike, and that couldn't make me happier. He is also a big RSVR enthusiast. I found the perfect home for my bike, where she will get the love that a machine like this deserves!

Add caption

Honestly, I never got fully comfortable with this machine. Not long after I bought it (and before I rode it the first time) was when I was in my crash. I've been a little gun shy ever since. I'm familiar with my Triumph, and I still have confidence when I ride it. This was a different machine, though. I get freaked out sometimes when I'm riding, and that is not good. That's not a feeling I get on my chopper. So, the time has come to part ways.

A Neat Little Transfer Punch

This is a little something I made the other night. I needed to transfer a bunch of countersunk holes for a day job project. I didn't have time at work, and just made it at home. It will probably come in handy for some of my shop stuff, so I had no problem doing it on my own time.

Excuse the long thumb screw, I just didn't feel like trimming it.

Riser Block Follow Up

It just occurred to me that I didn't show a follow up to the riser block for my mill. It turns out that I was ever so slightly off. My machines have limitations, after all. I work on bench top machines, not million dollar CNC's capable of sub .0001" accuracy. Small, light weight machines have to be coaxed a little more than their larger brethren.

A quick and dirty little rig for holding the head of my mill while I messed with the riser block. It supported the top while I moved stuff around and worked on the bolts.

"Why You No Posting?"

Well, I'll tell ya! My day job is sending me away all the time and I basically have my shop shut down at the moment. Let's have a look...

This has nothing to do with my lack of posts. It's just my new ride. My dad and I have talked for YEARS about getting a nice little sports car together. Well, we finally did it! A '99 Porsche Boxster. Right within our price range, and super fun to drive. I've had a love affair with Porsche since I can remember. Now I actually have one!!! How exciting is that? It has a couple of minor things that need work, but I am still super stoked about this.

Kydex Belt Clip

Continuing on from yesterday, I did a little more work towards making my belt clips from Kydex.

Today I milled a female piece to go with the belt clip mold. Usually Kydex is molded between foam...I wanted something sharper. To make this work, the thickness of the kydex (.080") needs to be taken into account. The female part is two thicknesses (.160") wider than the male part.

Sheath Stuff

Making this sheath got me thinking about things. For one, I don't like how these belt clips only have a single hole. It allows them to turn and that's no fun (so I added another hole and second rivet). Next was, "how do I make a better belt clip?"