The Aerodrome Studio - Machine_Punk

[A_Pmech]

Kev,

Looking at your drawings it looks like you've quickly grasped the basics of two-point projection. As you've discovered, an isometric drawing is a perspective approximation. The beauty of the isometric projection is that depths as well as long dimensions are equal to the plan view dimensions. It makes drawing a "pseudo perspective" drawing relatively quick, such as for parts catalog illustrations. Isometric projection has it's limitations however, such as the inability to always discern relative displacement in the Z axis.

If you don't already have it, buy a copy of French and Vierck's "Engineering Drawing and Graphic Technology" Besides being the best text on engineering drawing ever written, it has a good section on perspective. Also, any good book on technical illustration will cover perspective in detail.

In your last drawing, your sketch work is coming along well!

P.S. Go to ebay and pick up a set of ellipse templates and an ellipse wheel. The ellipse and triangle are the fundamental shapes of perspective. An ellipse is a conic section - a circle on edge.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Nice! Been doing some O/A myself lately for brazing. Oh....and BTW, gas welding rods and TIG rods are NOT the same. Caused myself some major headaches trying to TIG with gas filler metal....it doesn't stick. I wasn't aware of the difference and thought it was my lack of experience....needless to say I screwed things up!

About the color for the light...sorry to be overly critical, it just stuck out at me. However, those coatings are pretty awesome in terms of durability and ease of cleanup. Very chemical resistant too....designed to be sanitized frequently with harsh cleaners. Something tells me its going to be really difficult to get that coating off....whether it be epoxy or powdercoat. You might be able to get away with the Krylon Fusion paints if you scuff the surface up well....I hear those are quite nice.

Sorry to hear about the employment situation, that sounded like a good deal.

 

[machine_punk]

Kev,

Looking at your drawings it looks like you've quickly grasped the basics of two-point projection. As you've discovered, an isometric drawing is a perspective approximation. The beauty of the isometric projection is that depths as well as long dimensions are equal to the plan view dimensions. It makes drawing a "pseudo perspective" drawing relatively quick, such as for parts catalog illustrations. Isometric projection has it's limitations however, such as the inability to always discern relative displacement in the Z axis.

If you don't already have it, buy a copy of French and Vierck's "Engineering Drawing and Graphic Technology" Besides being the best text on engineering drawing ever written, it has a good section on perspective. Also, any good book on technical illustration will cover perspective in detail.

In your last drawing, your sketch work is coming along well!

P.S. Go to ebay and pick up a set of ellipse templates and an ellipse wheel. The ellipse and triangle are the fundamental shapes of perspective. An ellipse is a conic section - a circle on edge.

I've just ordered the book you recommended. I have been very pleased with the book I've been using, "Drawing for Product Designers" by Kevin Henry. It starts with orthographic projections, then discusses isometric perspective, then moves into two-point perspective. It is heavy on the 'didactic' (theory), including a historical review of perspective theories, but has some great drawing exercises too. Once I get better at sketching, I will go back and read this book again. It is heavy on the psychology of 'what makes a good sketch' and how humans perceive certain aspects of a drawing.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1856697436/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thanks for the kind words! It does seem like drawing in perspective came pretty naturally, once I decided I was 'just going to do it,' and stop messing around with isometric perspective. In the beginning, I got really fussy about 'where is the vanishing point' and making sure every line pointed to exactly one spot. Since then, I've relaxed a little and just let it happen. I finally bought a sketch book too...and force myself to sketch 'something' every day. I've been scanning these into OneNote too, to keep a virtual sketch book.

I have a couple of ellipse templates already, though the 'Industrial Designer' norm is to hand draw ellipses (rough out the square in perspective, then sketch in an ellipse). From the Industrial Designer's perspective, the point of sketching is to get as many ideas down on the paper as quickly as possible.

That ellipse wheel is a new on on me. Very cool.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Nice! Been doing some O/A myself lately for brazing. Oh....and BTW, gas welding rods and TIG rods are NOT the same. Caused myself some major headaches trying to TIG with gas filler metal....it doesn't stick. I wasn't aware of the difference and thought it was my lack of experience....needless to say I screwed things up!

About the color for the light...sorry to be overly critical, it just stuck out at me. However, those coatings are pretty awesome in terms of durability and ease of cleanup. Very chemical resistant too....designed to be sanitized frequently with harsh cleaners. Something tells me its going to be really difficult to get that coating off....whether it be epoxy or powdercoat. You might be able to get away with the Krylon Fusion paints if you scuff the surface up well....I hear those are quite nice.

Sorry to hear about the employment situation, that sounded like a good deal.

I didn't feel like you were being overly critical about the light color at all. I just decided to run with a little bit of silliness in my reply to you. I suspect I will change the colors some day, to the fudgesicle brown or light yellow that all my shop equipment will eventually be painted. For now, the idea of having a dental light in my studio is still part of the 'inspiration' I am seeking with my surroundings. When I get ready, I suspect hitting them with 3M scruffy pads, a coat of primer, and a final coat of paint will work fine.

I am 'back in the world of the employed' again (I have an offer letter, it is taking a while to actually get through the red tape and have my first day of work). I look at these times as sabbaticals. Things are going to work out and I am heading in the right direction, I just take these times to concentrate on the things which matter to me. Anyone who wants to discuss that further is welcome to PM me...unfortunately it is one of the forbidden topics on this board.

Kev.

 

[machine_punk]

Stuck--Or Not

I was stuck at church a couple of weeks ago...blocked in by someone behind me and completely surrounded...

And this is where I ended up, after a little bit of fancy backing up...

It was either that, or wait until the next service was over.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Been welding some lately, trying to keep my skills up after the class. I saw a posting about welding 'third hands' recently. The guy make some small ones out of spare allen wrenches. I was thinking to myself, "I have a bundle of spare allen keys, left over from assemble-your-own-self furniture, I'll bet I can make a couple of those." Here they are. The goofy allen key with a loop in it was already that way, so I decided to roll with it...

I was using Oxy-Acetylene, Meco Midget torch with #1 tip, RG 45 1/16" (1.5 mm) filler.

Kev

 

[dozerbuilder01]

So what's the next project you plan to tackle?

 

[machine_punk]

I'm glad you asked! I've been in the shop the last few days working hard on it...but it is a Christmas gift, so I cannot post it here yet...you will all get to see it in a few days. Every year, the adults in my wife's family pick one other adult to get a gift for (so we don't feel like we have to get something for everyone). I have started the habit of building that gift in the style of The Aerodrome Studio. Last year, it was a guitar stand for a family member who is a guitar teacher by trade. This year is will be...(stay tuned to find out).

After that, I have a bundle of things I want to work on...just a matter of picking 'what is next.'

I have a design for an aero forming stump, for use in my studio. It is sort of like a table for holding a block of wood with a hollow carved out of it. For shaping panels with a bossing mallet. I'd really like to get this finished by spring of next year, so I can take it with me to the couple of metal meets I usually attend.

I want to build a bomber stool. Like a bomber seat, but only a stool.

I've got several scrapped aluminum crutches I want to turn into a little, adjustable-height table of some sort. Probably a tray to hold tools, while I work.

I want to keep working on my welding and brazing skills. I've got a shelf unit I want to build for my welding gas cart, to hold all my welding, brazing and soldering supplies. I will also be welding some little trays to keep small welding supplies together.

One of the welding things I've been wanting to try is building a small box (think overflow tank) with rounded, ****-welded corners...the type where you round the edges of each piece by 45 degrees, then **** weld them together to make the 90-degree corners. It ends up looking like you took a solid block and used a router to round over the edges.

I've slowly been designing my welding table, which will use an old garage-door opener motor and chain to raise and lower at the flip of a switch.

I've designed, and cut the template for, a special clamp to hold welding stuff. You can clamp it to whatever table you are working on and it has a bracket to hold your welding torch and a spot for your igniter (I use an electronic igniter with my OA torch). I'll cut that out of scrap 1/8" steel plate and form a spring for it.

I still do a lot of manual work on projects, like using a hand file. I have an idea for a work holder to hold pieces anywhere I want them in a 3D space, so I can easily do the hand crafting on whatever I am working on.

I'd really like to build a basic press brake attachment for my shop press. I have a LOT of projects which could use that.

I've got the mini metal lathe I still want to spend some time tuning up and learning. I've got a lot of projects which could easily use a lathe.

I have a couple of other gifts I want to develop...a smart phone stand and an iPad/tablet stand.

I can always start building new Custom Tool Boards for the Reconfigurable Tool Rack in my studio. It is still basically one, big, empty rack right now.

I'm also going to build some sample pieces...just pieces to show the different methods you have available to stiffen and strengthen flat sheet metal parts. I also have a couple of more-comprehensive sample pieces I want to build to show different rivet construction techniques.

And, the biggest thing I want to start on is beginning to build my Aero Pit Cart...a large, rolling toolbox, built with rivets and aluminum.

I've been developing an idea for an aluminum, rolling, carry-on suitcase. I'm really annoyed at the current state of luggage...all of it seems to be cheap, or expensive, garbage, which doesn't live up to the reality of air travel. I am shooting for the lightest possible weight with the largest possible volume for a carry on.

I've been thinking about making a 'wing' table. Imagine an airplane wing shape, made from scratch, with a plexiglas top, so you can see all the inner structures of the table.

I have an idea for using up scrap pieces of sheet metal. I am working on a way to rivet the small scrap pieces of sheet metal together in an artistic way, which will also show a particular design. Hard to explain in words and I just figured out some specifics of how I plan to implement my vision on that one. I originally started out with, "why don't I just rivet a bunch of scraps together, mount the piece on a board like it is 'floating,' then add a frame and put it on the wall as art?" I've since developed some very specific directions for the methods and final pieces.

There is no shortage of ideas or projects I want to work on...and now that the job situation has settled in again, I have been getting back out in the studio.

I've been working on my sketching lately too. I am considering taking an adult education course for sketching at a local art college, to bring that skill up to the next level.

Thanks for stopping by! The dozer is looking great. I'm interested in seeing what your next project is going to be too.

Kev

 

[dozerbuilder01]

Wow, that's quite a list!

So when do we get to see pictures of the Christmas gift?

When did you get a little lathe? I don't think I saw any pictures of it. I know a lot of people knock smaller, weaker lathes but there is a guy that has done some really nice work on a tiny harbor freight lathe. His website is rcdon.com. He builds some really cool things. Very detailed and very professional looking. I followed his posts a lot while I was on the road and before I had my garage. If you get them tuned up and learn how to use it, it can be a good tool to have.

Keep the pictures coming.

 

[machine_punk]

Aero Art Caddy

I am going to go ahead and give you a peek at what I have been working on. I know, it is a Christmas present, but isn't done. The person receiving the gift has seen it and knows I just have to finish it off and deliver it.

So, every year we pick another family member's name out of a hat and that is who we get a gift for. I've begun a tradition of making something out of The Aerodrome Studio for the person on my list. Last year, it was the Aero Guitar Stand. This year, it is the Aero Art Caddy. The trick is, I usually end up building something I've never built before. That means that from Thanksgiving weekend through Christmas Eve (which is when our family gets together), I have to decide what might work well for that person, design it, buy any new materials I need, and actually build the item (and go to my regular job too).

This year, I just didn't make it. I used a new technique for a bunch of the rivets and that took time, on top of all the other pressures of finishing. The cool thing is, you CAN see the general form of the piece. It does need a few more rivets, but it looks 'mostly complete.'

The aunt I am building this for does a lot of quilting and other fabric crafts. One of her favorite things to do is called fabric painting. Now, I don't know the first thing about fabric painting, but there isn't an artist in the world who doesn't need a place to store her art materials. So, I trundled off to the local art store, found the aisle labeled "fabric painting," and got to measuring bottles of paint and other supplies.

With dimensions of the art supplies in hand, I went back to the house and worked on a design. Here is the sketch I came up with...

I've made a few changes, but the final product ended up pretty close to the sketch. Since the handle isn't riveted in yet, Mrs. Machine_Punk was kind enough to hold the handle as I took the pictures tonight...

To make it harder on myself, you will notice that the handle strap and the side walls of the brush cups in the center are ONE PIECE OF SHEET METAL. It starts on one side, wraps up and over the handle, and goes down to be fastened again on the other side...with several bends to get the form I wanted.

The short ends will still be drilled and riveted (they are just loosely set in there right now). Then, finish up the rivets in the bottom of the tray and it will be ready to go.

As usual, there is a lot of stamping of lettering on the tray...even more so, since it is a one-off Christmas present.

Centered on the front:
G....
CHRISTMAS 2013

Centered on the back:

AERO ART CADDY
SER: 0001
THE AERODROME STUDIO
M_P KEVIN ....

It isn't done yet, but you get the idea. There will be more pictures, once it is done.

Kev

 

[racingtadpole]

Your art caddy looks good.

Looks a little like the jewellery box I started for SWMBO. Not finished yet, still needs a lid and some polishing. Made entirely from scraps and offcuts at this point, which is why it doesn't have a lid as yet.

Hope you don't mind me polluting your thread with a couple of pictures..

 

[flybefree]

Nice work on that caddy!

Happy New Year.

Shaun

 

[machine_punk]

Your art caddy looks good.

Looks a little like the jewellery box I started for SWMBO. Not finished yet, still needs a lid and some polishing. Made entirely from scraps and offcuts at this point, which is why it doesn't have a lid as yet.

Hope you don't mind me polluting your thread with a couple of pictures..

That looks great! I like it when I see people who can look at a pile of scrap and see a project come together.

I've been thinking about making a 'contents-of-your-pocket' tray for guys (a place to put your wallet, keys, and a ring or two) at night. I think they call them a valet.

I've also been thinking about making a necklace tower for women...basically just a riveted column with arms sticking out at 90 degrees to hold necklaces.

Thanks for sharing pics of your rivet project!

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Nice work on that caddy!

Happy New Year.

Shaun

Thanks! I appreciate you stopping by and posting in my thread.

Happy New Year to everyone on GJ.

 

[machine_punk]

Wow, that's quite a list!

So when do we get to see pictures of the Christmas gift?

When did you get a little lathe? I don't think I saw any pictures of it. I know a lot of people knock smaller, weaker lathes but there is a guy that has done some really nice work on a tiny harbor freight lathe. His website is rcdon.com. He builds some really cool things. Very detailed and very professional looking. I followed his posts a lot while I was on the road and before I had my garage. If you get them tuned up and learn how to use it, it can be a good tool to have.

Keep the pictures coming.

Looks like I missed answering one of your questions here...

If you look on this picture, in the background, in the middle of the top of the wire shelving unit, you will see the yellow mini lathe. The yellow tailstock is easily visible, and you can follow that over to see the body of the lathe...
View media item 20530
I got it at least a couple of years ago. In fact, I am sure it was before the big reorganization which allowed me to start actually working out in the shop...definitely before the Reconfigurable Tool Rack was on the wall, so maybe 3 years ago. I used to watch CL constantly for deals and this guy put up the mini lathe for $250. That is half of 'new' at HF for a barely-used machine. It didn't take me long to figure out that was a deal and I ended up being the first caller.

It is NOT a HF unit (I think they are red). In fact, I've forgotten the details of it. I messed with it a bit and put it on the shelf, while I started out to learn how to rivet.

I've been to a couple of the web sites for mini lathes and I am sure I have the skills to get this one working pretty well. So far, it hasn't hit the top of my priority list, though. I've got plenty of little projects I'd like to use it for. Maybe I will have to dust it off and try using it again.

I'd love to have a little bit larger metal lathe. Something like an Atlas. I'd also like to have a mid-size vertical mill. One of those square column units. Of course, I'd really like to have a full-size bridgeport and a full-size South Bend or Clausing lathe...but I can barely turn around in the current Aerodrome Studio as it is. I am already storing my shop press on the back patio.

Kev

 

[ScubaSteve]

Quit parking your cars in there, and you'll be set!

 

[machine_punk]

Quit parking your cars in there, and you'll be set!

Nice idea! Unfortunately, I don't have any cars parked in there now. The side I use for The Aerodrome Studio is also the side where my motorcycle and the family bikes are stored and the washer and dryer are in a little alcove. On the other side, it is stacked high with stuff I need to sort out and get rid of, after years of being a nomad with the military (putting stuff in storage, moving to a new country, filling up the house, putting stuff in storage, moving to another country, filling up the house). After so much moving, I just didn't have the mental energy to deal with it. I am finally, after 6 years in the same place, getting to a place I can think about dealing with it.

I do store my raw materials (4x8 sheet goods, sheet metal, extruded metal, etc) on the other side of the garage too. Some of that needs to go on the ceiling, in racks (extruded pieces, angle, tube, pipe) and I'll have to figure out how to store the sheet goods.

Eventually, I will have all my stuff on rollers, so I can 'move into' the car parking side of the garage, when I need more room to work.

Kev

 

[RivennHewn]

Those caddy / trays look great.

I may have to give one a go.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I hear you on the nomad thing...I am still doing that myself. The house I currently liv in has a 15x15 shed out back....I keep all the seasonal decorations in there plus the lawn and garden stuff....the garage is all MINE!!!! Mwahahahaha!

 

[shopnut]

Sweet caddy. Seeing that the middle piece is cut from one sheet makes it even sweeter.

Good plan to have everything on wheels someday - it makes things so much easier!

 

[Guster]

Great caddy... makes me want to try riveting.

On the topic of limited space, storage and organisation: - that is something that consumes most my time and thought on planning. Space is never optimal ie. windows and doors in wrong places and striking a balance between dirty and clean work or maintaining some space between them. Commercial storage shelves and cabinets were the biggest offenders in my workspace and I’m glad I stopped struggling with them in favour of building stuff to suit the space I had. I think most of my investment in the last two years has been storage and organisation and sadly the rest spent on upgrading or replacing machines in the years before was the primary cause of it. So be warned!

The best thing I did was getting rid of inadequate storage and dead space after disposing of things that are nice to have but rarely if ever used in favour of funding tools I need. My M.O. for the last 2 years has been minimising clutter and organising in a useful manner as the first most important step. Things that collect on work surfaces simply because they don’t have a good home is the first target. Then onto workspaces and dead spaces. You can never have enough workspace but they create their own evil by collecting clutter. I found that I only need a primary work space and the rest is best served as actual storage hence benefit from being narrow to avoid clutter and slightly higher than a classic workbench so stuff can neatly store under it. Everything other than my main workbench, lathe and some shelving is now on wheels and machines that are rarely used are pushed into dead spaces. That gives me precious floor space to work on and with one machine pulled out, also a lot more room around it. That also helped moving house a few times. I’m still in progress with most of this given time and money being limited resources and having 3 machines in stages of rebuild is not exactly favourable. Thankfully garage journal has been a great place to find and share ideas if not purely for solace.

Regarding lathes: I started doing paintball marker parts in a little Sherline I inherited. Within a few weeks I picked up a Jet 9x20 which I managed to enjoy despite all its’ shortcomings till an opportunity presented itself to buy a 12x36 for only a little more than the 9x20 sold for. The latter fits all my criteria of price, weight, size and capability. The fact that my MT3 tooling could still be used was a bonus and once I scored a 5c adapter I was stoked. This is the lathe I should have had in the first place.

Decent mills were a little harder to come by over here and I lived with an RF-30 style round column mill obtained through a factory foreclosure for about a decade. Some are capable machines being a lot more sturdy and powerful than a dovetail column mill for the same cost. For general fabrication it served me adequately and for slightly more precision work it only irked me a little when I had to re-indicate a raised or lowered head now and then. I’d since obtained a larger mill cloned from a jig borer design which gives me the best of both worlds at a fraction of the cost of a popular but often clapped out 2nd hand Bridgeport or clone. With the funds left over from the sale of the RF-30 clone(also quite popular these days) I bought an old Tom Senior M1 horisontal mill which I’m in the process of cleaning and buying some tooling for. Hope to make some additional Dixon style lathe toolholders with that one right away. Things to consider with machines is that once you have everything you would like to have to make full use of them, you have often spent as much as the cost of the machine itself. That is why being able to reuse and share tooling between machines can save a lot. This is something you will have to decide up front and do some homework on if you want to take advantage of. In some cases you can get around it by using an adapter sleeve but it is not always optimal.

 

[machine_punk]

Those caddy / trays look great.

I may have to give one a go.

Why thank you! Make sure you post pictures when you do.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

I hear you on the nomad thing...I am still doing that myself. The house I currently liv in has a 15x15 shed out back....I keep all the seasonal decorations in there plus the lawn and garden stuff....the garage is all MINE!!!! Mwahahahaha!

Sounds like a great shed! That is almost a workshop in its own right.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Sweet caddy. Seeing that the middle piece is cut from one sheet makes it even sweeter.

Good plan to have everything on wheels someday - it makes things so much easier!

Thanks! You sure have been busy over there in the asylum.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Great caddy... makes me want to try riveting.

On the toping of limited space, storage and organisation: - that is something that consumes most my time and thought on planning. Space is never optimal ie. windows and doors in wrong places and striking a balance between dirty and clean work or maintaining some space between them. Commercial storage shelves and cabinets were the biggest offenders in my workspace and I’m glad I stopped struggling with them in favour of building stuff to suit the space I had. I think most of my investment in the last two years has been storage and organisation and sadly the rest spent on upgrading or replacing machines in the years before was the primary cause of it. So be warned!

The best thing I did was getting rid of inadequate storage and dead space after disposing of things that are nice to have but rarely if ever used in favour of funding tools I need. My M.O. for the last 2 years has been minimising clutter and organising in a useful manner as the first most important step. Things that collect on work surfaces simply because they don’t have a good home is the first target. Then onto workspaces and dead spaces. You can never have enough workspace but they create their own evil by collecting clutter. I found that I only need a primary work space and the rest is best served as actual storage hence benefit from being narrow to avoid clutter and slightly higher than a classic workbench so stuff can neatly store under it. Everything other than my main workbench, lathe and some shelving is now on wheels and machines that are rarely used are pushed into dead spaces. That gives me precious floor space to work on and with one machine pulled out, also a lot more room around it. That also helped moving house a few times. I’m still in progress with most of this given time and money being limited resources and having 3 machines in stages of rebuild is not exactly favourable. Thankfully garage journal has been a great place to find and share ideas if not purely for solace.

Regarding lathes: I started doing paintball marker parts in a little Sherline I inherited. Within a few weeks I picked up a Jet 9x20 which I managed to enjoy despite all its’ shortcomings till an opportunity presented itself to buy a 12x36 for only a little more than the 9x20 sold for. The latter fits all my criteria of price, weight, size and capability. The fact that my MT3 tooling could still be used was a bonus and once I scored a 5c adapter I was stoked. This is the lathe I should have had in the first place.

Decent mills were a little harder to come by over here and I lived with an RF-30 style round column mill obtained through a factory foreclosure for about a decade. Some are capable machines being a lot more sturdy and powerful than a dovetail column mill for the same cost. For general fabrication it served me adequately and for slightly more precision work it only irked me a little when I had to re-indicate a raised or lowered head now and then. I’d since obtained a larger mill cloned from a jig borer design which gives me the best of both worlds at a fraction of the cost of a popular but often clapped out 2nd hand Bridgeport or clone. With the funds left over from the sale of the RF-30 clone(also quite popular these days) I bought an old Tom Senior M1 horisontal mill which I’m in the process of cleaning and buying some tooling for. Hope to make some additional Dixon style lathe toolholders with that one right away. Things to consider with machines is that once you have everything you would like to have to make full use of them, you have often spent as much as the cost of the machine itself. That is why being able to reuse and share tooling between machines can save a lot. This is something you will have to decide up front and do some homework on if you want to take advantage of. In some cases you can get around it by using an adapter sleeve but it is not always optimal.

Thanks! To me, the highest compliment is that someone sees what I am doing and wants to try it. Thanks for the tips on machinery. It is going to be a while before I have the room and resources to get larger machines.

Kev!

 

[machine_punk]

Seed Starter Trays

Mrs. Machine_Punk is already talking about the spring garden. I know a lot of you just went through a rough cold snap last week, but we were in the low 60's in the afternoons (around 18 C) last week. Anyway, we are planning on starting some seeds inside, even here in Napa Valley. We were using a full-sheet-size baking sheet, on a wire shelf, by the back sliding-glass door, to start seeds. I used a clamp to keep it from tipping off the wire shelf. The reality is, though, that this tray is too big, so the seeds in the back didn't get much sunlight. Since it was something we bumped into a lot, AND (most importantly) I want to use the large baking tray in a another project.

I want to cut down three aluminum crutches I have and make them into legs on this baking tray, so I have an adjustable-height tool tray for the studio. I will set it up so the lowest level is for sitting and the highest level is for standing. (I know, very cool idea...but I stole if from someone here on GJ, who made a stool for his shop out of crutches and a bicycle wheel).

So, there was only one possible answer to this problem...make a couple of seed-starting trays in The Aerodrome Studio. If you can imagine, the words 'aluminum sheet metal' mean only one thing in The 'Studio--that is, we're going to have to use rivets as fasteners in these trays.

Here are the design issues:
- Must be done quickly...Mrs. M_P is planning to start seeds any day.

- They need to be 'trays,' that is: have short sides and be waterproof, to keep water from dripping off the trays.

- They need to fit the shelves on the wire rack we have at the back sliding door. I would like them to slide onto the shelf from either the sides or the front of the shelf.

- Ideally, they would be an appropriate size to efficiently 'fit' the seed starter pots we use (For a recent birthday, I got Mrs. M_P one of those little wooden forms to make seed-starting pots out of strips of newspaper). This tool makes pots which are 2.25" (57ish mm) in diameter.

The Baileigh 3-in-1 sheet metal machine made this a breeze. I am getting a lot more comfortable cutting 'on the line' with the shear. I have some issues with the brake, but I see where the issues lie and with a little bit of tuning up, I will have that in top shape soon...
View media item 20569
I laid out the pattern on a sheet of 0.040" (1 mm) aluminum sheet, cut it on the shear, bent it on the finger brake, then clamped them up, drilled holes for the rivets and installed them. A little bit of metal finishing (hit it with a 3M Scotchbrite pad, lubricated with some isopropyl alcohol, and they were pretty much done. I used some white kitchen and bathroom caulk in the corners, to make them waterproof. A short afternoon project in The Aerodrome Studio.

They aren't perfect, by any means, but they meet the requirements and should give years of service to Mrs. M_P as seed-starting trays. With the 1" flanged edges, these trays are very stiff and sturdy. She should be able to carry a whole tray of full starter pots easily. As you can see in the picture below, they will easily slide in and out of the shelves, from whichever direction you want to grab them...

Kev

 

[aggierailroad]

You need a bead roller! I bet that even the cheap harbor freight one (which I have) would work great on that aluminum. It did OK with the 18ga steel I played around on it with.

I know, I'm just making your list one item longer. The caddy and the seed tray are pretty neat, I'm super jealous of your 3in1!

 

[machine_punk]

The 3-in-1 is a boon to the 'Studio. It makes a LOT of tasks a LOT faster. For the projects I build, mainly sheet metal, it was a great decision for the first, large piece of machinery in the shop. I would certainly prefer large American iron, but with the space constraints I have, this was a decent compromise.

Actually, the next big thing on my list is a bead roller. But not sure if I want to build or buy at this point. Now that I CAN weld, the ability to make machines is within my reach. Whatever I do, I plan to make it 'the last bead roller I ever buy." It will have all the functionality I want in it.

There are a lot of decisions to make with a bead roller. The most important is, "Who's dies do you want to use?" Then, of course, the general characteristics of the machine and the power drive system.

One interesting thought I have is that pretty much everyone builds their power bead roller with a switch for reversing the motor. What I have found, as I have used other people's rollers, is that you want to be able to keep your hands on the work piece. So, why don't they build that reversing capability into the foot switch? At least put a press-on-press-off switch on the foot panel, but, more ideally, make it so you press one foot pedal for one direction and the other foot pedal for the other direction. You already have enough going on with your hands, let your feet do some of the work.

Thanks for stopping by the 'Studio.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

I wasn’t planning on sharing this project until it was complete, but I also planned on being done with it last week. I’m so pleased with my progress on it, I cannot wait to show you what I’ve done so far.

So, as most of you know, I’ve been working on learning to sketch, since about the beginning of October, 2013. This all comes with my interest in working more on the design aspect of The ‘Studio. Of course, I’ll still be building cool stuff, but I want to work more on the aspects of design.

Anyway, while I have ABSOLUTELY no desire to get another degree, I’m fine with going to school again to get skills I need. I was making good progress on my sketching, but I wanted to take it to the next level. One of the ways you get better at ‘art,’ is go to to art school, where you pay to have your art critiqued over and over, by skilled artists (instructors). Fortunately, one of the top 5 Industrial Design schools is just down the road from me, in San Francisco.

I signed myself up for an Extension Course at California College of the Arts, called Ideation Sketching (think, “Sketching for Industrial Designers.”) I scanned through the list of supplies needed. Pencils. Check. I've got more art pencils than you can shake a stick at. Pens. Check. I've been getting a few Copic art markers lately and a couple of other pens which will more than meet my needs in this class. Layout paper in 14" x 17" (355 x 430 mm). Uh oh. What is layout paper. Hmmm...I am going to need a pad of paper much larger than I use in my daily sketch book. After a quick search on the InterWeb, I found out that layout paper is partially transparent paper which is marker proof. OK, now I at least know what I am looking for. After a search of the local art stores, I ended up having to order it online. Apparently only designers and advertising artists use layout paper and there is not big enough a market locally for the average art store to carry it.

That left me with a problem. How am I supposed to carry all these art supplies to class? I suspect most art students go buy the cheapest, cheesiest, fabric art portfolio they can find. That’s just not the Machine_Punk way. I’ve got to represent The Aerodrome Studio here…and a cheap, vinyl portfolio isn’t going to do that very well.

After much thinking and pondering, I figured out a design for an Aero-style art portfolio, to schlepp all of my art supplies back and forth to class. It needed to hold several 14x17-inch pads of paper and at least a basic supply of pencils and pens. Of course, it had to represent The Aerodrome Studio, as well. That pretty much means rivets and aluminum sheet—so it won’t be your average soft-side art portfolio. That covers the body of the portfolio, but I need a way to pick it up. There is a specific type of handle I WANT to build for it, but I need aluminum brazing materials to do that and with the budget still squeaking from my recent 3 months out of work, I needed to make this portfolio with materials I already had around The ‘Studio.

I’ve got some thick, vegetable tanned leather hanging around, from the Aero Guitar Stand. I used it to pad the places where the guitar touched the stand. Hmmm…I feel an idea coming on. I’ve always wanted to build a classic leather strap handle. I finally got the chance. While it isn’t perfect, I’ve got to admit I am pleased with the result.


The project isn't done. I've still got to build the flap to cover up the opening, re-size the aluminum piano hinge for the flap, and do the metal finishing. Hopefully, I can get that done in the next couple of days, so I can carry my supplies in style to my second sketching class.


So, here are a couple of pictures…
View media item 37698


View media item 37699
I should have this finished up soon...then I can show you the final pictures.

Kev

 

[Guster]

The Machine Punk draughting attache. Nice work!

Now do you mirror polish, brush finish, let it patina, nitride or gun metal black/blue it with a classic felt lining?

Been watching Adam Savage's compulsive box builds over on Tested.com - He'd likely flip out if he saw this given the all the new options it presents!

 

[machine_punk]

The Machine Punk draughting attache. Nice work!

Now do you mirror polish, brush finish, let it patina, nitride or gun metal black/blue it with a classic felt lining?

Been watching Adam Savage's compulsive box builds over on Tested.com - He'd likely flip out if he saw this given the all the new options it presents!

I know the guys at Aero-1946 generally mirror polish their stuff, but that is what their customers want (and it takes a lot of time and effort). I have a signature finish at The Aerodrome Studio...a satin finish, which I let oxidize naturally. It still takes a lot of time to do well, but I like a more vintage look. I use a red scruffy pad (3M Scotchbrite pad), with 91% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) as a lubricant. The aluminum begins to oxidize in a few hours and develops a warm, satin glow--which I find particularly appealing. I clean the finger prints off with 91% isopropyl too (especially right before a product picture shoot...the fingerprints really show up well on this finish on camera).

I'm not sure I'm going to 'line' this box at all. It just holds art supplies and I intentionally built it with a little wiggle room built in, so it will be a versatile carrier for whatever large, flat art supplies I need to carry (that is, it is NOT meant to be a custom case for a specific, fitted object).

There are three liner options I am considering for future projects. One is just thin leather, fastened with contact cement. Another is a green fabric, called baize, which is the stuff used on the best poker tables and billiards tables. You can get this in other colors, I'm just not quite sure I want to. The third is green felt.

As a side note, I buy aviation aluminum rivets, which come with an anti-corrosive coating, which looks like brass at a distance (it really looks like satin magnesium, up close). Unfortunately, that coating is VERY easy to remove and comes off during the process of applying the satin finish, to leave a plain, aluminum-colored rivet head. I personally prefer the look of the yellow metal (brass or copper) next to the aluminum. I think I'm going to have to look into brass rivets for future projects. The yellow-metal rivets on the white-metal object is a fabulous look.

I haven't seen Adam's 'box builds,' other than the one for his replica gun of some sort, but I have been enjoying his podcasts. He has a neat shop and builds interesting stuff. Maybe I'll have to build him a generic carrying case. Perhaps it will start showing up on Mythbusters, like his firefighting jacket. Oh...I know, I could build him an aluminum-and-rivet saddle bag for his Segway. I'll bet he'd use that on the show.

Kev

 

[Wingnut65]

"Ideation Sketching". That is a new one to me. I thought 'sketching' covered all the bases. I gotta go sign up for a class like that.

Congrats, Kev on taking the plunge out of your comfort zone to get educated!

And, that M_P Draughting Attaché Portfolio looks great. Can't wait to see the big picture.

One thought on the 14x17 paper size, it is not normal, as you have found out. If you plan on scanning your sketches to store them digitally, most standard copiers only go to 11x17. So, if you will be scanning, hold your ideas a few inches from the top or bottom and you will get the whole thing on a scan. But then again, any large format print shop, like ARC, would be able to handle the size, but may charge a little more...

Keep up the great work!

 

[machine_punk]

"Ideation Sketching". That is a new one to me. I thought 'sketching' covered all the bases. I gotta go sign up for a class like that.

Congrats, Kev on taking the plunge out of your comfort zone to get educated!

And, that M_P Draughting Attaché Portfolio looks great. Can't wait to see the big picture.

One thought on the 14x17 paper size, it is not normal, as you have found out. If you plan on scanning your sketches to store them digitally, most standard copiers only go to 11x17. So, if you will be scanning, hold your ideas a few inches from the top or bottom and you will get the whole thing on a scan. But then again, any large format print shop, like ARC, would be able to handle the size, but may charge a little more...

Keep up the great work!

Thanks! I've been bugging a couple of the designers on Garage Journal to help with my journey to learning more about design, including sketching. Sketching is the language of designers…it is how they communicate designs to others. Ideation sketching is when you start with one idea of how to design something, then draw as many different ways to do the same thing as you can imagine. It pushes you to consider as many possible options as you can.

Thanks for the kind words about the portfolio. I actually finished the outside of it last night (installed the lid and built the fastening mechanism for keeping the lid closed). I still need to install the divider inside, which will give me a place to store pencils. I am sure I will eventually build custom pencil boxes for the case too. I have the portfolio with me here tonight, as I am at art college, waiting for my class.

Thanks for the 'heads up' on the paper size. My multi-function printer at home can print, copy and scan 11x17" (280 x 430 mm). That is one of the reasons I got it…I have always done some CAD and I like to have a larger format paper available, for plans. I haven't' tried it yet, but I suspect that if I scan half of each larger drawing, I should be able to find a program which will 'stitch' them together. (or, take the simple route and just draw in the center of the paper, as suggested.)

It is an issue which WILL come up. While I like to have paper sketch books, I also scan EVERY sketch into MS OneNote, so I have a virtual sketchbook too.

Thanks for stopping by The 'Studio! I should have pics of the mostly-complete Aero Art Portfolio up on GJ soon.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

As a complete side note, I've notice the Australian GJ members get first crack at replying to my posts, since I usually post late at night and I am on the West coast. I've been trying to convert numbers to metric in my posts…I hope that helps you guys overseas get a better idea of scale.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Aero Art Portfolio

Installed the lid on the Aero Art Portfolio (or Draughting Case, for those of you in Australia).

I took this to my sketching class and and got good comments. I even had someone come up to me before class, to ask me where I bought my portfolio (to which I replied, "I didn't buy it...I built it!")

Here is a front shot:
View media item 37917
The back:
View media item 37915
Details at the top of the portfolio"
View media item 37907
Details at the bottom of the case:
View media item 37908
It still needs metal finishing, obviously. I also need to install an inner divider, which separates the paper compartment from the pencil compartment.

The only thing I've purchased so far is the hinge, which has been heavily modified to fit the current location.
Kev

 

[Wingnut65]

Sweeeeeet!! Congrats on finishing it this far. Glad they noticed it.

It almost looks like you are having too much fun fabricating that you won't have much time to get any sketching done!

 

[machine_punk]

Sweeeeeet!! Congrats on finishing it this far. Glad they noticed it.

It almost looks like you are having too much fun fabricating that you won't have much time to get any sketching done!

Actually, today is the 12th day in a row I have sketched (basically, since starting the class.) To me, it is like learning an instrument or another skill--make sure you practice at least 15 minutes a day.

Kev

 

[ScubaSteve]

Nice! Just an idea....a bead rolled pattern in the main surface would be pretty sweet!

 

[machine_punk]

Nice! Just an idea....a bead rolled pattern in the main surface would be pretty sweet!

And it is a perfect idea! Too bad I don't have a bead roller. That is definitely my next LARGE machine purchase (or build). I got to play with one at the last Metal Meet and made a test plate with 'flames.' I also made a 'red cross' for a first aid cabinet I want to build for The 'Studio.

For this one, I think I might eventually make an aluminum cutout of my logo (which is in my head, but not on paper yet), and rivet it to the lid of this case.

I did originally plan to put a straight joggle across the top, to raise the panel to the correct height for the fasteners, which keep the lid closed. In the end, it didn't seem to need it.

Cool idea. Wish I had the equipment to make it happen.

Kev

 

[ScubaSteve]

And there's the rub! In order to do "x" you need a tool that does "y"...and it all goes downhill from there. Especially in metalworking! On my list are a slip roll, finger brake, hydraulic press, and probably a bead roller. Of course, there's the english wheel, power hammer, etc. etc.

It takes time to accumulate those things, and building them yourself is almost as expensive.