Above 1200 Sq/FT Cleaning Up My Shop

[Farmall450]

I'm glad to see you have the router going and are making good progress.

Tubeless tires sure are nice for repairs, but not so much for leaks.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I'm not a big fan of plugs, but replugging a leaking plug was fun.

Did my good deed for the day. Coming home from a Dr. appointment in Tulsa they are working on a bridge at Keystone Dam. One lane each direction. Going my way it is slightly uphill. Ice storm today. Traffic was creeping slowly, and after twenty minutes I could see there was no wreck, clear road past the bridge. So I parked my car in the lane and walked up to help push across the icy bridge. Problem was somebody being cautious had tried to go slowly across the bridge, that backed up traffic, and car after car was sitting smoking their tires to try to get across. I asked the guy pushing the pickup to stop and back it off the bridge as I walked back asking cars to back up. When we had forty feet clear he took off and the cars all started sailing across and over the next hill I could see over a mile of traffic had made it across the bridge. Sometimes the herd just needs a little nudge to get going the right way.

 

[Finallygotit]

Good job Andy!

 

[BUGTHUG]

thatta boy!

 

[jbmatth]

We got our ice yesterday evening and last night, it was fun driving in today. Luckily I don't really have any hills to contend with so it was just slow and steady.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

Good job Andy!

thatta boy!

Thanks guys!

Herb, I have to take back all I've ever said about you...

I made progress last night on creating gcode out of Fusion360 so maybe I'll try some more routing today. The program is so powerful I feel like the guy using a precision watch for a hammer.

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: i'm guessing you've maybe helped with traffic directions on other occasions cause you seem to be pretty good at moving things along.

so you might not know yet if the bull is able to do his job this spring? or maybe he's been practicing with a bum foot behind the trees and bushes this winter?

good to hear you are figuring out all the tech stuff and i bet your engineering mind loves that.

it snowed here in Paradise last night and looks like we live in Alaska this morning.

here's to another great SATUR(day).

cheers

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

I got way behind on your thread, just catching up. I totally understand your frustrations with the computer deal. To me, it's a tool, once purchased it ought to work until I WANT to " upgrade". My personal requirements are pretty simple. But it's all about money, if they don't have planned obsolescence, they stop making money off us.
I can remember working on older equipment, having at least 3 different operating system, depending on what it was. Finding the right laptop, with the right software, with the right PCM card, and the right cable ( EVERYTHING had it's own unique cable), oftentimes took longer than fixing the machine, once you got it hooked up and talking....****, I forgot to change the baud rate. Now I was never a computer guy, most of that is not so complicated if you deal with it regularly, but it's a few months between episodes, it gets a little fuzzy for me.
I had a little time messing with a 3 axis plasma cutter, it ran gcode , but they subbed out the project Fab shop, I don't have access to that anymore. Took all those people and put them back in production jobs. " Business needs" is the wording they use when they need a reason to treat people ******. A lot of people had a lot of hard feelings about that, and I don't blame them. Basically said the work they put into developing their skills was worthless, we have someone who will do it cheaper.
Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the router. At least you know a man that can make you a broom to sweep up.

 

[Bronson]

Subscribed!

 

[oldironfarmer]

We got our ice yesterday evening and last night, it was fun driving in today. Luckily I don't really have any hills to contend with so it was just slow and steady.

JB

My wife thought it was so pretty, because she did not have to leave the house. Chains on the gates were frozen hard, everything goes slower.

Cows are waiting patiently to come in and eat. Only saw two baby calves this morning so I went out to look. There it is, right where momma left it.

I don't know how they communicate, but they do. When mom says stay right here, they will stay. I could have walked right up to him and picked him up. They will not move. Farmers have been known to brush hog right over them because they stay where they are told to stay even with a tractor bearing down on them. If they haven't been told to stay, you can't catch them, fast little buggers.

Andy: i'm guessing you've maybe helped with traffic directions on other occasions cause you seem to be pretty good at moving things along.

Hmmm. Yeah, my specialty is driving other peoples' cars up a slick hill when they can't do it. Then I walk back down and drive up the next one, until I'm at the front of the line and can drive mine up. My wife always made fun of me but at least we could keep on traveling.

so you might not know yet if the bull is able to do his job this spring? or maybe he's been practicing with a bum foot behind the trees and bushes this winter?

I'm pretty sure he has been taking care of business. But it is all business, no recreational effort. That's just people. If a cow does not smell right he's not interested.

good to hear you are figuring out all the tech stuff and i bet your engineering mind loves that.

I am so slow I plan on taking a technical manual to the casket. I love making things, and new tools to that end is great fun.

it snowed here in Paradise last night and looks like we live in Alaska this morning.

here's to another great SATUR(day).

cheers

We had freezing rain, then ice pellets, then freezing rain this morning and warmer this afternoon. It's above freezing now and supposed to continuing warming overnight.

I got way behind on your thread, just catching up. I totally understand your frustrations with the computer deal. To me, it's a tool, once purchased it ought to work until I WANT to " upgrade". My personal requirements are pretty simple. But it's all about money, if they don't have planned obsolescence, they stop making money off us.
I can remember working on older equipment, having at least 3 different operating system, depending on what it was. Finding the right laptop, with the right software, with the right PCM card, and the right cable ( EVERYTHING had it's own unique cable), oftentimes took longer than fixing the machine, once you got it hooked up and talking....****, I forgot to change the baud rate. Now I was never a computer guy, most of that is not so complicated if you deal with it regularly, but it's a few months between episodes, it gets a little fuzzy for me.
I had a little time messing with a 3 axis plasma cutter, it ran gcode , but they subbed out the project Fab shop, I don't have access to that anymore. Took all those people and put them back in production jobs. " Business needs" is the wording they use when they need a reason to treat people ******. A lot of people had a lot of hard feelings about that, and I don't blame them. Basically said the work they put into developing their skills was worthless, we have someone who will do it cheaper.
Looking forward to seeing how you get on with the router. At least you know a man that can make you a broom to sweep up.

Thanks for coming by! I might have a 2D plasma table. I bought one for someone starting a business with it and they have never made a payment. I really don't mind if I have to take possession.

But it is all starting to make some sense. I realize making a plasma table would be just another iteration of the 3D router. And I'd make it out of steel and aluminum instead of fiber board and plastic.

Unfortunately management rarely understand the assets and capabilities they have on staff. When looking at the bottom line, a salesman who says they can provide a service cheaper service often gets the chance and the result is a lot of unusable work corrected by company experts on overhead. Scott Adams is not wealthy by accident.

Subscribed!

Thanks for looking in!

My plan to make trivets from aluminum involves a framework with the owner's initials or logo on that frame. Then with words around the perimeter, like Family Friends Food Flove. The frame I settled on was a ten spoke wheel. Last night I got gcode written for it and today I received a 1/4" bit and collet for the router (Zip Tool has 1/8" standard) so I tried it out.

Had some issues. Apparently I had asked (by default) for machine coordinates (I want too set the origin for each job) and also applied a tool length which caused the cutter to go too deep. Thus one section has a pit in the middle where I started about ten times figuring it out. I also had a 5 mm offset to allow finish machining. That caused it to leave strips and also not clean out the cavities, but all in all it was exhilarating to watch it running and making chips.

The with the mail run the mail lady drove in the driveway to give me my 3D printer. At last!!

I'm going to try it in the house away from the dust if it's not too noisy.

And here's my new 32" monitor for doing CAD work. It is big enough to see.

Thought I'd weld on the Studedodge today, maybe tomorrow.

It's tempting to skip Zumba tonight to try printing a wrench blank.

Thanks for the visits and encouragement, guys.

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

I didn't recall who Scott Adams was, had to Google him, but it used to be the running joke that he worked with us. Many times the Dilbert cartoon got posted on the shop bulletin board with a word or name change and it fit perfectly to something going on with us.It was uncanny how accurate it was.
The particular machine we had was a torchmate. I was not proficient with the software, it almost always took me longer than it would have if I had just laid it out by hand and cut it.It only paid off if I had multiples to do. Since you have Auto Cad experience, maybe you won't have that problem. IF you ever run out of projects or get bored, there is a website called Pirate 4X4 where you can find a lot of guys doing some cool stuff with their Torchmate machine.
I like what you're doing with the wheel, didn't take you long to get there, and you didn't break anything yet.
Can't wait to see what you do with the 3d printer, I have zero exposure to them. Good luck!

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: do all the calves get born without any issues and just show up cause i'd think a few would maybe need a little assistance? if they do need a bit of help how often do you check on the herd to see if any are in trouble?

fun to see you getting new items for your new hobby with all the 3D stuff and seems like maybe buying a car or truck every week now has competition for funds with you shopping online and reading manuals.

keep up your great attitude and progress and always fun checking in to see what you are up to.

cheers

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, it looks like its all happening at your place..

Router
Printer
Calves.
Big screen

Have some fun.

 

[Guster]

Andy, it looks like its all happening at your place..

Router
Printer
Calves.
Big screen

Have some fun.

Ditto... gone for a day and I got a little behind again!

That little 3D printer looks solid. Al else fails it needs a new controller it still looks like you got a good deal.

Router looks awesome too and well on your way after some setup cycles. Well Done.

still need to send you some links for alternative controllers. Been a little busy the last few days.

 

[oldironfarmer]

I didn't recall who Scott Adams was, had to Google him, but it used to be the running joke that he worked with us. Many times the Dilbert cartoon got posted on the shop bulletin board with a word or name change and it fit perfectly to something going on with us.It was uncanny how accurate it was.
The particular machine we had was a torchmate. I was not proficient with the software, it almost always took me longer than it would have if I had just laid it out by hand and cut it.It only paid off if I had multiples to do. Since you have Auto Cad experience, maybe you won't have that problem. IF you ever run out of projects or get bored, there is a website called Pirate 4X4 where you can find a lot of guys doing some cool stuff with their Torchmate machine.
I like what you're doing with the wheel, didn't take you long to get there, and you didn't break anything yet.
Can't wait to see what you do with the 3d printer, I have zero exposure to them. Good luck!

Mentioning that there's a reason that Scott Adams is a millionaire is my way of saying the Dilbert cartoon resonates with businesses all over, from small to large, government and private and non profit. I don't know how he comes up with his material but it is just spot on.

Yeah the wheel is just a shallow pattern. Inexplicably I had used a default 10 mm tool diameter which does not work well with the actual 1/4" tool. I reran it with a 1/4" tool and it looks much better. Making chips!

I didn't get the stock well centered but the important part looks better. Now when my tapered bit arrives I'll do the real pattern in black walnut.

I'm being challenged. The router and printer are similar but different. I'm scrambling to keep up with which one I'm processing for.

Andy: do all the calves get born without any issues and just show up cause i'd think a few would maybe need a little assistance? if they do need a bit of help how often do you check on the herd to see if any are in trouble?

My cows never seem to have any problems. I have pulled a calf or two but not in many years, even heifers. Angus bulls hep with that, and not the high dollar ones which may have a high birth weight. I rarely check on them, but if I see one calving I'll walk by just to see if everything is going well. I feed in the mornings, which tends to make them calve at night. And if a cow does not come in I don't go to look. First calf heifers I used to keep in a lot so I could watch them, but never any issues. I'm incredibly lucky.

fun to see you getting new items for your new hobby with all the 3D stuff and seems like maybe buying a car or truck every week now has competition for funds with you shopping online and reading manuals.

I'm 17 for the fourth time and am very fortunate that I have adequate funds to do what I want. It's fun to get new stuff I want. I really need to build a storage building before I buy any more cars or trucks. And I may be saturated, the last few I've looked at didn't appeal to me. I'm convinced they are a good investment if you don't get stupid when you buy them. I think any of mine would bring more than I paid today and more next year.

keep up your great attitude and progress and always fun checking in to see what you are up to.

cheers

Thanks for stopping by, it's always interesting and I always have to stock the pop box after you've gone.

You might remember the mottle faced heifer's calf last year, well she's done it again.

I went out to have a look see and saw the three other guys out in the pasture running around. Nope, there's four!

It's been so nasty I've been feeding my heifers square bales in the manger in the barn. They like it...

They're separated from the herd until they're old enough to breed.

Andy, it looks like its all happening at your place..

Router
Printer
Calves.
Big screen

Have some fun.

Thanks! I'm doing the best I can to be irresponsible with my son's inheritance.

But I admit feeding cows is getting in the way of my CNC education.

Ditto... gone for a day and I got a little behind again!

That little 3D printer looks solid. Al else fails it needs a new controller it still looks like you got a good deal.

Router looks awesome too and well on your way after some setup cycles. Well Done.

still need to send you some links for alternative controllers. Been a little busy the last few days.

Funniest thing the printer has an Arduino processor.

The router is performing well, even better once I dumb down the gcode. I need everything to be relational from where I set the origin.

 

[oldironfarmer]

For a time today I had the router and the printer going at the same time. 3D printing is slow, and you do have time to do other things.

My test piece is the wrench pattern. First I oriented the flat side down, that seemed right.

The little holes are lineup holes for the other half. They don't go all the way through.

But we're adding hot plastic to the top, just like welding on the top of a beam. It bowed up and came off the table when it was a about half printed. Oh yeah! That made perfect sense after it happened. So then I tried standing it up, just for fun, and it did pretty well, surprisingly.

However, no lettering on the side. The first two I did not get the lettering selected with the rest of the model to be printed. Not as easy as you'd think. The third one I was sure I had the lettering in the model but still none. The fourth one is printing now.

I did print the lettering just to make sure the printer would print it. Came out good enough to stick on a wooden pattern. I may just print my individual letters from now on.

I'm writing .stl models out of Fusion360 and the printer came with it's slicer which is quick and preset for the printer, so that made life easy. I write .stl in Fusion360 and using their gcode generator for the router. I'm still learning what I need to turn off to simplify it for the printer. After I learn these a plasma table would be a blast. Of hot air.

Thanks for the visits!!

 

[bolensboneyard]

This is 3/4" thick and I only have a small rosebud. That still takes some time.

With coal I can get a 3/8" round red hot in 3 minutes from striking the match to light the coal. So it doesn't take too long, another couple of minutes and you have a big fire. It didn't take too long to heat this up.

Semantics are important here. When you say coke are you referring to petroleum coke? I brought some home from the refinery one time, amidst warnings I'd burn down my shop it gets so hot. I couldn't get it to light, it would burn with the coal but not very well, it takes more air.

But when you burn green coal you coke it, or make coke by burning the light ends out. Then it's the coke you use to heat with. Just like wood and charcoal. Which brings us to charcoal. Charcoal works just about as well as coal coke. I picked up some from campfires and had it in a bucket. When I went to look for it, the bucket was empty. I thought it was coke left over from fires at blacksmith meetings and I had used it. But it did not seem to be different than coke.

Your easiest route would be to buy real charcoal or make charcoal. Not briquettes, they're full of filler and binder and don't burn well in a forge.

Wish we'd lit a fire while I was there.



Yep, a variety of tasks is good.

Every Saturday is good!!

Andy the stuff I have is something I bought advertised (on Craig's list) as coke. I have never seen the differences so for all I know it could be anything. It is very light in weight and looks like gray rock with a lot of air in it while it cooled?? I got it thinking I would need it if I ever wanted to try and weld. It's all I have right now. I'll have to start saving the coals from my wood stove.

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: you are blessed if all your cows have their calves without any or minimum issues cause i've heard even having a litter of cats or dogs is work.

so did you just have a Birthday cause i've seen you mention the 4th time you've turned 17 years old a couple times in other threads too? well i know you are having a Bday some day this year so before i forget HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

also my bride bought me this sign a couple years ago which describes me pretty well and i'm on the 44th try at being 18 this year.

enjoy your SATURDAY and i bet you are looking forward to your Sunday (rest day) to sit and read some more manuals.

cheers

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy the stuff I have is something I bought advertised (on Craig's list) as coke. I have never seen the differences so for all I know it could be anything. It is very light in weight and looks like gray rock with a lot of air in it while it cooled?? I got it thinking I would need it if I ever wanted to try and weld. It's all I have right now. I'll have to start saving the coals from my wood stove.

That sounds like coked coal, and that's good stuff. To light it build a small fire from kindling and cover it with coke. Crank the blower gently so as to not blow out the wood fire. but the coke has to have air to burn. I put my forge out by just walking away. When you quit blowing the air a good fire will die out in an hour or two.

Coals from the wood stove will fix you right up, but they burn a little like coke, takes some air.

Andy: you are blessed if all your cows have their calves without any or minimum issues cause i've heard even having a litter of cats or dogs is work.

They do it in the wild I think the problem with most births among domestic animals is they bred without regard to ease of birth and they are watched too much. They do pretty good on their own.

so did you just have a Birthday cause i've seen you mention the 4th time you've turned 17 years old a couple times in other threads too? well i know you are having a Bday some day this year so before i forget HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

4x 17 being 68 which is what happened to me last year in April. It will be three more years before I start celebrating being 18 for the fourth time. I like being 17 and not having to work. And not being worried what others think of me.

also my bride bought me this sign a couple years ago which describes me pretty well and i'm on the 44th try at being 18 this year.

enjoy your SATURDAY and i bet you are looking forward to your Sunday (rest day) to sit and read some more manuals.

cheers

18 is a bit old for me. Don't I have to register for the draft? Last time I turned 18 there was a draft lottery the following year and lots of stress around that. I'm happy with 17. Although I would rather not pay taxes, that's my penalty for not having to work.

P.S. Why not blow your pictures up inside your text?

Got a friend coming over tomorrow to plane some lumber, so we'll see what that entails.

The printer is great fun. Had some trouble with it today. I had been having trouble leveling the bed and getting it to stay put. Finally figured out part of the bed support was bent so I straightened that. And the glass top is coming loose from the frame underneath on one corner. I went straight to China with a request for resolution on that issue.

They didn't email me back yet. But in the interim I designed a little clip to hold the glass down, and with constant pressure the adhesive may set and hold it anyway.

Took about three minutes to create the model and fifteen minutes to print, both at once. I had measured a tight joint with an Australian Lawn Edging Calibration Device (ALECD) and found that six mm was right on. Set that in the model, let it print, and they fit snugly.

Finally, after three tries, the fourth wrench pattern came forth with the lettering on it. I had been missing the lettering because, in the model, it was not on the face of the web, it was floating about 1 mm off. I could not see that because of the flanges around the web. Fixed that and success!!

The pattern will take a little sanding but it is pretty much ready to go. I'm elated. The little curves are to go around my trivet pattern. So far I've come up with Family, Friends, Food, Faith, and Love. All necessary ingredients in a kitchen. I'm open to more suggestions. But not Flatulence.

Reminds me of my ex-wife. She did a big cross stitch of a horn of plenty. She showed it to me proudly, I liked it, but characteristically I said "Hang it in the bath?" and she got mad and never hung it anywhere. Soda and vinegar, we were.

The other side of the wrench is printing right now, so with any luck I should have no reason to not cast a wrench tomorrow.

I may just go pound sand in my pattern...

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, just awesome..

Quote[ Took about three minutes to create the model and fifteen minutes to print, both at once. I had measured a tight joint with an Australian Lawn Edging Calibration Device (ALECD) and found that six mm was right on. Set that in the model, let it print, and they fit snugly. ]Quote.

 

[BBChevro]

Hey Andy, I've been off GJ again for a while and although I haven't actually "caught up" from where I left off, I did go back a few pages...

You have been a busy boy with some really cool new toys - the router is a handy bit of gear, and the 3D printer has almost endless possibilities.

 

[bolensboneyard]

That sounds like coked coal, and that's good stuff. To light it build a small fire from kindling and cover it with coke. Crank the blower gently so as to not blow out the wood fire. but the coke has to have air to burn. I put my forge out by just walking away. When you quit blowing the air a good fire will die out in an hour or two.

Coals from the wood stove will fix you right up, but they burn a little like coke, takes some air.



18 is a bit old for me. Don't I have to register for the draft? Last time I turned 18 there was a draft lottery the following year and lots of stress around that. I'm happy with 17. Although I would rather not pay taxes, that's my penalty for not having to work.

P.S. Why not blow your pictures up inside your text?

Got a friend coming over tomorrow to plane some lumber, so we'll see what that entails.

The printer is great fun. Had some trouble with it today. I had been having trouble leveling the bed and getting it to stay put. Finally figured out part of the bed support was bent so I straightened that. And the glass top is coming loose from the frame underneath on one corner. I went straight to China with a request for resolution on that issue.

They didn't email me back yet. But in the interim I designed a little clip to hold the glass down, and with constant pressure the adhesive may set and hold it anyway.

Took about three minutes to create the model and fifteen minutes to print, both at once. I had measured a tight joint with an Australian Lawn Edging Calibration Device (ALECD) and found that six mm was right on. Set that in the model, let it print, and they fit snugly.

Finally, after three tries, the fourth wrench pattern came forth with the lettering on it. I had been missing the lettering because, in the model, it was not on the face of the web, it was floating about 1 mm off. I could not see that because of the flanges around the web. Fixed that and success!!

The pattern will take a little sanding but it is pretty much ready to go. I'm elated. The little curves are to go around my trivet pattern. So far I've come up with Family, Friends, Food, Faith, and Love. All necessary ingredients in a kitchen. I'm open to more suggestions. But not Flatulence.

Reminds me of my ex-wife. She did a big cross stitch of a horn of plenty. She showed it to me proudly, I liked it, but characteristically I said "Hang it in the bath?" and she got mad and never hung it anywhere. Soda and vinegar, we were.

The other side of the wrench is printing right now, so with any luck I should have no reason to not cast a wrench tomorrow.

I may just go pound sand in my pattern...

Thanks! I did build the fire like that and got it to go good, once the wind died down, but now that you point out the constant air need I believe that was the problem. I had a dozen brackets (for the mill) to bend and every time I got one hot enough to bend I had to stop cranking. I ended up using a rosebud but looks like it would have worked out well if only one or two pieces were in the fire at one time. Hummm two many irons in the fire. Where have I heard that before?

 

[BUGTHUG]

Hey Andy, I found some stuff in a box at a auction that might be up your alley.
I will try and find all the stuff I think that goes together, some of it is brand new and still in the plastic wrap. I think its mold making, kiln type of stuff, and some kind of small fixtures I guess would be used for filling. Not sure if its metal, or the other type of glass making stuff. I'm sure you will know its use. Also I have a lot of new collets and machine shop tools which I have no use for. Just need to have you stop by and take a look when your up around my neck of the woods.

 

[Bob Heine]

Finally, after three tries, the fourth wrench pattern came forth with the lettering on it. I had been missing the lettering because, in the model, it was not on the face of the web, it was floating about 1 mm off. I could not see that because of the flanges around the web. Fixed that and success!!

The pattern will take a little sanding but it is pretty much ready to go. I'm elated.

The other side of the wrench is printing right now, so with any luck I should have no reason to not cast a wrench tomorrow.

I may just go pound sand in my pattern...

Andy, I'm almost 1.5 years old in my fifth journey to 18 -- I'm potty trained and eat with utensils.

Your aluminum wrench is going to be marvelous and valuable. If you make the jaw 1" you'll have a nice AN-16 wrench. You can buy this aluminum one...

...from Summit Racing for a little more than $40.

 

[Guster]

Took about three minutes to create the model and fifteen minutes to print, both at once. I had measured a tight joint with an Australian Lawn Edging Calibration Device (ALECD) and found that six mm was right on. Set that in the model, let it print, and they fit snugly.

Finally, after three tries, the fourth wrench pattern came forth with the lettering on it. I had been missing the lettering because, in the model, it was not on the face of the web, it was floating about 1 mm off. I could not see that because of the flanges around the web. Fixed that and success!!

The pattern will take a little sanding but it is pretty much ready to go. I'm elated. The little curves are to go around my trivet pattern. So far I've come up with Family, Friends, Food, Faith, and Love. All necessary ingredients in a kitchen. I'm open to more suggestions. But not Flatulence.
…
The other side of the wrench is printing right now, so with any luck I should have no reason to not cast a wrench tomorrow.

I may just go pound sand in my pattern...

F-words? Fortune favour festive frivolity free friday…

You did well with the clips. Many are built using bulldog clips or some stationary variant. Think yours are probably sleeker. Though something with that design looks a bit off.

Hehe… yea there is a way to check on object bounds. Might be an extra plugin but you definitely learnt that trick early to make sure everything is attached. The other is the warping… does your printer not have a heated bed?

Good to know it is Arduino based too. Means there are a world full of upgrades and other tweaks available.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, just awesome..

Quote[ Took about three minutes to create the model and fifteen minutes to print, both at once. I had measured a tight joint with an Australian Lawn Edging Calibration Device (ALECD) and found that six mm was right on. Set that in the model, let it print, and they fit snugly. ]Quote.

Although the ALECD provided an accurate measurement, I think I can go to a 5.5 mm clip now. Maybe I'll improve the design a bit.

Hey Andy, I've been off GJ again for a while and although I haven't actually "caught up" from where I left off, I did go back a few pages...

You have been a busy boy with some really cool new toys - the router is a handy bit of gear, and the 3D printer has almost endless possibilities.

Better busy than bored.

Unbelievable what the printer will do. I'm just scratching the surface, and learning the limitations.

Thanks! I did build the fire like that and got it to go good, once the wind died down, but now that you point out the constant air need I believe that was the problem. I had a dozen brackets (for the mill) to bend and every time I got one hot enough to bend I had to stop cranking. I ended up using a rosebud but looks like it would have worked out well if only one or two pieces were in the fire at one time. Hummm two many irons in the fire. Where have I heard that before?

You might need a little bigger fire, too. You should be able to work until the steel gets too cold to work and not see the fire go down appreciably. You can bank up a fire, give it several good cranks, and have it ready to continue after a lunch break..

Hey Andy, I found some stuff in a box at a auction that might be up your alley.
I will try and find all the stuff I think that goes together, some of it is brand new and still in the plastic wrap. I think its mold making, kiln type of stuff, and some kind of small fixtures I guess would be used for filling. Not sure if its metal, or the other type of glass making stuff. I'm sure you will know its use. Also I have a lot of new collets and machine shop tools which I have no use for. Just need to have you stop by and take a look when your up around my neck of the woods.

Free? I'll find a reason to come.

Andy, I'm almost 1.5 years old in my fifth journey to 18 -- I'm potty trained and eat with utensils.

Your aluminum wrench is going to be marvelous and valuable. If you make the jaw 1" you'll have a nice AN-16 wrench. You can buy this aluminum one...

...from Summit Racing for a little more than $40.

Actually I have some wrenches. But, I wanted one with my name on it to hang on the lathe. Mainly for the practice and the nut just drives the tapered spur out of the headstock so aluminium will work well.

F-words? Fortune favour festive frivolity free friday…

You did well with the clips. Many are built using bulldog clips or some stationary variant. Think yours are probably sleeker. Though something with that design looks a bit off.

Hehe… yea there is a way to check on object bounds. Might be an extra plugin but you definitely learnt that trick early to make sure everything is attached. The other is the warping… does your printer not have a heated bed?

Good to know it is Arduino based too. Means there are a world full of upgrades and other tweaks available.

Festive and Favors sound good. Figures you would notice they were all F's.

Though not elegant, the clips are still doing the job.

Printer does have a heated bed. Set at 50 degrees right now. Some other guys suggested a layer of thinned PVA glue on the bed for large shallow pieces of work.

Did a little more printing today. One guy is making ten small covered wagons for a presentation and wanted a pattern for flat cut five spoke 2-1/2" and 3-1/2" diameter wheels. Seems like a good printer project.

Took me a half hour to figure out how to make a spoke and copy it then rotate to a new location. Good lesson. Made the members 1/16" smaller than he requested so he can cut on a pencil line 1/32" from the edge. On the small wheel. For the large wheel I just blew up the small wheel by 140% and he liked those proportions.

Worked on sanding the wrench patterns but did not spend enough time. They pulled some sand loose by being rough finish. They are going to get some Bondo to smooth things up. I poured the wrench and one hammer. Have sand will pour.

I think this is the first pattern I have failed to fill. 1 It was getting dark and I think I poured it too cool. 2 The gate opening into the wrench head should have been opened up too. I almost didn't pour because of the sand failure around the pattern and didn't notice I didn't have a very good opening for aluminum.

3 I can feed to the both ends to ensure success, but I think I'll try one more time with warmer metal, a larger opening, and a smoother pattern. I believe this pattern will take one feed if I fix my other mistakes.

Practice makes...

Something, I can't remember what. Makes you use aluminum and fuel, wastes your time, Hmmm, anyway, practice makes.

Thanks for the kind visits and interesting comments!

 

[tym]

^Loving the wrench project!

Brooms, hammers, wrenches...what are you going to make next?!

 

[Vieux]

Andy is very cool!!!!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, done well and as you say practice makes perfect..

 

[jbmatth]

Andy,
Good to see the wrench printing is going well, the 3D printer is very impressive. Very interesting you are able to print the wrench standing on end, well done.

JB

 

[oldironfarmer]

^Loving the wrench project!

Brooms, hammers, wrenches...what are you going to make next?!

Probably I'll make a mess

Andy is very cool!!!!

Thank you Vladimir!

Andy, done well and as you say practice makes perfect..

Thanks, Steve! I'm getting lots of practice. When does perfection come?

Andy,
Good to see the wrench printing is going well, the 3D printer is very impressive. Very interesting you are able to print the wrench standing on end, well done.

JB

I never really wanted a 3D printer until I thought it might make patterns for me. Now I realize I should have had one years ago.

The program kept trying to stand the print up so I finally gave in and let it do it it's way. Surprising. It was vibrating some but printed pretty well. I thought it wasn't printing the lettering but that was my fault.

I went to printing them on edge. That did well once I had fixed my lettering problem (they were floating just off the surface of the wrench) but that caused the flanges to be rough. Today I filled them with some wood filler. It's water soluble and I thinned it pretty good and got decent results.

A quick shot of the drag pattern with the cope on ready to pound sand.

Digging into the sand after pouring I saw the vulnerable end of the wrench first, and it had been filled nicely.

I poured a little too hot, so the surface it a bit rough. I don't know why I did that, just stubborn I guess. Need more practice.

Then I set up the furnace I built last spring. Here's a picture of the burner inside the burner tile. I took this picture to verify alignment instead of using a mirror, and I like the picture.

It is supposed to have insulating fire brick around it, but I can't seem to find time to build the framework. Thought I'd see how it would do without the insulation.

Here's the furnace.

I was planning on not using a crucible, just letting melted aluminum flow out the drain hole and run down the angle iron.

Don't know if that will work. There were too many air leaks and I quit blowing propane at 1-1/2 hours. The refractory is not insulating, and it is thick, so I've been worried about time required to heat it up.

I think I'll build an all brick furnace for a larger crucible.

Thanks for the visits!

Andy

 

[1/2 Cup]

Andy, that's not a bad effort even so..

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: it's been a while since you've been pouring hot aluminum regularly so after the last couple tries i bet you'll get back in the groove. unless you start welding on the StudeDakota.

hope you had a great day and from the looks of it i'd say you did.

any more new calves??

cheers

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Sometimes you can save yourself manual sanding by subjecting the printed part to acetone fumes. It does cost you some definition in a way, so some trial and error will be needed to find the right exposure. Google probably has better specifics than I do.

 

[bolensboneyard]

Sometimes you can save yourself manual sanding by subjecting the printed part to acetone fumes. It does cost you some definition in a way, so some trial and error will be needed to find the right exposure. Google probably has better specifics than I do.

Andy you might try some muriatic acid on some scrap also. I have used it to remove aluminum from crank pins and it will dissolve it nicely. I would use it sparingly and have some baking soda handy to neutralize what you don't want getting dissolved.

 

[BBChevro]

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, that's not a bad effort even so..

Thank you! More to come, fortunately.

Andy: it's been a while since you've been pouring hot aluminum regularly so after the last couple tries i bet you'll get back in the groove. unless you start welding on the StudeDakota.

hope you had a great day and from the looks of it i'd say you did.

any more new calves??

cheers

I poured it a little hot because I was concerned about it filling the pattern and intentionally poured it hotter.

I did have a great day, but have been spending time on the pharmacy. It opens Thursday so preparatory work will be done.

No more calves, but i counted eight cows springing this morning.

Sometimes you can save yourself manual sanding by subjecting the printed part to acetone fumes. It does cost you some definition in a way, so some trial and error will be needed to find the right exposure. Google probably has better specifics than I do.

I had read a reference to acetone fuming. I need to read up on it. I tried wiping acetone on sanding fuzz with mixed results.

Thanks for the push.

Andy you might try some muriatic acid on some scrap also. I have used it to remove aluminum from crank pins and it will dissolve it nicely. I would use it sparingly and have some baking soda handy to neutralize what you don't want getting dissolved.

I have muriatic on hand but did not know it eats aluminum. Handy to know, thanks!

 

[Guster]

That part came out very well. The furnace looks great too.

What are you printing with? PLA?
https://blog.trimech.com/three-ways-to-smooth-pla-parts

Really comes down to the part and the detail. Sanding recesses like on your handles is a pain but possible. For finer surface detail basically rules out sanding altogether. This is where something like acetone vapor and heatguns come in. Mind you I've seen good results using thick filler primer sprays that slightly self level on the surface before drying. This may leave a more than acceptable finish for casting.

 

[drivesitfar]

Andy: so when a cow is pregnant they call it SPRINGING? funny cause one of the slangs for having fun with your bride/wife or girlfriend was to JUMP HER.

I'm loving all the 3D modeling that you are combining with old school forging and blacksmithing.

best of luck and don't turn your back on that BULL cause i'm hoping he's ready to start running again soon.

best of luck with the new business that you're helping open. are you just helping, an investor and helper or is it 100% yours so you can get free drugs!!

 

[oldironfarmer]

That part came out very well. The furnace looks great too.

What are you printing with? PLA?
https://blog.trimech.com/three-ways-to-smooth-pla-parts

Really comes down to the part and the detail. Sanding recesses like on your handles is a pain but possible. For finer surface detail basically rules out sanding altogether. This is where something like acetone vapor and heatguns come in. Mind you I've seen good results using thick filler primer sprays that slightly self level on the surface before drying. This may leave a more than acceptable finish for casting.

Thanks for the link. I've got some reading to do.

Andy: so when a cow is pregnant they call it SPRINGING? funny cause one of the slangs for having fun with your bride/wife or girlfriend was to JUMP HER.

I'm loving all the 3D modeling that you are combining with old school forging and blacksmithing.

best of luck and don't turn your back on that BULL cause i'm hoping he's ready to start running again soon.

best of luck with the new business that you're helping open. are you just helping, an investor and helper or is it 100% yours so you can get free drugs!!

No, when a cow is pregnant, they're called pregnant. Or heavy (but ladies don't like to hear that).

Actually several days before they calve the end of the birth canal swells a little and jiggles (or springs) when they walk. Same thing with the udder filling, a sure sign a calf is imminent.

Glad you're enjoying the foundry work. I think after I learn a little more the printer will aid in pattern making a lot.

Thanks for the well wishes on the pharmacy. The owners are young friends, she is out of school about six years and ready to run her own business. Their bank and I are supporting them in this endeavor, and I believe they will do well. My input this week has been to remind her even though everything seems to be falling apart she can't panic, just keep whacking the moles and eventually they quit popping up. She's got a good head and just needs some sanity support. But it is stressful right now.