Old Bill
Well-known member
I am simply amazed at the large number of very talented people that are on this Forum. I am learning a lot. Thank you.
Built-it-myself tools/machines - show us what you've done
- Thread starter Jim Stabe
- Start date
Richard D
Well-known member
There is times when its easier to hold small parts for finish grinding by hand.....yeah I know...buy pedestal grinder, but im a cheap *******
Great idea.
Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
Okay, a gantry that comes apart like that is a wonderful idea. I keep looking at those A frame gantries at harbor Freight for $700 and don't have anyplace to put one. A simple frame like the one you built would do a lot of that readily. Got some closeups of the joints and hardware?
vwracer
Well-known member
Nice Nomad! Any more pics?
sunsation288
Well-known member
Wow J king , well done !!
smedly
Well-known member
my version of the paint shaker theme
So simple.
Ugh. Why didn't I ever think of that?
e-tek
Well-known member
A LOT of us do!!
Mine is not nearly as good as the first two, but it worked for a while.... I think I'll make my next one the Sawzall idea, just because it's so simple and looks to work extremely well!!
For those that saw this on the HAMB, sorry for the repost.
I had been planning a homemade belt grinder and found many cool things all over the interwebs.
I had wanted a belt grinder for a while, but didn't want to spend $500 right now, so I built this one for about $35 which was mostly in the electrical. The contact is an old industrial caster bushed to a 3/4" shaft and cut true in place on the machine OD is about 5 1/2". The motor is 1.5 HP, 3600rpm and could stand to be bigger. It is overdriven at about 4000rpm giving slightly less than 5000fpm belt speed. It will eat metal as fast as you want and cuts cool without belt loading.
I don't know why I didn't build one sooner, I only had about a day in building it. Currently I am building another 2X48 that will direct mount to a C-face motor and a 3X79 7000fpm machine for heavy stock removal and weld prep.
I got the contact wheel from a friend's junk stash. It was a rubber caster wheel in its former life. It had a light duty roller bearing pressed in the aluminium hub; I removed the bearing and turned a set of steel bushing to a light press into the hub. It is fixed on the shaft by a 3/4-10 thread I cut and a large nut faced square. The sholder is a piece of DOM tube bored for a tight fit on the shaft and secured with two grub screws run into divits. The rubber on the wheel is vitrified on as the wheel was made, it is about 70-80 durometer rubber, just right for direct grinding. It is holding up just fine and I see no signs of rubber seperation or face damage.
The lower portion of the frame is from a scientific positioning two axis stage I disassembled. It is nice and heavy and was blanchard ground all over. It is an assembly of three pieces, just a junk bin find. The tracking parts came from other pieces of the stage as well with a little modification.
The upper wheel was turned from 3" solid aluminium and bored for two double row ball bearings. The face is cut to a crown of about 2.5 degrees on each side with a 1/4" land in the center. Belt tracking looks off in the picture, but the belt had just been put on, not run, it tracks great.
The tensioner arm in bar stock pivoting on a 3/4" shoulder bolt. The bolt goes through a bored piece of DOM tube welded in the upright. There is a brass grub srew in the nut so the tightness can be fine tuned and locked down.
I built this whole thing without a milling machine, as my Bridgeport is not currently set up. The only machines I used were my South Bend 9" lathe, a drill press, and a metal cutting bandsaw.
And how it sits now, all painted up.
Sorry for long post, but I just wanted to condense all the information I gleaned before doing this project, so as to maybe help someone else along.
Greyson
I had been planning a homemade belt grinder and found many cool things all over the interwebs.
I had wanted a belt grinder for a while, but didn't want to spend $500 right now, so I built this one for about $35 which was mostly in the electrical. The contact is an old industrial caster bushed to a 3/4" shaft and cut true in place on the machine OD is about 5 1/2". The motor is 1.5 HP, 3600rpm and could stand to be bigger. It is overdriven at about 4000rpm giving slightly less than 5000fpm belt speed. It will eat metal as fast as you want and cuts cool without belt loading.
I don't know why I didn't build one sooner, I only had about a day in building it. Currently I am building another 2X48 that will direct mount to a C-face motor and a 3X79 7000fpm machine for heavy stock removal and weld prep.
I got the contact wheel from a friend's junk stash. It was a rubber caster wheel in its former life. It had a light duty roller bearing pressed in the aluminium hub; I removed the bearing and turned a set of steel bushing to a light press into the hub. It is fixed on the shaft by a 3/4-10 thread I cut and a large nut faced square. The sholder is a piece of DOM tube bored for a tight fit on the shaft and secured with two grub screws run into divits. The rubber on the wheel is vitrified on as the wheel was made, it is about 70-80 durometer rubber, just right for direct grinding. It is holding up just fine and I see no signs of rubber seperation or face damage.
The lower portion of the frame is from a scientific positioning two axis stage I disassembled. It is nice and heavy and was blanchard ground all over. It is an assembly of three pieces, just a junk bin find. The tracking parts came from other pieces of the stage as well with a little modification.
The upper wheel was turned from 3" solid aluminium and bored for two double row ball bearings. The face is cut to a crown of about 2.5 degrees on each side with a 1/4" land in the center. Belt tracking looks off in the picture, but the belt had just been put on, not run, it tracks great.
The tensioner arm in bar stock pivoting on a 3/4" shoulder bolt. The bolt goes through a bored piece of DOM tube welded in the upright. There is a brass grub srew in the nut so the tightness can be fine tuned and locked down.
I built this whole thing without a milling machine, as my Bridgeport is not currently set up. The only machines I used were my South Bend 9" lathe, a drill press, and a metal cutting bandsaw.
And how it sits now, all painted up.
Sorry for long post, but I just wanted to condense all the information I gleaned before doing this project, so as to maybe help someone else along.
Greyson
Fyrme
Well-known member
For those that saw this on the HAMB, sorry for the repost.
I had been planning a homemade belt grinder and found many cool things all over the interwebs.
I had wanted a belt grinder for a while, but didn't want to spend $500 right now, so I built this one for about $35 which was mostly in the electrical. The contact is an old industrial caster bushed to a 3/4" shaft and cut true in place on the machine OD is about 5 1/2". The motor is 1.5 HP, 3600rpm and could stand to be bigger. It is overdriven at about 4000rpm giving slightly less than 5000fpm belt speed. It will eat metal as fast as you want and cuts cool without belt loading.
I don't know why I didn't build one sooner, I only had about a day in building it. Currently I am building another 2X48 that will direct mount to a C-face motor and a 3X79 7000fpm machine for heavy stock removal and weld prep.
I got the contact wheel from a friend's junk stash. It was a rubber caster wheel in its former life. It had a light duty roller bearing pressed in the aluminium hub; I removed the bearing and turned a set of steel bushing to a light press into the hub. It is fixed on the shaft by a 3/4-10 thread I cut and a large nut faced square. The sholder is a piece of DOM tube bored for a tight fit on the shaft and secured with two grub screws run into divits. The rubber on the wheel is vitrified on as the wheel was made, it is about 70-80 durometer rubber, just right for direct grinding. It is holding up just fine and I see no signs of rubber seperation or face damage.
The lower portion of the frame is from a scientific positioning two axis stage I disassembled. It is nice and heavy and was blanchard ground all over. It is an assembly of three pieces, just a junk bin find. The tracking parts came from other pieces of the stage as well with a little modification.
The upper wheel was turned from 3" solid aluminium and bored for two double row ball bearings. The face is cut to a crown of about 2.5 degrees on each side with a 1/4" land in the center. Belt tracking looks off in the picture, but the belt had just been put on, not run, it tracks great.
The tensioner arm in bar stock pivoting on a 3/4" shoulder bolt. The bolt goes through a bored piece of DOM tube welded in the upright. There is a brass grub srew in the nut so the tightness can be fine tuned and locked down.
I built this whole thing without a milling machine, as my Bridgeport is not currently set up. The only machines I used were my South Bend 9" lathe, a drill press, and a metal cutting bandsaw.
And how it sits now, all painted up.
Sorry for long post, but I just wanted to condense all the information I gleaned before doing this project, so as to maybe help someone else along.
Greyson
Nice Job, I'd love to throw together a 1-2" belt sander, but I don't know if I'd use it enough to justify the time spend on building one. What do you use it for other than what a could be done with a 4" belt?
This thing is NOT a belt sander. It goes way faster than what you'd think if you've never used a belt grinder. Wood instantly burns when touched to the belt. It is a metal removal tool!
Anything you would have ground on your bench grinder, this will do faster, cleaner, and cooler. Belt change is only 2 seconds to change to whatever grit you want. High quality belts are only $2-4 each.
I am building a 3 X 79 grinder for big jobs. The 2 X 48 is a really nice size for average use, especially when compared to the average 1/2 - 3/4" wide grinding wheel.
Greyson
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
If you pick up the latest copy of Machinist Workshop, it has plans in the magazine for building a belt sander. Pretty decent sander if I do say so.
Fyrme
Well-known member
various shots of my 49x36 cnc plasma table completely designed and built myself..
The some pics are of a 1/4" bracket I cut, square within .002 and holes were within .007
last picture is latest I have of the table..
I do have a video of its very first test cut.. since then I've added water table, thc and upgraded the plasma cutter.
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oRtVtRYnUig" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>
The some pics are of a 1/4" bracket I cut, square within .002 and holes were within .007
last picture is latest I have of the table..
I do have a video of its very first test cut.. since then I've added water table, thc and upgraded the plasma cutter.
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oRtVtRYnUig" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>
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What operating software are you using?
I have been looking at doing a 4' x 8' table as a project and was looking at Mach 3 to controll it.
Greyson
Mach3. I used Mach3 because I wanted to use windows as all the drawing software I have is windows based.. I use one computer for both drawing and controlling the machine in the garage..
If i were going to use two computers, one computer for machine control and a separate computer for drawing I would use Linux Ubuntu/emc2 and have a separate computer for drawing and file storage, just because emc2 is free, if your not worried about the $175 for mach3 get mach3 as they have great support..
TireTracks
Well-known member
My 6x48 belt sander/ Pnumatic drum sander.
View media item 35092
View media item 35093Tilts over for edge and face sanding.
View media item 35094View media item 35095
View media item 35092
View media item 35093Tilts over for edge and face sanding.
View media item 35094View media item 35095
Man that is so awesome! One day I hope to have something similar!
malibulvr
Well-known member
Please tell me you have a restoration thread for that Nomad! Some great looking tools in here, very envious.
akdiesel
Well-known member
Oh to have an engineering degree. Very impressive
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
My flat steel roller.
View media item 34831
View media item 34831
pepi
Well-known member
brucer
I really like that, just a question or two, what source did you use for parts, as in rails, step motors, and torch holder.
Well done
The rails are 1"x1/4" angle that I machined.. I bolted the 1" angle to the extrusions then milled them flat/parallel, I pinned them to the extrusion with 5/16 rollpins to keep them square...
The floating torch holder I designed and machined myself.
The 425oz Steppers and drivers I got from Hubbard CNC, drivers are gecko250..
I designed and machined the adjustable skates myself also, included some pics of the skates with the rails.. I was doubting the rails, but it worked awesome and cheap..
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some shots of the floating torch mount.. In the pictures you'll see I'm using a proximity switch instead of a limit switch.. The proximity switch is what I'm using the set my initial z height prior to each cut, that way the machine knows where the plate is..
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Thanks, but I do not have an engineering degree.
I had to work for my education, I'm a certified machinist/mold maker with 26 yrs experience..
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I have been recycling scrap for many years, In the old days we would just fill a drum with insulated copper wire add diesel fuel and throw in a match to remove the insulation.
Our local yard won't take burned wire anymore (actually for quite a few years) So stripping wire and cable has become a chore and at times just not worth the effort.
This is an issue that I have been thinking about for awhile and now I have a solution. Started with a scrap of alum and came up with this.
The blade pins are guide pins from old DVD/CD drives ground to shape and finished on my triple stone.
I have to make a few more so the kids can help me as we have several hundred pounds of wire/cable to strip. very easy to do while watching the tube.
If you are wondering if it is worth it, Hells yeah, insulated #2 copper $0.90 stripped $2.65
Our local yard won't take burned wire anymore (actually for quite a few years) So stripping wire and cable has become a chore and at times just not worth the effort.
This is an issue that I have been thinking about for awhile and now I have a solution. Started with a scrap of alum and came up with this.
The blade pins are guide pins from old DVD/CD drives ground to shape and finished on my triple stone.
I have to make a few more so the kids can help me as we have several hundred pounds of wire/cable to strip. very easy to do while watching the tube.
If you are wondering if it is worth it, Hells yeah, insulated #2 copper $0.90 stripped $2.65
MN4x4
Well-known member
That is one of the best tool designs I have ever seen created entirely (or mostly) out of wood. Very nice job!
I have been recycling scrap for many years, In the old days we would just fill a drum with insulated copper wire add diesel fuel and throw in a match to remove the insulation.
Our local yard won't take burned wire anymore (actually for quite a few years) So stripping wire and cable has become a chore and at times just not worth the effort.
This is an issue that I have been thinking about for awhile and now I have a solution. Started with a scrap of alum and came up with this.
The blade pins are guide pins from old DVD/CD drives ground to shape and finished on my triple stone.
I have to make a few more so the kids can help me as we have several hundred pounds of wire/cable to strip. very easy to do while watching the tube.
If you are wondering if it is worth it, Hells yeah, insulated #2 copper $0.90 stripped $2.65
could easily be converted for crimping copper connectors on cable also.
Catamount
Well-known member
Ugly tool warning. After trying for weeks to pull a distributor out of my 351W the old fashioned way I decided to make a slide hammer "adapter" for my jaw pullers.
Welded this bolt to this nut:
Ugly weld? Flux core!
This is what I'm dealing with here. Had tried every penetrant possible, freeze sprays, heat, gentle taps, hard taps. It was frozen solid in place.
Said a little prayer.
And it finally came out!
Welded this bolt to this nut:
Ugly weld? Flux core!
This is what I'm dealing with here. Had tried every penetrant possible, freeze sprays, heat, gentle taps, hard taps. It was frozen solid in place.
Said a little prayer.
And it finally came out!
Always_Thinkin
Well-known member
I am impressed. Is there a build thread or do you care to share more photos of how you made it?
any info on this bender
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
There are some more pictures in my albums that show some more detail.
It was literally built out of bits and pieces i had laying around.
No plan, no CAD drawings, trial and error.
All hand fitted as i donot have a lathe or mill.
Cheers
1/2 Cup
Member Emeritus
PCO6
Well-known member
I had a hard time removing some "stuck" rad and heater hoses today so I made the "hose ******" pictured below. I heated up the end of an awl with my torch and bent it into a hook.
If you can't pull the hose off by hand, gradually insert the sharp point under the end of the hose and gently work it around to free it up and "unstick" it.
View media item 35145
If you can't pull the hose off by hand, gradually insert the sharp point under the end of the hose and gently work it around to free it up and "unstick" it.
View media item 35145
TireTracks
Well-known member
Thank you!
I dident document the build very well,I was too focused on building it at the time.
Here's some info and more pictures.
3/4hp Dayton TEFC motor ( $10!), everything runs on high speed ball bearings, it runs at 1725rpm. Made from Fir,oak and birch plywood.
View media item 35152This is the tracking mechanism. The upper wheel mount slides in a dado, the middle Bolt pulles on it for tension, while the outer bolt pushes down, the dado is a bit oversize, so the wheel can tilt a bit, that sets the tracking. It holds tracking very well, Set and forget.The shaft is epoxied into the carrier.
The base, the bolt you see locks the arm for tilting.
View media item 35153
Dust collection box, works fairly well, cuts down on the airborn stuff. The table is fixed at 90*, I attempted to make it tilt 0-45, but it wasnt rigid enough.
View media item 35154
The Inflateable drum is made from these plans-
http://books.google.com/books?id=p_YDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA74#v=onepage&q&f=true
Here's a Video of it working-
It really hogs out the wood, I took an inch off a 2x4 playing with it, in about 1 minute.
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