lilscorpion
Well-known member
Steven - how’d you hold down the table to the router spoil board? I don’t see clamps.
Above 1200 Sq/FT Eastern Washington Workshop
- Thread starter slodat
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Oh, didn’t realize you have vacuum. Probably shoulda figured.
lilscorpion
Well-known member
How long until we get to see that new beast pumping out organization bins…hmm, and how much for you to print a batch for my drawers?!?Really cool project coming in later this year. The Prusa is amazing.. recent items fresh off the printer this week. Truly flawless. It’s amazing. The sidewalls are 0.07” thick and 3.75” tall.
New project needs a little bigger work envelope..
Made these copper rods for the guys at work. They are used to make test connections to medium voltage cables and transformers.
I started out using the three jaw chuck getting things sorted out. I’ve machined copper before and knew it is super gummy and doesn’t machine well. A little too much stick out resulted in this, quickly.
I got the corner round end mill dialed in.
very happy with the finish.
Installed the collet closer.
and got to work.
Brushed finish on the length to complete the job.
Left some cool chips in the pan..
I started out using the three jaw chuck getting things sorted out. I’ve machined copper before and knew it is super gummy and doesn’t machine well. A little too much stick out resulted in this, quickly.
I got the corner round end mill dialed in.
very happy with the finish.
Installed the collet closer.
and got to work.
Brushed finish on the length to complete the job.
Left some cool chips in the pan..
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racer-john
Well-known member
Nice work, as usual.
bowtiguy
Well-known member
Wait, don’t you do custom car interiors?
Or has your direction taken a one way fork in the road?
Or has your direction taken a one way fork in the road?
I haven’t been taking on full interiors for quite a while and probably won’t while I have a demanding day job. As far as customer work goes I do job shop type stuff, some upholstery work, and I have products of my own I’m developing to manufacture and sell myself. My focus is on developing the digital design, fabrication, and manufacturing aspects of my shop and business. Blending traditional techniques with modern methods is what I enjoy most. I will return to full custom interiors when I have the time and bandwidth they require available to dedicate to them. I do have a few collaborations in the works with other shops.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Very nice job Steven. I much prefer either a 6-jaw or better yet a collet for small parts like that. Three-jaws seem to allow too much gap between the jaws and less rigid parts seem to find their way in between the jaws in less than desirable shapes. 
Thank you for the kind words, Mike. I started with the three jaw because it’s what was on the spindle when I started. The collet was the right choice for the work holding I have on hand for this lathe. The collet closer is a really nice Royal setup. I don’t love how it puts so much stress on the fiberglass end cover and its hinges. I’ve been keeping an eye out for a Sjogren 5C speed chuck. It’s pretty low on the funding priority. Maybe I’ll luck out and find a good deal on one.
cycle61
Well-known member
Thanks for the tour today, amazing to finally see the place! Makes me want to press pause on the outdoor hobbies and go organize my shop...
A buddy of mine is making a 36" bead roller similar to the Mitler Brothers setup. He showed up with a "CAD" drawing, similar to Mike's style. Drawn full scale.
Quick work in Fusion..
Test piece out of 1/8 MDF on the laser..
It lined up as he wanted. He had the sheet of 1/4" mild steel plate sheared at 2'. Made handling much easier. Plasma did a great job. It's really well suited to stuff like this.
He was really happy with the first, so we cut all four.
Some dross. Seems reasonable to me. I'm sure it's possible to tune it out. All in all, really nice parts.
Quick work in Fusion..
Test piece out of 1/8 MDF on the laser..
It lined up as he wanted. He had the sheet of 1/4" mild steel plate sheared at 2'. Made handling much easier. Plasma did a great job. It's really well suited to stuff like this.
He was really happy with the first, so we cut all four.
Some dross. Seems reasonable to me. I'm sure it's possible to tune it out. All in all, really nice parts.
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rattle_snake
Well-known member
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I'm really impressed at how little dross they have.
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I cut a ton (probably close actually) of stuff for friends on my table. Wish (more than just a few) of the ladies were/are into metal fabrication. Then I coulda gotten something out of it (a time or two) too. Gotta charge sometimes.
lilscorpion
Well-known member
What, they're sending you the new printer in pieces?Printhead for the 3d printer I have on order. This is a setup made by the dealer I ordered the Modix from. Should be a nice setup.
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Ah I get it, that makes more sense. That thing is going to be a beast.
ODIS
Well-known member
Water Jet In Your Future?
Amazed at all you have added to your shop!
Amazed at all you have added to your shop!
No water jet over here.
Installed Green Hinges on the roll up doors. They have a spring that pushes the door against the door frame, closing the gap. I’m impressed with how well they work. I had a 1/4” or so gap most of the height of all the doors. This is after the door company tuning the doors. Happy with the results. I think they will make an impact on the HVAC costs.
Installed Green Hinges on the roll up doors. They have a spring that pushes the door against the door frame, closing the gap. I’m impressed with how well they work. I had a 1/4” or so gap most of the height of all the doors. This is after the door company tuning the doors. Happy with the results. I think they will make an impact on the HVAC costs.
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lilscorpion
Well-known member
Think they’ll reduce the life of the motor?
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I wouldn't really think so. The only time the door is flush with the wall is when it is fully closed. Other than that, the taper on the rails keeps it away from the wall.
Wow. Been a busy couple few months with work. Not much shop time, at all. It's crazy to think I've been in the shop seven years. I have a weekend free, in the shop. Not sure what I'm going to work on just yet. Coffee first.
The roll up door hinges made a huge difference in heating and dust infiltration with the recent storms. Highly recommend!
The roll up door hinges made a huge difference in heating and dust infiltration with the recent storms. Highly recommend!
Made some progress on the Hardinge CNC lathe controls update. The existing enclosure had plenty of holes for passthrough.
A few minutes in Fusion and I came up with a mirrored part that snaps together, fits the existing holes, and holds the cable quite well.
This sort of thing is super satisfying! A solid day of shop time is just what I needed. Cheers.
A few minutes in Fusion and I came up with a mirrored part that snaps together, fits the existing holes, and holds the cable quite well.
This sort of thing is super satisfying! A solid day of shop time is just what I needed. Cheers.
Jayman17
Well-known member
Good to see an update, I was wondering where you were.
Jay
Jay
My good friend (the one that always helps me unload machines and a billion other things) stopped by today with a small chunk of aluminum and this in hand:
It's off a hydraulic manifold on a tractor or some such a friend of his has. There's some trading involved. Bottom line is.. can I get it made for him.. now. It's my pleasure to give him some time and I'm happy to work in my shop. He's a retired machinist, so all I have to do is make the body (OP1). He will machine the bore and the top threaded hole.
I stared at it for a while and decided to try the 3d scanner on this part. The scan is the easy part. Doing something meaningful with it is a completely different, not easy thing. All I cared about was the base flange. This is the mesh as imported into Fusion 360.
Took a while to figure out how to get the imported mesh aligned with the origin. Then, I made the base flange:
The modeled valve body on the mesh:
Modeled part:
Printed a 0.2" flange to compare with the original part.. It worked really well.
It's off a hydraulic manifold on a tractor or some such a friend of his has. There's some trading involved. Bottom line is.. can I get it made for him.. now. It's my pleasure to give him some time and I'm happy to work in my shop. He's a retired machinist, so all I have to do is make the body (OP1). He will machine the bore and the top threaded hole.
I stared at it for a while and decided to try the 3d scanner on this part. The scan is the easy part. Doing something meaningful with it is a completely different, not easy thing. All I cared about was the base flange. This is the mesh as imported into Fusion 360.
Took a while to figure out how to get the imported mesh aligned with the origin. Then, I made the base flange:
The modeled valve body on the mesh:
Modeled part:
Printed a 0.2" flange to compare with the original part.. It worked really well.
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dfiler2
Well-known member
Nice tools and skills to have!
I’ve been working in Aspire for almost 5.5 years and Fusion about 3.5. Aspire still sees some use for 2D stuff. Fusion’s 3d modeling and modern toolpaths are where it’s at. I have PLENTY to still learn. I found NYCCNC’s Teachable courses to be well worth the expense. I still revisit them.
For me, it came down to making real parts to truly learn anything in Fusion. I’m quite happy with it for my needs.
For me, it came down to making real parts to truly learn anything in Fusion. I’m quite happy with it for my needs.
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Finished machining the valve body. Turned out really well. The carrier (excess material on the bottom) is used for work holding. It will get machined off, then the holes bored, and top hole tapped. My buddy was really happy with it. He will do the rest of the machine work. There's plenty of material on the bottom so he can leave the bottom a little thicker.
The final operation had just a little clearance between the collet nut and the top of the part. As they say.. clearance is clearance.
Really satisfying project.
The final operation had just a little clearance between the collet nut and the top of the part. As they say.. clearance is clearance.
Really satisfying project.
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Neat idea (opposing slots. This gives me an idea for an organization project I’ve been thinking about.Made some progress on the Hardinge CNC lathe controls update. The existing enclosure had plenty of holes for passthrough.
A few minutes in Fusion and I came up with a mirrored part that snaps together, fits the existing holes, and holds the cable quite well.
This sort of thing is super satisfying! A solid day of shop time is just what I needed. Cheers.
GeddyT
ALLIANCE MEMBER
...Still could use some polishing, otherwise calling this little project a success.
So did you end up polishing your knob?...
Sorry, one of the problems with reading through a 7-years-long epic thread all at once is that there are a million things I would have loved to ask about or comment on at the time, but now it wouldn't make sense with how far the story has moved on. Taking a pass on the low-hanging fruit above, though? No way!
There's little I can say about all of this that hasn't already been said. The shop transformation is one thing (I will not work that many hours in my lifetime), but the collection of tools and how efficiently and neatly they're all organized into that space is jaw-dropping. I'm envious to say the least of all of the cool tools you've packed into there (while I've been searching for years for a band saw that fits my needs and won't cost a black market kidney, you're squeezing a brand new one in between the other nine that are already there--but this one has new features!...). Even your hand tool collection blows me away, considering all of mine fit into a single HF44!
Anyway, enough slobbering and onto one question/observation: There seems to be a bit of overlap in a few of the big toys that you've recently collected. By this point in your story, I don't even blink when you you post a picture of the house-sized 3D printer that's on its way, but I was a bit surprised by both the Acra and the TM-1. Sounds like the Acra gives you a bit bigger work envelope, spindle reverse, and metric threading, but they're both big, heavy, powerful engine lathes. The mills are even more similar, with the TM-1 having a tool changer, but similar in every other way to the Tree. Do you find yourself having a reason to use all four of these or are one or two gathering cobwebs?
Funny, I was about halfway through the thread when I said to myself, "With all of the iron this guy keeps moving into and around in there, he really needs a set of skates!" I laughed when they eventually made their appearance. I've never used the big prybars or toe jacks before. Was thinking I'd need to get them, but moving both the 5-ton and 2-ton mills was doable without them after thinking about it a bit. In both cases, it involves using the leveling screws to raise the machine enough to slide rolling pipes or skates underneath. In the case of the skates, I then just raise the leveling screws back up enough to be off the ground and start pushing. In the case of old-fashioned rolling on pipes (the Dufour sits lower, so the skates are too tall), I lift the machine with the screws, slide pipes under, then remove the screws completely, leaving a flat base to roll on. Once in position, reinsert leveling screws, slide a nut underneath the machine, and raise the machine with the screws. It is super cool to move something that big and heavy around by yourself!
Anyway, keep up the good work and thanks for giving me a lot of inspiration.
The Acra is a great compliment to the Pacemaker. I much prefer using the Pacemaker when the job allows it. The clutch, the controls and the raw power are awesome. It’s an incredible machine. Alas, it not having spindle reverse and metric threading, it left me knowing I’d want another lathe. Nothing wrong with about 10,000 pounds of lathe in the shop
The TM-1 has a tool changer and no knee. I get more than 6” of Z to work with. I will probably sell the TM-1. Should I sell it, I’d have very little invested in the Acra and tooling. The Tree mill turned out to be a very good machine that is making some nice parts. I’m not sure I’ll ever let it go. I’d really like to have an enclosed VMC with a fourth axis at some point.
I cancelled the order on the big 3d printer. I’m trying to avoid more new projects and that thing was very much a $20k project the more I learned about them. I do have an early pre-order in for a Prusa XL. I’m excited to have that bigger work envelope in a 3d printer. I use the i3 all the time. It’s crazy how useful they are.
All along I’ve had a vision of what I’d like to be able to do in the shop. It’s what keeps me sane and grounded… and ultimately it is my happiness a lot of the time.
The rigging bars are a game changer. The Tree mill doesn’t have jacking screws. One is missing and I still need to make it now that I can cut metric treads. Anyway, the rigging bars are how I get the toe jack under the Pacemaker and how I lower the Tree mill only the floor, etc. I highly recommend having one (or two in my case) if you’re gonna play with machines over one ton. I’ve used both at the same time a few times. Proper rigging gear makes it safe and **** a lot less.
As far as rolling on pipe goes, never again. The Pacemaker barely rolled with three big guys and a come along dragging it. I can move it alone with the skates.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I really enjoy the community here. Looking forward to your interaction going forward!
The TM-1 has a tool changer and no knee. I get more than 6” of Z to work with. I will probably sell the TM-1. Should I sell it, I’d have very little invested in the Acra and tooling. The Tree mill turned out to be a very good machine that is making some nice parts. I’m not sure I’ll ever let it go. I’d really like to have an enclosed VMC with a fourth axis at some point.
I cancelled the order on the big 3d printer. I’m trying to avoid more new projects and that thing was very much a $20k project the more I learned about them. I do have an early pre-order in for a Prusa XL. I’m excited to have that bigger work envelope in a 3d printer. I use the i3 all the time. It’s crazy how useful they are.
All along I’ve had a vision of what I’d like to be able to do in the shop. It’s what keeps me sane and grounded… and ultimately it is my happiness a lot of the time.
The rigging bars are a game changer. The Tree mill doesn’t have jacking screws. One is missing and I still need to make it now that I can cut metric treads. Anyway, the rigging bars are how I get the toe jack under the Pacemaker and how I lower the Tree mill only the floor, etc. I highly recommend having one (or two in my case) if you’re gonna play with machines over one ton. I’ve used both at the same time a few times. Proper rigging gear makes it safe and **** a lot less.
As far as rolling on pipe goes, never again. The Pacemaker barely rolled with three big guys and a come along dragging it. I can move it alone with the skates.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I really enjoy the community here. Looking forward to your interaction going forward!