OP
Above 1200 Sq/FT LilScorpion’s Fab Space
- Thread starter lilscorpion
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
getting closer. Nearly done with 1/4 thru 7/16 grade 5 and grade 8 UNC bolt drawers. Here’s one completed. Notice the washers bin reduced in height to allow a hand to grab the cutout without jamming a finger.
With having more than 120 drawers in the shop, I’ve been thinking for a few months about maybe adding some kind of tags/plates to the front of the drawers for quicker visual identification. I’ve been on the fence because I seem to be adapting well to the new organizational layout well in that I candy find stuff almost always the first time. Admittedly tho, I do get drawers swapped in my head from time to time. Meaning I’ll go to grab a hammer and pull drawer 3 in a bank instead if 4 EVERY TIME.
Drinking to work today I had an epiphany that I think I’ll use on the hardware drawers for sure. I played with the idea in fusion - made a bolt accurate to the specs for the drawer that it’s identifying, split It in half length-wise, and put it on a plate. So damn cool (and a good way to advance skills in cad). I’ll stick with the color combos used within the drawers to make differentiating between grade 8 and 5 a snap.
Cool eh?
Maybe the shadows in the above pic give it away but in case they don’t - they’re 3d dimensionally correct. I sat there and watched the first one print beginning to end.
I like the 1-1/4” length on the plate. Proof it’s bang on.
Thinking of adding them to each drawer here. The plate part is 1/8” thick so I think I’d machine the plates profile in the drawer face maybe .100 deep so it just barely sits proud.
Yellow pops.
Only thing I’ve not yet decided yet is if it’s too big. Right now they’re 3x5. Kinda thinking they may need to be a bit smaller, like 2.5 x 4…or even smaller…well and should I put them only on hardware drawers or every drawer.
With having more than 120 drawers in the shop, I’ve been thinking for a few months about maybe adding some kind of tags/plates to the front of the drawers for quicker visual identification. I’ve been on the fence because I seem to be adapting well to the new organizational layout well in that I candy find stuff almost always the first time. Admittedly tho, I do get drawers swapped in my head from time to time. Meaning I’ll go to grab a hammer and pull drawer 3 in a bank instead if 4 EVERY TIME.
Drinking to work today I had an epiphany that I think I’ll use on the hardware drawers for sure. I played with the idea in fusion - made a bolt accurate to the specs for the drawer that it’s identifying, split It in half length-wise, and put it on a plate. So damn cool (and a good way to advance skills in cad). I’ll stick with the color combos used within the drawers to make differentiating between grade 8 and 5 a snap.
Cool eh?
Maybe the shadows in the above pic give it away but in case they don’t - they’re 3d dimensionally correct. I sat there and watched the first one print beginning to end.
I like the 1-1/4” length on the plate. Proof it’s bang on.
Thinking of adding them to each drawer here. The plate part is 1/8” thick so I think I’d machine the plates profile in the drawer face maybe .100 deep so it just barely sits proud.
Yellow pops.
Only thing I’ve not yet decided yet is if it’s too big. Right now they’re 3x5. Kinda thinking they may need to be a bit smaller, like 2.5 x 4…or even smaller…well and should I put them only on hardware drawers or every drawer.
XJSuperman
Well-known member
Oooh I like that. I think 2.5x4" would be great. Big enough to see but not overpowering the drawer face. Great idea. And they can be swapped as needed if the layout updates.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
They're perfect as they are, I can read them.
RickP
Well-known member
Great idea!Cool eh?
Where can I find a job like that?
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Hahaha…DRIVING. Auto-correct is truly amazing.Great idea!
Where can I find a job like that?
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I’ve had my visual correction changed the last 4 years consecutively. I feel like font size 20 or larger is too small…I may roll with it regardless of being too big now (or don’t feels).
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
It won't be too big in a couple years. Believe me.
Prometheus
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 17, 2006
- Messages
- 104
I'm not as old as you, but I'd leave them be. The sizing looks perfect to me. Still enough of a boarder around it but very readable. Id leave it be.
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I love the color matching and the idea. I would think your ocd would interfere with having them off on one side and not centered. I would look at printing them so they hook over the hand grip spot and no fasteners to marr the outside of the drawers, or affix with double stick. Just my OCD about centering and marring running rampant this morning! Love the labels!!!
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Hmmm, good iideas. Pondering…
cccoltsicehockey
Well-known member
Love the plates. Would you have to take each drawer apart to machine the face for the plate? Amazing details in your work as always.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Thank you. Yeah, probably need to disassemble them. Would t take long tho. None are glued they come apart like legos
LeonardY
Well-known member
Very cool.getting closer. Nearly done with 1/4 thru 7/16 grade 5 and grade 8 UNC bolt drawers. Here’s one completed. Notice the washers bin reduced in height to allow a hand to grab the cutout without jamming a finger.
With having more than 120 drawers in the shop, I’ve been thinking for a few months about maybe adding some kind of tags/plates to the front of the drawers for quicker visual identification. I’ve been on the fence because I seem to be adapting well to the new organizational layout well in that I candy find stuff almost always the first time. Admittedly tho, I do get drawers swapped in my head from time to time. Meaning I’ll go to grab a hammer and pull drawer 3 in a bank instead if 4 EVERY TIME.
Drinking to work today I had an epiphany that I think I’ll use on the hardware drawers for sure. I played with the idea in fusion - made a bolt accurate to the specs for the drawer that it’s identifying, split It in half length-wise, and put it on a plate. So damn cool (and a good way to advance skills in cad). I’ll stick with the color combos used within the drawers to make differentiating between grade 8 and 5 a snap.
Cool eh?
Maybe the shadows in the above pic give it away but in case they don’t - they’re 3d dimensionally correct. I sat there and watched the first one print beginning to end.
I like the 1-1/4” length on the plate. Proof it’s bang on.
Thinking of adding them to each drawer here. The plate part is 1/8” thick so I think I’d machine the plates profile in the drawer face maybe .100 deep so it just barely sits proud.
Yellow pops.
Only thing I’ve not yet decided yet is if it’s too big. Right now they’re 3x5. Kinda thinking they may need to be a bit smaller, like 2.5 x 4…or even smaller…well and should I put them only on hardware drawers or every drawer.
I had one thought and it's fleeting. What if you 3D printed the thread as a Stud and a nut. Perpendicular to the face. So you could use it to check the size?
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
There ya go, wind the poor kid up and send him down the endless rabbit hole.Very cool.
I had one thought and it's fleeting. What if you 3D printed the thread as a Stud and a nut. Perpendicular to the face. So you could use it to check the size?
4 FN 27
ALLIANCE MEMBER
@lilscorpion and @slodat I enjoy seeing you play in the world of sheet metal design, layout and fabrication.
While I don't know anything about Fusion, may I offer a few tricks of the trade on the layout side of things and corner construction. Designing tight corners can be a fabricator best friend and worst enemy at the same time.
Touching corners in the world of Solid Modeling Sheet Metal can create issues when going from 1 software to another or when using 2nd and 3rd party softwares for quoting, analysis or unfolding. My experience is to leave slight gaps on surfaces that would normally be touching in a perfect world. These gaps provide better opportunities not only on the processing of models in non-native softwares but also aid in the fabrication of the part.
Cutter comps, material thickness tolerances and available bend tooling all need a little forgiveness at times to prevent crashing or aid in spring back when forming.
I use "standard" (my standards) gaps based on material thickness:
0 - .060 = 1/128
.075 - .120 = 1/64
.120+ = .031 or sometime larger depending on if the corner is welded or not.
These gaps may need to be increased depending on your method of cutting the parts and the accuracy of your machines and what kind of tolerance they can hold. Press Brake Tooling can also demand a bigger gap if you do not have a wide variety of Bottom Dies to match perfectly with all of the material thicknesses you work with.
For an Inside-Inside corner:
Outside-Inside Corner:
Hem:
The Hemmed part also shows a bend in the middle of an edge. I typically set these bends off the edge the same gap distance as the corners based on the thickness of the material. This keeps the edge from bottoming in the Bottom Die:
You can see the small gap (highlighted light blue lines) between the face of the tool and the edge.
This allows for you to move the bend line up to the gap distance making that flange longer if you need to rob material to make the tolerancing work out. This gap also allows for issues with dross and cutter comp issues. Material Thickness can come into play at times too.
Keep in mind we play in a world of +/-.005 at times but we apply these techniques to all the products we build...The Press Brake and Welding Department lives get a lot easier when not having to fight issues that come with zero gaps.
Keep up the great work guys!!!
While I don't know anything about Fusion, may I offer a few tricks of the trade on the layout side of things and corner construction. Designing tight corners can be a fabricator best friend and worst enemy at the same time.
Touching corners in the world of Solid Modeling Sheet Metal can create issues when going from 1 software to another or when using 2nd and 3rd party softwares for quoting, analysis or unfolding. My experience is to leave slight gaps on surfaces that would normally be touching in a perfect world. These gaps provide better opportunities not only on the processing of models in non-native softwares but also aid in the fabrication of the part.
Cutter comps, material thickness tolerances and available bend tooling all need a little forgiveness at times to prevent crashing or aid in spring back when forming.
I use "standard" (my standards) gaps based on material thickness:
0 - .060 = 1/128
.075 - .120 = 1/64
.120+ = .031 or sometime larger depending on if the corner is welded or not.
These gaps may need to be increased depending on your method of cutting the parts and the accuracy of your machines and what kind of tolerance they can hold. Press Brake Tooling can also demand a bigger gap if you do not have a wide variety of Bottom Dies to match perfectly with all of the material thicknesses you work with.
For an Inside-Inside corner:
Outside-Inside Corner:
Hem:
The Hemmed part also shows a bend in the middle of an edge. I typically set these bends off the edge the same gap distance as the corners based on the thickness of the material. This keeps the edge from bottoming in the Bottom Die:
You can see the small gap (highlighted light blue lines) between the face of the tool and the edge.
This allows for you to move the bend line up to the gap distance making that flange longer if you need to rob material to make the tolerancing work out. This gap also allows for issues with dross and cutter comp issues. Material Thickness can come into play at times too.
Keep in mind we play in a world of +/-.005 at times but we apply these techniques to all the products we build...The Press Brake and Welding Department lives get a lot easier when not having to fight issues that come with zero gaps.
Keep up the great work guys!!!
moab11
Well-known member
What about surface mount using threaded inserts in the face and machine screws?
That way you can easily swap the plate should you change drawers, or design new label plates?
Either way, I really like those label plates and need to evaluate what I can do on some of my storage drawers.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Pat, appreciate the tips. You may have just saved me a mess of time. I’ve been so focused on trying to figure out cad I wasn’t paying attention to layout and post fabrication considerations. CAD is interesting in that it enables you to think in perfect dimensions that can’t be achieved on machines. Lessons I’ve learned the hard when when machining a one off part not thinking about the end mill diameter compensation (or lack there of) resulting in an impossible press fit when the piece should actually slide in the hole no problem.@lilscorpion and @slodat I enjoy seeing you play in the world of sheet metal design, layout and fabrication.
While I don't know anything about Fusion, may I offer a few tricks of the trade on the layout side of things and corner construction. Designing tight corners can be a fabricator best friend and worst enemy at the same time.
Touching corners in the world of Solid Modeling Sheet Metal can create issues when going from 1 software to another or when using 2nd and 3rd party softwares for quoting, analysis or unfolding. My experience is to leave slight gaps on surfaces that would normally be touching in a perfect world. These gaps provide better opportunities not only on the processing of models in non-native softwares but also aid in the fabrication of the part.
Cutter comps, material thickness tolerances and available bend tooling all need a little forgiveness at times to prevent crashing or aid in spring back when forming.
I use "standard" (my standards) gaps based on material thickness:
0 - .060 = 1/128
.075 - .120 = 1/64
.120+ = .031 or sometime larger depending on if the corner is welded or not.
These gaps may need to be increased depending on your method of cutting the parts and the accuracy of your machines and what kind of tolerance they can hold. Press Brake Tooling can also demand a bigger gap if you do not have a wide variety of Bottom Dies to match perfectly with all of the material thicknesses you work with.
For an Inside-Inside corner:
Outside-Inside Corner:
Hem:
The Hemmed part also shows a bend in the middle of an edge. I typically set these bends off the edge the same gap distance as the corners based on the thickness of the material. This keeps the edge from bottoming in the Bottom Die:
You can see the small gap (highlighted light blue lines) between the face of the tool and the edge.
This allows for you to move the bend line up to the gap distance making that flange longer if you need to rob material to make the tolerancing work out. This gap also allows for issues with dross and cutter comp issues. Material Thickness can come into play at times too.
Keep in mind we play in a world of +/-.005 at times but we apply these techniques to all the products we build...The Press Brake and Welding Department lives get a lot easier when not having to fight issues that come with zero gaps.
Keep up the great work guys!!!
Based on what you shared I need to start thinking a little more seriously about a real part vs a dummy one that’s only real value is to learn how to use Fusion. I’ve never really thought about diffent ways to make a corner. I’ve always just made them cave man style (which you called inside-inside). Knowing there’s other options, and that they should be accounted for within the part design makes total sense.
This will help you galvanize where I am in my sheet metal fab journey - It would be SO cool to be able to make a hemmed corner in sheet metal but I’m not entirely sure when one would be used. Maybe making metal drawers? Or maybe a metal cabinet door?…or a tool box? Ok, gotta get the brake and plasma table up and running. Gonna be hard to learn without practicing on real parts.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Was thinking about that as well. May do both because I want to use black stainless fasteners to attach them. I have these E-Z Lok inserts that work really well.
The plates are .125” thick so I’ll probably machine a pocket about .100” deep so they just barely sit proud. The less complicated I make the matching tho the more likely I’ll use plates on other drawers around the shop. Need to keep that in mind. Maybe surface mount is better.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
The biggest challenge for labeling drawers for me has always been deciding on a name that correctly clarifies what’s in the drawer. It’s easy for a drawer where all of the contents are on thing - e.g. drill bits or SAE wrenches. But in some of my deeper drawers I have a mixture of stuff which only had in common the need for a deeper drawer. Guess the label could be “big stuff”.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I thought about doing that. Really like the idea and may try one to see how I like it. I don’t think the printed threads would work for checking tho, any bur on a bolt and the plastic printed checker would be instantly destroyed. What I could do is use metal inserts that get set with a heat gun. It would work just not sure I’d like having a threaded piece hanging out of the drawer front. Need to think about it a little more.Very cool.
I had one thought and it's fleeting. What if you 3D printed the thread as a Stud and a nut. Perpendicular to the face. So you could use it to check the size?
moab11
Well-known member
I used a bunch of those EZ-LOK inserts on my desk build (all 1.5" butcher block birch from HD) and they really do work very well.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
here’s why I was planning to offset, and it’s actually my OCD that’s encouraging me to offset. All of the systainer bins that are in the same cabinet have offset labels…
Those label plates are sick!
Make a router template? That way you wouldn't have to disassemble the drawer...
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Could but the slides are greased so I’d get to wipe them down before re-installing them. May be the same amount of work. Disassembly is really fast and Inca leave the slides on. Slides only attach to the sides
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Edit: yeah I’m gonna have to make a template. Some of the drawers are glued. Ha
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
Fiddled with the tags a bit. Think the smaller size is the ticket.
It just looks more proportional on the front of the drawer and is still very easy to read.
And it works as well in the smaller drawers which I didn’t think about yesterday when trying out the bigger one for the first time. Good to go,. While working on some drawers, I let the printers do their thing.
And just like that, I have a set. Of course only UNC. Since I don’t have drawers nor bins made yet for UNF, I’m in no hurry anyway.
Then I got to thinking - maybe I should plan on making them for all the other drawers. Would be really cool…couldn’t resist, made some samples. Zoom in on the taps threads. It’s amazing.
I got all the images from McMaster. Resized them to fit the cards and then split them in half.
Maybe took all of a minute tops. Almost too easy.
It just looks more proportional on the front of the drawer and is still very easy to read.
And it works as well in the smaller drawers which I didn’t think about yesterday when trying out the bigger one for the first time. Good to go,. While working on some drawers, I let the printers do their thing.
And just like that, I have a set. Of course only UNC. Since I don’t have drawers nor bins made yet for UNF, I’m in no hurry anyway.
Then I got to thinking - maybe I should plan on making them for all the other drawers. Would be really cool…couldn’t resist, made some samples. Zoom in on the taps threads. It’s amazing.
I got all the images from McMaster. Resized them to fit the cards and then split them in half.
Maybe took all of a minute tops. Almost too easy.
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Labels and then the tool images are outstanding, now I understand the side mounting and it does make perfect sense.
moab11
Well-known member
That is really cool!
XJSuperman
Well-known member
Those look fantastic!
Out of curiosity, why add the extra two screw holes when you shrunk down the plaque?
Out of curiosity, why add the extra two screw holes when you shrunk down the plaque?
slodat
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Pat - you are slowly writing the guidebook in these threads! I know you have one for your customers
I really appreciate all your help, encouragement, info, tips, tricks, advice, all of it! I was, and am, really surprised at how satisfying sheet metal is. It continues to kick our *** and bring smiles daily!This post details a few things I have been gradually approaching. Thank you for spelling it out!
Matt - have you tried ironing on your drawer labels? I really like the finish ironing leaves.
Bessy
Well-known member
Do you find the labels clear even on your lowest drawers? I ended up labelling the drawers of my tool box with labels "up" instead of out. If it's an issue at all, I suppose you could always print a bracket behind them to angle them upwards a bit (or maybe I'm over complicating things lol)
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
On the larger cards I was getting slight bowing of the labels so I figured adding a few more screws to make sure they lay flat was an easy fix. That said, the smaller cards are ending perfectly flat and likely don’t need the added screws. Go figure.
New to me. Just watched a video about ironing and I’ll start using it maybe for all of my stuff. I don’t care about increased print times and would like the surfaces to be cleaner. As you can easily see in these cards, the lines are fairly obvious. At 3’ tho, which is about as close as I’d ever get, they’re really not that noticeable. But I’ll using ironing anyway.
Haven’t tried them yet but I see what you’re saying. I could make them angled by printing them face into the hot bed. May try a few. Good idea.
Last edited:
cccoltsicehockey
Well-known member
moab11
Well-known member
Keep in mind that ironing is a very slow process
cccoltsicehockey
Well-known member
Yeah, the video I watched had a 2hr print turn into an almost 3hr print by adding it.
OP
lilscorpion
Well-known member
I plan on doing a few this weekend just to see hit it goes (and how long). Armed with that info I’ll decide if having cards on every drawer makes sense or not or if they’ll be limited to the hardware drawers.
Full transparency - I woke up this morning kinda feeling like cards on every drawer is semi-cheesy. More so printing mini toy like tools on them than the cards themselves. Still noodling