The Aerodrome Studio - Machine_Punk

[machine_punk]

The problem is with building my own brake is that I don't have a welder. I think hers would be called a metal bending brake. I have been taught TIG welding, but I don't have welding equipment of any sort (yet) in my garage. An oxygen/acetylene setup is on my short list of tools to buy relatively soon--and I have been scouring CL for a good deal. Fairly soon after that, I'll be looking for a small TIG/stick inverter. Then, eventually a decent MIG. All of that will be a little more expensive for me, since I work in aluminum...which requires an AC welding unit, not a the more-common DC units. It takes a great deal more energy to weld aluminum than steel.

The bigger Baileigh unit I am looking at is for doing something similar to Girl in a Garage...building my own tool drawers. For now, the smaller (but thicker) stuff would work well with a 'press brake,' which is the device you put in the shop press to bend metal on a specific line. A 20-ton shop press is on my short list too. I already have the 20-ton air-over-hydraulic jack for it, I just need an empty frame.

I've got a couple of ideas for bending metal 'on the cheap.' I've seen a couple of inexpensive bending rigs on the aircraft homebuilders' sites. It seems like the important part of the bend (after 3 hours of figuring it out the hard way) is that you need to be able to clamp the piece close to both sides of the bend, so you force it to deform ONLY where you want it to. That seems to be the trick.

If nothing else, I've seen a couple of units at Grizzly, which would fill my immediate needs, in the $150-$250 range...that doesn't require too much saving to get for me.

As frustrating as today was, there is nothing like learning the 'hard way,' to drive a lesson home. Trying to do something without the correct tools shows you why the correct tools work so well (and what you need to look for in the correct tool)

Thanks for taking the time to post!

M_P

 

[EdT]

6061-T6 is poor choice of material for what you are trying to do. It does not bend well and tends to crack at the bend line especially if you don't anneal it where you are trying to make the bend. 3003 or 1100 would be a better choice. There may be even better ones, but those come to mind. If you're stuck on the 6061, you can anneal it fairly easily by (this is easier with a oxy acetylene rig) sooting up the area you want to anneal with a raw acetylene flame then heating it up until all the soot is burned off and just let it cool. It will then be much softer and easier to bend. I have also had good luck by marking up the area with a black sharpie and heating with a torch. It's going to be a b&^%ch with a propane torch, but you might be able to get enough heat into it. Do you have a gas cooktop??

 

[machine_punk]

I do have a gas cook top (the favorite of chefs!). Where I learned what little metal shaping I know, they spent a morning on aluminum and they used the 'weed burner' propane torch to anneal aluminum sheet.

Their trick was to heat the aluminum until a splint of wood leaves a black mark. I've heard about the soot trick before (but I don't have O/A) (YET). I've also seen the temperature crayons on the Tin Man Tech site. Mark on the metal with the crayon, heat it up, and when it reaches the correct temperature, it changes color or something.

I have some much-softer aluminum 1/8" plate I am going to work with. It is labeled 'All Clad.' It doesn't seem clear which alloy it is, but it looks like it may be 7075.

The 6061 definitely cracked at the bend. I've seen lists of what the different alloys are good for (if I remember correctly, 6061 was created to have good machining properties, not bending). I could redesign the spars to get rid of the bending (or at least just bending a couple of little pieces of aluminum to use as corner pieces).

I'm not too worried about learning things The Hard Way here. It was pretty much my goal in building my shop fixtures and storage first...learn what I need to learn, before building my aircraft-inspired furniture. This is the first time I've ever tried this technique, fully on my own. I'm OK with initial failure, as long as I get it eventually. I remember what my first few solid rivet examples were like, in April of last year. They were pretty rough. But, in just a few months, I've reached the point I can pretty consistently put a good-looking rivet in (or drill it out and put another one in, if I mess that one up). This was my first major step away from aluminum fabricating (which I am feeling pretty comfortable with now), towards aluminum shaping.

Thanks for taking the time to share your ideas!

M_P

 

[gc427]

7075 is not a soft aluminum IIRC.

BTW I really like the looks of your solid rivet work.

 

[ckadams00]

Subscribed! Great ideas and discussion.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Interesting approach. Good luck with it!

 

[gorilla]

5052 aluminum is a good alloy for home shop use. It forms easily and isn't gummy like 1100 and 3003. It welds well also.

 

[machine_punk]

Whew...been busy at work lately...barely any time on GJ, much less time 'me' time out in the studio.

I do have some exciting news, though. I am getting the Baileigh SBR 5216 (a combination sheet metal shear, brake, and roll, with a 52=inch capacity in 16=gauge cold-rolled steel (and a much larger capacity in aluminum). It was a damaged machine (damaged in shipping to someone else), but is now in good operating order, just not 'pretty' (the roller cover, made out of sheet metal, is super bent and there are some scratches in the paint).

I figured that isn't much of a problem, since the machine is built to make things like sheet metal roller covers and I eventually plan to repaint ALL of my machines into my studio colors (fudgescicle brown and pale yellow). Anyway, got a $2K machine for $1K. It'll be on its way in a couple of days, so I have to hurry up and clear out a spot for it and build a bench for it (and get the stuff I need to lift a 1200-pound machine into place)

7075 is not a soft aluminum IIRC.

BTW I really like the looks of your solid rivet work.

Thanks! I work with aluminum and solid rivets because it pleases me (I have been trained to weld a shaped steel panel well enough that you can make a bunch of small panels look like one big panel, but I PREFER the look of riveted panels.

Subscribed! Great ideas and discussion.

Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to post here.

Interesting approach. Good luck with it!

I appreciate the positive words.

5052 aluminum is a good alloy for home shop use. It forms easily and isn't gummy like 1100 and 3003. It welds well also.

Great information, thanks for sharing.

M_P

 

[Kevin54]

Thanks. Is there some way to scribe a line on aluminum which is easy to remove later? Most of the sources I've seen recommend Sharpie on aluminum and marking fluid/scribing on steel. In general, it seems like the HF stamp sets have the letter pretty much in the same place, relative to the edge of the stamps, but there is too much space between some letters for the words to look right (called 'kerning' in word processing).
M_P

Just use a #2 pencil to draw a straight line. It easily wipes off.

Also after you "satin brush" your aluminum, give it a wipedown with some WD40. this removes all fingerprints and keeps it from tarnishing.

I ran across these pics the other day and immediately thought of you so I thought I'd post them. The window iris ir pretty cool I think. And with all of the aluminum that you work with, a clock like that would fit right in.

 

[shopnut]

Just use a #2 pencil to draw a straight line. It easily wipes off.

+1 on the pencil - works perfectly. You can even "erase" it with your bare finger if you draw it in the wrong place.

In regards to your letter stamps - use a "fence" to align the letters vertically. Then all you have to do is concentrate on the horizontal spacing. For your fence, clamp on some type of straight edge directly below where you want the lettering and use it to press your stamps against. A scrap of 1/8" or 3/16" thick material should work nicely, but this depends on your stamp set. Those stamps usually have a taper to them so you don't want the fence to be too tall.

For horizontal spacing, just use some pencil tick marks to set a spacing. Of course, you will have to compensate for the narrow letters like the "I" and wide ones like the "W", but you will get pretty good at it after a few words.

 

[SWA Guy]

I love this thread! I'm really anxious to see more updates, but I know how life sometimes gets in the way of shop time.

I found a bookmark that I hadn't looked at in a while, but when I saw it today I immediately thought of you. The web site is in Danish, but I think you (like me) will enjoy looking at the photos.

Check it out:

http://www.aero-1946.de/index.html

Guy in Sacramento

 

[Wingnut65]

I found a bookmark that I hadn't looked at in a while, but when I saw it today I immediately thought of you. The web site is in Danish, but I think you (like me) will enjoy looking at the photos.

Check it out:

http://www.aero-1946.de/index.html

Guy in Sacramento

You are right Guy, this sure looks like M_P's work. Or maybe they are ideas for his next project. Thanks for posting.

And the 'Translate' button on my Google toolbar works fine to un-Danish it.

 

[machine_punk]

Thanks for checking in, guys!

There are exciting things afoot at The Aerodrome Studio. I got a little money to spend on upgrades to the shop, so here is what is up...

- There is a HUGE piece of equipment on the way to me from Baileigh Industrial in Wisconsin...
http://www.baileighindustrial.com/shears/sbr-5216.php
View media item 16966
That is going to make a humongous difference in the sort of projects I can tackle (i.e. things I know how to do, but take a LONG time to do with just hand tools).

I've been SUPER busy with life (extra hours at work, getting our rental house ready for the next renter, teaching cooking classes each week, making sure I spend quality time with the family, etc.), and taking every spare moment getting everything together for the new piece of equipment (clearing out enough room in the shop, planning a bench for the machine, thinking about how to get the 1200-pound machine from the freight depot to the garage and onto the bench).

- As part of reorganizing the shop for the new combo machine, I got a new shelving unit, to replace the ancient, cheap, failing shelving unit which came with the house. I have the main shelf at the height of my bench, so I can easily swap bench power tools back and forth easily. The area above the bench tools is tall enough to let me put my drill press on that shelf. I may have to come up with another plan, since that is clearly the tallest tool and I would be able to put another shelf in, if I just stored the drill press somewhere else, when I need it out of the way. In the long run, all these bench tools are going to get their own aircraft-inspired long bench, so they are ready all the time. This shelving unit also gives me a lot more storage room for my smaller power tools...
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- That clears most of the machines off the main bench, giving me a bit more room to work (well, once I get the rest of the crud off there)...
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PROJECTS:

WINGNUT 65 & SWA GUY: I've known about that Aero company for a while (how can you not, if you are on GJ)...they do beautiful work! I plan to make very similar items, but what I did NOT want to do was make exact copies of what they are doing--I wanted to find my own niche. My goal from the very beginning has been to make aircraft-like furniture in my studio...once I get the studio completed. Eventually, I plan to build a massive cabinet like the small Aero cabinet...it will store power tools and have tool drawers and parts bins inside and be about 8 feet long, by 2.5 feet deep, by 6 feet tall. My first aircraft-inspired project, however, will be:

- I have drawn the plans and started the prototype for a stationary base for the popular Milwaukee deep-cut band saw. I recently purchased one and immediately built a quick-and-dirty table top for the unit. I am going to build legs for this table top which look just like aircraft wings (imagine chopping the center section out of a wing and turning it up on end...that is what they will look like). The new Baileigh Combo machine is part of this effort...I really need a metal brake for some of the work I plan to do.

Here is the saw, as it sits now. That is a prototype 1/4" aluminum table mounted on it (very rough...just a test piece). I got the Harbor Freight foot pedals to use with the saw, when it is on the stationary table (one is momentary, the other is latching--I have yet to determine which one I will use most of the time, but likely the latching)...
View media item 16153
- After I get the band saw mounted on it's table, I can proceed with another back-burner project, finishing the intersecting-parabola mounting brackets for the two Pelton & Crane dental lights I bought for the shop...then mounting those brackets and lights at the top of the Reconfigurable Tool Rack...
View media item 13071View media item 12624
- I also plan to make an aluminum/rivet first aid box and Personal Protective Equipment box to mount on the RTR...

- I bought some more PPE for the studio. I feel naked in the studio, without ear plugs and some sort of eye protection. I've been wanting to try the Sperian face shield for a while, so I ordered one. I also got the DeWalt protective goggles, which give a little more 'side' protection than the standard, clear, plastic protective glasses. I went ahead and got a hard hat too. My metal supplier requires that I wear a hard hat, while back in the metal storage warehouse, and the 'loaner' helmet is nasty. So, I went ahead and bought my own hard hat, in an Aerodrome color (either yellow or brown)...
View media item 17634
There you have it...a quick update of all things Aerodrome. I'll be running to the lumber yard in a few minutes to get the lumber for the workbench I am building for the combo machine. For now, the bench is in wood. After I build an aircraft-inspired bench for the combo machine, this bench will become a general workbench.

Some special features of the bench:
- It will have jacking points built into both ends, so I can use my 20-ton air-over-hydraulic jack to lift it a few inches and put car tire dollies (the v-shaped ones, from HF) under each leg, so I can move it around as needed, but have a secure bench most of the time).

- It is built to support the 1200-pound combo machine, which will make it a very secure bench when it becomes a general work bench.

- I am extending the bench about a foot on the right side, so I can mount my heavy vise on that end.

I hope to make a fair amount of progress on that today, since the machine should be here soon...
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M_P

 

[machine_punk]

I love this thread! I'm really anxious to see more updates, but I know how life sometimes gets in the way of shop time.

I found a bookmark that I hadn't looked at in a while, but when I saw it today I immediately thought of you. The web site is in Danish, but I think you (like me) will enjoy looking at the photos.

Check it out:

http://www.aero-1946.de/index.html

Guy in Sacramento

Thanks for pointing that out! See my response in the big post above...

You are right Guy, this sure looks like M_P's work. Or maybe they are ideas for his next project. Thanks for posting.

And the 'Translate' button on my Google toolbar works fine to un-Danish it.

They have given me a lot to think about...I don't want to exactly copy their stuff, but that is exactly the sort of thing I hope to build in my studio...

In regards to your letter stamps - use a "fence" to align the letters vertically. Then all you have to do is concentrate on the horizontal spacing. For your fence, clamp on some type of straight edge directly below where you want the lettering and use it to press your stamps against. A scrap of 1/8" or 3/16" thick material should work nicely, but this depends on your stamp set. Those stamps usually have a taper to them so you don't want the fence to be too tall.

+1 on this...I tried it here (hard to tell in the picture, but I clamped a piece of angle aluminum to a flat aluminum piece, then just had to figure out the horizontal spacing) and it worked well...
View media item 15800

Just use a #2 pencil to draw a straight line. It easily wipes off.

Also after you "satin brush" your aluminum, give it a wipedown with some WD40. this removes all fingerprints and keeps it from tarnishing.

I ran across these pics the other day and immediately thought of you so I thought I'd post them. The window iris ir pretty cool I think. And with all of the aluminum that you work with, a clock like that would fit right in.

That window iris IS cool...I've seen that in a few places and you have inspired me to try and build one myself.

I use isopropyl alcohol for rubbing down the aluminum after I am done, to get all the fine aluminum powder off and erase the sharpie marks (since I use a super-fine sharpie for marking the aluminum). I keep it in the HF squeezie bottle, which makes it very easy to dispense...
View media item 13986
WHEW! It's been a busy month for me. Thanks for checking in at The Aerodrome Studio...

M_P

 

[Red Leader]

Love it. Keep posting updates!

Every time I read about what you are doing out there it makes me more and more excited to see what you are going to build with aluminum and brass rivets.


Don't keep me waiting too long!

J/K, looking great out there.

 

[machine_punk]

I'm actually hoping to make 'visible' progress in the next couple of days. I have a massive workbench just about ready for assembly, to hold the Baileigh Shear/Brake/Roll which is on it's way. There are a couple of cool innovations in the bench...which you'll see in a couple of days, with plenty of pics.

 

[critter]

I got as far as page 8 tonight....will read the rest tomorrow. Very well written with illustrations and has kept me interested for the last hour or two. Have to get some zzzz but just wanted to suggest that as a support for your heavy cp riveter you could use a seatbelt retract reel. Allow the weight of the tool to engage the spool......cheap from a wrecked car. Fit a brass hasp or fitting to attach to the tool and it would fit right in.

 

[critter]

Overhead catenary wire and it could be positioned anywhere in your work space...?

 

[machine_punk]

CRITTER: Thanks for taking the time to read my thread! And thanks for the kind words.

Thanks for the input on riveter. I think that in the long run that riveter is going to end up permanently bench mounted, like this...
View media item 14024
I'll have the c-yoke cut from sheet steel and have a machinist drill it for my squeezer. I'm shooting for about a 12-inch depth on that throat.

Anyway...thanks for taking the time to post on this thread.

M_P

 

[Red Leader]

Thanks for the input on riveter. I think that in the long run that riveter is going to end up permanently bench mounted, like this...
View media item 14024
I'll have the c-yoke cut from sheet steel and have a machinist drill it for my squeezer. I'm shooting for about a 12-inch depth on that throat.

M_P

That looks fun

 

[machine_punk]

!

OK! Time for some updates. I know it's been a while...funny how life gets in the way. I have been making some progress in The Aerodrome Studio...just not enough to take pictures. Lotsa behind-the-scenes planning and designing...just not a lot to actually show all of you.

A big part of the reason behind the planning is that I have a new machine on the way, the Baileigh 5016 combination brake, shear & roll...
View media item 16966
Of course, I need a bench for that bad boy...not your ordinary bench, this machine weighs 1200 pounds. I've got another small bench, which I built a LONG time ago, which has double 2x6's as legs on each corner.

There were some basic design requirements:
- Must support the 1200-pound machine

- Must fit the dimensions of the machine, but also be sized to use as an assembly table later. (Because I will eventually build an aluminum sheet/solid rivet base specifically for this machine).

- Since I don't have a welder, I need to make it out of wood for now.

- I need to build it quickly--the machine should be on its way by now.

- Would like it to have wheels, or at least move easily, if possible.

WHEW...that's a big list. Here is the original drawing I made, but it has gone through a couple of design changes in the month-or-so since that drawing...
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Here are the pics from this afternoon. These are the legs for the bench, approximately as far apart as they will be when the bench is complete. Their will be two 2x8 boards to help support the double 3/4" plywood top. The top will be six feet long and 28" wide. I prefer that my benches fit through a normal man door...so I stick to just under 30" for the widths...
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Here, you can see the detail of how the top of the legs come together. The place I buy my hardware doesn't stock 5/16ths bolts longer than 6 inches. So, for the top of the legs, with 4 layers of 'two by,' I decided to use threaded rod with a washer and nut on both sides. I prefer the strength of of 'bolt-through' construction, over lag screws. You see the open area, where the spacer does not come all the way up. That is specifically designed to allow me drill holes and mount a vise on any leg, down the road, when the bench becomes a general assembly/work table. I intentionally went long on the table now, so I can mount my new (to me) Wilton vise on the right-hand corner. The 2x8 cross piece at the top is to give more support to the double 3/4" plywood top and gives diagonal strength front-to-back. I had to make detailed drawings of the leg joints, to make sure I didn't run through bolts, which go both left-to-right and front-to-back in this joint, from running into each other...
View media item 18482
The bottom 2x8 cross piece gives more diagonal strength front-to-back and serves another purpose. It is positioned at just the right height to fit my 20-ton, air-over-hydraulic jack...
View media item 18483
Why? You ask. I struggled to find a way to put wheels on this bench. Casters with this weight limit are prohibitively expensive. Then there is the stability issue. I think I answerd those problems, but it got too complicated and expensive. So, I built the lower leg cross pieces exactly the right height for my jack, so that I can lift each end of the bench up and slip a pair of wheel dollies under each end...giving me a bench I can roll and reposition easily around the studio. I got the 1500-pound car wheel dollies at HF. The bottoms of the legs will eventually have little angled cuts to help them fit in the dollies...
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-1500-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-67338.html

Now, you may be asking, how is he going to get a 1200-pound, 50-inch long machine onto this bench? That was a little more engineering on my part. I came up with a LOT of ideas, including simply hiring a tow truck to come and lift it for me. I like to be a little more self sufficient than that. I'm planning to install a gantry system in my studio, to move projects and materials around, using strut and the special trolly's for strut. That won't solve this problem though, because that system will only lift 600 pounds...only half of what I need.

Hmmm...when you are dealing with heavy weights, think 'how do they do this in automotive shops?' (which is how I came up with the wheel dollies for moving the bench). When they need to lift heavy things in an automotive shop, they use an engine hoist. There are some limitations on the engine hoist, but it will EASILY handle this kind of weight. HF offers two hoists...a one-ton and two-ton hoist. There isn't much of a price difference, so shoot for the bigger one!

I watched CL and found my 2-ton hoist used for $130--just about $100 less than I would pay, with taxes, for new. Now, the problem is that the machine is VERY wide (handles 50-inch material). I did end up buying a load balancer, but that is only about 24-inches wide...still isn't wide enough for me to feel comfortable. Another problem is that the load balancer hangs from a chain, which reduces the height I can lift this big machine (it is fairly tall and has to sit on top of a 36-inch-tall bench). Hmmm...I need spreader bar.

Unfortunately, the spreader bars I've seen are in the $600-$1000 range...just not feasible for something I will never use to make money with. Maybe I can make something which will work!

Off to the engineering tables to figure out what material I need to use to lift up to one ton, spread out on both ends of the 48" tube. So, I found the Hollow Steel tube tables online and found that the 2"x4" hollow rectangular tube, 1/4" thick, would give me at least a 50% safety margin in my weights (my requirement)...on top of the fact that the tables already build in a safety factor of using only 60% of the 'moment.' (looks at how much the beam deflects with the listed weight--that's all I understand of 'moment' in the engineering sense). So, look up the weight limits for a 'point load' with a simple fulcrum on both ends of the beam (essentially what I am doing in reverse...lifting with a single point and supporting the load at the end of the beams).

-- ENGINEERING VOCABULARY: KIPS (thousands of pounds). The figure you will find in engineering tables, when you are trying to find the correct weight of hollow tube to support the weight you need to support. 8.3 KIPS is 8,300 pounds. --

So, I trundle down to my local metal supplier, buy a ten-foot stick of 2"x4"x1/4" rectangular steel tube (right at $100), cut it up according to my plan, and have a friend of mine stick weld it together. here is what I ended up with. A spreader bar, which will support one ton at the end of the bar, which attaches DIRECTLY to the hoist arm, and holds lifting straps to pick up very wide machines and put them up on benches...
View media item 18484
Here, you see that my new spreader bar is built to bolt right to the end of the the hoist lifting tube, which normally has a chain attached.
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Here, you see the back view of the hoist tube, bolted up to the new spreader bar...
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There you have it...you are all caught up on The Aerodrome Studio! Now, I just need to bolt in the 2x8 cross pieces of the bench and install the double 3/4" top for the bench. Major grins at The Aerodrome Studio right now.

M_P

 

[machine_punk]

I've had a request for resources for solid rivets. I think I have posted that, over several places in my thread, but I thought I'd consolidate it all into one place.

Here you go...

I have this book (on the Kindle) and I like it...
- Standard Aircraft Handbook for Mechanics and Technicians, Larry Reithmaier

I keep both of these PDF's on my hard drive (and Kindle), so I can reference how the 'real airframe folks' do it...
- FAA AC 43.13, Chapter 4 (repairs on metal-skinned aircraft)
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulator...99C827DB9BAAC81B86256B4500596C4E?OpenDocument

- Military Handbook 5H
http://snap.lbl.gov/pub/bscw.cgi/d87465/MIL-HDBK-5H Design with Metals.pdf

While I don't have either of these books, they are recommended by someone I trust (Tin Man Tech)...
- Aircraft Sheet Metal, Nick Bonacci, 1988

- How to Do Aircraft Sheet Metal Work, Norcross and Quinn, 1942 edition (A Lindsey Reprint)

both available at: http://www.tinmantech.com/html/books.php

Also, there are dozens of folks out there who have documented, rather extensively, their experiences building kit airplanes. This is, really, where I got a LOT of my 'how to,' and 'what it should look like.' Other than that, I just ordered a few supplies, got some basic tools, and went out in the garage and figured it out the hard way.

For rivets, I use:
- Aircraft Spruce

For tools, I use:
- Brown Aviation Tools (not always the cheapest, but has "US made" options for many tools)

M_P

 

[A_Pmech]

Your bench looks good, we had similarly built benches for a couple leaf brakes at the last shop I worked in and they were more than up to the job.

I like the spreader bar. Nifty!

 

[shopnut]

+1 on what A_P said - The spreader bar will make the lifting job much easier. Good plan. With good secure fastening of the bench, it will come in handy in the future for moving the tool AND the bench around the shop.

If you haven't thought about it already, you might also consider some means of keeping the lift straps from sliding in towards the center as well - you DON'T want that machine getting away from you when the CG shifts off center unexpectedly. I'm assuming that hoist tube came out of a portable engine hoist - if so, try to minimize any side swing while lifting and moving the machine around. The way you are rigidly mounting the spreader bar to the hoist tube can potentially put a pretty high axial twist on the tube and they were never designed for that kind of loading. Slightly oversized holes may help relieve it some. Again, these are probably things you have considered, but if I didn't mention them and you had trouble, I would feel terrible.

This reminds me of the way I approach the big jobs - a bit overkill just to make sure things go without a hitch.

BTW, that Baileigh didn't get lost in the mail, did it? I had one unexpectedly show up at my shop the other day You are going to love it - I've only used it a few times but it works beautifully! (j/k )

Have fun!

 

[machine_punk]

A_PMECH: Thanks for the kind words. Your input means a lot to me, when I am posting about engineering topics. I'm looking forward to seeing how you drill and tap all those holes in your new welding table.

SHOPNUT: Thanks! Always happy to see you stop by my thread.

I have a different plan for moving the bench, once the machine is in place...I set the leg brace height to fit my 20-ton, air-over-hydraulic jack. I am going to lift one end of the bench at a time and put automotive wheel dollies (like you use to move a project car around the garage) under the legs...then I can roll the whole bench around, no matter how loaded it is.
View media item 18483
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-1500-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-67338.html

Thanks for the heads-up on things to watch for with the hoist. I have a used HF 2-ton hoist. After building the spreader bar, it is clear that the limiting factor in this situation is the hoist. I may end up drilling a couple 1/4" holes down the centerline of the spreader bar, to insert bolts and keep the straps from shifting. I could also run a chain through the center of the bar and use hooks the keep the straps near the ends. Hmmm...I'll have to think on that one.

No. The Baileigh did not get lost in the mail. I knew from the beginning that it was a damaged unit (dropped during shipping), but that most of the damage was cosmetic (which doesn't bother me...I'm going to repaint it anyway and the bent roller cover is exactly the sort of thing this machine is built to fabricate). Being the fabulous company they are, Baileigh checked it out for function before shipping it...and one of the main gears cracked during the test. So, they had to order a new part--probably from China. In the end, they are going to make it right and that is great. Oddly enough, I'm not quite ready for it anyway...still building the bench and clearing some space--odd how life gets in the way of your hobbies sometimes.

Thanks for taking the time to post!

 

[shopnut]

Sorry M_P, the first paragraph was just my subtle way of suggesting another way to move the brake and bench around later as a set. Since you are devising a way to lift and move the heavy brake around with that nice spreader bar, straps, and hoist, it seems that lifting it with a little bit of wood hanging below it shouldn't be much different and not require a bunch of extra effort and stuff.

Glad to hear Baileigh did you right and fixed it up for you.

 

[machine_punk]

Interesting thought...I'm not sure if there will be room to pass straps under the machine, while it is bolted down. I'll have to see. Maybe I'll try both ways and see which works better. (no need to be sorry...I always appreciate your input on what I am doing). The bench is certainly an insignificant amount of weight in the whole equation.

I thought more about the axial load thing too. I believe I see what you are saying. I think the load will be relatively even (from end to end on the spreader bar), but it would be possible for an unbalanced load, if the straps move. I generally plan to put the bench right in front of the machine, lift the machine, scoot the bench under it, then put the machine down again. We use similar equipment moving patients (called a Hoyer lift...like a mini engine hoist) and we NEVER move the patient with the lift...there should always be 'something padded' under the patient.

Thanks for posting! I'm glad to see you 'knee deep' in projects at the Asylum again.

 

[machine_punk]

Behemoth Bench Complete

I had some more time to work on the bench for the Baileigh combination brake/shear/roll which is on the way to The Aerodrome Studio.

The double-2x6-with-spacers design of bench's legs gave me a place to mount a vice. I originally designed the bench just the right length for the combination machine. After a little though, I decided to add about one-and-a-half feet to the length of the bench and mount my vice on the right corner. I got a Wilton vise a few months ago and just have not mounted it on my other bench yet. by mounting this vise on the new bench, I leave my smaller benchtop free for projects.

Here is a shot of the space under the bench, where the vise bolts go. There is a space for the vise mounting hardware already designed into each leg. On this corner, I extended the slot all the way through the back of the leg, using my circular saw kinda like a router. This give good access for the big wrench (7/8") needed for the nuts on the 1/2" bolts. I chose socket head cap screws as the mounting bolts for the vise because, well, they are the coolest bolt available...
View media item 18633
Viola! The bench is complete and the vise is mounted. I bought #1 pine for the bench (#1 pine is kiln dried, #2 pine is still green). It wasn't much more expensive, especially for this quantity of wood. The top is 28"x72" (I build my benches narrow enough to get through the average man door). I need about 60" for the combination machine, then a bit on the end for a vice. I built it 36" tall, since my 34" bench is too short for me (hurts my back to work there). I originally planned to install two 2"x8" diagonal braces on the back legs of the bench...but I cut that down to one, then none, as I built the bench. I just don't think it is going to need it. Maybe after the machine is installed on the bench, I'll go back and install a brace of some sort...
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Here you see a fair number of the design details in this bench. I was originally going to run the main stringers (joists? supports?) on the OUTSIDE of the legs (the legs would have been narrower). I decided to run them on the inside of the legs for several reasons:

- It reduces the need for more bracing under the bench. (the joists essentially split the top in thirds and equally supports the double-3/4" top.) It also gets the rear stringer very close to where the back of the machine is going to sit/be bolted.

- It significantly increases the 'clamping' area of the bench. My previous bench has just about 2" all the way around for clamping stuff to the top. This bench has 4" on each end and about 7" in the front and the back (except for where the legs are) for clamping.

- It allows me to move the legs closer to the front and back of the bench (while keeping plenty of clamping depth), to improve the center of gravity, especially with the super-heavy machine on it.

- It puts the legs in a better place for vice mounting.

View media item 18635
Here is a picture of the leg braces. I built the horizontal brace to fit my 20-ton, air-over-hydraulic jack, which lifts the bench up, so I can slide two pairs of wheel dollies under the legs (even with 1200 pounds of machine on the bench). That will allow me to reposition the bench as needed. Of course, SHOPNUT came up with an intriguing alternative--just lift the whole machine and bench at the same time, with the spreader bar I designed to pick the machine up...
View media item 18636
There you go.

M_P

 

[Wingnut65]

Nice work on the bench M_P. It's nice that not only can you spell 'wood', you are pretty talented with creating with it also.

Nice thought on adding the vice, but it brings up another thought... At a 6' long bench, the feet location on the Baileigh would be directly over the vertical bench legs, transferring the loads straight down to the dollies and the ground. Now that the bench is longer, keep an eye on where the feet will be directing the loads. If it is in the middle of the plywood top, it may want to have some additional reinforcing beams to spread the loads to the legs. Just a thought...

Looking forward to seeing the new addition in it's new home!

 

[machine_punk]

Thanks. As much woodworking as I have done in the past, I was thinking, "Man, I'd rather be working in metal right now" most of the time while building this bench. I'm looking forward to getting the machine in place and getting back to creating with aluminum sheet and solid rivets.

I'll keep the support issues in mind. This is a whole new class of equipment to me...something I cannot fairly easily pick up with a couple of people. That much weight has me a little on the paranoid side. The machine will be as far left as possible (bolted at 1.5" from the left edge of the benchtop), so that side will be pretty much right over the bench legs. I have got a couple of thoughts on further bracing, if needed. I'll be working very slowly and carefully the day I install this machine.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and post! I'll have to go and see what's happening in your thread.

M_P

 

[EdT]

I can't discern all of the structural details of the bench so this may be nonsense. There is not a lot resisting the whole bench "lozenging" right-to-left or left-to-right. Especially so since you plan to jack up one end at a time to put it on the rollers. I would be concerned that if the legs are loaded other than dead vertical that they will fold. 1000# is a lot. If it was my bench, I'd put some diagonal braces to stiffen up the joint between the top and the legs. I don't think they need to be as dramatic as those in the original sketch; perhaps something from the lower spreader on the legs up to the top. Just my opinion which isn't worth more than you paid for it.

 

[machine_punk]

Thanks for the thoughts. I generally agree with you. I think I'm going to use the remainder of one of the sheets of plywood across the back legs, lagged into place. I think it is the cheapest (I already have the wood), lightest, and most effective way to solve the problem.

(It is amazingly sturdy now...but I've never really dealt with 1200 pounds of equipment in my shop before).

As always, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Hoping to see some riveted stuff out of your shop soon.

M_P

 

[BadBrains]

Good stuff!

M_P, some more reading material if you so choose is the Navy manuals for Structure Mechanics.

Here's one: Aviation Structural Mechanic (H & S) 3 & 2
I know there's a section in there that helps identify different fasteners/rivets by the markings on the head.
I'll dig some more up later. (I was an AMS in the Navy)

Oh, and your kids should be glad they get to use power tools. We had to learn with "hurdy-gurdies"!

 

[machine_punk]

Thanks for the kind words and the new rivet reference guide...I'll add that to my 'rivet reference list' I spent time in the Army National Guard (combat medic for mechanized infantry) and the Air Force (registered nurse). My wife spent some time in the Navy (between the two of us, we've been in most of the services.

It's sorta hard to convince the boys that "they should be glad." I guess that is true with most teens. Anyway, I want to at least expose them to tools and working with their hands, so they can make choices later in life.

I had hoped to have more to post this week, but I ended up actually serving on a jury for most of this week.

Thanks for stopping by and posting.

M_P

 

[BadBrains]

In school we built a box which was supposed to be a section of a wing. When the instructor passed us (no crescent moons on the heads, correct countersinking, etc) he then made a hole in it with what looked like a small pick axe if I remember correctly. Had to learn how to make a flush patch.

Imagine the horror on the kids faces if you did that to them haha.

 

[machine_punk]

That's FUNNY!

 

[machine_punk]

Baileigh Industrial assures me that the repair parts for my new combination shear/brake/roll are their (at the distributor) and will be installed VERY soon. Which, of course, means that it will actually be on the way to me shortly.

I had a hiccup in my progress in The Aerodrome Studio...I spent a good week on jury duty and I've been catching up at work and home since then. While I have been waiting for the new machine, I've been keeping busy on other fronts.

I generally draft my projects by hand, on paper, with pencil. There are, however, some inherent problems with that approach. I generally spend a couple of weeks mentally working through the requirements for a new project and sorting out the general direction I want to go in the engineering aspects. Then, I usually sketch the item and give it a couple of more weeks of thought. Once I am sure that the design meets all of my engineering requirements (and is a visually elegant solution), I generally draft (make a technical drawing) of the design. This isn't usually quite the 'full blown' blueprint, but what I call a shop drawing. It gives me the basic dimensions and any specific construction details I need to fabricate the item in the studio.

Let's take a recent example...the bench I designed and built to hold the new brake/shear/roll. Here is the drawing of the bench...
View media item 17642
Here is the final bench...
View media item 18634
Not quite exactly the same, since there was a major design change after I drew the project on paper. The final design change brought the project exactly in line with what I wanted from the beginning, but now I didn't have a working drawing for the shop and had to work through details over and over as I built the bench.

While I really do prefer to draft projects by hand and the discipline of hand drawing forces you to be a better engineer, I have used 2D CAD before (and yes, E-Tek, while I do use Cardboard Aided Design too, I actually mean a computer 2D CAD program this time). As I've switched through a couple of different computers, the CAD program I had did not follow to the new computer (IMSI TurboCAD). Since I needed to spend money on a new CAD program, there was no particular need to stick with the program I've already used. I did my research, on Garage Journal, for a new CAD program and found a good recommendation for Alibre, which is actually primarily a 3D modeling program which happens to prepare 2D drawings, once you have designed the object in 3D. (Thanks to DAVID-H for the recommendation!).

Alibre 3D is a pretty amazing program, but completely different than drawing in 2D. You draw an outline of one side of your part, then 'extrude' the rest of the part. It has taken hours of working through tutorials to wrap my brain around the new concepts. I needed a fairly easy project to use to figure out the 3D modeling program, so I picked the spreader bar I recently designed, fabricated, and had welded up...
View media item 18484
and recreated it in the Alibre 3D modeling program. It doesn't look like much, but it demonstrates pretty much all the basics of 3D modeling and it took me hours to complete, as my first modeling project (of course, this was backwards...I built the object, then modeled it)...
View media item 19404
That's all for this installment of As The Aerodrome Studio Turns...

M_P

 

[machine_punk]

More Alibre Design 3D

I've got a few projects going on right now...

1. Continuing to prepare for the Baileigh SBR 5216 Comination Machine, which should be on it's way, finally.

2. Working on better pictures of my projects and The Aerodrome Studio, in preparation for finally uploading information to TheAerodromeStudio.com.

I realized I was going to have to get a better camera...specifically one which allows me to change to a better lense (I really like FOURTY FOURS pictures in his thread and he seems to believe that 'better glass' is a way to get better pics). I had a photography course in college, so I know my way around the average 35mm film SLR. I definitely wanted digital, though.

I ended up with a Canon 10D SLR camera body (built in 2003, originally just under $1400, I got it on eBay for $140.) Which is in the 6 megapixel range (I really don't need any bigger...I am primarily shooting digital pictures for online use. 1 megapixel would really be just about enough).

I found a used lens a few days later (for those of you who follow photography, I ended up with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Mark I). I'll keep an eye out for a decent zoom lens, but for now, this lens will do the trick. It is known for extremely sharp pictures with exceptional color rendition. Sounds just right for studio product photography.

I also wanted to learn more about studio photography...and especially about what I would need to create The Aerodrome Studio's web site. This seems to be called 'product photography.' There are dozens of books out there on that subject, fueled by the desire to make better pictures for eBay.

The book I chose demonstrates professional camera techniques, using very basic items, instead of the expensive professional photography equipment. So, armed with a new camera and lense, I set about making my tabletop studio, with items such as a plastic shower liner, a shop light bulb holder, and some colored poster board.`

3. And continuing to learn to design in a 3D modeling environment. I've made some big leaps of learning, but I'm sure there is a long way to go. Thinking in 3D is natural to us, but designing in 3D requires that you learn the 'grammar' of 3D, before being able to function in a 3D design environment (just like learning a foreign language forces you to go back and learn more about the grammar of your native language).

I thought I'd try something a little more complex for a modeling project today. I modeled the pieces of my bench a few days ago. Today, I took all of those pieces and formed them into an assembly...which is an exercise in creating 'restraints' in a 3D modeling environment (specifically defining how all the parts relate to each other in an assembly).

So, here are a couple of renderings created from my assembly...intended to mimic the pictures I took of the bench a while ago...
View media item 18634
View media item 19605
View media item 18635
View media item 19606
Ooops...just realized I missed the spacers at the tops of the legs.

There are minor differences between the real pictures and the renderings...based on the problem of placing the virtual camera in exactly the same spot as the real camera. In the future, when I actually model in 3D BEFORE building, I will be able to take real camera shots which mimic the virtual camera shots in the perspective nearly perfectly.

I have modeled the nuts, bolts, washers, and threaded rod for this bench, but that is going to be a whole other practice session.

M_P

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Machine Punk, does Alibre 3D have the facility to allow you to 'marry' the digital image to the digital design and vice versa? The first would enable reverse engineering to a degree and the second would help produce a rendered image. I've seen Jay Leno's digital laser scanner and 3D printer in action, and I was wondering if the features I described above could be an intermediate digital step in the fabrication process that Jay achieves with his setup?

Have fun with your new (to you) camera gear; we here at GJ will now expect fabulous photos in your thread. lol

By the by, what book did you choose and what do you think of its' content?

 

[machine_punk]

Great questions, OMPHALOSKEPTIC...

3D MODELING:
I'm still learning the basics of Alibre Design, so I'm not sure about some of the advanced features. I don't think it has the ability to 'marry' a photo and a design (although it CAN demonstrate motion in a design. You can model an engine in 3D and watch all the parts move and check for clearances, etc.)

I wouldn't normally go back and 'model' something in 3D which I have already built. I just wanted to learn to model on designs with which I am already familiar.

The really cool thing about 3D modeling is that once you have it modeled, you have numerous options for creating 2D drawings from that model.

Alibre Design is also 'parametric,' which means that the dimensions you see are not just 'labels,' they are actual, changeable dimensions, which affect the shape of the object when they are changed (and can adjust other parameters in the object to fit the change).

PHOTOGRAPHY:
Here is the book I chose for learning more about product photography...
'eBay Photos That Sell: Taking Great Product Shots for eBay and Beyond'

There were two authors. Dan Gookin is a well-known 'how to' book writer. Robert Birnbach is a professional product photographer, with credits such as Pottery Barn, Target, Apple and Willams Sonoma.

I thought the book was fantastic and I would recommend it for anyone looking to improve their photos of 'Stuff' (pretty much everyone here on GJ is taking pictures of Stuff).

What I really liked about the book:

- Shows you techniques used by professional photographers, but gives you dime-store options for achieving similar results (Make your own fancy photography light with a workshop light fixture, clothespins, and an inexpensive plastic shower curtain liner. Make your own 'seamless' background with poster board, clothespins, and a box.)

- Explains a couple of different ways to present your item (OBJECTIVE: just the object, against a plain background, which appeals to collectors, who want as much detail as possible in the picture since they are experts on the item. SUBJECTIVE: place the item in a setting, where you would normally find it used.)

- Looks at very specific problems found frequently in eBay photos and shows you some techniques for dealing with those problems (with before and after photos and sketches and photos of the setup).

The one thing they don't recommend doing-on-the-cheap is the camera. They make it clear that you need something very similar to a digital SLR with removable lenses to come up with decent pictures. They recommend spending in the $300 range right now for a decent camera.

Read more about it at Amazon...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0782143814/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Attached are a couple of the first few pics I took, while practicing the mini-studio thing. Certainly not stunning yet, but just getting used to the equipment...
M_P