The Aerodrome Studio - Machine_Punk

[machine_punk]

Way back you mentioned Incra rules for layout. I got a couple for Christmas based on your recommendation.

In short, I love them. Wish I had them when I was laying out lines for a ton of mortise and tenon joints I had to cut. Now I'm going to sequester your tip for adding castors to my work bench. Thanks, and keep the good ideas coming!

First, WELCOME TO GJ! (at least to your first post, even if you've been lurking for a while). I am honored to have your first post on my thread. Now, of course, I am looking forward to a thread with pictures of your garage, tools and projects! Sounds like you are working on some cool stuff yourself, if you are making stuff with mortise and tenon joints.

I agree...the Incra Rules are huge time savers. I'm planning to add a few more to my collection. For sheet metal layout, I'm thinking about getting a large drafting board and drafting machine to put in the studio. It is even faster than the Incra rules for very thin material.

Looking forward to seeing how your casters look.

Kev

 

[Bogdan M.]

Those are COOL. I definitely like that Art Deco font. Thanks for taking the time to work something up!

It was my pleasure because I am a huge art deco fan.

 

[machine_punk]

Minecraft Cake

The boys are into Minecraft lately. The younger one just had his 14th birthday and he wanted a Minecraft cake. If you've ever played Minecraft, you should recognize the grass block and red mushrooms...

Took about 5 hours total...during a very busy work weekend. Turned out as good as I hoped, though. The pictures don't really do it justice. This is a triple-chocolate cake: chocolate cake with chocolate chips in the batter and the brown icing is chocolate icing.

That was an 'artistic outlet' couple of weeks for me...completing the Aero Guitar stand, completing a majority of the bathroom remodel, and making the Minecraft cake. It was all a lot of fun, but that was a tiring few weeks. Definitely looking forward to getting back into the studio to build.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Tools, Tools and More Tools

Work has really been tying up my time lately. I guess, more accurately, looking for a new job has ******* a lot of time and energy lately. I am still employed, just definitely feeling it is time to move on. Change takes energy.

I've been involved in a lot, outside the studio, so I haven't really been building lately. I have been planning, though. I finally have some solid direction for my Aero Tool Cart (think custom-built pit cart, done in aluminum and rivets).

I did, however, make some forward strides in tools lately.

Here, you see an assortment of new stuff.
- In the bottom, left corner: a new HF 90-degree grinder. This is the more-expensive one, about $25. I always get them with the 20% coupon. I've had good luck with these and I used them a LOT. I've reached the point, though, that I want to have several of them, like my 4.5" grinders, all set up with different tooling. This one got a brand new carbide burr. One is set up with a 2" 3M ROLOC adapter for surface-conditioning discs and sandpaper. I'll probably set the other up with a 3" ROLOC adapter. I'm sure I will get a couple more, with different carbide burrs.
- A tube of Beolube. A cutting lubricant.
- A pneumatic 90-degree aerospace drill. Instead of a chuck, it has a 1/4-28 internal thread. It fits special bits used in the aerospace industry, with 1/4-28 external threads. Here, you see 4 of them. These are #20 bits (for 5/32 rivets). They are long, short, stubby, and very stubby. You can see that the stubby bits allow you to get into VERY small spots with the head of this drill. You see a regular twist bit in the hole in the neck of the drill, which is necessary to lock the motion, so you can remove the drill bit.
- back to the bottom, you see the new cleco-style clamps I got. These use the standard cleco pliers you see above them, but function like mini-c-clamps...

The big, red, pneumatic squeezer is NOT new to me, but I got some more dies for it.
- Most you will laugh at the size of my dimple dies. They are in drill size #10, #20, #30 & #40. You also see a small stack of washers, which are used as spacers with the dies to get the proper depth-of-stroke on the pneumatic squeezer.
- 6- and 12-inch drill bits. On some projects, there is plenty of room in general, but there is something in the way of getting the drill in there. As I design more-complex projects, I find that I am beginning to need different tools to reach tight spaces.
- The HF composite cutoff tool. As a part of my initiative to have several grinders, always set up for specific tasks, I decided having a dedicated pneumatic cutoff grinder would be beneficial. I have cutoff discs for it, just not sure where they are, in the bathroom remodel mess. I'll report on how well this tool works...

Here is a detail of the output of the dimple dies. I aerospace, you use them to install countersink rivets (flush rivets...when you want the surface you are riveting to be completely flat. I do NOT usually want that...I like to see my rivets, thank you very much. There are times, however, that functionally, it makes sense to use a flush rivet. Very thin aluminum sheet doesn't have enough strength to allow you to CUT countersinks, without the rivet pulling through the material. So, you DIMPLE the material at 100 degrees, to match the head of the rivet. Here, you see both the front and back of the same piece of aluminum, with each size of dimple pressed in it. Very similar to the larger dimple dies, used by car guys...just micro in size. If you were fastening two thin sheets, you would dimple both pieces...

There you have it. My new-tool-topia. Now I need to get this job thing settled and get back to building cool stuff.

Kev

 

[Mohawk Dave]

MP, once again, I commend you. Your patience and attention to detail amaze me. I baked/made/designed a cake for my GF before, and it looked as if a rainbow threw up.

But, as I age, I find details to be extremely rewarding, and thanks to you and this site, I am constantly outdoing my previous self. And proud of it. I thoroughly enjoy following your thread. Keep up the great work and know that is affecting people (myself and obviously others on here) in a positive manner: which you should be proud of yourself.

 

[Red Leader]

Kev,

It has been so long since I've had the chance to catch up with your thread. As always, you are keeping busy. Things are looking great in your shop. I like where you are going with the new logo! Also, great job on that cake - it is good to have a nice arsenal of varied skills

I'll be eagerly anticipating more from your project, as always.

 

[e-tek]

Great cake and great new tools - awesome photography too!

My youngest is TOTALLY into MINECRAFT. He's allowed on the computer an hour after school and an hour before bed and that's all he does (either watching YouTube vids on how to Minecraft, or playing). It seems like a good way to waste time on the net - building stuff, learning about different materials and such.

BTW - aren't those things called "Moo-shooms"? Or is my boy just making that up? I thought it was some kind of cross between cows and mushrooms. Who knows.

Anyways, still loving the work your doing!

 

[Trey T]

OP: Your garage reminds me of my old self, always buy new tools and pile them up or make very little effort to organize properly.

I suggest selling your tools or save money and reorganize your garage so that you can be more productive. Folk out about $5k and get a bunch of big tall cabinets and drawer cabinets.

Being organize can be an improvement to everyday life - make relationship with ppl in your family healthy.

 

[machine_punk]

MP, once again, I commend you. Your patience and attention to detail amaze me. I baked/made/designed a cake for my GF before, and it looked as if a rainbow threw up.

But, as I age, I find details to be extremely rewarding, and thanks to you and this site, I am constantly outdoing my previous self. And proud of it. I thoroughly enjoy following your thread. Keep up the great work and know that is affecting people (myself and obviously others on here) in a positive manner: which you should be proud of yourself.

Thanks for taking the time to post. It makes it much easier to spend the time taking pictures and writing, when you get a little feedback.

It really is the thought that counts...I'm sure your GF was pleased with her cake...especially if you were trying to do something outside your comfort zone. The cool thing about my cake is, the more I messed it up, the more it looked like DIRT, which is exactly what I wanted it to look like.

It means a lot to me that others find my work an inspiration. I'm really only doing it because I want to do what is pleasing to me, but it is humbling to think that others appreciate my artistic sense too.

Kev,

It has been so long since I've had the chance to catch up with your thread. As always, you are keeping busy. Things are looking great in your shop. I like where you are going with the new logo! Also, great job on that cake - it is good to have a nice arsenal of varied skills

I'll be eagerly anticipating more from your project, as always.

Thanks! Sounds like you just got a magazine article on your garage. That is super cool. You've put a lot of hard work into yours and you stick to a theme.

Great cake and great new tools - awesome photography too!

My youngest is TOTALLY into MINECRAFT. He's allowed on the computer an hour after school and an hour before bed and that's all he does (either watching YouTube vids on how to Minecraft, or playing). It seems like a good way to waste time on the net - building stuff, learning about different materials and such.

BTW - aren't those things called "Moo-shooms"? Or is my boy just making that up? I thought it was some kind of cross between cows and mushrooms. Who knows.

Anyways, still loving the work your doing!

Thanks E-Tek! Following your thread always makes me tired...I don't know how you get so much done.

Both Mrs. Machine_Punk and I were also into Minecraft for a while, but it didn't take me long to realize I'd rather be out in the garage making stuff for real, than 'crafting' in Minecraft. I still play occasionally, when the boys have friends over for the weekend--I bought a little network hub (8 ports), so they could play on the same LAN, with as little lag as possible. They do have things called Mooshrooms (cows which look like mushrooms...if you milk them, they give you mushroom soup), but they also have plain old brown mushrooms and red-spotted mushrooms.

Our trick for Minecraft is that we don't let them know their password. They HAVE to come to us to let them on the game. We are very strict with 'screen time' (any screen: TV, movies, video games, computer, etc. counts). They only get 1.5 hours a day, 3 days a week, plus whatever we watch 'as a family.'

I've been working on the photography...thanks for noticing. In fact, thanks for stopping by...always pleased to hear what you are thinking.

Kev

OP: Your garage reminds me of my old self, always buy new tools and pile them up or make very little effort to organize properly.

I suggest selling your tools or save money and reorganize your garage so that you can be more productive. Folk out about $5k and get a bunch of big tall cabinets and drawer cabinets.

Being organize can be an improvement to everyday life - make relationship with ppl in your family healthy.

I appreciate you taking the time to post!

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

The Machine_Punk Welding Cam

So I’ve been trying to teach myself to weld with my new Oxy-Acetylene setup. While I am usually fairly autodidactic (thanks for the word, AP_Mech!), there are some things you just need someone to show you or explain to you. I have hit a wall in my learning. I am dead consistent in what I do, so I do the exact same thing each time and end up with the same problems. While consistency is a good thing, I don’t always know what to do to overcome the problems I have. I am a member of one of the welding forums, so I wanted to be able to show them what I am doing and ask questions.

I’ve got the ‘taking pictures’ thing down, but it’s pretty hard to take pictures of yourself while welding and I think that a video of me welding would make it easier for the experienced welders to diagnose my problems. I didn’t want this to be a huge expenditure, so I wanted most of this project to be things I already own. Here are the items I put together to build this project:
- A Kodak play>full waterproof HD 720P video/still digital camera. This thing is about the size of a pack of cards, takes HD movies, and is waterproof to a few feet. We got it because the boys have constant video projects at school and I am not about to let them take the nice video camera to school.
- A mini ‘gripper-‘style tripod. I actually didn’t end up using this. It occurred to me that ‘rubber-encased’ tripod next to several thousand degrees of heat might not be a good idea.
- I originally planned to just build a bracket to attach the camera to the tripod. I ended up also building a base for the bracket, instead of using the meltable tripod. Of course, there is plenty of scrap aluminum around The Aerodrome Studio, so that didn’t cost a dime.
- A piece of leather to protect the camera from the heat, sparks, and slag from welding. This came from a welding neck guard…which is essentially a square of leather you attach to the bottom of your welding helmet to protect your neck. I think it was all of $6 US at the LWS for this scrap of leather and 3 little metal clips.
- While I was at the LWS, I picked up a glass, shade 5 welding lens and a plastic, clear protective lens. About $4 US at the LWS.
- Misc. hardware bits. About $3 US at Ace Hardware.
- Oh, and I convinced Mrs. Machine_Punk to let me have one of her elastic hair doolybobbies...

Overall, that comes to about $13 US for new parts, plus a stack of stuff I already had, for the Machine_Punk Welding Cam.

My major concerns were:
- It needs to be inexpensive and use one of the cameras I already own.
- There needs to be protection for the camera from heat and other welding dangers.
- Be able to see the welder’s-eye-view (i.e. from under the hood, what I see as I am welding).
- Needs to be able to handle glare from the sun (I usually weld outside and usually weld ‘into the sun,’ so the items I am working on are well-lit (not in my shadow) ).
- I would prefer to be able to hear the welding noises (in case that is important for diagnosing a problem)…but still want to make sure the camera is protected.


Here is a back view of the contraption, all assembled and ready to clamp to the welding table. Notice the controls for the camera are still accessible and there is a layer of leather in front of the camera to protect it...

Here is the front view. It doesn't look like much, but the requirements are met. There is at least one protective layer in front of most of the camera (the only exception is the little spot left open for the built-in microphone.) The little flap of leather at the top of the camera prevents sunshine, from behind the camera, reflecting off the back of the welding lens and into the camera lens.

The camera, in it's natural environment, set up to record me welding...

A picture taken with the camera, without the welding lens in place...

A picture taken with the camera, with the welding lens in place...

I think I met all those requirements in this project. I’ve been thinking about it for a few weeks and thought through a couple of designs for each camera I have. This is what I finally decided on. I’d like to make a couple of design changes to this eventually, since it is difficult to get the camera in and out of the bracket, since it just uses an elastic band to hold it. I’d like to make a holder which cradles the camera and makes it easy to get in and out. This also kind of hangs the camera way out on a lever...I think I will redesign the lower base to be more stable. Perhaps I will rivet another section on, to keep the bracket from bobbing with table movement.


Link to a video showing the camera with and without the lens...

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Taking the WeldCam out for a Spin

Whew…life has been busy lately. In the middle of a job change and I have been busy with interviews, planning, and finishing up my previous job. Hoping to get back into the ‘Studio more, now that I will have every weekend off (of course, the tradeoff is that I won’t routinely have days off during the week anymore).

I had a few minutes to finally try out the WeldCam and it was a windy afternoon. Still, I am pleased I got the chance to finally see what it would do. I am definitely looking for feedback on the welding, but I am not sure you will see much in these videos. I know you guys are going to want to know all the setup information, so here it is…

- Oxy-Acetylene Gas Welding
- 1/8” X 6” mild steel test strips, edges ground to ‘shiny.’
- Meco Midget torch
- #4 Meco tip (N-4-TM from TM Technologies)
- RG-45 copper-coated filler rod, 1/16”
- Shade 5 Lens on the WeldCam (overcast day, late in the afternoon, sun behind the camera).

Quick pic of the setup, with the WeldCam pointed at all the action…

YouTube Video of Tacking…

YouTube Video of Welding…
[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erYqRkaf-vI%5b/URL"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erYqRkaf-vI[/URL]

The weld…

The root…

WeldCam Issues:
1. Difficult to see the details you need. This was a shade 5. I will likely increase the shade to an 8 or 10, so that you can see the weld puddle and weld techniques.

2. The base of the bracket does not hold the camera still enough (I had it propped up on stuff, to keep it steady, this time). I already have a design idea for the base.

3. The camera records in HD, which probably is a bit of overkill for this (and takes a looong time to upload). I have another camera I plan to try. I will use the photography Neutral Density (think ‘sunglasses for cameras.’) and UV filters (remove light beyond the visible spectrum).

Welding Issues:
1. Very windy day. I need to rig up, or buy, a welding shield, since I normally weld outdoors.

2. I was in a hurry, I haven’t welded in a couple of weeks, and it was the first time using the WeldCam.

3. Penetration: Seems to be a problem for me. I get ‘almost all the way through,’ but not quite. Any pointers here would be great. I think it might mean I need to go to the next-higher tip size.

4. Sparkler show: There seem to be sparks coming off the flame, once I get moving. I suspect this means the puddle is too hot, but I don’t know how to fix that. Am I putting too much heat into the puddle (by having too cool of a flame/too little gas flow—and spending too much time at each spot)? Or does that usually mean the flame is too hot?

5. In case the size of the filler rod is an issue, I picked up the other two sizes stocked by my LWS, so now I have RG-45 rods in , 1/16”, 3/32”, & 1/8”. My understanding of filler rods is this:

--a. Thinner rods for thinner material, thicker rods for thicker material.

--b. If you use too thick of a rod, it cools the puddle too quickly and you have to ‘restart’ the puddle every time you dip. If you use too thin of a rod (I don’t know what happens—I suspect you burn through rod too fast and you don’t get penetration).

--c. You need to use a rod which is made of the correct material for what you are joining.

--d. You should leave the tip of the welding rod in the outer edge of the outer flame, to preheat and be ready to dip.

--e. You don’t actually dip the rod into the puddle, you dip it into the heat cone and a drop of metal forms and drops into the puddle.

--f. It is best if you dip the rod in the front of the puddle, while the torch tip moves away from the front of the puddle.

--g. As you end a weld at the end of a piece of metal, you may need to dip the rod a few extra times, to prevent a depression in the end of the weld.

So, overall, definitely looking for input. Primary two issues: 1. Weld penetration, 2. Shower of sparks while welding.

Thanks!

Kev.

 

[shopnut]

How is the welding going M_P? Have you had time to practice some more?

 

[machine_punk]

Hey! I didn't see this new post pop up the other day. Thanks for stopping by.

With training for the new job, I have been out of town a good chunk of time during each week...living out of a hotel. So, I have been focusing on the family when I am at home. I also had to finish up the detail work on the little bathroom remodel I started in late December. I'll be in town, pretty much after today, so planning to get back on some projects.

I have been planning a new project in 3D, though (planning in 3D, with Alibre 3D Design)...of course the project will be in 3D. Once I finish the design, I'll probably post some pics and a quick story.

I'm hoping to get to the Tin Man Tech welding course in November, so I'm kinda slacking on the welding for now. I love welding, but feeling antsy to get back to rivets for a while...especially with a couple of Metal Meets coming up in June and July.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Fantastic Light Bracket revisited

Aaaahhhh...back in the 'Studio again. Things have settled in with my new job, I am no longer out of town for training, and, best of all, the teenagers are starting to find activities to keep themselves busy. That all means I can get back into the garage and work. Well, until I have to stop and get the house painted, whenever it stays dry for a couple of weeks here.

We are going to go into a bit of time warp today. I am revisiting a project which I started, but put on the back shelf for a while. For every project I actually build in the garage, I seem to have 3 or 4 more projects I've designed. I am in the middle of designing a big project, using 3D design software, but I also wanted to get back in the garage and get my hands dirty again.

Do you guys remember these, the dental lights I bought for the garage?
View media item 12624
They are still hanging on the wall in the garage, looking down at me every time I go out there, waiting patiently for me to finish their brackets and get them back into use. You will remember where I was, the last time we discussed this project...
View media item 24695
I finally made some progress on the long "L" brackets. Here we are today...

You can see that I have all the "L" brackets for the main structure complete, drilled, and temporarily held in place with clecos, until I get to finally riveting them in place. It doesn't look like I have done much, but I spent a LOT of time finishing the surfaces of the pieces to the classic Aerodrome Studio satin aluminum finish.

I cut out a LOT of the L brackets I was going to use. I really just want to finish these things and they were so over-engineered, I just really didn't need all the brackets I had planned. (I told you I wasn't a professional engineer, right? I learn something else about designing for rivets on every project.)

I had another little problem, which I thought was going to require a new tool. The insides of the holes I drilled for the post of the light were pretty rough. I drilled them with a hole saw, which doesn't do a very smooth job on aluminum. I was worried about the ridges left by the hole saw grinding into the pole which supports the light. Unfortunately, I couldn't get anything in there...all my finishing tools are for flat surface. I needed to get into the edges of a hole...and smooth them, without increasing the size of the hole.

I remembered a tool I bought a few weeks ago. I got the drum sander set from HF, which is designed to be used in the drill press, with your own sand paper (not the tubes), for sanding the edges of things. Hmmm...I want to polish the INSIDE edge of something...maybe this could work. The only problem is they are designed for sand paper...which would take material off WAY too fast for what I want to do. Hmmm...I wonder if I could get a scotchbrite pad to work, instead of sand paper? Nope...way too thin of a slot for inserting the sand paper. Hmmm...I have an electric grinder...couldn't I make that slot bigger? YEP...


I modified that sanding drum to fit Scotchbrite pads. It worked beautifully and removed the ridges from the mounting holes.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Light Bracket Nearly There

Getting much closer on the Fantastic Light Brackets! Finally at the assembly stage.

I got a new (to me) pneumatic squeezer in the past few weeks. This is the 'alligator' style yoke, instead of the "C" yoke style. While it isn't quite the alligator squeezer I was hoping for (It has about a 4" reach, I was hoping for a 9" reach squeezer, but those go for a good $450 US used). (Thanks ScubaSteve, for the lead on a few pneumatic squeezers). While I've generally been looking for new squeezers, if the price is right, this one came at the right time...it allowed me to use the squeezer on more of this project than I thought I would.

So, on to the pictures.

These first couple of pictures are pretty much what the bracket is going to look like. There are going to be a couple more angle brackets, to attach the curved pieces to the back plate, but it is coming together nicely. This looks fairly 'complete,' but it is just everything sitting in the correct place...

More of the same. The extruded angle, which will hold the actual bracket to the back plate, will be easy to attach with pretty much any of my squeezers.

And here is where it really is in the process. With the new squeezer, I was able to get all the rivets on these pieces, except for the strip of rivets on this last side. I'll get the last few rivets with the rivet gun and bucking bar.

Kev

 

[E.rodz]

I have been inspired by your rivet techniques . been buying more rivet stuff to get started. Wish you lived closer so I could lean more from you.keep up the great work.

 

[machine_punk]

I have been inspired by your rivet techniques . been buying more rivet stuff to get started. Wish you lived closer so I could lean more from you.keep up the great work.

Why thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to post. I will be closer to you this summer, for a couple of days...well, OK, I'll be Texas. It still won't help you much. If you run across specific issues, drop me a PM and I'll try to help you out as much as I can.

Take a pic of the equipment you have now...feel free to post it here, I'd like to see where you are.

Kev

 

[Southernbuild]

I've been following this thread for about a year, lots of good ideas. Looking forward to the next update.

 

[ilovevocs]

I have been living vicariously thought your posts here MP. I have wanted to get geared up for riveting but my shop has required other more essential items first. Keep up the great work and please continue to post images and share your experiences.

 

[aggierailroad]

Why thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to post. I will be closer to you this summer, for a couple of days...well, OK, I'll be Texas. It still won't help you much. If you run across specific issues, drop me a PM and I'll try to help you out as much as I can.

Take a pic of the equipment you have now...feel free to post it here, I'd like to see where you are.

Kev

In Houston by chance?

 

[machine_punk]

I've been following this thread for about a year, lots of good ideas. Looking forward to the next update.

I always appreciate hearing about others interested in riveting. Next update is coming soon...I'm in "Work in The Aerodrome Studio" mode...should be getting 2 or 3 days out there very soon. I should be finished with the light bracket on my next day out in the shop, then on to the next project...I think you guys will like it.

Thanks for taking the time to post!

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

I have been living vicariously thought your posts here MP. I have wanted to get geared up for riveting but my shop has required other more essential items first. Keep up the great work and please continue to post images and share your experiences.

I know about that shop budget...my list of 'tools and materials to buy' always has something waiting to be bought. I have to prioritize those purchases. Of course, my budget usually prioritizes riveting stuff over other stuff, but I understand that it isn't the major fastening method for each person.

Thanks for the kind words and taking the time to post! Keep watching! New updates coming very soon!

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

In Houston by chance?

Unfortunately, no. I will be visiting some of Mrs. Machine_Punk's family in Waco during the summer...flying in and out of Dallas. We are going to stop by Medieval Times in Dallas just before heading to the airport. I think the boys will like that. We will also spend a couple of days in the Vegas/Grand Canyon area. I will, of course, be going to see Blue Man Group again...one of my favorite things to do in Vegas. I've seen them several times, in Vegas and London, and I want to share that experience with the boys too.

Kev.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Hey! Awesome job with thread and lessons on rivets and Machine Punk. I noticed in one of your photos that you ordered drill bits from Brown Tool. The 135degree cobalt bits seem pretty reasonable. They are USA made as well Have they held up fairly well for you?

 

[machine_punk]

I've been very pleased with their drill bits! They obviously still dull eventually, even with aluminum, so I usually buy them 6 or 12 at a time, in the 4 sizes I use for rivets. I keep a set of them ready to go with the spring drill stops installed. I'm planning on getting the Drill Doctor 750 soon, so hopefully I can begin to resharpen my bits and get even more life out of them.

I did just finally get an aerospace 90-degree drill too (uses a 1/4-28 threaded shank on the drill bit, instead of a drill chuck). So, I just bought a supply of the threaded-shank drill bits, in every length imaginable. I think it is going to be just the ticket for getting into tight spots (although I am slowly learning to design things without as many tight spots).

US-made is a bonus for me too. Actually, that is one of the main reasons I use Brown Tool...they have US-made options for most of their tools and consumables.

I usually try to stock up 'in bulk' from Brown...if you spend over $100, the shipping is free. They aren't quite as fast as Aircraft Spruce in shipping, but I don't have any complaints about Brown. They started as a one-man show, working out of the back of his pickup truck...exactly the sort of businesses I like to support.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kev

 

[Kevin54]

MP.....just a little constructive criticism and don't take it as I'm slamming your work, but when dimpling sheetmetal for rivets, what is the proper 100 degree for a dimple in .040 material, is not the proper rivet dimple tool for say .063 thick material. If you have someone that makes your dimple tools for you, I can give you the dimensions for each standard thickness of metal. Also don't under estimate the strength of a cut countersink in thin metal. In the aircraft industry, we have riveted and countersunk material as thin as .020, but it also calls for a rivet countersink under the parent material. Normally with dimpling sheetmetal, especially in the aircraft industry, the dimpled sheet needs to have more of a crisp line around the O.D. of the dimple.

A while back, I told you that there are special cutters for universal head rivets and I could make you some pocket to seat the universal rivet head. When I brought my tools home from work, the thieving bastards did leave me four of the cutters, so if you still need a rivet seat, I can make you up 4 punches, one for each size of universal rivet. 1/16", 3/32", 1/8", and it is either 5/3" or 1/4".

Now with that being said, and I know you have your sources for different rivets, have you ran across any sites that have round headed rivets? I have a project that I have to have a round headed rived and not a universal head. I believe the head height is .140 but the radius is something like .085. The body diameter is .202. I searched a number of places but could not find any that were close. I'm hoping that maybe you have a source for something like that. The rivets are just a mild steel. I made what I need for the time being, but I will be needing some more in the very near future. I figured that if I could find some to buy, it would be cheaper than making them on the lathe.

Kevin

 

[machine_punk]

WOOHOO! Did you see it? I made the front page of Garage Journal. Thanks Ryan! I just accidentally found out...I usually only check the front page every couple of weeks, looking for interesting threads or videos to peruse...imagine my surprise when it was MY thread this time.

Kev

 

[Vernmotor]

LOL yep we did see that..nice INK

 

[fullthrottle24]

Congrats on front page. One of these days, I will learn how to play with rivets too. Such a neat looking fastener for so many different projects.

 

[WarrenJ]

M P
It has taken me 3 days to read all of this. Found it interesting and addictive. It's been 45 year since HS metal shop that I worked with rivets. Keep the projects alaive!

 

[machine_punk]

Safety Glasses for a Safety Nut

There is something I've wanted for a long, long time. I finally bought it a couple of weeks ago, then waited patiently for it to be ready. While there are plenty of tools on my short list for 'what I want to buy next,' this time it was a piece of safety gear. If you have followed this thread for long, you know that I am a bit of a safety nut. In my new position, as a Trauma Registrar, the need for safety in the shop has hit even closer to home. I read a LOT of records of patients who are injured in one way or another and what strikes me the most is that many of those so-called accidents could have been avoided.

Anyway, this thing I've been wanting for a while is a pair of safety glasses. But not ordinary safety glasses, these are prescription safety glasses. WHEW! What a relief. Finally, no more wearing a pair of regular glasses, and a pair of safety glasses. No more cheap, scratched, safety lenses. No more buying safety glasses a dozen at a time, so I have a scratch-free pair when I need to do fine work. No more fogging between the lenses of my prescription glasses and my safety glasses.

I looked at quite a few places for prescription safety glass frames. Pretty much every place you buy glasses has them, but most of them just have the little clip-on plastic pieces for side protection. Oddly enough, I found the style I wanted at the Wal-Mart eye center. I already had my prescription in hand, from a recent appointment.

Here they are...

Notice the side shields are built into the frame of the glasses, instead of clipped on to the frame.

Notice the cushy foam strip at the top of the frame, which seals the frame against your forehead, preventing things from falling into your eyes. (this foam piece pops on and off...which I assume means you can buy a replacement, if it gets messed up.)

One of the features which drew me to these frames is that the lower, outer edges of the lenses stick out more...that is, they cover more of your face and eyes, unlike the more modern styles of lenses, which are much shorter and would seem to make it more likely that particles could get into your eyes.

I am so pleased to finally have prescription safety glasses. I think it will make work in the studio a little bit more pleasurable.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

LOL yep we did see that..nice INK

Thanks!

Congrats on front page. One of these days, I will learn how to play with rivets too. Such a neat looking fastener for so many different projects.

Thanks! I agree...I love the look of the rivets. Even though I did learn to TIG weld and i am learning OA welding (that is, I can make a joint which, after a bit of filing, can be essentially invisible), I prefer to see my fasteners and I prefer those fasteners to be rivets. Each project teaches me more about designing projects for fastening by rivets.

M P
It has taken me 3 days to read all of this. Found it interesting and addictive. It's been 45 year since HS metal shop that I worked with rivets. Keep the projects alaive!

That is humbling...that someone would take their free time for three days to read through my thread. Welcome to GJ (it looks like you are at least a relatively new poster). I started my love for metalworking in Junior High shop class. Now that you mention it, I think we fastened a spatula handle with a couple of rivets. Thanks for taking the time to read through this thread. I appreciate the kind words. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

MP.....just a little constructive criticism and don't take it as I'm slamming your work, but when dimpling sheetmetal for rivets, what is the proper 100 degree for a dimple in .040 material, is not the proper rivet dimple tool for say .063 thick material. If you have someone that makes your dimple tools for you, I can give you the dimensions for each standard thickness of metal. Also don't under estimate the strength of a cut countersink in thin metal. In the aircraft industry, we have riveted and countersunk material as thin as .020, but it also calls for a rivet countersink under the parent material. Normally with dimpling sheetmetal, especially in the aircraft industry, the dimpled sheet needs to have more of a crisp line around the O.D. of the dimple.

A while back, I told you that there are special cutters for universal head rivets and I could make you some pocket to seat the universal rivet head. When I brought my tools home from work, the thieving bastards did leave me four of the cutters, so if you still need a rivet seat, I can make you up 4 punches, one for each size of universal rivet. 1/16", 3/32", 1/8", and it is either 5/3" or 1/4".

Now with that being said, and I know you have your sources for different rivets, have you ran across any sites that have round headed rivets? I have a project that I have to have a round headed rived and not a universal head. I believe the head height is .140 but the radius is something like .085. The body diameter is .202. I searched a number of places but could not find any that were close. I'm hoping that maybe you have a source for something like that. The rivets are just a mild steel. I made what I need for the time being, but I will be needing some more in the very near future. I figured that if I could find some to buy, it would be cheaper than making them on the lathe.

Kevin

Thanks for the input...I don't take it as 'slamming my work' at all. I am, by all admissions, a novice and self taught. I don't mind hearing from the 'real riveters' out there when there are different and better ways to do things.

In reality, those dimplers won't get much use in my studio. I really only bought them for when I need a flat surface...which is rare for me. I want to "see" the rivet, whenever possible. Sometimes though, the design calls for a flat surface at a joint which will be fastened by rivets. I've noticed that you can get pretty good holding from countersunk rivets in fairly thin sheet. I hardly need 'full aerocraft strength' on most of my joints anyway. Even if a joint did fail, I won't fall out of the sky.

In my reading, it seems like aeroplane manufacturers have a QA department, who figures out what will and will not work in any given situation. I gather they run destructive tests on several configurations and figure out exactly which angle of countersink or dimple to use in any given situation, then proscribe a specific protocol, which must be followed, to the tee, in manufacturing and repairs situations.

Jaycee Sales & Rivet Company has, or can make, any rivet, in any material, to your specifications. I haven't used them yet, but when I want specialty rivets, these are the first guys I plan to check out...
http://www.rivetsinstock.com/rivets/...id-rivets.html

California Rivet Supply seems to stock round head solid rivets, but their website is really nothing more than a business card, so you are going to have to call them for further information...
http://www.californiarivet.com/Rivet_Types.html


I'd certainly be interested in any information, or rivet seats, which you would care to send!

Thanks for the input.

Kev

 

[dozerbuilder01]

Nice job on making the front page. I can't to see some more projects made with the 3 in 1

 

[machine_punk]

Actually, my next project will use the 3-in-1 quite a bit (well, 2 out of 3). I bought the major component of the project the other day. The only hint I will give at this point: I am heading to a local Metal Meet (great folks who are really into metal shaping) in a couple of weeks, and they will be really interested in this project. I just have to finish up the light bracket quickly and I will be on to my next project.

Kev

 

[CrustyD3mon]

interesting...keeping an eye on it...

 

[Panel Dan]

Hi Kev, your work is absolutely amazing. I'm only pretty new to GJ and only checked this thread out once it hit front page, but I've just spent the past three hours reading through and looking at this.
WRT a product called trefolex to lubricate taps and dies while thread cutting, and also given the majority of what you are working with is aluminium, you could probably see how you go with specialised tapping tools. I used to work in a machine building workshop that use Aluminium extrusion for the frames of most machines and we used spiral fluted taps for deep threaded parts and fluteless taps for thin sheet. Fluteless taps are a pretty alien idea if you've never used them, but the results, especially in thin material are excellent.
Cheers for the effort with all the photos and regular updates. Great thread.

 

[Kevin54]

Hi Kev, your work is absolutely amazing. I'm only pretty new to GJ and only checked this thread out once it hit front page, but I've just spent the past three hours reading through and looking at this.
WRT a product called trefolex to lubricate taps and dies while thread cutting, and also given the majority of what you are working with is aluminium, you could probably see how you go with specialised tapping tools. I used to work in a machine building workshop that use Aluminium extrusion for the frames of most machines and we used spiral fluted taps for deep threaded parts and fluteless taps for thin sheet. Fluteless taps are a pretty alien idea if you've never used them, but the results, especially in thin material are excellent.
Cheers for the effort with all the photos and regular updates. Great thread.

Commonly called "Roll Taps" or "Thread Forming Taps"

 

[machine_punk]

interesting...keeping an eye on it...

Thanks for the kind words!

Hi Kev, your work is absolutely amazing. I'm only pretty new to GJ and only checked this thread out once it hit front page, but I've just spent the past three hours reading through and looking at this.
WRT a product called trefolex to lubricate taps and dies while thread cutting, and also given the majority of what you are working with is aluminium, you could probably see how you go with specialised tapping tools. I used to work in a machine building workshop that use Aluminium extrusion for the frames of most machines and we used spiral fluted taps for deep threaded parts and fluteless taps for thin sheet. Fluteless taps are a pretty alien idea if you've never used them, but the results, especially in thin material are excellent.
Cheers for the effort with all the photos and regular updates. Great thread.

Thanks for the info! Since I work mostly in non-ferrous metals, I am always looking for tooling designed for aluminum. I was aware of special files and burrs for aluminum, but I was not aware of special taps for aluminum. I'll have to check into those.

Commonly called "Roll Taps" or "Thread Forming Taps"

Ah...that might make it easier to find. Thanks for stopping by and making a comment.

Kev

 

[machine_punk]

Well, everyone, I just got back from the Santa Cruz Metal Meet. Really great bunch of guys. We had a few metalworking heavy hitters:

- Lazze
http://www.lazzemetalshaping.com/index.cfm

- Ron Covell
http://www.covell.biz/

- All the way from Holland...Ben
http://www.bensmetalshapingshop.nl/index.php?paginaid=5

Thanks, John, for allowing us to take over your shop!

Thanks, Rick, for bringing all your wonderful, homemade power tools and sharing your knowledge with us.

All three of them were very down-to-earth and approachable. It was a fabulous weekend. I'll work on getting some photos up as soon as I can sort through them and pick a few.

The first day was beautiful and we had the opportunity to learn to use a Pullmax machine for metalworking and walked through the design process used by Ron to build his version of a bomber chair. Lotsa folks got started on their own personal projects.

The metalworking during the day was amazing, but the tour in the evening was unexpected and mind-blowing. We got to spend a great deal of time in Michael Leeds garage and was absolutely shocked, when he offered to fire up Big Bertha and take us for a drive around downtown Santa Cruz.
http://blastoland.com/blastoland/BIG_BERTHA.html

The second day brought a little bit of rain and a generally overcast day. The weather may have been subdued, but the atmosphere was bright...the business of metal shaping continued with enthusiasm and high spirits. Thanks Ben, for teaching the sheet metal rose to everyone on Sunday.

What a great bunch of guys...not a poor attitude in the bunch. An amazing way to spend a weekend...hanging out with guys, doing guy things.

Pics and more story, when I get the chance to sort through all the pics and write a story.

Kev.