quadrcr87
Well-known member
I like the direction this is going. I built this out of steel and use it as a work cart.
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- Thread starter Ryan
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OP
In an effort to avoid building drawer boxes... Man, I hate building drawer boxes... I decided to spend way too much time making up and painting some aluminum edge banding for the power center:
It looks way more important than it is... Which I sort of dig...
It looks way more important than it is... Which I sort of dig...
Exactly! I mean, you're the one who has to look at it. Might as well look sharp.In an effort to avoid building drawer boxes... Man, I hate building drawer boxes... I decided to spend way too much time making up and painting some aluminum edge banding for the power center:
It looks way more important than it is... Which I sort of dig...
OP
Ugh... Today, I start building drawer boxes...
catalytic
Well-known member
^^This, but do note that bigger swivel casters swivel a lot further underneath (=tipsier) than little swivel casters in general.
My personal rule is to spec casters so that any one caster can hold the entire weight of the machine that sits on top (instead of 1/4 the weight). Took a few near-misses to learn that lesson.
Usually that means poly-on-iron or poly-on-steel (= strong but non-marking and a tiny bit of cushioning) but there are exceptions that have other materials and still have good weight rating.
Another thing to look into for some applications is retractable/leveling casters. You get smaller wheels, but you flip a lever and then your box/machine is sitting on rubber feet and rock solid.
OP
I got a little side tracked by work…hoping to get back on it this week.
larry4406
Well-known member
Isn't it a ***** how work interferes with our personal lives!
jarhead
Well-known member
looks real nice so far, looking forward to the final product
hans109h
Well-known member
OP
Drawer boxes are done dude… thank god.
niget2002
Well-known member
Dovetails on Plywood??? Nice! I just usually buttjoint with brads and glue.Drawer boxes are done dude… thank god.
OP
Don't sleep on plywood man. It's the queen of all building materials.
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mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That screw hole is ******* you off... Isn't it?I seldom do dovetails but finder joints are my go to for plywood drawer boxes.
Nice drawers
Haha, no. I really hadn’t noticed it until I took the picture.That screw hole is ******* you off... Isn't it?
Nice drawers
I think it was a screw hole to allow adjustment to set the slide height.
Once I got the drawer working well I put screws in the holes that weren’t slotted.
I struggle sometimes to install slides. Maybe I don‘t do it often enough.
Thanks
senlow
Well-known member
Nice job on the drawers, Ryan.
Now I understand why you hate making drawers. Making well fitting dovetails is fiddly work. The joints look great.
Now I understand why you hate making drawers. Making well fitting dovetails is fiddly work. The joints look great.
Bessy
Well-known member
OP
‘A company sent me some cabinets to review… which required me to build them into a shop wall… and that has taken my attention away from the S/MC. Almost done though…
Odessaboots
Member
How on earth do you get your dovetails in BB so clean!? I assume you are using a router jig?Drawer boxes are done dude… thank god.
I just spent way too long in the shop frustrated by tearout, cracked edges, splintering etc. using the Incra LS on my table.
I tried everything: sandwiching between sacrificial boards, all sorts of speeds/feeds, etc.
Any tips?
OP
I struggled as well. I finally found success with a new bit and instead of using sacrificial boards, I used painters tape. Also, it helps to score your cut lines with a razor blade if you can.
OP
Hell, I don’t think I’ve laid a greasy finger on this cursed contraption in damn near nine months. Building those godforsaken drawer boxes broke my spirit—sucked the juice right outta me like a mosquito on mescaline. But today, under the sick light of a new kind of madness, I clawed my way back in. Slapped those drawer slides home with the precision of a hungover surgeon, jammed the boxes into place, and somehow cobbled together drawer faces that don’t look like a schizophrenic beaver built ’em. Progress, goddammit.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
They look great.
jarhead
Well-known member
you have a way with words
OP
My first laser job is in the books.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Which laser Ryan? It will open a whole new chapter in creativity!
OP
X-Tool sent over a P2S for review—a 55W CO2 laser, if I’m not mistaken.
Full disclosure: I have zero experience with lasers. None. I unboxed the thing, plugged it in, launched the software like I knew what the hell I was doing, slapped the Atomic logo into place, selected the default Birch ply settings, and let it rip. That was it. Stupid easy.
Yeah, I’ve got a lot to learn—test arrays to run, settings to tweak, all that—but damn… they’ve made getting started almost idiot-proof.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yes, the new lasers are very user friendly compared to twenty years ago or even ten. 55 watts is an awesome size, you can do some real work with that compared to 40 watts in my Glowforge. I'm sure you'll share your review, looking forward to it.
OP
Behold—the latest in Atomic Technology: a work light and iPad mount/charger, both running off Milwaukee M18 power like some kind of red-lithium-fueled fever dream.
The iPad’s there for service manuals and digital wizardry. The light? Well, that’s because I’m basically blind in low light and tired of fumbling in the shadows.
Best part? Both fold neatly out of the way when not in use—clean, efficient, and just a little absurd.
Also, used the laser again. This time on anodized aluminum.
The iPad’s there for service manuals and digital wizardry. The light? Well, that’s because I’m basically blind in low light and tired of fumbling in the shadows.
Best part? Both fold neatly out of the way when not in use—clean, efficient, and just a little absurd.
Also, used the laser again. This time on anodized aluminum.
OP
Just details now…
BF/MFT with its younger brother, the S/MC:
BF/MFT with its younger brother, the S/MC:
Odessaboots
Member
Work light and armature spec please!
Also, can you post more details about the electrical setup? It looks like you've mounted an M18 remote adapter that wires into an M18 battery attached to the inverter, with a duplex receptable wired to a plug, plugged into the inverter?
Also, can you post more details about the electrical setup? It looks like you've mounted an M18 remote adapter that wires into an M18 battery attached to the inverter, with a duplex receptable wired to a plug, plugged into the inverter?
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OP
I’m making a video with full details, but it’s an m18 inverter with a 3D printed battery relocator… inverter wired to plugs… light and iPad charger to the inverters built in 12v supply.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
Cataracts?
OP
God. I hope not.
LopezBart
Well-known member
From what I know, cataracts are not too difficult to fix. My dad had his lenses replaced in his 80s... the result was excellent; he didn't need glasses any more except for close up work.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
True statement, I got mine done about 2-3 years back and one of my HS buds did last year. same result and he is shooting competitively, and winning at sporting clays.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
Cause that blind in low light and fumbling in shadows is me, and I've got 'young' cataracts. Used to be able to work in my shop on a cloudy day with no lights, and now it's operating theatre lighting or I quit. Even that is becoming a bit dim.
Recently found out there's a few companies offering laser tube cutting. Really tempted to try making something like this now, just out of thin wall stainless steel tubing. The laser cutters are really cool, they cut out all the holes very precisely and the wedges for the bends.
OP
Closing this one down and forwarding it to the finished project thread. You can find it here:
www.garagejournal.com
The Atomic S/MC – The Garage Journal
www.garagejournal.com
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