2017 POTD Thread Archive

[roadie33]

I bought a couple of the Hemingway kits also. Basic Graduating Tool and the Compact Rotary Broach kit.
The kits look easy to build with good instructions.
Just haven't has time to work on them since momma decided she wanted new Kitchen cabinets.
Making the cabinet out of Baltic Birch, using Paduuk for the face frames and door frames, with Rainwater glass.
Never enough time to do much, so it takes a while to make the cabinets.

 

[dave_r_1]

Spent today redoing the control for my Toro Turfmaster 30" mower. Toro decided to get cute with the controls by using only a single control bar to both engage the blades and control how fast the mower is going.

Here's a pic of the original control setup:

The lever in the middle engages the blades when it is pulled, and the lever on the right controls mower speed (the more it is pulled, the faster you go). The black control arm (hard to see, but it's hanging down below the silver levers), you either pull up if you just want to go forward (the arm only pulls on the right lever), or you pull the control arm right, then pull up (the arm then pulls on both levers) to engage the blades, and move forward.

This is crappy because:
-if you do it fast, sometimes you don't pull it far enough over, the blades engage, you start mowing, then the blade lever slips off the control arm, and then you have to stop, pull the mower back a bit, and start again (this takes a moment, because the blades take awhile to come back up to speed)
-you have to completely lower the control arm to switch between the two modes
-the control arm hangs down too far to grab with your hand on the bar. You always have to let go of the bar to grab the control arm
-when the blades are engaged, it takes roughly double the effort to control your speed, as your fingers have to pull against two springs instead of just one,

I decided to add another control arm, to separate the two functions, and also limit the travel of the existing control arm so I grab the existing control arm with my hand still on the bar.



Now, the top control arm is for engaging the blade, and you only have to hold it against the bar (which takes a fixed amount of force), and the existing control arm only controls the mower's speed.

Should have done this a long time ago...

 

[4GSR]

I hate some of these idiot devices they put on lawn mowers. Some are so idiot proof they just don't work!
Now, I do like the dead man switch on the lawnmowers, let go of the lever and it dies.

Good job Dave!

 

[Franko]

I like the dead man lever on my Honda mower. It has a clutch. You let go and the blade quits spinning, but the motor keeps running.

 

[Dan_S]

I finished wiring in the new shop. I now have 6 120v outlets on three 20 amp breakers, and 2 240v outlets on 2 30 amp breakers. Next up, is setting up the machinery, an getting everything else out of the basement and into the shop.

 

[Dhector]

Manual compression release install on a modified Harley twin cam. Its not exactly a lathe or mill operation but I thought you guys might like to see this. These pics are a few years old but I am doing a set OFF a bike in the shop now. I had a company tell me its OK to drill while heads are still on motor(not this bike, but on an aftermarket motor(which was still in warranty so I thought, Ok I'll do it). I didn't feel too comfortable with it still on the bike but did it anyway and have done a few since with no issues whatsoever. Removed the rocker boxes and install the tool. Measure the depth for the collar and start drilling. Spark plug is installed to keep debris out. Also this drill does NOT go all the way into the combustion chamber.




Rags were present over the valve springs and heads during the entire operation to keep debris out of the motor.



Drill till the face is a perfect circle(which is usually deeper than the original collar setting)



Cut the threads.





The next two pictures are in the wrong order. I remove the spark plug and install a motorcycle cylinder leakage tester in the plug hole and hook up the air and pressurize the cylinder hoping that when the 1/16 drill bit goes through it will hopefully blow out the last piece of aluminum. While drilling it, debris was blown out of the hole several times to keep it clean.







Manual releases just need to be pushed and they "snap" open. Once the bike fires up, they close from combustion. Happy riding!!!!

 

[RJSakowski]

When tapping cylinder heads in place, I have filled the flutes with a heavy grease. The chips will stick to the grease. I back the tap all the way out, clean off the chip laden grease and apply fresh grease. It's worked so far!

 

[WMello]

For when you need to turn by hand





Shearing pins, because **** happens.

Edit: I did write the s word, some automatic thing changed it to ***.

 

[roadie33]

That would definitely build up the shoulder muscles trying to spin at 600 RPM .

 

[Silverbullet]

I worked long hrs doing a big job today. My gran baby has a couple pairs of cheap plastic or rubber shoes and flip flops. The strap pulled the Velcro off one so pop pop had to gorilla glue it. The flip flop has fancy three pc flowers the rivet never was set right so that came off, pop pop has rivets for doing his leather work . A quick pinch with parallel jaw pliers and my day of work was over. Man I'm tired out just so strenuous working so hard doing nothing. Another day closer to Aug 3