2017 POTD Thread Archive

Hi extropic,
Thank you, yes start to finish as well as converting a factory stock truck into a response vehicle x 4. This was a special project aside from my normal duty/responsibilities while on lite duty. My plate seems to stay full around here.

Outstanding job, Paco!
 
We made progress swapping out our old sears RAS with DRO with the older unit we picked up and we cut some wood for sacrificial top and deforestation we used drywall screws and we wanted to use flathead screws as the drywall screws did not work well.

We found some scrap aluminum with a gouge in one side so we milled it away to make a fixture for holding the drill guide.

Took a 5/8 bolt with a nut and center drilled 1/4 hole and drill and tap hole in fixture.

Clamp on bottom of table and drill upward through table and new cover.

Next is a countersink tool.
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk
 
Just completed this VFD control system and getting ready to ship it out, always seems to take longer than I think, but nice that it is done. This is a more basic control system build with controls in two pods. Forward, Stop and Reverse switches are all momentary and interlocked. In this case the control board is mounted in the VFD cabinet, the breakers are for the main power in and two duplex sockets. Separate power is supplied for 12 and 24VDC.
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After nine months of being without my machines I finally was able to make chips again today in the new shop.

A couple of aluminum spacers for a grab handle for the wife in our Jeep.
52f5514359150be946c3e1d240cdeba1.jpg


After turning to size I put them in the mill vise a machines a radius on one end to firmly seat against the handle.
48d316116041a0520a3474167d8fd423.jpg


Completed.
16c77c8ef871fe992788d8999dd3339a.jpg


Just need to get a couple of metric fasteners and I can bolt it in the Jeep for the wife.

Next up was a new part for the latch on the toolbox in the back of my Jeep. I have gone through three of the OEM latches and although Mac's has been great to warranty them I would rather have a latch that held up rather than a warranty so I decided to grab some 1045 bar stock and machine a new part for the latch. The original ones are a cast aluminum and just not up to the task.

Turning the major diameter.
c505fa33a66e527446d95dcca501b5f1.jpg


After turning the three different diameters into the part I put it in a collet block and machines the void for the connection to the lever.
8133b80a9412427a9c40ebcbef936d6f.jpg


Now ready to machine the flats on the minor diameter.
557d6d54568ecea5b0c2ee0bf3809419.jpg


Part completed and next to the original broken part.
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Completed and assembled for a test fit.
865563bdc487d63a1c0d2a07ca15e156.jpg


Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Finally got sick of having a pile of "stuff" in the back seat area of my truck. I carry a variety of power and hand tools, spare parts for equipment, and it's all just chucked in the back seat area, so it's secure, but other than the one piece of equipment that's on top, it sucks to find/access what you want.

So, I made a rack setup, currently for only one side of my truck, as the guy at the metal shop misunderstood "2 full lengths of X, cut in half" as being "2 half lengths".

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The welding for that screen on the top is particularly ugly, but I managed to weld everything remarkably close to 90 degree angles for a change. I did wuss out and purchase hinges for the top and height-adjustable feet for the 4 corners.

I'll make a similar setup for the other side when I get more supplies.
 
A quick small job.
Wanted to fit a lens onto an astronomical camera (http://www.myastroshop.com.au/guides/gstar/gstar-ex4.htm) for a friend.
My first attempt relied upon the expert who knew all about these cameras (not myastroshop) who told us it was a metric thread and checking it out with my thread gauge it appeared to be a 0.8mm thread which I duly cut.
Hmm, must have cut a taper thread as the lens only screwed in half way before binding.
I dug out an sae gauge that I've never used and double checked the original thread, hmm, it looks like a 32tpi thread also fits.
So I bored a hole and cut the 32tpi thread. Success, it screwed in all the way.
I made a mandrel and screwed it on so I could turn it to size and cut the outside 32tpi thread. (it did have the centre in place when I turned and threaded it)
mandrel-fitting.jpg

Camera, lens and adapter
mandrel-fitting2.jpg

all screwed together
mandrel-fitting3.jpg
This is now a wide angle camera.
This was the very first non metric thread I've cut.

mandrel-fitting.jpg

mandrel-fitting2.jpg

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After nine months of being without my machines I finally was able to make chips again today in the new shop.

A couple of aluminum spacers for a grab handle for the wife in our Jeep.
52f5514359150be946c3e1d240cdeba1.jpg


After turning to size I put them in the mill vise a machines a radius on one end to firmly seat against the handle.
48d316116041a0520a3474167d8fd423.jpg


Completed.
16c77c8ef871fe992788d8999dd3339a.jpg


Just need to get a couple of metric fasteners and I can bolt it in the Jeep for the wife.

Next up was a new part for the latch on the toolbox in the back of my Jeep. I have gone through three of the OEM latches and although Mac's has been great to warranty them I would rather have a latch that held up rather than a warranty so I decided to grab some 1045 bar stock and machine a new part for the latch. The original ones are a cast aluminum and just not up to the task.

Turning the major diameter.
c505fa33a66e527446d95dcca501b5f1.jpg


After turning the three different diameters into the part I put it in a collet block and machines the void for the connection to the lever.
8133b80a9412427a9c40ebcbef936d6f.jpg


Now ready to machine the flats on the minor diameter.
557d6d54568ecea5b0c2ee0bf3809419.jpg


Part completed and next to the original broken part.
f1950b16b653c0542e851db3392b9550.jpg


Completed and assembled for a test fit.
865563bdc487d63a1c0d2a07ca15e156.jpg


Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mike...
Nice job on all the items, but I'm curious.
Is the latch fix a tool box in the Jeep, a Jeep item, or is it an aftermarket tool box?

Bill W.
 
Bill, the latch is on my Mac's Tie Down's Black Box that is an aftermarket/accessory toolbox that my wife bought me for Father's day last year. It is extremely well built and has some nice features, but I have gone through three of the OEM latches now and even though Mac's has been great to warranty them I want to remedy the issue. They seem to fail at the most inopportune time and I would rather not have to deal with any more failing latches. It is one component inside the latch that fails and being cast aluminum I just don't think it is up to the task and could be improved upon as far as material choices.

Thanks for the comments Bill.

Mike
 
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