2017 POTD Thread Archive

Got it. I didn't make the connection with your ATF letter until now. Great looking work!
 
Tonight’s project (yes I’m spending far more time in the workshop than usual at present - need some alone time from the wife at present, but that’s a whole different, much less interesting topic)

I recently upgraded my cordless drill - so the old one is now expendable and available for experimenting.

The main problem with the old one was the ni-cad batteries. They wouldn’t keep a charge so whenever I wanted to use the drill it was flat. So I decided to try a lithium ion upgrade.

Brought some cheap 18650 cells (~$2 each) and a balance charge circuit board (~$4.30) and had at it.

Old ni-cad pack

View attachment 248259

New Li-ion setup (much lighter)
View attachment 248258

Charging seems to be going well, still need to test it. Hopefully the end result is a drill for occasional use that will maintain its charge while sitting on the shelf and actually be ready to use when wanted.
View attachment 248257


UPDATE:

Well it was a partial success. First off let me correct myself as after further investigation I was actually incorrect and the circuit board is not a balance charge circuit but just a cell protection circuit to prevent over/under charge, over current, under voltage, etc.
It appears to work well and controls to a constant current from the original unregulated no-cad charger and then abruptly switches to a trickle charge once fully charged is detected. It appears to limit the charging current to 300 - 400mA which may be a bit low and it could take a long time to recharge the cells I’m using from fully discharged (I haven’t run it flat yet so not sure how long a full charge from flat would take).
The real problem is the over current protection on discharging is a bit too aggressive. It keeps cutting out as the drill come under heavy load - release the trigger and it reset and you are off again - but even the high clutch settings of the drill will trip the over current before the clutch slips.
The drill didn’t have this protection before with the no-cad battery so I’m assuming it is part of the protection board I used.
It doesn’t seem to have any adjustment so I think the board as actually designed for lower capacity cells than the 4200mA hour ones I’m using. May have to look for a different control board.
 
Started cleaning up the shaper vice I just acquired . The bottom of the base was a little rusty, was going to try electrolysis but opted for scraping it and buffing with a scotch bright type disk. Cleaned up nice. Used blueing on a 9x12 surface plate to check for flatness, shows good contact around the bolt holes where it matters so thats good. Checked the surface where the vice goes for parallel, its within 1/2 a thou so its looking good.
RH3yTJrrtCsosgOYr3vIG2hpFu2E7b9XYT0lG2FQZHdQ2JygQ2k7ENTUACvvNRJoPr8872aDz6lwqQTwS3g=w845-h634-no.jpg

Once assembled and bolted to the table I can check the ways for parallel by moving the table sideways and the ram in and out. I can raise the table up and down to check if the vice jaw is square to the table, BUT how do I know the ways are square. Think I now need to make a cylindrical square to check that. With the square I could also be sure the slide the clapper is on is set square to the table then use it to check the jaw.
The more I do the more work I create.

Greg
 
After seeing several threads here recently and MrPragmaticLee's video I decided I too needed an angle plate.
The fence can be moved to the middle or at the top of the plate.

GEDC3383s.jpg

Back side
GEDC3389s.jpg

Also made some hold downs.
GEDC3391s.jpg

Thanks for looking

Ray
 
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