2016 POTD Thread Archive

And to followup, I used the jig I made here

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...in-your-shop-today.14637/page-289#post-434823

to assemble several drums for my 4L80e transmission. It worked pretty good, would have worked better if I lined up the center rod better (the threaded rod going through the part,that you tighten the nut on it to compress the spring). It's not exactly lined up with the nut it's welded to on the end, so the force it applies is a little more on one side than the other. If I were doing more of these transmissions, I would fix it (or rather, I would change it to a foot-operated setup which would go faster).
 
intjonmiller said:
Quick question, not really worth its own thread:

I'm about to put the head back on the RF-30 round column mill. The column got all dusty while moving it, and the grease on it was at least 20 years old, so I cleaned it all off. What should I replace it with? In the "lubrication that sticks around" category I have clear/yellow wheel bearing grease, black (moly-graphite??) wheel bearing grease, Castrol industrial stick wax, and white lithium grease. I searched but didn't find any answers.
Click to expand...

I have an RF-30, located in my garage in Oregon. One of the major problems there is that very cold days can be followed by humid ones, causing lots and lots of moisture to condense on metal surfaces like the mill column. I've given mine a generous coat of Fluid Film. You can get it at farm supply stores, as well as Lowes and O'Reilly Auto Parts.
http://www.fluid-film.com

Of course, I've since learned about Froglube. Seems to be a superior product for corrosion prevention, plus it has excellent lubricity. You can get it from various sources, including Amazon.
http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667
I plan to try it on my mill once I return to Oregon.
 
Well the engine hoist wasn't as much of a problem as I thought it would be. It still resulted in a fair amount of extra time spent on the project, and scratched up more of the paint job on the bench frame than I had hoped, but it was a manageable matter. I just used a hand truck to lift one wheel at a time over the frame while my wife steadied the load so it didn't rock wildly or amputate anything.

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The lathe needs to be modified a bit (the motor mount and pulley setup; may just go ahead and do a treadmill motor conversion while I'm at it) before I can put it on the bench. That's the next step.

The surface grinder and mill tables do overlap in their travel, but they are in separate planes. The surface grinder's maximum travel to the left puts it less than an inch from the closed garage door. And the lathe's spindle bore will sit higher than the mill's table, so I will still be able to run long stock out the end of it.

Still tons of work, but at least now I can start to enjoy the benefits from the work that has already been done. :)
 
Well that's a new one. Images are showing up rotated, with one a full 180° off. I haven't seen that happen with this phone, anywhere, in any app or on any site. Sorry.
 
Considering that the surface/universal grinder seems to be a total loss (total mess) lubrication system, I find myself wondering how I can use this altered state to my benefit. :)

Actually I'm going to pick up a pan today for the whole thing to sit in. That's probably better, since I don't yet understand the behavior of this anomaly.
 
intjonmiller said:
Someone listed an electric-hydraulic scissor lift table on a classified ads machinery group thing on facebook last night, minutes after I posted that. I saw it and thought, "That's exactly what I need right now." Unfortunately it is $600, which isn't really an option. And whereas I don't know him I doubt he would be willing to loan or rent it to me. I'll check the rental places around town to see if there are any available.
Click to expand...
Harbor freight makes 2 manual ones. I have the 1000 lb lift, and it has been super handy for moving many things around the shop.
 
I checked those out. There was even one of the 500 pound units available on my local classifieds, but it didn't reach high enough. The 1000 pound version would have reached, but wasn't available used, and I wasn't confident that I could turn around and re-sell it the way I was with the engine hoist (I bought it on Saturday). Ultimately we were able to make the engine hoist work. My wife rocks. She was right there with me, even though she has zero interest in the process of anything I do in the shop (though she certainly enjoys many of the results). I still need to move the lathe, after I modify the motor mount (and actually I'm thinking I may do a treadmill motor conversion while I'm at it), but that one should be much easier, as it weighs substantially less than the mill and it is in no way top heavy.
 
Did a 'Fire Piston' on the lathe today. I've fabricated them before from copper tubing and dowels this is the first machined one I've done.

Fire Piston 1

Fire Piston 1


The machining is straight forward turning and threading on the lathe. Four pieces to make.

Fire Piston 2

Fire Piston 2


It all works and is based on a design by 'ClickSpring' in a YouTube video. The main body is 3/4" aluminum, 3/4" brass for the end caps and the piston is 3/8" brass. The piston is drilled with an 'F' drill to a depth of 2 1/2" to store char cloth. It should be water tight. The end of the piston, the 'working' end with the O-ring, is drilled with a center drill to hold the char at the ignition point.The O-rings came from the local hardware.

I tested it and did get an 'ember' several times but they died out quickly. Too quick to start a fire. I had made my own char cloth and it didn't look totally chared so perhaps that was the problem.

I'll char some more tomorrow and see if I get better results.

Also need to work on my technique.
 
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