My Metalshop/drafting projects - "Make Your Own Tools"

I went to school in Pa, in the late 70's also. We had to pay for the metal we used, otherwise the class was not bad. I never worked in the field, but always enjoyed working with metal tools. I still have a hammer that I made. I started another that was going to be a ball peen, but couldn't get back on the lathe, so I only got the handle done. Someday I will run across it again (still have lots of stuff packed from several moves) and finish it.

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Re: My Metalshop/drafting projects - "Make Your Own Tools"



Mike I too know "Pencil". BLGBWC (Before-Life-Got-Better-With-computers) I manually updated Bills of material, by hand, in pencil and recalculated on an adding machine. Then tried to get the numbers to balance. My automation was an electric eraser. Until the page wore through. Then added footnotes. LOTUS Ver 1a spreadsheet was a miracle. Then it all went downhill with MS.

Regarding the depth micro, I couldn't say. Just because they can I suppose. What's that old saying about needing more tools to make more tools? Try explaining that to my wife! Enjoy your day..
BB

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What's the purpose of the 3/16 hole?
 
I go back to the days of Tee Squares & Triangles with Pens & Ink on Blue Linen cloth. Days of beautiful detailed drawings showing threads & freehand wood grain. Followed by pencil & lead on White linen cloth. Then there was Parallel Blade machines with strings & pulleys, Elbow machines, & then the big X & Y machines. God that was a Lifetime ago.

fixit
 
You mentioned drafting arms, does anyone else have a left hand drafting arm? I do. I still get it out every now an then. (just to show it off)
Got it from a friend who knew that I was left handed and he got it when his company got rid of such things when the digital age arrived.
 
Wish I knew how to upload my DWG files to the site. Have many to share !
 
Wish I knew how to upload my DWG files to the site. Have many to share !
I have some DWG files that I am currently unable to read, I wish I could convert them to pdf. I downloaded a free autocad type program that was supposed to be able to convert them to pdf, but to view them but I could not see measurements, only outlines. Not helpful. Any suggestions, or help? Thanks. Hoss
 
I was a draftsman for about 15 years, back in the late 50's. and today at a estate sale, I MISSED a complete set of Leroy lettering set with 6 or more templates / scales, the pen and different size tips in a beautiful wooden case. it had $20 on the price. I nearly bopped the fella on the head. . . . :) not really but it was a beautiful instrument from the past. . .

I've always enjoyed using a drafting board and machine over CAD. Back in the mid 1980's our company switched from the boards to Autotrol and eventually to AutoCad. At the time we were giving boards, machines, lights, desks and drawing sets to the local technical college. After a few years they also started moving toward CAD.

The net result was we had store rooms full of manual drafting equipment we couldn't give away. I was one of the last who had to give up the board. Although it hadn't been used in a couple years it still made a good place to store things. When the facilities people came to haul it away I asked our department head if I could purchase it for home use. The answer was a resounding YES, PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY.

I had to pay a token $50.00 for the board, machine, light, return desk, and a lifetime supply of mechanical pencils, drafting tools, templates, paper pencil leads, and other assorted drafting equipment. Some 30+ years later I still use the board, although the supply of drawing paper has long been depleted.
Here's a picture of the board and machine. For a little perspective the board is 72" long.

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I loved my old drafting board. I could draw anything that I wanted to quickly. I have never been able to master any of the cad programs. They seem so foreign to me. I now use Sketchup. I found it to be a lot like drawing with pen and paper. And I end up with a 3d drawing. My current project is modeling the frame for a locost 7 roadster. Don't know if this project will ever get off the drawing board. I am working on the front suspension mounting points right now. This is a work in progress.

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