2017 POTD Thread Archive

[dave_r_1]

Made some anti-blowout plates for my large walk-behind mower.

Only 2 bone-headed mistakes

1. I wanted to make them out of 1/8"x6" mild steel, went and bought some because I knew I didn't have a big enough piece. Go to make them, see some 6" flat steel that's long enough, looks about right. Cut the first piece, then use the jigsaw to cut the two round pieces before finally noticing that it's 3/16".
2. I started this yesterday, and stupidly only went to the store and bought 2 1/4" carriage bolts (enough for one side), and today when I went to start on the other side, it was too late to get 2 more for that side. So now the other side gets to use 5/16" carriage bolts. Will totally throw the balance off the whole mower.

 

[scwhite]

Fixed the old oil can today. It's not like I need another oil can although I am kind of obsessed with the things. It's just that this one is the first oil can I can remember. Belonged to my Dad, maybe my grandfather before him, don't know. It was just always in the shed, filled with some red-tinged oil that I would waste on my bicycle chain and anything else that looked like it could use it. And the dang thing always leaked!

I remember my Dad trying to mend it in the 70's with some new-fangled liquid solder in a tube. Yeah right, that always works, not. Nevertheless, it was one of the tools I kept from his little workshop when we moved him out of the house. He chuckled when I told him I kept it. "That thing leaks, you know?" "Yeah, I know".

Well today I was poking around in the shop after coming home from work and spied the can again. Hmmm, what have I got to lose?

Apparently nothing, because I really didn't put a lot of effort into prepping it before I put the heat to it. But miracle of miracles, the solder flowed. Not quite believing my good fortune, I filled it with cutting oil and gave a couple of squirts. Same old "thunk", but no leaky!

So the old thing is back in service for another few years anyway. Maybe down the road someone will wonder why on earth anyone would bother to fix such a thing. No good reason really, just one of those silly things you do.

Thanks for looking.

-frank


View attachment 235845

I love oil cans

 

[scwhite]

Made some anti-blowout plates for my large walk-behind mower.

Only 2 bone-headed mistakes

1. I wanted to make them out of 1/8"x6" mild steel, went and bought some because I knew I didn't have a big enough piece. Go to make them, see some 6" flat steel that's long enough, looks about right. Cut the first piece, then use the jigsaw to cut the two round pieces before finally noticing that it's 3/16".
2. I started this yesterday, and stupidly only went to the store and bought 2 1/4" carriage bolts (enough for one side), and today when I went to start on the other side, it was too late to get 2 more for that side. So now the other side gets to use 5/16" carriage bolts. Will totally throw the balance off the whole mower.

View attachment 235852 View attachment 235853

LOL
It looks good and works
Use what you have in stock

 

[ch2co]

I'd been thinking of getting an LED round light for my little minimill, but remembered a box full of small rectangular LED light arrays that I had sitting on the shelf.
Not pretty, but a cheap kludge that ended working very well. The mounting plate has little magnetic pads on the back for easy removal. Very even shadowless lighting.

CHuck the grumpy old cheapskate.

 

[pstemari]

Don't think I ever posted the final pics of the dieholder. I'm really happy with the ball turner—this was its inaugural run.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[pstemari]

Also machined a back plate for a collet chuck. I've got a bit of run-out; need to check for a burr or stray chip.

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[woodchucker]

Also machined a back plate for a collet chuck. I've got a bit of run-out; need to check for a burr or stray chip.View attachment 235967View attachment 235968

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why so much stick out on the back plate?

mount a precision ground bar in your chuck, then zero the chuck to that. Tighten the screws once zeroed. much easier with screws on the front like your collet chuck. Just tap into place with screws firmed up but not fully tight. Use a lead hammer or whatever, I like the lead, it has just the right amount of heft and doesn't mark it up. Then tighten, and recheck.

 

[T Bredehoft]

You could mound a disc brake on that fin, help to stop the spindle. Just a suggestion.

 

[pstemari]

why so much stick out on the back plate?

Because I haven't cut it off yet.

...mount a precision ground bar in your chuck, then zero the chuck to that. Tighten the screws once zeroed. much easier with screws on the front like your collet chuck.

Way too premature to do that. The chuck is currently a tight fit on the register, and should be true to 0.0004". At this point it's unknown if the chuck is eccentric to the register, in which case your procedure might be a last resort; if it is tilted, in which case a shim might be required, etc.

I'm going to remount and retest, but if the chuck really is eccentric to the register I will most likely sent it back to Bison and have them replace it. There's no excuse for that.

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[woodchucker]

yep, if the back recess is concentric to the collets. Not likely, probably close , but if it's like my cushman, its close, but a couple of thou off. When I cut a new backplate for my old chuck I thought it would be accurate if I did what you are doing. But the reality is it's not perfect.