2019 POTD Thread Archive

[mattthemuppet2]

Installed the Z axis DRO sensor and magnetic tape.

nice clean install! what brand DRO are you installing + where did you get it from?

 

[DLF]

The DRO + sensors + magnetic tape I got them as a package from a uk online store. They are labeled electronicaems.

The DRO display is a relabeled DITRON D80 which can be bought from aliexpress.

The sensors seem to be produced in india . But they work well and build quality seems good.

I just chose to go with an european seller because of warranty and because these guys offered me a good price for the whole package: 700 euro for a complete 3 axis kit.

Also, the sensors are 1um resolution and with that reaolution I was unable to find elsewhere at decent price. I chose the 1um because I will be using them in the CNC conversion for closed loop positioning.

Here is the link where I bought my kit from:

Digital Readout and Measurement Systems

Digital Readout, linear encoders, measurement and display solutions for industrial and hobby machine-tool and hobby users.

thedroshop.com

Nice volks. Just give them an email and they will make a bundle price which will get you in the aliexpress range. Combine that with the 2y guarantee and service and it's a no brainer.

Disclaimer: besides being a happy customer, I have no other relationship with them.


Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[mattthemuppet2]

thanks, much appreciated!

 

[JimDawson]

Today was install my new 1500W under desk heater day. In the mornings I like to sit in my bathrobe, drink coffee, answer emails and surf H-M and as the weather is getting colder my legs get cold. I have been using a portable heater but it is really bulky and at least 40 years old with no safety systems in it. And I have had to repair it a few times just to keep it running. I'll keep it around as a backup, but it's really time to retire it.

Nothing too special about the install except I added a feature..... Analog heat control.

So this started out life as a standard wall heater https://www.amazon.com/Broan-Heater...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6BMHY6KKMVVFQWQ550X1


This heater is really designed for in-wall mounting, but surface mounting is acceptable. I did use some 1 inch standoffs so it has an air space behind the heater housing, and good clearance all around.

This is a 2000 watt light dimmer, handles the 1500 watt heating element just fine.

Robot Check

I have no idea what Robot Check means, I didn't put that in, it is a link to the Amazon page.



This allows me to adjust the power input to the heating element and thus the actual temperature of the output air rather than just having the heater turn on and off with the thermostat, which leaves you hot or cold, but rarely just right. I left the thermostat and safety controls in place, and am also turning the system on and off with a 20 amp light switch mounted in a convenient location next to the dimmer.

It has been pointed out to me that the installation below is out of compliance with the Oregon Electrical Code, and I will be taking corrective action. The ''power strip'' is not in a safe condition, the breaker feeding it is too large for the receptacles , 30 amp breaker and 20 amp receptacles. This needs to be corrected. I will be installing a 20 amp breaker in the panel. See the following link for details. https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...-in-your-shop-today.67833/page-76#post-693705

If this were a hardwired permanent installation there would be other out of compliance issues also, but since the whole system plugs into a receptacle I am calling it a portable heating appliance, and it is in fact portable.

ALWAYS COMPLY WITH LOCAL AND NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODES. AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, CONSULT WITH A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN.

The system runs on 120V and plugs into the power strip on the back of my desk. Now before you say a heater should not be plugged into a power strip (and in most cases you're correct) My ''power strip'' is 12 duplex, 15/20 amp, industrial rated receptacles, complete with surge protection and fed by a dedicated 30 amp 20 amp, 120V circuit and all wired with #10 wire. I built that power strip back in the day when big monitors were 400 or 500 watts, my total desk power draw was almost 2KW when I had 4 monitors connected. Today with the energy saving flat screens my total desk power draw is about 100 watts, including the TV.

Now for the fun part, you can't just connect a light dimmer to a stock heater. The fan motor would not like that at all. So a bit of modification is needed. Of course the heating element is a resistive load just like a light bulb and is perfectly happy running on a light dimmer.

So we have to separate the motor and heating element power, but keep the heater thermostat and thermal overloads intact.
So cut the white wire at the red X and insert the light dimmer.

The light dimmer doesn't care if it's on the neutral side, works just fine. So doing it this way, none of the other wiring is disturbed, and the safeties and fan motor are happy. This of course does require running an extra wire into the heater, but a small price to pay for something that works the way I want.

 

[Jubil]

Today was install my new 1500W under desk heater day. In the mornings I like to sit in my bathrobe, drink coffee, answer emails and surf H-M and as the weather is getting colder my legs get cold. I have been using a portable heater but it is really bulky and at least 40 years old with no safety systems in it. And I have had to repair it a few times just to keep it running. I'll keep it around as a backup, but it's really time to retire it.

Nothing too special about the install except I added a feature..... Analog heat control.

So this started out life as a standard wall heater https://www.amazon.com/Broan-Heater...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6BMHY6KKMVVFQWQ550X1
View attachment 305419

This heater is really designed for in-wall mounting, but surface mounting is acceptable. I did use some 1 inch standoffs so it has an air space behind the heater housing, and good clearance all around.

This is a 2000 watt light dimmer, handles the 1500 watt heating element just fine.

Robot Check

I have no idea what Robot Check means, I didn't put that in, it is a link to the Amazon page.

View attachment 305420

This allows me to adjust the power input to the heating element and thus the actual temperature of the output air rather than just having the heater turn on and off with the thermostat, which leaves you hot or cold, but rarely just right. I left the thermostat and safety controls in place, and am also turning the system on and off with a 20 amp light switch mounted in a convenient location next to the dimmer.

The system run on 120V and plugs into the power strip on the back of my desk. Now before you say a heater should not be plugged into a power strip (and in most cases you're correct) My power strip is 12 duplex, 15/20 amp, industrial rated receptacles, complete with surge protection and fed by a dedicated 30 amp, 120V circuit and all wired with #10 wire. I built that power strip back in the day when big monitors were 400 or 500 watts, my total desk power draw was almost 2KW when I had 4 monitors connected. Today with the energy saving flat screens my total desk power draw is about 100 watts, including the TV.

Now for the fun part, you can't just connect a light dimmer to a stock heater. The fan motor would not like that at all. So a bit of modification is needed. Of course the heating element is a resistive load just like a light bulb and is perfectly happy running on a light dimmer.

So we have to separate the motor and heating element power, but keep the heater thermostat and thermal overloads intact.
So cut the white wire at the red X and insert the light dimmer.

The light dimmer doesn't care if it's on the neutral side, works just fine. So doing it this way, none of the other wiring is disturbed, and the safeties and fan motor are happy. This of course does require running an extra wire into the heater, but a small price to pay for something that works the way I want.
View attachment 305422

That is not a "cool" project. But it is a good idea.
Chuck

 

[BGHansen]

Today was install my new 1500W under desk heater day. In the mornings I like to sit in my bathrobe, drink coffee, answer emails and surf H-M and as the weather is getting colder my legs get cold. I have been using a portable heater but it is really bulky and at least 40 years old with no safety systems in it. And I have had to repair it a few times just to keep it running. I'll keep it around as a backup, but it's really time to retire it.

Nothing too special about the install except I added a feature..... Analog heat control.

So this started out life as a standard wall heater https://www.amazon.com/Broan-Heater...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6BMHY6KKMVVFQWQ550X1
View attachment 305419

This heater is really designed for in-wall mounting, but surface mounting is acceptable. I did use some 1 inch standoffs so it has an air space behind the heater housing, and good clearance all around.

This is a 2000 watt light dimmer, handles the 1500 watt heating element just fine.

Robot Check

I have no idea what Robot Check means, I didn't put that in, it is a link to the Amazon page.

View attachment 305420

This allows me to adjust the power input to the heating element and thus the actual temperature of the output air rather than just having the heater turn on and off with the thermostat, which leaves you hot or cold, but rarely just right. I left the thermostat and safety controls in place, and am also turning the system on and off with a 20 amp light switch mounted in a convenient location next to the dimmer.

The system run on 120V and plugs into the power strip on the back of my desk. Now before you say a heater should not be plugged into a power strip (and in most cases you're correct) My power strip is 12 duplex, 15/20 amp, industrial rated receptacles, complete with surge protection and fed by a dedicated 30 amp, 120V circuit and all wired with #10 wire. I built that power strip back in the day when big monitors were 400 or 500 watts, my total desk power draw was almost 2KW when I had 4 monitors connected. Today with the energy saving flat screens my total desk power draw is about 100 watts, including the TV.

Now for the fun part, you can't just connect a light dimmer to a stock heater. The fan motor would not like that at all. So a bit of modification is needed. Of course the heating element is a resistive load just like a light bulb and is perfectly happy running on a light dimmer.

So we have to separate the motor and heating element power, but keep the heater thermostat and thermal overloads intact.
So cut the white wire at the red X and insert the light dimmer.

The light dimmer doesn't care if it's on the neutral side, works just fine. So doing it this way, none of the other wiring is disturbed, and the safeties and fan motor are happy. This of course does require running an extra wire into the heater, but a small price to pay for something that works the way I want.
View attachment 305422

I was going to try to make a joke about putting the blower on HIGH and blowing your skirt up, but realized you were sitting there in a robe.

Bruce

 

[francist]

Nothing terrifically exciting, just one more indicator holder aka trav-a-dial. This one is for the x-axis on the MF horizontal miller.

I could have used a magnetic base and skipped a bunch of steps, but as much as I like magnets they can be a tad annoying sometimes. And besides, there was a perfect T-slot on the front of the table just begging to be used.



The basic form was derived from a piece of aluminum angle in the scrap box, and a bit of whittling and filing fleshed out the details. I made a double T-nut not because it needs to be so heavy duty but so that the indicator stays lined up when changing positions. Not that that’s so hard to, but it was an easy workaround so I did it. Shapers are great for making T-nuts. There was already a 1/4-20 tapped hole conveniently located on the front edge of the cross slide (for what I don’t know) so I took advantage of that for locating a small tab for the device to bear against.



All in all in works pretty good and does what I want it to. No batteries, no cables, no wires, and it slides off with two turns of the wrist if I need the space for something else.



Thanks for looking!

-frank

 

[FE427TP]

Today was install my new 1500W under desk heater day. In the mornings I like to sit in my bathrobe, drink coffee, answer emails and surf H-M and as the weather is getting colder my legs get cold. I have been using a portable heater but it is really bulky and at least 40 years old with no safety systems in it. And I have had to repair it a few times just to keep it running. I'll keep it around as a backup, but it's really time to retire it.

Nothing too special about the install except I added a feature..... Analog heat control.

So this started out life as a standard wall heater https://www.amazon.com/Broan-Heater...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6BMHY6KKMVVFQWQ550X1
View attachment 305419

This heater is really designed for in-wall mounting, but surface mounting is acceptable. I did use some 1 inch standoffs so it has an air space behind the heater housing, and good clearance all around.

This is a 2000 watt light dimmer, handles the 1500 watt heating element just fine.

Robot Check

I have no idea what Robot Check means, I didn't put that in, it is a link to the Amazon page.

View attachment 305420

This allows me to adjust the power input to the heating element and thus the actual temperature of the output air rather than just having the heater turn on and off with the thermostat, which leaves you hot or cold, but rarely just right. I left the thermostat and safety controls in place, and am also turning the system on and off with a 20 amp light switch mounted in a convenient location next to the dimmer.

The system run on 120V and plugs into the power strip on the back of my desk. Now before you say a heater should not be plugged into a power strip (and in most cases you're correct) My power strip is 12 duplex, 15/20 amp, industrial rated receptacles, complete with surge protection and fed by a dedicated 30 amp, 120V circuit and all wired with #10 wire. I built that power strip back in the day when big monitors were 400 or 500 watts, my total desk power draw was almost 2KW when I had 4 monitors connected. Today with the energy saving flat screens my total desk power draw is about 100 watts, including the TV.

Now for the fun part, you can't just connect a light dimmer to a stock heater. The fan motor would not like that at all. So a bit of modification is needed. Of course the heating element is a resistive load just like a light bulb and is perfectly happy running on a light dimmer.

So we have to separate the motor and heating element power, but keep the heater thermostat and thermal overloads intact.
So cut the white wire at the red X and insert the light dimmer.

The light dimmer doesn't care if it's on the neutral side, works just fine. So doing it this way, none of the other wiring is disturbed, and the safeties and fan motor are happy. This of course does require running an extra wire into the heater, but a small price to pay for something that works the way I want.
View attachment 305422

Several things illegal under Oregon State law with this post due to the dangerous conditions created, please do not duplicate this information.
see 210.21, 404.3, 404.14.

edited 404.21 to the correct requirement of 404.14

 

[JimDawson]

Several things illegal under Oregon State law with this post due to the dangerous conditions created, please do not duplicate this information.
see 210.21, 404.3, 404.21.

What rule book are those paragraphs in? I can't find them.

EDIT: Found them

 

[FE427TP]

Oregon electrical code