POTD- PROJECT OF THE DAY: What Did You Make In Your Shop Today?

Wanting to try cutting gears, I decided on making a bottle capper using a rack and pinion even though I mostly keg my homebrew.

So, here's the final result. I'm pleased on how it turned out. It's mostly aluminum with stainless steel hardware and a few pieces of mild steel.

IMG_6248.jpg
 
A little progress on the gantry crane. The plan was to use a couple of chain fall hand wheels to move the gantry and carriage with the chain fall around. As clocking of the gantry will be important (to keep it square), it will have a shaft spanning to the rails with sprockets that engage roller chain run the length of each rail. This way both ends are clocked to each other and it stays square.

Found a couple of hand wheels that can be used to turn that clocking shaft. These are nice big wheels, over 12" in diameter and should make moving the gantry a breeze.

However, over a week was spent trying to find chain for these NOS wheels. Nothing available locally, tractor supply, HF, or hardware stores had anything similar. Sizing the chain is pretty critical, and most chain sizes aren't close to what's needed for these old wheels.

Clay.jpg

After finally measuring some of the dimensions from an air hardening clay cast, ropes, and comparing to some existing hand wheel chain, two suitable candidates were located on line. Both appear to work, although the larger of the two isn't exactly the right pitch (slightly long), it would work. Had to order samples to verify fit.

3-0 Size.jpg5-0 Size.jpg

I think the size 3/0 chain is actually the correct pitch. The 5/0 chain is very close, but slightly longer than needed. The nice thing about this chain is it's electroplated with zinc, so it will be a little cleaner to operate. Now to order the rest of the chain, and start prepping the the gantry build...

The joys of having 10 projects going at once! :)
 
Spent Sunday in the shop watching football with the Labrador and making cartridge brass prep neck turners. I decided that it would be fun to make instead of buy at $40 each and the manufacturer was nice enough to share thread dimensions with me to get me started.

I am heavily OCD in preparing cartridge brass. I am converting a small Grizzly lathe, G0745, into a brass prep station (more on that soon, almost done). These are cutters that will turn in the 4 jaw chuck while the brass is held accurately (and I use that term loosely) in the tailstock. I bought the first ones from KM (blue anodized in center). Decided it was too much of a hassle to change pilots, adjust cutters every time I sit down. Even if it wasn't a hassle I would be stuck with re setting the cutters each time, sacrificing brass to get to where I want to be. I made 10 of them, 7 for cartridges I currently have, and 3 of them for players to be named later (if the wife will have it).

Here is the set (blue one in the center I bought):
IMG_9135.jpg
Here is the details and one taken apart:
IMG_9136.jpgIMG_9137.jpg

The pilot doubles as a drive for the cutter. The back half goes into a collet I made for the 4 jaw chuck. On the top is a SHCS that captivates the pilot. Next to that is the threaded cutter that threads into the adjusting nut. It is threaded 5-44. The adjusting nut is drill rod threaded 1/4-40 on the OD and knurled, and 5-44 on the ID. When assembled and installed, it affords a very fine adjustment, around .0002 DOC per 30 degrees of rotation. I made my own pilots, also from drill rod, so that I do not have to resize the case as a secondary op. The SHCS and washer lock the cutter down when The setting is to my liking.

And the trucks. Paw-in-law passed away a couple years ago. He was collecting these Danbury Mint vehicles, about 20 of them, complete with little paper titles. I have been tasked with getting them in selling condition.
 
I am heavily OCD in preparing cartridge brass. I am converting a small Grizzly lathe, G0745, into a brass prep station (more on that soon, almost done). These are cutters that will turn in the 4 jaw chuck while the brass is held accurately
These look great! Can you post some pictures of them in action? I'd really like to see the whole setup.

BTW, you can never be too OCD with cartridge prep! ;)
 
Little Tip.

I somehow inherited a few very thick grade 8 washers, 1/2" ID. They're absolutely great for clamping vises and other hardware on a mill table. I was running low, and found some on McMaster that were very similar to the ones I had:
https://www.mcmaster.com/98025A133/

These are probably know to cause fear in the state of California. ;)

What's really nice is they are thick enough to spread the load, and it seems like the vise doesn't tend to slide around when snugging them up.


ThickWasher.jpg
 
Resized again:
rope-washer.jpg

I am building another one. I can start a thread on details if there is interest. It is not very complex. Two sets of brushes and a fan shaped sprayer.
It was very useful after this:
Photo Oct 09 2022, 12 15 51 PM.jpg
 
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These look great! Can you post some pictures of them in action? I'd really like to see the whole setup.

BTW, you can never be too OCD with cartridge prep! ;)
I’ve seen more noses twisted and ears bitten off during conversations regarding neck turning than any other topic including those of church and state.
IF this works, here is a one minute one handed video of a cutter taking brass off of a worn out 300 win mag case. I wouldn’t normally take this much off in a pass but this way you can see the chips coming off. The pilot is charged with moly-d
I’ll start a different post on what is going on with the Grizzly later (putting lipstick on a pig as it were).

 

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