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

[savarin]

Made the lead head for the hammer today.
Wrapped some thin steel can around the hub

I heated the steel hub (a bit too hot as you will see)
Then heated the lead ingot with the gas torch so the molten lead filled the mold.
As can be seen the lead was so liquid it ran around the tin can and leaked out the bottom.
I had to keep melting lead till the leak froze and I could fill the mold.
The bolt screws into the steel hub and the molten lead flows around the bolt head locking it in place.
I havnt tried to unscrew it yet.

The can steel peeled off with no problems.

I could have left it like that but decided to clean and pretty it up a tad.

It wont look that clean for long, one smack and ugly times again.
Now to cast some brass for the other head that will be the same size as the lead one.

 

[pontiac428]

Finished making some parts for the Harold Hall grinder rest. Been working on this for a few weeks and I am very happy with the results that this rest can produce. I have purchased several of his books and highly recommend them

You have just proven how much can be done without going any further than the home shop metal stock and scrap bin. Excellent work showing how the fundamentals beat tech and capital every time. Welcome to the forum, Tony- make yourself at comfortable, you've found the right place!

 

[dkemppai]

I bet you'd get good results using alloy steel as a base material and powder torching some tungsten carbide doping on the cutting edges in a nonmachineable 65 hardness nickel powder base. That's how they do plow discs and swather blades (and how my dad taught me how to do lifetime service mower blades as a side gig).

I've heard of this process. Currently not set up to do so. One more set of tools I probably shouldn't be looking int buying at the moment. Apparently, the Weld Mold 958 has been used on the business end of mower blades. I think they recommend against this, for fear of it flying off. However, I doubt that would be worse than all the rock we have around here, so this summer might give that a try.

Currently still messing with the XPS foam project. I've found a half dozen way NOT to laminate blue or pink board foam! Turns out that process isn't trivial. Buying it in 6" thickness is possible, but seems like the minimum is a truck load of it. Been trying different glues and adhesives that are still 'machinable' (i.e, NOT tacky, not too brittle hard, and that actually cure and don't melt the foam...). The one that currently looks like it might work and is still affordable is gorilla glue.

However, since gorilla glue requires moisture to start curing, there is a process involved. The trick is to wipe the blue board down with a really wet rag right before application of the glue while the foam surface is still holding on to the water. I think this works even though the EPS is closed cell, because there are still enough open pores on the XPS surface to hang on to the water. Once both surfaces are covered, adhere them together, and start piling weights on to keep them pressed tight. Will probably try a big sample today.

 

[ChazzC]

"Made" a case for my new (to me) 12" Dual Beam Dial Height Gauge I had purchased a couple of weeks ago:


Started with a Husky 26" Tool Box, added a bunch of upholstery foam then a couple of layers of 1/2" PE foam. The Egg Crate foam was in my box of scraps from some package in the distant past. I think I spent less on the case & foams than the gauge, but it was probably close; at least it will be safe, even if I drop the box!

 

[woodchucker]

"Made" a case for my new (to me) 12" Dual Beam Dial Height Gauge I had purchased a couple of weeks ago:

View attachment 439951
Started with a Husky 26" Tool Box, added a bunch of upholstery foam then a couple of layers of 1/2" PE foam. The Egg Crate foam was in my box of scraps from some package in the distant past. I think I spent less on the case & foams than the gauge, but it was probably close; at least it will be safe, even if I drop the box!

my starrett lives outside of the box. Not that I use it enough, but it's just a pain to get that big box out of the draw with all the other stuff, so I decided it stays out. And when I use it, I wipe it with the rag that has fluid film soaked into it.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

Been working on the Humongous Fungus all day today. Replaced the rear brake cylinders, shoes and bled the brakes with my daughter's help.

Bletch, I hate drum brakes


Did another drain and fill on the automatic transmission, fluid was slightly less disgusting second time round.

And, even better, I fixed the AC! Super important in Texas pretty much anytime of the year. Took the panel off and when I took it apart I found one standoff broken, just behind the AC and recirc buttons. I reckon that allowed the back to flex away from the buttons, stopping them from working.

Drilled, tapped and jb welded a 4-40 stand off in place of the broken one.

Then spent ages remaking a small plastic bit that I dropped and lost on the floor

And it works! No more sweating my nuts off driving around

 

[dkemppai]

Bletch, I hate drum brakes

I used to feel the same way. But honestly, after looking at brakes on the wife's car with 130k miles on them, and zero corrosion in our snow/salt/slop part of the country, I've changed my mind. Comparing that to the disc rears on other vehicles of similar vintage, the drums needed nothing done, discs are always freezing up with corrosion.

 

[mattthemuppet2]

Fair enough, I just hate all the dang springs

 

[great white]

Fair enough, I just hate all the dang springs

Get the special tool to install/remove them and its a piece of cake.

 

[ChazzC]

my starrett lives outside of the box. Not that I use it enough, but it's just a pain to get that big box out of the draw with all the other stuff, so I decided it stays out. And when I use it, I wipe it with the rag that has fluid film soaked into it.

My previous 12" Digital came in a blow-molded case, so was shallow, but didn't want to take up valuable drawer space so it's on edge on a shelf. This case/toolbox is sitting on top of the (covered & protected) surface plate: keeps other, more potentially harmful (to the surface plate), items from being placed there.

For rust protection, I use Zerust tabs in most of tool storage boxes/cases: