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

[rabler]

Not sure which helped my welding more, a new inverter based MIG unit, or buying a new helmet with easily replaced lenses. I’m sure some of these helmets use fancy lense covers just so you can’t use cheap replacements

 

[dkemppai]

It's been a fixing stuff week. Microwave stopped rotating the glass plate. So had to replace the motor on that thing. I'm not sure if I'm happy or upset that they anticipated this problem, and stamped in a break-free bottom cover over the motor. How crappy of a drive motor did you choose, that when you're designing the product you just KNOW it will fail so make it easy to get at? It was nice to be able to get at, but come on, did you really expect me to have to replace it?


Motor replaced, but the female D drive in the plate coupler is also worn out. Why is this a $35 part??? Fortunately, the part number is stamped on the part, and the sharp OEM units are cheaper than the GE units.

I really truly hate working on white good products.

Of course the plate roller ring is obsolete (It's only 5 years old!!!). This one is worn a bit. Nothing that size exists anywhere in the world right now. Thought about making new parts, but not sure what food/microwave safe plastic I'm looking for to start with. Guess I'll have to do more research, as I'd hate to stick anything in there that off gasses dioxins or something!



The battery upgrade to the old chinese caliper blew out this week. So, had to replace the 'Extended Life' battery pack with a more 'sleek design' (only because I didn't have any more AA battery packs.).


And for kicks, I added some liquid 'lectrical tape body filler. That should keep chips out, and keep the wires under control. Maybe a few more coats for good measure!

At least this one is back to working order so I can hate it on a daily basis. Wouldn't want to wear out the new mitutoyo! lol.

 

[woodchucker]

It's been a fixing stuff week. Microwave stopped rotating the glass plate. So had to replace the motor on that thing. I'm not sure if I'm happy or upset that they anticipated this problem, and stamped in a break-free bottom cover over the motor. How crappy of a drive motor did you choose, that when you're designing the product you just KNOW it will fail so make it easy to get at? It was nice to be able to get at, but come on, did you really expect me to have to replace it?
View attachment 480690

Motor replaced, but the female D drive in the plate coupler is also worn out. Why is this a $35 part??? Fortunately, the part number is stamped on the part, and the sharp OEM units are cheaper than the GE units.
View attachment 480691
I really truly hate working on white good products.

Of course the plate roller ring is obsolete (It's only 5 years old!!!). This one is worn a bit. Nothing that size exists anywhere in the world right now. Thought about making new parts, but not sure what food/microwave safe plastic I'm looking for to start with. Guess I'll have to do more research, as I'd hate to stick anything in there that off gasses dioxins or something!



The battery upgrade to the old chinese caliper blew out this week. So, had to replace the 'Extended Life' battery pack with a more 'sleek design' (only because I didn't have any more AA battery packs.).
View attachment 480687 View attachment 480686

And for kicks, I added some liquid 'lectrical tape body filler. That should keep chips out, and keep the wires under control. Maybe a few more coats for good measure!
View attachment 480685
At least this one is back to working order so I can hate it on a daily basis. Wouldn't want to wear out the new mitutoyo! lol.

I would just take that caliper and make it a DRO on your drill press or tailstock of your lathe. Go buy another.

 

[dkemppai]

I would just take that caliper and make it a DRO on your drill press or tailstock of your lathe. Go buy another.

That's how I knew about the battery pack + resistor trick for this one.

I did buy another. 12" Mitutoyo. I'm afraid to use it! It's too clean and shiny and expensive! lol.

 

[bctexas]

A neighbor has a small John Deere farm tractor with a mowing deck. Part of the deck lift mechanism, a rod with three brackets welded to it, broke - one end broke off. They don't sell this 10 year old part any more - they will only sell a redesigned assembly for about $400. Setting it up in the mill to remove the broken stub was simple enough, but I could not think of a way to chuck it in the lathe and spin it to drill and tap the end for a repair part to thread in, and mounting it in vertically the mill was going to be a hassle at best. After much thought, I hit on the idea to mount it in a lathe tool holder. I machined a piece of steel the same diameter as the shaft so I could align the part with the center line of the lathe. Then removed the lathe chuck and installed my drill chuck in the spindle. Turning and threading the repair part was straightforward. Now the question is - will it work/survive.....

 

[dkemppai]

I love that thought process. Using the lathe backwards. Gonna have to remember that one!

I've used my 3/8" shank 1JT drill chuck in a 5c collet to hold small parts, but not a drill bit!

 

[Larry$]

Last year I got a new WestBend "StirCrazy popper for my birthday. It only worked for a couple of months then wouldn't stay hot enough to finish popping. Today I took it apart expecting to find the thermostat bad. The wire connector to the thermostat was just touching the pin that it should have slid over. I scratched the char off the pin and crimped the connector to a tight fit. Back together and it works great. As cheesy as this sort of thing is made it's a wonder they work at all.

 

[pontiac428]

Last year I got a new WestBend "StirCrazy popper for my birthday. It only worked for a couple of months then wouldn't stay hot enough to finish popping. Today I took it apart expecting to find the thermostat bad. The wire connector to the thermostat was just touching the pin that it should have slid over. I scratched the char off the pin and crimped the connector to a tight fit. Back together and it works great. As cheesy as this sort of thing is made it's a wonder they work at all.

That, and with three failed lunar landings this year, it's a wonder we're not taking a hard look at quality management across the board. Don't get me started on recalls, those are only from the lawsuits that succeed. We're all involuntary beta testers whether we like it or not! And don't get me started on surge pricing... Hell in a handbasket, that's our path. No doomsday glacier is going to quell those flames. Now you've got me started...

 

[Janderso]

Working on learning cutting angles and such, so I decided to make a thread protector:


I also made enough room on the bench to start cleaning up the Barker mill, so I guess I am going to start a thread on that.

Pics for the Barker mill please

 

[Alcap]

The compound on my bench lathe was made so cheaply made , not even dovetails on the slide . Reading so much here about removing the compound and using a solid mount seemed like the way to go . This lathe is similar to the older Smithy lathe/mills but without the mill . It has a pretty good swing and uses a square table that the compound mounted on . I wanted to be able move the solid mount but the T slots kind of crisscrossed so making a 1/2” plate with a slot at one corner the other two could move back and forth in the T slot . It gives me about 1 3/4” movement front and back . The main part was 3” OD turned down to fit into the plate then welded both sides ,then a flat milled for clearance. Tested it on some rusty 1” shaft that had two key ways in it . A .050 “ cut was way more then I was ever able to do before and it really made a difference