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

BGHansen said:
I've also used carpet tape when using the diamond drag engraver, it works great and releases okay when soaked in lacquer thinner. I made the hobby horse below for a grand-niece and engraved a brass plaque that is attached under the front cross-member. The thin brass was taped to a plate of aluminum as you described above.

You'll see the wavy path in the last photo vs. a crisp line; I found that running the diamond drag at a slow RPM of around 200 RPMs yielded the wavy line. I'm guessing it was from the slop in the spring-loaded tip into the base. Spinning it at 1000+ gave me a straight line.

Another aside is regarding Tormach's conversational routines for DXF files and text engraving. DXF files have depth parameters for the start, depth, and end of the cut. It's pretty simple to make multiple passes of increasing depth. However, their Engrave text conversational routine has depth parameters of start and depth of cut (no progressive step-down parameter). I can do a DXF starting at 0, and make repetitive passes advancing 0.010" per pass to a final depth of 0.050" (for example) in one shot. To do the same thing in Engrave text, I need to enter a routine at a start of 0 with a DOC of 0.010", then add additional routines with a new DOC to cut progressively deeper. It's a pretty easy workaround, though I'm curious why they have a step-down feature in DXF engraving and not in text engraving.

Maybe I'll enter a ticket to Tormach, I've been VERY HAPPY with their response. Long story longer, Tormach implemented a suggestion I threw at them 5 years ago involving DXF engraving. Their generated G-code included a spindle and coolant stop at the end of each shape. Then, move to the next shape, turn the spindle and coolant on, then drop Z to cut the next shape. Once the shape was cut, raise Z to Z-clear, shut the spindle and coolant off, and move to the next shape; rinse and repeat. I suggested that once the DXF was started, leave the spindle and coolant on while moving to the next shape. The repetitive spindle/coolant on/offs in the routine tripled the run time. I used G-edit to comment out all of the spindle/coolant start/stops (except for the first on and last off), but they implemented the suggestion.


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Wavy engraving using a diamond drag at low RPM vs. higher RPM below.
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DXF routine has parameters for start depth, end depth, and step-down to get to the end depth
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Text engraving has a start depth and finished depth, no parameter for step-down.
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One of the more difficult tasks with engraving ttf fonts is most of them aren't single line fonts. I found several on line and if you add them to the font library is PathPilot, it is more than happy to use them. I am still using an old version of PathPilot, the same that was current when I moved from Mach 3 to PathPilot. I have been hesitant to make the upgrade as what I have works and I don't want to upset the apple cart.. It is lacking in some features but so far, I've been able to do everything I have to.
 
Last weekend I finished the DRO install on my PM1030 lathe. Came up with some solutions for the interference issues that the cross slide scale presents on these machines with the gib adjusters, cross slide lock and carriage lock. Captured wrenches now operate the two locks, and gib adjustment requires setting aside the cross slide scale (4 SHCS's to access) Also added a SHCS as a stop so the tailstock can't impact the scale.

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In the end I wasn't feeling all warm and fuzzy about the scale cord management. The cord conduits were flexing near the reader terminations too much as the carriage moved across its range. That was going to result in issues in short order. So, yesterday I installed a cable chain, which gave a nice result. Now those termination ends do not flex at all.

If I were to offer any advice to somebody considering doing similar, I would say buy high quality cable chain from McMsster. I used chinese material off Amazon, and a few of the tabs that you snap shut after installing the cable like to pop back open on the cheap stuff.

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View attachment 1000002104.mp4
 
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ChazzC said:
Thanks! Thinking about, this is a Winky-ish approach.
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Abom has a video showing how to cut a key way using a lathe, too. But I can’t find it with the crippled YouTube app on my phone. I found the one where he uses his shaper, and another one where he uses his horizontal boring machine. And a zillion of them cut in a vertical mill.

As does Mr. Pete:


Personally, I would grind a tool for a boring bar that takes HSS bits.

Rick “if I couldn’t use the mill or the lathe’s milling attachment” Denney
 
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Another project last weekend was plumbing out a low-pressure air system for the lathe & mill. I used a regulator I had for airbrushing to set pressure at 20psi, and used poly line with push-to-connect connectors. Coiled hoses now live at the lathe & mill. Also there are valved 1/4" ports on both the mill and lathe that a Loc-line magnetic manifold can be plugged into for cooling, clearing chips, etc. This is off a tee from the main air system, so the rest of the shop still has 160+ psi available.

Regulator off a spare port.
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Lathe LP air hose
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Mill LP air hose
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Loc-line magnetic manifold
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Mill 1/4" port
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Lathe 1/4" port & cover of delrin
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Jussi H. said:
I've tried one a couple of times and while it's not a necessity, it saves time. I cannot justify purchasing one, but I'm only building wheels as a hobby.


Indeed and it's constantly getting even more artsy. Take, for example, PolyLight spokes :grin:
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That is not "artsy" that is stupid and asking for trouble. I mean, who the h3ll thought up that particular idiocracy? Anyone for a near-death experience? sheesh! I knew people were stupid and gullible but that takes the pee eye ess ess!

I'll take steel / Stainless spokes over shoelace spokes any day of the week.
 
RJSakowski said:
One of the more difficult tasks with engraving ttf fonts is most of them aren't single line fonts. I found several on line and if you add them to the font library is PathPilot, it is more than happy to use them. I am still using an old version of PathPilot, the same that was current when I moved from Mach 3 to PathPilot. I have been hesitant to make the upgrade as what I have works and I don't want to upset the apple cart.. It is lacking in some features but so far, I've been able to do everything I have to.
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I'm still running PathPilot 2.7.2 which was released in January 2021; like you, everything works for me, why take the chance of fouling something up?

At the time, CNCZone.com had members who watched for updates and announced them to the community. I'd update PathPilot at the machine on my next trip out to the shop. Fortunately, someone on that forum played guinea pig before I did and downloaded 2.7.3 on their 1100 Series 3 (same machine I have). The update bricked their ATC. Tormach had it fixed by the next release, but I stayed with 2.7.2 which was stable for me.

There's a Facebook page for 'Tormach Operators' where I posted a recent question if 2.10.1 (current version released in Winter 2023) was working okay on 1100S3 machines; it is. I use that version on PathPilot HUB to run my virtual routines; they made some user interface changes, but for the most part, it looks the same to me. I'll stick with 2.7.2.
 
Spent some time on the bench with the new set of cheap square collets and some ruby stones. Knocked all the burrs off the edges, and even ran a touch of scotchbrite on the threads. Much nicer now. And the 1/4" even holds 1/4" HSS square tooling. The 3/8" holds 3/8" HSS tooling too.
This should make the D-bit grinder a lot easier to use to touch up HSS lathe tools.

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Once the stones were on the bench, I made a light pass over the set of squares. One or two had some light nicks in the corners that the stones took down. Checking them against the cylinder square shows they're right on except for one of them. That one looks like it's got a high spot on one back corner, maybe a little bit of physical damage. Overall these are a nice addition to the tool box.

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Lastly, been doing a little cad work and figuring how to fit an spindle encoder on the old Sheldon lathe in preparation for a ELS type setup. The goal is NOT to make any physical changes to the existing lathe hardware. That is, not cutting of castings to make room. I want this machine to look as original as possible.

Looks like I can fit an encoder in there, if I use a 2:1 speed up from the spindle to the encoder. But since I want to use the encoder index pulse to know absolute spindle position that ratio isn't ideal. Finally settled on using a second hall effect pickup on the spindle to blank out one of the two encoder pulses per spindle revolution. Looking at mounting a magnet and pickup now.

Lastly, brushing up on the Teensy 4.x hardware encoders. Those look very capable, and should make decoding multiple quadrature signals a breeze.
 
Got lucky, threw a bunch of rusty washers in a cup with vinegar and threw that into the ultrasonic. Most of the rust came off, then noticed while cleaning up that they were marked 316... Whatever screw was attached gave it's rust to the washers. These are 316SS a magnet confirms it. Glad I didn't throw them out, sometimes it pays to try a quick cleaning.
 
woodchucker said:
Got lucky, threw a bunch of rusty washers in a cup with vinegar and threw that into the ultrasonic. Most of the rust came off, then noticed while cleaning up that they were marked 316... Whatever screw was attached gave it's rust to the washers. These are 316SS a magnet confirms it. Glad I didn't throw them out, sometimes it pays to try a quick cleaning.
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Stainless can rust. If you get some iron or rust pushed into it, it can start the process. Using welding brushes that are carbon steel on a stainless weld joint is one place you can get into trouble.
 
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