Project updates - What do you have going on?

[rockrat]

Thought that it might be a good time to see what everyone is up to project wise. A few have been listed here in the past few days but I know with the new year approaching, your re-working your project list.

Me - With some time off and a bit of money in my pocket, I have found another project to get into.

I found an Bridgeport M-head at the local dealer. We made a good deal on it and I brought it home. I plan to attach it to the round ram on the Van Norman so that I have a quick way to drill holes.

I really like the quill feed of a Bridgeport in comparison to the way my VN drilling attachment works. Dont get me wrong, if I had to drill a 2" hole in something, the VN attachment would be the way to go. On the VN, a big handle turns a fine screw and makes the drill plunge. Fine screw + big handle = the force a 2" drill would need.

But I mostly use smaller drills and mills. No wonder Bridgeport made adapters to fit their head to other equipment. What vision. That head was a great design.

Here are some shots. And yes, it was together when I got it. I just couldnt wait to start working on it and took the photos a bit late.

Here is the head with the round ram attachment in the background.
Click for larger photo.


A bit of braze helped me get a great deal. Looks like someone forgot that they were on the bottom of the quill stop and kept turning the handle. Wonder who got the dope-slap for that. Whoever it was, I bet it was not hard enough.


Belt cover and sheaves.


And here is what I should get by the time I'm done.
This is a photo of a fellows VN with a head on it. Nice work dont ya think. His machine is a bit smaller than mine but I think that the head will do just fine.



So what are all of you up to?

[timh]

Is that a vertical slotter i see ? Would he by chance have a manual ? If not could you take some close ups of it for me. Thanks bob

[rockrat]

Is that a vertical slotter i see ? Would he by chance have a manual ? If not could you take some close ups of it for me. Thanks bob

Nope, there is not one shown there. But I have one.



I have since cleaned it up and gave it a coat of paint. Works nice.
Oh, I have a slaes flier for it. I could email it to you. Its a 70kb photo.
rock-

[Evan]

I finished cleaning out my store this morning and locked the door on it for the last time. I'm going to take some time off. I might even get back in the shop.

[wierdscience]

I got to cleanup.
Put a tranny in my forklift.
Cleanup.
Fix the roof on my woodshop.
Cleanup.
Put a new fence on my tablesaw.
Cleanup.
Haul off more scrap.
Cleanup.
Fix my Mini-mill,again,before tearing it apart for another mod.
Cleanup.
Finish building an RPC I started building 3 years ago.
Cleanup
Fire up a bandsaw I rebuilt 3 years ago,but needed the afore mentioned RPC to power up.
Cleanup.
Pour more floor and put a building over it.

........shouldn't take more than a decade

[Alistair Hosie]

Darin you have been a great friend to me over the years just wanted you to know I have not forgotten your kindness to me hope you have a great new year and all the others here to Alistair

[Furnace]

1. Make the gib for my lathe..still havent got it fixed close to a year of having the lathe.
2. Figure out the VFD for lathe
3. Got plans for the Tinker coming
4. Figure out how to make a cool little cart to tow my son in behind my bike.

[charlie coghill]

Well I am working on a set of casting that will look like this 3X5X4 steam engine.


Also the first of Dec I started this smoker for our local Lions Club.

Other than that I don't have any thing to do.

[old-biker-uk]

Stuff into Things

I do the odd bit of leatherwork, mostly stuff for the bikes like saddlebags, toolbags etc., so the latest projects are some decent tools for the job.

Strap Cutter, I made the traditional blade from hardened gauge plate but it works better with surgical scalpel blades. There are some pics. of the construction here http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/remark/pa...ies/tools.html


Circle Cutter
All from the scrap box apart from the handle plates on the strap cutter which are Cocobolo left over from a woodturning job.
Mark

[thistle]

well , i would like to make something like this ....



however in the mean time in the shop i have a bunch of machinery fixer uppers in progress, lots of organising to do, a couple of pain in the ass paying jobs to get out the way , electrical stuff toup grade lights to put in , set up all the foundry stufff........I dont need to work

[sdeering]

Finally got the Bridgeport boss 5 converted over to Mach3, Campbell breakout, Larken Cobra drives and rewound homemade 70V DC power supply.

This is the first placement of electronics, I have since moved things around in the old PC case and installed a fan for each driver.
This has revitalized the old mill. It’s quite amazing how 30lbs of new technology replaces 500lbs of old and is much easier to use.
Have a happy new-year all.
Stephen

[john hobdeclipe]

Some projects for 2007

Abridged version of the edited short list:

Build 10 X 30 storage loft in shop.

Re-arrange shop.

Dissasemble, clean, and rebuild Rockwell ToolMaker grinder.

Re-arrange shop.

Partition off an area for grinding.

Re-arrange shop.

Build storage racks for lumber & other materials.

Re-arrange shop.

Install dust collection system.

Re-arrange shop.

Make something that I can sell to bring in some cash for the next item.

Re-arrange shop.

Acquire and install an affordable () CNC router suitable for cutting wood, wood products, plastics and nonferrous metals.

Re-arrange shop.

Put new roof on barn.

Re-arrange shop.

Build new garden tool shed.

Re-arrange shop.

Convert generator to propane.

Re-arrange shop.

Note that this is just my own little list, and that the boss hasn't given me hers yet. I've been hearing rumors about replacing air conditioners, installing a stained glass window in the dining room, fixing the driveway gate, bricking a walkway or two, planting some trees, etc., etc., etc.

[charlie coghill]

Thistle that would be a nice project and a lot of fun when it was afloat.

[plastikosmd]

projects

playin in the garage..gettin ready for snow...found a factory plow for my quadractor ( www.quadractor.com ) added a snow cab to my 1967 allis b12, kubota..am fixin to add a blower to the rear..and the crawler in the garage..just got all new tranny seals..will install tranny tomorrow..then wire starting/generator system..then battery box..seat..then done..until i weld up a backhoe for it.
scott

[darryl]

Whaddyall mean, clean up, rearrange, clean up, rearrange- That's what I've been up to. I now have a hobby desk set up with an overhead light bar which is populated with those fluorescent screw-ins. This will be a test to see how well I can get along with only those lights on. Already I see a need to put a shroud around the bulbs so they don't shine directly into my eyes when I stand or look up. 4 shrouds will be easy to make from thin sheet al. That's my tonite project.

I've been working on setting up this desk/workbench which I'll use to work (play) on my model cars. I used to enjoy messing around with slot cars, and I'd like to ressurect that hobby. Of course it'll be a modern version of it- no more slots anyway. I have an attic space which I plan on converting into a track layout, and I have some ideas for the track which I'd like to try.

Been scrapping a lot of electronics this week- keeping good parts and tossing the bulk of it. Just got rid of 5 printers today. One had a very interesting laser optical system in it, where the laser beam reflects off a rotating six sided mirror, goes through a few corrective plastic lenses, off front surface mirrors, etc. Some of these printers have a steel rod which is coated with some kind of grit, presumable for good grip on paper. I wonder whiat this grit is- maybe carbide particles- gonna experiment with this.

Got some clear casting resin- gonna play with that in the next few days.

Happy new year!