What did you get yourself for Christmas?

[wierdscience]

Do you have a link for this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XXX3GJ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I actually paid a bit more back when I bought mine, there are two models of these things, A&B. The B model is 110vac and the A model is 220v.

[wierdscience]

I don't usually get myself christmas presents, but chance made that I discovered this. A slotting head for a Deckel FP2. This can come in handy for different types of operations, it basically turns the mill into a vertical mini-shaper. Main purpose is slotting for drive keys, but also splines can be made, and other types of operations. Downside is I have to lift off the vertical head to replace it, and that's heavy enough to be a two man job. So I'm gonna have to build a small jib crane that I probably bolt to the floor for the express purpose of moving accessories on and off the mill and workbench.

That's nice, doesn't look like it's ever been used.

[wierdscience]

Do you often have to cut really thick material such as in the video? Just curious.

Yes, and usually repeats of the same part. I have been farming it out to a local shop that has a large oxy/fuel CNC table, but they have a setup fee that applies no matter what size the part is. Small things like this machine will cut get pricey.

[A.K. Boomer]

Well, it's complicated. The short answer is yes, if I'm ruddering on the lee side. I'm also an old whitewater hand and have pretty good reflexes left over. It's an odd rig. I had a long chat with the designers and they said they designed using that type of sail so that as you heel it spills way more wind than a normal sail would so it's actually self correcting. The other weirdness of it is the leeboard system in place of a keel or centerboard. Dunno if you know much sailing theory, but on multi-sail boats you want to trim the sails so that the pressure balances on the keel and you need very little rudder action to steer straight. But on this one you don't trim the sails, you trim the leeboards! By moving them fore and aft you can actually alter course. So sometimes I barely have to rudder.

That said, I had a close call my last time out. I was on a nice beam reach back to my put-in and decided to troll for stripers. As I cast the rod out the wind gusted and I went wayyyy over to leeward! The spilling sails and those whitewater instincts saved me, it was just like getting your rail caught by an eddyline, and my body heaved way out to windward. Put the fear of God in me alright! I was in a drysuit but it still would have been quite the swim getting it back over and back in.

Yeah I can see that --- casting is when it's going to happen lol one thing for sure - once you go over your not going to get a typical roll back, the sail will stick to the water like glue lol so yeah your going to get your balls wet... that being said there might actually be some predictablity with it as it takes time to flip im thinking... pretty cool hope you have allot of fun with it... like the little windows so you can see through the blind spot too...

[Bob Engelhardt]

Pattern cutting torch, you cut out a steel template in the shape you want and mount it on the overarm of the machine. The tracing arm has rotating magnetic stylus that follows the template, the motor being variable speed. ...

A gas torch pantograph.

It looks like it could easily be adapted to use a plasma torch, depending upon the torch & thickness to be cut. More useful for multiple pieces than thick pieces.

[Dan Dubeau]

Also got an Ice tranducer for my Garmin fish finder. That was a nice surprise this morning. Now if the lakes would just freeze up a bit more....

[wierdscience]

A gas torch pantograph.

It looks like it could easily be adapted to use a plasma torch, depending upon the torch & thickness to be cut. More useful for multiple pieces than thick pieces.

I hope to have my CNC plasma up and running by summer, but plasma isn't so great for thick material, at least not much over 1" in thickness.

I have a plasma cutter that is rated for a quality cut in 1" material, but the duty cycle (30%) comes into play. The duty cycle on fuel/gas is 100% however.

[Cenedd]

Tell me, do the newest ones have the zero button recessed or not? Last ones I bought were discontinued 500-136 models because the newer ones they'd recessed the button so you need to use 2 hands to zero it! I use the zeroing function a lot. (not the ABS button) That said, my cheap iGaging is growing on me, the huge display makes up for the annoying timing out.

I've got a 500-196-30. The "On/Off", "Zero/ABS" and "Origin" buttons are not recessed. The "in/mm" is not exactly recessed but it's shorter, almost flush with the surface but not quite.
The 500-752-20 (coolant-proof version) I have from a couple of years back (it was a better sale!) only has "Origin" and "in/mm" (not even an off button) and neither are recessed.
The 752 is silky smooth. The 196 is not as smooth - still good though - but that could be simply that it's seen no use yet. Seems reliable and repeatable though.

[754]

Wierdscience.. can it go bigger or smaller like pantograph ?
should mention , I would think a few places that used these have like letter and number patterns.. really good for that I suspect..

[Bob Engelhardt]

Wierdscience.. can it go bigger or smaller like pantograph ?...

No, it doesn't. So I guess it isn't a pantograph at all.

[gellfex]

I've got a 500-196-30. The "On/Off", "Zero/ABS" and "Origin" buttons are not recessed. The "in/mm" is not exactly recessed but it's shorter, almost flush with the surface but not quite.
The 500-752-20 (coolant-proof version) I have from a couple of years back (it was a better sale!) only has "Origin" and "in/mm" (not even an off button) and neither are recessed.
The 752 is silky smooth. The 196 is not as smooth - still good though - but that could be simply that it's seen no use yet. Seems reliable and repeatable though.

Thanks. Maybe next one will be a current Mitutoyo. I do recall there's a huge problem with fake ones all over the market.

Also got an Ice tranducer for my Garmin fish finder. That was a nice surprise this morning. Now if the lakes would just freeze up a bit more....

My Wisconsin born wife claims ice fishing is merely to get the hell out of the house. True? 2 weeks ago I was kayaking a large lake in PA and couldn't mark anything on the fishfinder. Paddled like 5 miles and marked 3 large fish on the bottom, never found a school of crappie. Dunno how you can find fish drilling holes in ice!

[DrMike]

I got two 25" .22 LR barrel liners and a .22 LR finish chamber reamer.

[Cenedd]

Thanks. Maybe next one will be a current Mitutoyo. I do recall there's a huge problem with fake ones all over the market.

No problem. Definitely something you want to buy from an authorised Mitutoyo dealer for just that reason.

[redlee]

S.T.D.

[Baz]

A dozen copies of the long defunct 'Clockmaker' magazine off ebay to get the 4 issues I'm missing. Postage as much as the magazine. Nice that it came in on Xmas eve despite the busy time for the post office. Strangely the magazine folded after issue 1 of the next volume but at least they finished the series of build articles I'm interested in.