What did you do today?

[garyhlucas]

So my 14 yr. old grandson wants to try casting and we looked at building a furnace. However we were visiting an old friend of mine who was dying from brain cancer and he said he had all the equipment and we were welcome to use it. He was a shop teacher and it all came from a school shop when they did away with shop classes. Unfortunately he passed a few months ago. I know his sons too so I asked them what they were going to do with his huge collection of tools of all kinds. They weren't interested and they told me to ask their mom about the casting equipment. She very kindly said we could have it all for nothing as I was good friend.

So today we hauled home a Speedy-Melt gas fired furnace and the blower and controls. We also got two man tongs for lifting the crucibles from the furnace, several different size pouring handles, six cope and drags of various sizes in cast iron, aluminum, and stainless. We also got a pyrometer, and five graphite clay crucibles, two of which are bottom pour style. Also about 30 lbs of zinc ingots, there are at least 200 lbs more available. It all looks rough after sitting in the shed for maybe 15 years but should clean up nice.

I want to try lost foam and lost wax casting as we have a CNC mill I built with a 18" work cube and a full enclosure so carving up foam and wax will be easy.

[MrFluffy]

Yup, the corvette has been putting the transmission in the back since the C5 to help give a closer 50/50 weight distro. But, you still need plenty of weight up front to prevent understeer so 50/50 is where you want to be.

EDIT: I forgot the weight further back actually helps prevent understeer so nevermind!!

My gokart with a 750cc 4-cyl engine used to have almost zero-steering under hard acceleration as the front wheels were so lightly loaded and the live axle only wants to really push the car straight. Was a very unnerving experience when you accelerate too hard while turning as the kart would stop steering and go straight

This has terrible psycho understeer when really accelerating due to the live axle and weight distro

What a sad end for a gs750, couldn't you have used something like a honda as the donor instead of ruining a suzuki?

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

What a sad end for a gs750, couldn't you have used something like a honda as the donor instead of ruining a suzuki?

I actually wanted a GSXR1000 engine but found the GS750 first.

[Dan Dubeau]

I got about 5 hours yesterday to clean up the shop. Moved my wood bandsaw downstairs, and exposed some sections of floor that havn't been seen in years. Just need to move my welding bench out to the middle, build a bench for along one wall, and build some storage racks for material and I'll be ready to get into some winter projects.

For Christmas I'm getting the kids a box with an engine, wheels, brakes, steel tubing etc and we're going to build a mini bike over the winter.

[plastikosmd]

2 quick projects
First the crappy snow shovel. Broke the handle and couldn’t bear to throw it out. 18$ shove and bought a 9$ handle. Neede to shim it and this should hold better(at least until the shovel part breaks)

[plastikosmd]

Second was a slightly bent arm on this jack. I broke a toe when using it to remove a carriage from a forklift. Put it in the hossfeld bender to tweak. Not perfect but better. Stopped when I moved the 1500lb bench.

[J Tiers]

Fixing a router, I found that the maker had decided a 13 x 32 x 10 mm bearing was the best ti use. They are 4x more expensive than the 12mm that is widely available, and they are not available from many sources. I HAVE a 12mm, bit no 13.

Nothing at McMaster, for instance. Mcmaster has 12mm double shielded for about 5 bucks. Motion industries has the 13mm for $20. Looked at Amazon, and they had them for $30.

Time to do more research

[Tundra Twin Track]

Second was a slightly bent arm on this jack. I broke a toe when using it to remove a carriage from a forklift. Put it in the hossfeld bender to tweak. Not perfect but better. Stopped when I moved the 1500lb bench.

Is that a Greenerd Arbor Press in background ,arbor looks round.

[Arcane]

Not quite today but yesterday I got a phone call from some friends outside another town informing me that their neighbor had a heart attack and was in the hospital and was in need of someone to look after his dog. They couldn't but since I've babysat their dogs a few times they asked me if I would look after her and of course I could! I beetled out there immediately and brought her back to my place and then I went buying dog food and dog treats. I've known her all her life and she's such a loving little sweetheart so it's a real pleasure to have her here.

[Tungsten dipper]

Not quite today but yesterday I got a phone call from some friends outside another town informing me that their neighbor had a heart attack and was in the hospital and was in need of someone to look after his dog. They couldn't but since I've babysat their dogs a few times they asked me if I would look after her and of course I could! I beetled out there immediately and brought her back to my place and then I went buying dog food and dog treats. I've known her all her life and she's such a loving little sweetheart so it's a real pleasure to have her here.

Thumbs up to you!!! I sure miss my dog.

[Cenedd]

Drilled a shallow hole. Shallow in that it was just under 1D. Given that D was 115mm, it still took me a while with a $15 TCT core drill that isn't deep enough to make it through in one go. Having previously used it for a 13" jaunt through brickwork I was just pleased it made it at all!
Was planning to line the hole with plastic ducting - it's a vent - but the 100mm is too small and the 125mm is too big so I've ended up sealing it with PVA until it's nicely shiny and I'm going to seal a fan on an acrylic plate at one end. I think it'll be air tight enough for forced ventilation. The cat's already eying the hole with disturbing interest - it's like they're drawn to trouble!

[plastikosmd]

Tundra, it is 3 1/2 (5 Ton?)
Love my 2 big (ish) presses
Other is a famco 12 ton

[PStechPaul]

Finally got the Saturn bucket seats installed in my truck. I used a piece of 1/8" x 1.25" galvanized steel behind the front support, which had rusted away on the driver's side:



I tapped it for 5/16"-18, which gives 2.25 threads, probably enough. On the passenger side I was able to re-use the original seat mount on one end, which had a welded-on nut. For the other front support, I tapped the sheet metal for 5/16"-18, but of course it stripped out, so I snuck a nut behind it. The rear supports were drilled and tapped into the sheet metal of the cab floor, which also was too thin to provide enough support. I can reach underneath to add at least one nut on the near side. I might need Gary Larson for the far side...

[Dedave]

Finished up my parts washer. Parts I have been collecting finally come together. Now I get to do all that neglected cleaning

[Ridgerunner]

Tundra, it is 3 1/2 (5 Ton?)
Love my 2 big (ish) presses
Other is a famco 12 ton

The Greenerd 3 1/2 with the ratchet is 5 ton. With the 24" pilot wheel it is rated 3 ton. With the 36" pilot wheel it is rated 4 ton. I have a Greenerd round ram ratchet model 3 3/4 which is also rated 5 ton. The 3 1/2 shipping weight is 456 lbs plus 117 lbs for the floor stand. The 3 3/4 is just a little heavier at 516 lbs plus the 117 lbs for the floor stand. It is a nice press but is hard to keep the ram up.