What did you do today?

[Cenedd]

Saw a post elsewhere where someone had used a DIP switch (micro SPST switch) to add an on/off switch to a digital caliper. The size of the switch had been the stumbling block to my idle machinations so I hit eBay and set at it. Just in case any of you haven't used import scales, the battery life is such that for occasional use items, unless you remove the battery you'll be replacing it next time you use it. So it is with my height gauge. I removed the data out port which was an odd 3-pin barrel jack and never going to be used anyway. That gave me the space to mount the body of the switch (nominally 10 x 4 x 5.5mm) internally. "Nicely" held down with hot-glue and the wires kept clear of the buttons in a similar fashion.
I broke the trace to the positive side of the battery as it was a small, accessible single trace unlike the negative side which had more than one connection (one hidden under the terminal) and soldered my two wires between the battery and a nice convenient pad under an oscillator crystal (I believe but unimportant) that was directly connected to the positive.




Button it all back up again and I can now switch the thing off without having to remove the battery without losing it.



Would I recommend this? Nope, definitely not. I'm happy with the result but

• A lot of things (like calipers) won't have the room this did
• Really fiddly
• Huge opportunity to destroy it
• Display on a rubber touch-strip and not permanently attached to the board makes it easy to damage or lose parts
• When not connected to the scale, the display blinks off for a second every so often, making you think you've wrecked it

I'm thinking that for other things (mainly a micrometer I have) I might try to replace the battery with a 3D printed part that includes the battery and a switch so there's far less chance of turning it into a paperweight!

[old mart]

We finished the prototype swaging tools to put a stiffening radius around the lightening holes common in aircraft fuselage construction. Eventually we will need four sizes. Some parts are corroded so badly that only replacement will do. We made the female part of the die out of aluminium and the male out of mild steel. A 4mm radius cutter was used in the female part using the RT on the mill, and a 10mm ball end solid carbide was used on the steel male part. When together, the rads match fairly well with a 1mm gap left for the aluminium sheet used. So far, I have only tried it on soft grade aluminium, but we will have to anneal the decent stuff. I am now thinking of a way to make an adjustable diameter cutter with a pilot to produce the holes from about 45 to 65mm diameter in the aluminium. I have a woodworking one with 2 cutting blades which might be the basis for one, it will only have to cut about 1mm deep, or less if the sheet is turned over halfway. I will post some photo's when I can.

[Noitoen]

Saw a post elsewhere where someone had used a DIP switch (micro SPST switch) to add an on/off switch to a digital caliper. The size of the switch had been the stumbling block to my idle machinations so I hit eBay and set at it. Just in case any of you haven't used import scales, the battery life is such that for occasional use items, unless you remove the battery you'll be replacing it next time you use it. So it is with my height gauge. I removed the data out port which was an odd 3-pin barrel jack and never going to be used anyway. That gave me the space to mount the body of the switch (nominally 10 x 4 x 5.5mm) internally. "Nicely" held down with hot-glue and the wires kept clear of the buttons in a similar fashion.
I broke the trace to the positive side of the battery as it was a small, accessible single trace unlike the negative side which had more than one connection (one hidden under the terminal) and soldered my two wires between the battery and a nice convenient pad under an oscillator crystal (I believe but unimportant) that was directly connected to the positive.




Button it all back up again and I can now switch the thing off without having to remove the battery without losing it.



Would I recommend this? Nope, definitely not. I'm happy with the result but

• A lot of things (like calipers) won't have the room this did
• Really fiddly
• Huge opportunity to destroy it
• Display on a rubber touch-strip and not permanently attached to the board makes it easy to damage or lose parts
• When not connected to the scale, the display blinks off for a second every so often, making you think you've wrecked it

I'm thinking that for other things (mainly a micrometer I have) I might try to replace the battery with a 3D printed part that includes the battery and a switch so there's far less chance of turning it into a paperweight!

You can use two thin strips of copper tape stuck to a piece of Kapton to make a separator where the battery makes contact with the support. These two strips can then be wired to the mini switch.

[Cenedd]

You can use two thin strips of copper tape stuck to a piece of Kapton to make a separator where the battery makes contact with the support. These two strips can then be wired to the mini switch.

Thanks for that Noitoen. That's pretty much the idea I'd come to after I'd finished over-thinking things. I wanted to make a nice solid piece where the battery could slot in and it would secure to the existing circular mount and not stick out massively.....but there's just no clearance without modifying the micrometer. So, like you say, I'm thinking some thin metal - copper preferably but I have a feeling I only have brass and am hoping that will do - and the roll over ever-so-helpful Kapton (knock-off brand) tape. Top will need to be 3D printed; partly to house the switch...and partly because one of the lugs snapped off the existing cap when I failed to notice it unscrewed clockwise

[Noitoen]

Copper tape is as thin as sandwich foil and with some planning, the switch can be a little m2 screw through the case that would short the copper strips

[Cenedd]

I've got some self adhesive copper foil tape but it's fairly small. In my head, useless for much power. Worked it out and at 6mm x 0.03mm it's equivalent to about 25 guage wire and should take a good 3 Amps. Given that it seems we're talking (according to a post on here some years back) a matter of microamps, that should be plenty. Thanks for the nudge there, I shall have a play with that tomorrow. Of course, now I won't be able to find the stuff

[Dan Dubeau]

Set out this morning to get my mill moved out of it's corner.

Here's how it started. I really need some proper stock storage....(coming soon)

After a lot of cleanup, and reorganizing...

I haven't even seen this guy in about 8 years. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Here's a quick shot of some storage carts I built a few years ago that slide under my stairs. This one is all steel plates, and the other one is all aluminum blocks.

I designed a much larger stand alone stock rack I will get to building once I get the heater installed and everything put back together. Stock storage has plagued me from the beginning.

The mill corner had a bit of a down slope to it (hey maybe that big crack has something to do with it ....), so I needed some pulling power to get over the hill. It moves pretty effortlessly on pipe rollers.


Once out from the corner I could get behind it and just use a pinch bar. The move went very quick after that.

And here it is in it's temporary home until I get the furnace installed.


I then slid my welding table into the corner to provide some scaffolding to get the furnace up this weekend, then comes the fun part....Trying to slide everything around to get the Tormach into THAT corner, and the Excello along the wall where the Tormach was. A few other things need to move too. I've drank a lot of time out there doing the choreography in my head, and it should work in theory.....Seems like a lot of work for little gain, but the shop will function much better that way. Things are moving slow, but they're moving.

On a funny note, I found a nice 2hp 3phase 240v motor I forgot I bought for the mill years ago, so that was nice. Now I just need a VFD. I've also got a DC motor that I bought for it too once upon a time, that I can now use for something else. I'm looking forward to it making chips again.

[Cenedd]

Seems like a lot of work for little gain, but the shop will function much better that way.

You and me both! I've been working on drawers under my bench for storage with the idea of making the rack shelving redundant so I can replace it with workspace (with under bench storage - more drawers perhaps).
I hear you on waiting for the heating too. My shop is small enough to heat with a 120W tube heater on the wall but my workspace (when it's too big for the floor - which is almost everything) is outside. Given that it's often "too hot" to work outside in the summer and "too cold" in the winter, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just procrastinating! A lot of potential working time has been written off due to rain though and I can't make much noise when my wife's in video conferences.
Once I get some of the existing projects cleared (for the space!) next up is some pull-out worktop so I've got space to put things down that doesn't present an immediate trio hazard!
Nice looking mill that though. Definitely needs to be making chips again!

[Dan Dubeau]

You and me both! I've been working on drawers under my bench for storage with the idea of making the rack shelving redundant so I can replace it with workspace (with under bench storage - more drawers perhaps).
I hear you on waiting for the heating too. My shop is small enough to heat with a 120W tube heater on the wall but my workspace (when it's too big for the floor - which is almost everything) is outside. Given that it's often "too hot" to work outside in the summer and "too cold" in the winter, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm just procrastinating! A lot of potential working time has been written off due to rain though and I can't make much noise when my wife's in video conferences.
Once I get some of the existing projects cleared (for the space!) next up is some pull-out worktop so I've got space to put things down that doesn't present an immediate trio hazard!
Nice looking mill that though. Definitely needs to be making chips again!

It's not procrastinating if you're always working on something, but don't totally finish anything. .

It's always a constant struggle between working on the shop and working in the shop (and having to work on other stuff). I wanted to have this heater in a few weeks ago, but some unexpected major repairs on the Wifes daily driver, soaked up 2 beautiful weekends working on it. Needless to say, she's very understanding of me spending all day in the shop, and never squeaked a word about the 3 days in a row I worked on my sawmill last weekend. Despite all the household projects that need done (that's what I'm doing this weekend though ).

My workspace has overflowed out side as well, as it's only a single car garage. I've got an old work bench at the back of my garage that I try and do all the dirtywork stuff on, but it tends to just accumulate junk. Next year I want to pour a small concrete slab there about 6' out for more work space, and build in a compressor shed and awning. I'd also like to pour one in the front too eventually too. My end goal is to have all my dirty fabrication stuff mobile so I can wheel it out when the weather is nice to work on big stuff, but when it's stored in the garage still be able to work on machining stuff. I'm slowly getting to that point, and I'm close enough now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it's not a train .

[J Tiers]

It's what I did NOT do.... The best shop tag sale in months is today, the truck is in the shop to correct some things before it goes off warranty, and the other car is currently in the fritz, something I did not know until the truck was in...... It's not charging the battery, so range is limited to where it can get to on half a charge. Naturally, the sale is several towns over.

[Cenedd]

It's not procrastinating if you're always working on something, but don't totally finish anything. .

I like that; I'll have to see if it washes with the wife!

and build in a compressor shed and awning. I'd also like to pour one in the front too eventually too. My end goal is to have all my dirty fabrication stuff mobile so I can wheel it out when the weather is nice to work on big stuff,

I went for a "silent" compressor to get round that. Not as many CFMs but many fewer dB's! An 8 litre Hyundai runs a blow gun and can keep up with a coolant mister.
Dirty stuff outdoors was my idea too.....which obviously is why my shop is covered in wood chips and sawdust when a new toy arrived - planer to fix the damage to the worktop I spent hours hand sanding that then hurled itself off the bench Planer was faulty just to rub salt in the wound. Replacement arrived and was missing the batteries they asked I sent back with the faulty one

but when it's stored in the garage still be able tI'm slowly getting to that point, and I'm close enough now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it's not a train .

There are so many trains lately.The only plus with the metaphor is that only one can get down the tunnel at a time!

J Tiers That sucks. Will they mail order or put something aside for you? I always find there's no spare when things need to go out for repair: cars, computers, glasses. Seems to be par for the course.

[nickel-city-fab]

Brake rotors/pads on a 2012 Chevy Colorado 2WD work truck. Wiped out the ABS rings in the process (cleaning off the rust from the rear of the hubs) This is the LAST time I will ever buy a late-model. 6 hrs for a brake job, and I work on trucks for a living. PS GM management needs to have the greedy stupid slapped out of them with a wet trout.

Sideways. With a rusty shovel.

There is a dealer local to me (with financing) who will build or restore whatever you ask for 30k or less.

[Dave C]

Spent most of the past two days cleaning the grit out of the hydraulic reservoir on the log splitter I've been working on. (OT hydraulic mess I've gotten myself into - The Home Shop Machinist & Machinist's Workshop Magazine's BBS). The control valve and the cylinder have been cleaned out and reassembled, but this tank is giving me fits. I started by flushing it with kerosene, to remove residual oil, and to concentrate the grit in one end. Several iterations of the kero flush were each followed by fishing for the grit with a magnet. This was followed by several iterations of strong detergent flushing, and the magnet fishing process. When it looked like most of the grit was out, I started rinsing with plain water, using a wand comprised of several feet of 1/4" copper tubing attached to a garden hose. Dump the water, go fishing, repeat, repeat, repeat, for several hours. By 5:PM it was getting dark, and I was still seeing crap in the pan I was dumping the water in. Mostly small paint particles, mixed with very fine metallic grit. At this point I am wondering what to do. Should I spend another afternoon flushing and fishing, or is it time to give up on ever getting the tank completely clean. I am tempted to let it go as is and go against some people's recommendation by installing a filter on the tanks suction port. I am sure of one thing, I don't want to run a new pump with grit in the oil.

[J Tiers]

You now have very CLEAN grit.

So, get one of the various gas tank lining materials, and line that sucker. If there is still grit in there, it will be encapsulated, and no longer be an issue.

However, I am more interested in the metallic particles. If you are absolutely sure you know why, for instance they are from the old pump, then continue. But I never consider them a good sign unless I DO know for sure.

[Dan Dubeau]

Have you ever thought of just cutting it open so you can gain much better access to the inside. 5 minutes with a cut off wheel and you'd be able to positively ensure that the inside is clean. I would have just cut the ends off and re welded them on after cleaning the insides out 100%.