Category: Uncategorized

I’m back again……. I think….

Ok, it’s been a while since my last post again. I may make a separate post with all the details, all the changes, jobs, experiences, ect. But it isn’t this post. This post is about an arm…..

This is a CMM arm, or a coordinate measurement machine. This arm is incomplete and broke, but that has never stopped me from making useful tools from unloved parts piles. The purpose of this arm is that you fix the base firmly in space (like to a table where it won’t move), and you use the other end to probe an objects shape.

This is the end the probe goes in, I’m gonna have to build one. This arm is so old you can’t get parts for it unless you luck out on Ebay or some other online antique shop. Once you have the probe up against the object you want to measure, press the button. This will cause the software (don’t have that either, lol) to measure the angle of al the joints in the arm and create a data point in 3D space using the fixed base as the reference point. Move the probe to another spot on the object to be measure and press the button. Doing this repeatedly creates a Point Cloud that is a digital outline of the object that can be used in modern CAD software. It’s a very useful tool to digitize large parts like the missing pieces of my various projects. If there is a left side part on my project, but I am missing the right side, I can digitize the side I have, and then mirror it in software and have one of my machines make the missing part.

So why but a broken arm missing pieces with no software? Because these arms new go for tens of thousands of dollars. Used arms go for multiple thousands of dollars. This arm was a couple hundred dollars, with a bunch of metal bits I don’t have to machine from raw stock, and expensive encoders that measure the angles in the joints for accurate point data. Bonus is the arm has carbon fiber tubes that make the machine accurate in almost any temperature or humidity level. So……

I pulled it apart to see how bad it is.

Not gonna lie, it’s a mixed bag. On the bright side it’s a known major manufacturer, using good hardware, so that’s a win. On the down side, it’s going to need some major work. I applied power to the unit and checked voltages. It should use 12VDC in, which is knocked down to 10VDC using a LM33T, followed by a 78M05 to give me 5VDC. The 10VDC and 5VDC test pads are showing the full 12VDC. The whole arm is getting unregulated voltage that may have wiped out sensitive components elsewhere in the arm electronics.

First things first, have to get my voltage under control. So I will be replacing the LM338, the 78M05, and any other item I find out of spec in the power regulation section. Once I have done that, I will continue posting the progress on this. I may also make a smaller arm from scratch using the ideas I see in this arm for inspiration. It will have much simpler electronics though……

You might want to try ‘prepping’……

Ok, first off a disclaimer. Im going to try and make this as non-political as possible…. while still dealing with political issues. No promises I will be successful. I have friends all over the political spectrum and if you know me then you know I dont like to talk politics or religion because its the easiest way to alienate friends. So the fact that Im talking about it….

On to the meat of this issue. I did open source intellgence analysis for a while, and I still keep track of world events as much as possible. There are two things of note that I am keeping a close eye on and you should too. The first is the Chinese merchant fleet in the Phillipean national waters, and the second is Russia’s push into Ukraine. Both have the very real possibility of dragging the US into conflict. If you have been to any store lately you have noticed that food, lumber, ect. is scarce in areas and the price is rapidly increasing. Plywood that cost me $25 a sheet in December of 2020 is now selling for $77 dollars at Lowes. What do you think will happen if we tangle with China, our biggest supplier of goods. What do you think China will do if we have to move our forces to the opposite side of the world in Ukraine?

See where I am going with this?

I think Putin is playing a very smart game right now, and is managing to pay Biden back for his “Putin is a killer” and “a man with no soul” comment. If there is any legitimacy to the claim that Hunter and Joe Biden had inappropriate dealings in Ukraine resulting in large payments to Biden, then that would explain why Biden announced ‘total support’ for Ukraine. Biden cant afford for that claim to be legitimized by Ukraine, so he will have to pledge troops to keep it quiet. The american public has shown it doesnt like to send its children to fight in border conflicts and is usually reflected in the polls. A win for Putin. If Putin can escalate to the point where the US has to move troops and supplies to Ukraine then he has a political win, but if he then offers Ukraine a peace deal to release the alleged info on Hunter Biden’s dealings he scores a possible double win. If Biden chooses to not support Ukraine then Putin can reclaim some or all of Ukraine, show that Biden (and the US) went back on his word for “total support”, plus demand the release of information. A possible three way win for Putin.

In the meantime China has already declared preperations for conflict with the US over Taiwan and has moved a fleet of over 200 merchant ships into Phillipean waters. The Phillipean military is now doing over flights of these vessels and any slip by either side could cause conflict. China is still one of, if not the biggest, supplier of retail goods to the US. If there is open conflict between the US and China a lot of things just wont be available no matter the cost.

And what do you think China will do if we are involved in conflict or possible conflict over Ukraine? The smart thing for China to do is move while we have forces and attention split between two literal opposite sides of the world.

These are my thoughts, I wanted to share just in case you hadnt heard about these things. You can find videos for both sides of the Biden/Putin comments, China merchant fleet / readiness for conflict, and the Hunter Biden Burisma story online, even on YouToob.

If you want more of what I keep an eye on in the future, or dont want to hear another word about it, leave a comment on this post.

Where has the time gone?

Well, it seems I have been remiss in my posting duties. I often forget that there are people who actually read these ramblings of my addled brain, and they arent just to supplement my faltering memory. If I was texting I would insert a smiley face at this point. Maybe an ‘LOL’ would work better.

I would like to start off with a heart felt ‘Hello!’ and ‘Miss you all’ to Dan, Liz, Kerri, and Dr KM in Aussie land. You know who you are. It has been too long since my last road trip, but the world has changed since then and travel isnt as easy a thing to do.

So…. where to start so everyone can catch up? If I type all of it out then this will be a small novel and I dont write as well as King or Koontz. So I will give a brief synapses and fill in the blanks later. Find something else to fall asleep to.

Most know that my dream job after Harley was working for the flight school. I thoroughly enjoyed the job, managing the maintenance department at the school I recieved my pilot licenses at decades before. I got to fly a lot, turn wrenches, tear apart airplanes and watch them be reborn stronger and better than they were. Alas, it could not last and the flight school went belly up. I was offered a job within 15 minutes of leaving the final farewell meeting of the school as they shut the doors. It seemed like a good opportunity, but it turned out to be the type of job I despise. It was a dead end, 8-5, M-F clusterfuck with bosses who had no vision and were jealous of those with real world skills. I was pigeon holed for 3 years until the dreaded Cov-19 hit and I was let go in the economic downturn. Most who know me know I thrive in an environment where I can use my mental and physical talents. Glorified phone marketer was pure hell but it paid the bills.

During the last year of employment before the evil spectre of plague decended upon the world, I had been working toward opening a small watch and clock repair shop. I was working through online and other classes for certifications, while purchasing problem watches and repairing them at home. The plague changed all of that and left me wondering what I was going to do with no job, limited funds, and the whole world closed down in July 2020 due to ‘infection rates’.

I will pause here while those of you who have known me for a while figure out what my typical response to this dilema would be…..

Lol.

If you guessed I would say ‘Fuck it. What will be, will be’ and went on my merry way then you are right. Oh, and insert the little face with the tongue sticking out. Make it the one winking and sticking out its tongue, thats more my style.

I was able to be on sight as the last of my 40’×50′ shop was finished. I was able to be there when other friends had their lives disrupted by Cov19 stupidity. I was able to be there when my parents house sold months before they thought it should and could help them move. I was able to help my parents build a lovely 30’×14′ she-shed for my mom in their new place.

And…. I was able to finally take some time for me to start remembering who I am. Time that I wasnt on the go from 7am to midnight trying to squeeze in a full time job, side jobs, family, and friends. Its nice to be able to stop, breathe, sit down on a rock on the property, just let go and enjoy nature.

I will need to post updates on the gardens (yes, plural), car projects, building progress, random thoughts, pictures and such. But this will be in future posts. Hopefully not too far in the future.

Thank you to all who read this. Time is flying by all too quick nowadays, I will try to post more often.

A quick update

Hello everyone. Its been a while, but things have been busy. I have two new project cars, the shop is under way, more work on the garden on the property, and other bits of news.

Im not sure which topic to start with so I think I will go with “Happy New Years”. Yes, in Feburary. I honestly dont know how January slipped by so quick. Time seems to be speeding up, or I am slowing down, either way I blink and another month is gone.

In other news, there is finally progress on the shop. The pieces for it have been up on the property for a few months, but I couldn’t get the tractor guy to show up. So for New Years I decided to go with someone else. The new tractor guy was there in a couple days of me accepting the contract and had the pad done in two days! Here are some pics of it.

Thats moving the big darn rock in the middle of where my shop goes.

And thats where the shop is going.

Thats all I,have time for now. Im thinking about doing some vids from the property showing the different projects: garden, shop, rusty engines and antique restoration. If you think this is something you would be interested in seeing, leave a comment to let me know.

The rust baby runs….

Here is a short clip of the new project running. After a mornings worth of getting things ready it only took it about 15-20 seconds of turning over to start and run. I will post the details in a follow up tomorrow.

Shars 5C collet indexer

This isn’t a review, its a complaint. One thing I detest is buying a tool and then having to fix the tool before I can even use it. That’s just plain B.S.

The tool in question is a 5C collet indexer from Shars. I had been looking at indexers for a while since I need to cut some gears and the rotary table can be a pain to use. Instead I can use the laser cutter to precisely cut whatever tooth count I need and ‘spindex’ my way around. I bought the one from Shars because all the cheap chinese clones come from the same factory and they had it on sale. I was pretty happy until I went to actually put a collet in it…..

The inch or so of collet hanging should go all the way back in the spindle, but it just stopped hard right there. Sh*t. Ok, so what was the problem? Collet oversized? Collet groove too shallow? Wrong collets? Nope, the side of the collet provided all the info I needed.

The left picture is of the collet base that slides in the spindle. See that shiny band just to the left of the threads? Thats where the collet was trying to stick in the spindle bore. EVERY collet I tried did the exact smae thing. Seems the chinese factory put the sleeve in the spindle (ring inside the spindle bore in right pic) and never bothered to bore it to size. What a pain in the ass. Now I have to do what the factory didn’t.

I had to drag out the fixed rest, center the spindle, make sure everything ran straight and true, set up the lathe to bore the spindle sleeve. About 30 minutes later I achieved what the factory didn’t, collets that fit.

Oh, and if you have a steady or travel rest with hard points instead of rollers, I highly recommend this grease for turning.

This stuff stays where it’s put, doesn’t sling off all over the shop, and I haven’t had a part bind up or gall yet.

 

Ok, end of rant.

Is it 2017 already?

Yup, I have been busy and a bit slow posting things. there are too many things in the works to hit all of them but I’ll give you the highlights.

– I’m back to playing the bagpipes with the band again. Played the Sonora Celtic Faire this last weekend and I need to practice because picking up the pipes again showed how much I haven’t retained.

– The laser cutter is working well. It’s basically stock except for the addition of an ammeter to see what current the tube is running at.

– New projects on the bench include: redesigned logos for vintage Datsun cars, refitting an old set of bagpipes with carbon fiber sleeves to repair worn out areas and cracks, some gear cutting for various projects, continuing work on the simulator for my employer, refurbishing a couple antique electric motors from the turn of the century, refurbishing a Sherline micro CNC mill that was left out in the elements, fitting the 500mm x 500mm heat bed to my home made 3d printer, finishing the conversion of an 8″ lathe to an A-axis cnc machine, and a few other small items.

 

If anyone wants a write up of any of these projects, just comment on this post and I’ll do my best.

New toy….. I mean tool…..

I’m still trying to figure out which it is. Maybe it’s both… a grown-up toy that’s a cool tool. I have to admit I was pretty excited when the delivery guy pulled up out front and rolled up the door on the trailer. I took the day off just to make sure I was there. We got it off the truck and stashed it in the garage and that is when I realized…

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That this is a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Yeah, 4 feet long and over 2 feet on the other dimensions. Crap…..I don’t have any room for something this big. Hmm, maybe it’s all packing space and foam to insure the trip from China is a good one.

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Nope, it’s all machine. One big, fat , awe inspiring 50 watt cnc laser cutter/engraver. So, I guess there is only one thing I can do…. re-arrange the garage and make room to squeeze it in. It fit in it’s new spot but barely. No pictures of it’s area until I make a decent stand for it, right now it’s on cinder blocks and portions of the packing crate. There is some redneck in the blood somewhere, at least it’s not my house on blocks.  😉

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Of course it couldn’t be smooth sailing and laser light shows. Being a chinese product from mainland China I gave it a serious and thorough once over to make sure everything looked like it was in generally the right place. As soon as I plugged it in to the socket something cooked and the breaker to the garage popped. Not good. Turned out the culprit was the primary power supply for the electronics, not any of the expensive laser stuff yet.

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Mmmm…. Toasty. Well, it gave me a good chance to see if the 3 year warranty was worth it. The people I had to talk with were in Hong Taiwan or something like that, so all correspondence was answered at 3 in the  morning. They are paying for the replacement part and some time to do the work. Check is in the mail they say. We will see if it shows up. In the mean time, I needed to get this thing working, so a new power supply went in , got wired up, and turned on. All checked out, the laser powered up and smoked holes through some popsicle sticks I had laying around so it was time to try something. The very first attempt to cut a file turned out like this….

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I’d say that was a success. Mom’s favorite embroidery file and a little text engraved, a square cut out to finish. The one thats right side up in the pic is actually in the hole it was cut from. The laser cuts a very very fine line.

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One was cut from 1/16″ ply and the other from 1/8″ ply. The engraving in the 1/16th” ply went almost all the way through, leaving a thin layer about the thickness of a half sheet of paper. It looks kinda cool if you backlight it.

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Each of those took under a minute to cut. It’s a lot quicker than using my cnc mills to do this kind of work. This last pic is a piece I just cut, a little over 10″ from top to bottom. Took about 2 minutes to cut and I’m really liking this machine.

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I am not dead…. or lost….

I’ve just been busy. No property yet, but still in the search mode since I feel like time is getting shorter to get my butt on a parcel and get it set up the way I want it. I will be taking a road trip in the near future, out hunting for new road and places to see, maybe bring back a few new antiques to restore. I won’t post anything on here while I’m on the trip since I don’t know who  is reading this, and I don’t want them knowing when I’m away from my place.

 

I have started this years garden, garlic is the first in the ground and has already poked it’s leaves out. I will try to get some pics of it on the site. Other projects of note: 3d printer and an electronic discharge machining unit. I have plans for both of them, the 3d printer to help me make nice patterns for my metal casting, the EDM for removing tiny broken screws and taps I seem to leave in every miniature engine I make.

 

Enough update for now. Will post more soon.