Wood Plate
Here is a wood plate I made for a family friend. You can see the original in one of the pictures. It was used with a statue of a bulldog holding the plate like a butler or waiter (really).
It was given to me before I started the HB2 project but I did have the Vectric software (but before Aspire). I knew I could make it but not with the smaller Taig mill I was using at the time.
Two of the photos are renderings in Aspire (software) where I designed the plate. Simple, yes but that is all that was desired. Aspire generated the G-code that was used in MACH 3 to operate the HB2. Aspire can be made to do 3D Carve type work if the user plans it well. 3D Carve is another Vectric program.
The board seen in the photos is 12″ x 12″ x .75″ and is Poplar. I was thinking of MDF but couldn’t find it in small quantities. I searched other materials and found 12 inch wide poplar. It is a light wood but fairly stable. I deliberately choose a board that was laminated from several strips. I figure that will help reduce warpage of the thin plate. It kind of looks nice too.
The client will finish the plate and can do what she wants. You can see the original was kind of ugly (just my opinion) and was just painted over something composite like Corian. (That is why I considered MDF first.)
Bottom line, if I can draw it I can make it. Cut time was just over 2 hours but not optimized since it is a one-off project.
Taking Stock
I am sitting here in my work shop typing away at the shop computer. Until I started typing I was just surveying the machine tools and just sort of taking stock. I always do that, especially after a clean up session. That’s another thing I just did. I gave the workshop a good clean up.
Now the clean up is not a perfect one but it looks better than it has in a long time. I have had just too many things going on with the disasters and all, to stay on top of it. But now I actually have clean space again to work on projects.
To me “taking stock” is not so much a literal term but includes examining myself and deciding what are my work shop goals and objectives. I let the HB2 project kind of rule the shop. That is what was needed to stay on track and get it completed. HB2 took about a year. Time really flies. Now I am considering , “What now”? HB2 will get a workout on carving projects but I need some metal work too. The Pennsy A3 is still calling me.
I renewed my subscription to the Model Engine Builder. I like IC engines as well as EC and there are some folks doing wonders in miniature engines. The shop I have is perfect for most of that work so I am considering another engine project. Probably a model airplane Diesel or glow plug engine. I’ll see what grabs me…
Be an Angel
Cherub is more accurate. I made this on the HB2 Sunday. I was of course running the Taig spindle. The roughing and the finish were both done with a 1/8 (0.125) inch ball end mill. The total run time was 1 hour and 35 minutes at 50 IPM. 10,600 RPM.
The spindle is now just slightly warm after that kind of run. The spindle break in has about 5 hours of run time. The motor was HOT but that is normal for the motor and that run time. Taig rates it as a continuous duty motor so heat is not a problem.
Another note:
The Sieg X3 mill motor controller has been replaced (lightning damage) and the machine is back into operation! Yea!
Make a Cannon
I have been corresponding with a old fellow named John Gerling about the X3 motor controller. He must be really old as he says he is older than me! 🙂 He is retired ( I am not) so I guess he does have the age credentials.
I found a link to him in the Little Machine Shop web site. Chris Wood, the owner of LMS, has a suggestion posted on the page where he sells the Sieg replacement board I need, to check John out if you have a Sieg controller board that needs serviced.
John is a retired electrical engineer who now has a small business repairing said controller boards. A recommendation from Chris is good enough for me, so I have been emailing John several times. John seems like a fair enough guy, a great repair flat rate (if repairable) and an otherwise good first choice if you have a bad board. Here is his website: http://www.www.repaircontrol.com. He calls himself Gerling Laboratories but the URL is a bit different. (Yes, two WWW’s?)
John, Chris and I all decided in my case that two burned through traces from lighting is not a good thing as certainly most other parts are affected (no more magic smoke left), so I have ordered a full replacement board from LMS.
John is also an active hobby machinist and has produced a very well done instruction manual for building an all brass cannon from raw stock. He gave me permission to publish the link to the manual. So it is free to you to download. He intended to publish the instruction manual as a part of a kit for a profit. I assume to invest in more tools for his retirement center. … Continue reading
X3 Lighting Damage
The X3 mill motor controller was damaged in a lighting strike that took out a lot of electronics in my home. Mostly all the phone, computer and amateur radio gear. It also did some damage in the workshop.
The overhead door opener went out and had to be replaced. Here is the visual damage to the X3 motor controller board. The arc traveled between the solid jumper wire and the trace below which is ground.
The shop light transformer just burned out today. So the repairs are not finished. The new board is worth about $180.00 if it can’t be repaired.
Just another adventure after another… 🙂
Here is a picture of the backside of the board. I found another blown trace. Who knows what is also blown in those SM (Surface Mount) components. I was checking out having the board tested and repaired but now I intend to replace this board.
You know how it goes. Fix the obvious then other things start to fail like a week later. Not worth the time or aggravation…