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Post by connrock on Sept 10, 2008 11:52:52 GMT -5
I tried cutting the slot in a few cabs as Adrian does and was having all sorts of problems with getting a uniform height and depth of the cut. My eyes and hands aint what they used to be so I had to go to "Plan B"! LOL This is strictly made for senior citizens who can't see too well and who's hands shake like a wood peckers head!I call it The Cab Slitter,,,,,, connrock
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,774
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Post by adrian65 on Sept 10, 2008 12:40:20 GMT -5
I told you you're gonna improve my techgnique, Tom!
You made me really laugh with that "woodpecker head" remark ;D
WTG, now get it wrapped!
Congratulations!
Adrian
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Sept 10, 2008 12:55:31 GMT -5
Nice work Tom!
Although my hands are steady, I did get bi-focals this year...Regardless, I was thinking that I would want a support on which to rest the cab so that I could get a uniform height on it. That's a nice, simple design!
Chuck
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 10, 2008 13:27:34 GMT -5
i tried Adrian's technique and totally screwed up the cut with the saw. must be i shake like a woodpeckers head too! interesting set up, Tom. i'll have to try this!
KD
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Sept 10, 2008 16:03:33 GMT -5
Sumpthin' you just thru together huh?
I love it. You do good work.
I'm doing it with a dremel with a slitter blade, but I wanted to do it with a bearing follower like using a router for laminate trimming to keep a consistent depth of cut.
Thanks for sharing.
Dr Joe
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Post by Tweetiepy on Sept 10, 2008 16:24:43 GMT -5
I like this idea - Adrian's idea looked quite easy, now after reading the woodpecker comments, I'm wondering if it's harder than I thought
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Post by cpdad on Sept 10, 2008 21:13:26 GMT -5
thats really cool .....nice job ;D....now i gotta go and build one for the workforce ;D...kev.
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Sept 10, 2008 22:39:46 GMT -5
Great idea Tom! Thanks for sharing. Another piece of equipment on my 'want' list! Steve
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Post by NM Stone Supply on Sept 11, 2008 0:15:44 GMT -5
Wow that is a great idea. looks like it works great.
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Sept 11, 2008 2:59:24 GMT -5
Hi Proffesor Tom
You done it again !! a great piece of equipment.
Thanks for showing This is something Ive been thinking about for ages ,
Have a good day
Jack Yorkshire UK
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Post by connrock on Sept 11, 2008 5:35:45 GMT -5
Thanks all,,,I'm glad you like it!
This idea of slitting a cab is totally Adrian's and I take NO credit for it in ANY way!
I liked his idea sooooooooooooooooo much as I am having a terrible time trying my hand at wire wrapping.
After destroying a few cabs with the slit running all over the place I was bound and determined to figure out a way to do it that would be more consistent. The idea came pretty fast but the "doing" took me quite a while.I used to have access to a small machine shop before I retired but am now at the mercy of what I have here.
You're probably wondering what the heck I needed a machine shop to make a simple thing like this???
Well believe me when I say that the slitter would have taken a COMPLETELY different form had I had access to a Bridgeport Milling Machine.
Instead it is made of various pieces I have in a HUGE lifetime collection of "stuff"! The problem with my "stuff" is that the collection isn't "cataloged" so I have to go on a "stuffhounding" field trip every time I need something!! LOL
The blade came off of a tile saw.The "pan" was a hood from a buffer,the table is an aluminum name plate I found in the scrap when I was still at work,the table support is a piece of frame used for supporting partitions in offices,one back-up washer (on the blade) is from a car buffer and the other(which can't be seen in the photo's) was made from a piece of sheet aluminum.
The back-up washed that I made was the most difficult part of the entire project! Why you ask?
Well the aluminum sheet was about 3' square.I layed the 3-1/2" washer out on the aluminum and then had to rough cut it with a saber saw.This was a real "treat" in itself as any of you who have cut sheet metal with a saber saw well know. I spoke of shaking like a woodpeckers head before,,,,,Well when cutting the sheet metal it was more like a woodpecker on steroids,,,,and man oh an does that aluminum heat up fast when you cut it with a saw!! After roughing the washer out I put the saber saw in a vise and used it as a scroll saw.Another vibrating affair and a LOT hotter too!!! The washer had to be as close to "round" as possible or it would be out of "balance" when rotating in the drill press.This was just NOT going to happen using the saber saw so again I had to go to plan "B"! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
I drilled and reamed the hole in the center of the washer,put it on an arbor,stuck it in the drill press and "turned" it with a lathe file until it was running "true"! There was supposed to be 2 of these washers made but after it took forever to make the first one I decided to use the buffer washer on the other side of the blade instead!
The arbor was another treat!!
The hole in the blade is 5/8" and the arbor HAD to fit VERY snug in the hole or the blade would "run out" while rotating.
After an extensive search of my "collection" I found a 3" long oil rite bearing that fit perfectly.Cutting it off perfectly square to the length I needed is another story and I'm sure if you're still reading this you don't want to hear it!
The ID of the oil rite brg was 7/16" and the only thing I had with a threaded end was a bolt.If I used the bolt as a "bolt" I would have to "chuck" it on the threaded end and it would wobble badly in the drill press.The bolt was only 1-1/2" lg so if I just cut the head off of it I wouldn't have enough left to chuck it so I had to "turn" it carefully in the drill press.I had to make a "holder" for the bolt because I didn't want to have to chuck it on the threads! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
So you see,,,,,,Yes it is very simply designed but NOT "simply" made!!!!
A simple thought of a design can last only a split second,,,,,,,, making it work is another story!
I hope I haven't bored any of you who actually read this whole post.
connrock
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Post by Bikerrandy on Sept 11, 2008 5:40:57 GMT -5
That's s great design, I'm definately gonna give this a try. My Craftsman drill press hardly ever get used for anything.
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Sept 11, 2008 7:52:19 GMT -5
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Post by connrock on Sept 11, 2008 11:23:52 GMT -5
Randy,,,
My problem is I'm always using my drill press but most times not as a drill press.It's my MAIN machine so I kinda use at as a "do-all" when ever possible.
Dr Joe, You're NO GOOD fella!!! It just aint fair to go round teasing folks like that!
I spent my entire working life having to do something I hated.The last 20 years I worked I had to take MANY different jobs I knew NOTHING about but buffaloed the powers that be enough for them to think I knew what I was doing. EVERY SINGLE DAY I went into work was like sitting on a time bomb just waiting to screw up and get fired. Sleepless nights,lotsa Zoloft,Booze by the bottle,etc,etc,etc! I don't know how but for some reason I did pretty go at whatever they threw at me and made it to retirement. I retired at 63 and took a real BATH on my pension but it was either retire or blow someones head off in work or maybe even my own.I say this literally! I cursed the people in power daily for putting me through this but now when I think about it they actually helped me!!!!
I learned how to do some basic machining,how to repair conventional and CNC machines,how to build both,but most of all,how to "make bricks without straw"!!!
I had to use my head every day to find materials to do the job at hand or find materials to make them myself.I knew NOTHING about running machinery and my first encounter was a real beauty!!!
I needed some shim stock but everything we had was too thick.I needed something like 0.013" and all we had that was even close (ha ha ha) was about 0.100" thick.
How the heck am I gunna thin this crap down!!!AHA,,,,The surface grinder!!! I had seen guys grinding "stuff" on it so why not give it a try?
The surface grinder was about 15-20' away from the bosses office and he was a REAL worry wart.
I looked the machine over and over and finally found the heavily worn start button.I turned it on and found how to start the water so that was enough to get me started.I shut it down,wiped off the magnetic table and placed the 0.100" shim stock right in the center of the 18"x48" table.I set the magnet to it's on position and tried to move the shim stock.All was fine so off I went.
The table reciprocates lengthwise and feeds horizontally and vertically.I managed to get the grinding wheel over the shim and started feeding it down while the water sprayed everywhere and the table was going back and forth.
With all that water flying around I couldn't really see the top of the shim stock but I knew I was pretty close to it with the grinding wheel so I kept feeding the wheel downward VERY slowly.It seemed like years had gone by since I started feeding downward,the sweat dripped down on my eye glasses and I kept looking over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching me(especially ole Nervous Nelly the boss)!!
Well the wheel finally hit the shim stock,,,,,,,,,,,and I MEAN hit it!!!! All I heard was a LOUD BANG,a couple ricochets off the steel beams and then a big "What the he-- was that?" coming from the asses,,,,oops I mean bosses office!
We went "back and forth" for quite a while and he finally gave up shaking his head!!!
THIS is how I learned to run machinery and it was NO fun.
Well I did all my practicing there and now I have to apply all of my learning and mistakes here.
Some things are still the same as in work.No material and only one machine,,,,my drill press!The one thing that isn't here is that whining,"scared of himself" idiot I worked for.
I LOVE doing these little projects at home and I hope I live long enough to be able to do a million more.
connrock
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
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Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Sept 11, 2008 16:44:22 GMT -5
I feel your pain, I had the exact opposite problem, They wouldn't hire me 'cause I new more than them and they were worried about their jobs (I listened to my Dad tell me how things worked since I was 2). They always thought I was lying about what I knew. I worked for Teleflex (manufactured gauges) a long time ago. My introduction was following the plant machinist/maintenance around for a week and a half, I didn't know the names of all the equipment and he left the country for a 3 week vacation...it's a good thing I was young and bulletproof 'cause I was it and some of the equipment was literally held together with baling wire . The company and I survived and I never did tell him how I fixed some problems as I found an air conditioned job not long after that (priorities!).
If your not a real machinist Harbor Freight has some great tools ;D
I used to love challenges.
Keep up the great work.
Dr Joe
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Post by stonesthatrock on Sept 11, 2008 23:06:24 GMT -5
wow what a great idea, ralph and i bought a machine from jsgems that cuts a groove in the rock. Too bad we haven't used it much. It doesn't make as wide a groove but still works pretty good all the same. If anyone wants me to cut some of your cabs so you can see, i will.
ty ralph and mary ann
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Post by sandsman1 on Sept 12, 2008 0:14:20 GMT -5
thats a nice setup man i bet even i could get it to work right haha -- thats a major job or id try and make one im not a very handy man i allways said hell wit it and bought what i wanted was nice to have money back then haha ---- i shoulda made some stuff and id still have some of the money hahaha and id be alittle more handy
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Sept 12, 2008 2:52:57 GMT -5
Hi Tom
If your ever stuck for thin shims TRY
A old mains transformer , made up of thin "E" pressings
A car wrecker yard and car washer shims (Vw's end float were a good source)
A old Feeler gauge can be forfitted ?
Jack Yorkshire UK
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Sept 12, 2008 9:44:12 GMT -5
Sorry to rerail..but.. Jack, what's a (Vw's end float were a good source) ?
Dr Joe
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Sept 13, 2008 1:51:00 GMT -5
Hi Dr Joe, THese are end float washers which come in a variety of exact dimentions say .006 or .002 thousands of a inch
Any one stripping engines down would have a supply of these in the scrap box
A cylinder head gasket ---- the copper on this is a exact size
A lot of good stuff in a junk yard !!
Jack Yorkshire
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