Shop Nerd tricks, tips and tools

[precisionworks]

My shop gets darker with each passing year (no way my eyes need more light). Shop lighting is upgraded as needed & more task lighting is used than ever before. Every machine has a mag base light & sometimes two but the lathe didn't need one ... until I started groove mods on the SWM V10R. The light is a 1xCR123 & the details are pretty small. IMO the two critical details are the 90° on the face of the ridge & the 135° bevel on the back side (orange arrows below):

If the tip of the insert is stopped short of either feature the end result looks pretty awful. In addition to those details being small sized the tube is covered in a film of vegetable based oil from the Accu-Lube which hides small features. Googled around & found that most of the lights that looked good were $120+ and my budget was $50. Enco surprisingly had nothing on sale. Finally ran across this:

Seller was Windy City Liquidation, not a confidence inspiring name but the price was $60 delivered. The light arrived a few days later, very well packed & brand new. Problem now is that most small lathes have few areas for a mag base - so I made one (see orange arrow above). Mild steel plate from the scrap pile is installed with pop rivets. It may be in the way when the 3-jaw or 4-jaw goes on but it's easy enough to trim. And I can once again see

This is where the light came from: Electrix light closeouts.

 

[Kestrel]

Perhaps the moderators will sticky this, as it should be a really useful thread.

Well, better late than never?

Most of us have a cheap set of loupes, typically a 2x, a 4 or 5x, and a 10x. I have tried for a couple of years to use the 10x for close up work, but I always felt it was crap. Thanks to one of my threads in the Spyderco forum, I learned about this little beauty from Europe - the Belomo Triplet 10x loupe:

Without exaggeration, it is literally a night and day difference between the image and clarity on the Belomo and the 10x "cheap" one from the kit, and even compared to a more fancy 10x one that I got at a coin collector's store (which was supposed to be a more premium unit). This thing is awesome and a true joy to use

Thanks for posting this, Mrs. K uses an el-cheapo one of these for one of her hobbies and it sounds like it's time for an upgrade.

 

[wquiles]

Well, better late than never?

Thanks much

Thanks for posting this, Mrs. K uses an el-cheapo one of these for one of her hobbies and it sounds like it's time for an upgrade.

You are definitely going to get brownie points with the Mrs as these are truly much, much clearer. Details are so much easier to see with this Belomo it is incredible.

Be sure to use a drop of very light lubricant on the swing-out hinge so that it is not as stiff to open/close. I use nano oil #10 weight, but anything similar will work well

Will

 

[PEU]

I just looked for it at amazon, interesting this comment in the first review:

I bought this loupe to replace a Bausch and Lomb Hastings triplet 10x loupe that I lost. Although this loupe cost $13 (compared to $45 for the B&L) I like this one better. It has a much larger viewing area and is just as clear.

Now its $40...


Pablo

 

[wquiles]

Now its $40...

Yes, as more and more have found out how clear the image is, the price of the Belomo's have continued to go up (unfortunately). You still get your money's worth

 

[precisionworks]

The BelOMO Hastings triplet runs around $40 & is rated by many as the best overall value. Bausch & Lomb makes a very similar Hastings triplet for about the same price.

Zeiss & Nikon make superb models for around $100. Top dog in this arena is the Original Schneider Loupe 10x. I never had $260 to spare but my jeweler has one that I am allowed to drool over

 

[BVH]

I bought a 3-piece set from Ebay - 10, 20 and 30x. I use the 30 a lot - use it to initially establish that my tool holders and cutting inserts are vertically aligned with the tailstock dead center. The images are obviously not very good but it works. Is there a reason no one who has the Belomo 20x? and if not, do you not have a need for more magnification and the 10x suffices? I see the 20x Belomo is obtainable for $32.00.

 

[wquiles]

I bought a 3-piece set from Ebay - 10, 20 and 30x. I use the 30 a lot - use it to initially establish that my tool holders and cutting inserts are vertically aligned with the tailstock dead center. The images are obviously not very good but it works. Is there a reason no one who has the Belomo 20x? and if not, do you not have a need for more magnification and the 10x suffices? I see the 20x Belomo is obtainable for $32.00.

If you go and read the various reviews on the Belomo 10x, you will find that most folks say that the 10x is so darn clear that there is no need to deal with the 12x, 15x, or higher magnifications since those are (naturally) darker and also have an even shallower depth of view. The "one" to get is the 10x

Will

 

[precisionworks]

Is there a reason no one who has the Belomo 20x?

A 10X Hastings triplet already has a pretty small FOV (field of view) and a focusing distance of 1" (25.4mm). At 20X the FOV is cut in half and the focusing distance also halved.

The second issue is distortion or correction of the image. At 10X this is hardly noticeable to most users of a Hastings triplet. At 20X it can be irritating to some users & the cost of correction (for chromatic aberration, fringing, distortion, etc.) can be steep. One of the best 20X magnifiers is the Eschenbach 1184-20 ... just under $200 on Amazon

Click here & don't worry about the price :nana:

 

[PEU]

Cool video showing how to use bearing skates and a car jack to move heavy machinery:




Pablo

 

[tino_ale]

If you go and read the various reviews on the Belomo 10x, you will find that most folks say that the 10x is so darn clear that there is no need to deal with the 12x, 15x, or higher magnifications since those are (naturally) darker and also have an even shallower depth of view. The "one" to get is the 10x

Will

I'm not sure what you guys are using the magnifier for but I have the Belomo 10x too and it's already more than enough! Wouldn't bother with more than that. DOF can be an issue too.

 

[precisionworks]

I'm not sure what you guys are using the magnifier for but I have the Belomo 10x too and it's already more than enough! Wouldn't bother with more than that. DOF can be an issue too.

10X is enough for most work but more magnification (or younger eyes) may be needed to see really tiny details. The chart below compares different magnifications:

My OptiVisor has the 10-diopter lens (3.5X) when used alone. Swing down the OptiLoupe and the magnification is 8.75X. Not nearly enough for me to inspect the .0625" (1.59mm) end mills used used to mill trit slots. Either a 2X or a 4X magnifier, placed between the work & the OptiVisor, gives 17.5X or 35X.

17.5X is sometimes enough if the lighting is just right. These are 4-flute tools & it's tough to pick up the tiny edge details that determine if the tool is good for another go.

Both my welding helmets have an OptiVisor lens plate attached to the inside of the viewing window. For in-shop welding a 2.5X plate is used. For portable welding a 2.0X plate gives less magnification but wider field of view:

 

[Kestrel]

You are definitely going to get brownie points with the Mrs as these are truly much, much clearer. Details are so much easier to see with this Belomo it is incredible.

Thanks for all the info, I just ordered one of those Belomo 10x loupes this morning.

(BTW, I found a considerably better price than what's posted on Amazon, anyone who's going to order one, please feel free to PM me first for more info.)

Edit: There is a pretty good overview on loupes here:
How to choose a loupe or magnifier

Regards,

 

[Kestrel]

So did anybody else end up purchasing one of those Belomo loupes?

I bought a pair of them and I'm impressed, as well as the resident microscopist / optics nut here at work. Excellent optics, very substantial in feel, and a teriffic bargain @ $55 for two of them including shipping. Another doodad to keep in my briefcase, it's already come in handy at work. Thanks again for the recommendation. :thumbsup:

 

[wquiles]

So did anybody else end up purchasing one of those Belomo loupes?

I bought a pair of them and I'm impressed, as well as the resident microscopist / optics nut here at work. Excellent optics, very substantial in feel, and a teriffic bargain @ $55 for two of them including shipping. Another doodad to keep in my briefcase, it's already come in handy at work. Thanks again for the recommendation. :thumbsup:

I have two as well (one in my office, one in my "shop"), but you got a better price than I did

 

[BVH]

I bought the 10 and 20x's and am very happy with both.

 

[precisionworks]

If you often use a 5C collet chuck you may want to pick up a set of internal expanding collets. My 5C chuck stays on the spindle about 3/4 of the time and sees lots of use so the internal expanders were a natural fit. Shown below holding a SWM Ti Extender:

Look closely at the image above & just visible is the allen head screw that is drawn into the split collet when the chuck wrench is tightened. For this short part only half the length of the collet was machined away & the back half (nearest the chuck) is still at the full 1" (25.4mm) diameter. The collets are turned to fit each job & eventually they are used up.

Another view:

If the collet is carefully preloaded & machined for an almost size on size fit the TIR is about .0001"-.0002" (.0025mm-.0050mm). These are USA made & sold on eBay by Breakhart Tool Co

 

[precisionworks]

Metal shelf provides place to hang mag base upside down. Lots of room to work around the chuck.

 

[precisionworks]

Close view.

 

[precisionworks]

This is the fastest & easiest way I've found to set the QCTP at 90° to the chuck & almost exactly parallel to the bed. Really useful when boring a hole that's the minimum diameter for the bar being used. Loosen the QCTP bolt so it rotates freely, place a 1-2-3 block against a piece of round stock that is freshly faced off and move the carriage forward until the QCTP is in full contact with the 1-2-3 block.

I've checked this method by traversing an indicator along the length of a boring bar & it's more than close enough for everything I do. Bar will likely still be out of square by .005"-.010" over 6" but that's about as small as a pimple on a elephant's butt.