# Just Bragging (for everyone)



## gadget_lover (Jun 23, 2005)

This forum has been around for quite a while now. I've learned a lot about machining from the good folks here.

I thought it would be appropriate to start a thread for showing off your projects. Show us what you've done and, if you want, tell us about it.

Daniel


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## gadget_lover (Jun 23, 2005)

My latest project (late last night) was this mount for my tripod. It allows me to attach my binoculars to the same tripod that I use for my camera.

The tripod uses a quick change adapter that you leave on the bottom of your camera. The binoculars came with a hole (threaded 1/4-20) for mounting to a tripod.

The whole adapter is machined from aluminum on my HF micromill. The 1 x 1/8 inch strap was bent in a 'brake' that fits the jaws of my vice. Just about every technique used to build this was learned here.

Daniel


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## unnerv (Jun 23, 2005)

Very nice Daniel. Did you use a dovetail cutter on the base or is that two pieces?


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## HaulinLow (Jun 23, 2005)

Wow, that looks very professional. You could: take that down to the beach; set up on a pier; charge tourists $0.25/minute to look around; recoup your costs; AND check out the girls while they are busy checking out the beach! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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## Anglepoise (Jun 23, 2005)

My last project was a scissor sharpening attachment for my knife sharpener.


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## unnerv (Jun 23, 2005)

Wow that really is slick. Nice job. I love seeing projects that have been hand machined it seems more of an accomplishment then stuff that is cnc'd


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## gadget_lover (Jun 23, 2005)

[ QUOTE ]
*unnerv said:*
Very nice Daniel. Did you use a dovetail cutter on the base or is that two pieces? 

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Patrick. It's one piece. I used a 60 degree dovetail cutter.

Now that you mention it, I could have easily made a small block with angled sides and bolted the top piece to it. It might have been quicker too, since the micro mill takes small bites.

[ QUOTE ]
Haulin said...
Wow, that looks very professional. You could: take that down to the beach; set up on a pier; charge tourists...

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the kind words. The total cost was about $1.00, so I'd get my money back quickly if the scenery was right.


Daniel


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## gadget_lover (Jun 23, 2005)

I am blown away by your work, Anglepoise. I can't tell which parts were yours and which were factory built. Or is that all your work? 

Nice going!

Daniel


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## ABTOMAT (Jun 23, 2005)

I feel inadequate without any small projects going. For some reason stripping and restoring an 850 pound press isn't as sexy.


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## Anglepoise (Jun 24, 2005)

[ QUOTE ]
*gadget_lover said:*
. Or is that all your work? 

Daniel 

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.....all parts shown hand made. Lots of draw filling<gg>


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## gadget_lover (Jun 24, 2005)

[ QUOTE ]
*Anglepoise said:*
[ QUOTE ]
*gadget_lover said:*
. Or is that all your work? 

Daniel 

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.....all parts shown hand made. Lots of draw filling<gg> 

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, now I'm not only impressed as all get-out, I've a serious case of envy going too. Now I'll have to learn to do such nice finishing work.

I take it the nice curve at the base of the pedestal was filed by hand?

Daniel


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## Anglepoise (Jun 24, 2005)

No the aluminium angle in that size comes with the radius. So it was just cutting to size and then finishing with lots of draw filing and sanding. Lots of filing and sanding.


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## ABTOMAT (Jun 29, 2005)

OK, you guys made me do it. Something I had been planning for a while. It's a yawara stick tailcap for C-cell Kel-Lites. They made these back then, but I never was able to find one. Ended up making this from a couple fuzzy photos online. I think it's pretty close.

Oh yeah, I measured wrong and cut the threads too small. Probably will turn them off, press on a ring (when the KRW is back together), and thread that.





It only looks rough in the photos.


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## gadget_lover (Jun 30, 2005)

That is pretty! I can only guess as to it's function. Ummm... Makes it easier to hold? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Nicely executed, and the rounded top looks like it was made on a jig.

It's amazing how every speck of dust shows up in a closeup. I have the same problem. I have to remmeber to dust it before hand or clean up the dust in GIMP (like Photoshop) if I forget.

Thanks for bragging.

Daniel


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## gadget_lover (Jul 9, 2005)

I bought some new lathe tools, and I like to have them set up and alligned in the QCTP tool holders. This meant that I needed to make a few more. I made one shortly after getting my micro mill, so I knew what I had to do. I was suprised by how much easier it was this time, and by how much closer my work matched the model this time.

Left to right, a QCTP holder from TS engineering, My latest and my first.






Daniel


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## Anglepoise (Jul 9, 2005)

Very fine indeed. Its the only way to go and great that you can make them up as you need them. Eventually you will need about 6
so get milling<g>


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## jtice (Jul 9, 2005)

Anglepoise, VERY professional looking !!!!!!
Did you machine those parts????

ABTOMAT, nice tailcap! isnt it great to inprove or make something like that?

Sitting back, thinking to yourself, hmmm, this thing needs this thingy, and then MAKing it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Gadget_Lover, you damn Mill guys are making me green with envy /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif
very nice work, what bit did you use for those inside angled corners?

Heres my last project.
New tailcap for a 2C mag, so it can hold 2xpila 168s, and have better grip.
Its my main caving light... for now.


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## gadget_lover (Jul 9, 2005)

I like your design there, Jtice. I don't think it would have occured to me to enhance the grip by making the tailcap bigger than the mag's barrel. It looks great too!

As for the angled cuts, they make "dovetail cutters" that look like little tee-pees. They are ground to a 60 degree angle for you, so all you have to do is feed the work into the cutter carefully.

Here's one in place, though not actually in the mill. Yes, I cut a female dovetail opposite a male dovetail. I moved the dovetail a bit closer to the head to decrease the leverage that turns the tool post. I gave away the toolpost that came with this knurling tool.






Yes, David, I need to make a few more. I still have 4 more feet of that bar stock and a brand new bandsaw blade. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Daniel


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## ABTOMAT (Jul 9, 2005)

Now that looks nifty. What kind of bulb are you running in that thing?

Couldn't let just one light have all the fun. One of my old Pro-Lights broke a plastic tailcap. Made this, just quick and functional.


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## PEU (Jul 9, 2005)

Daniel, that extra toolholders for the QCTP are awesome, sometimes I ask myself why I didnt purchase more... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Pablo


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## gadget_lover (Jul 9, 2005)

Thanks Pablo. I see you can order them from littlemachineshop.com for $15.99. They are pretty easy to make too. It cost me a few bucks (under $3???) to make.

Daniel


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## tvodrd (Jul 9, 2005)

For serious sticker shock, the bars I use are ~$100 ea. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I've been using them since ~1975 and they repeat very well. I made several way back when, but wish they'd license/offshore them. The 5C holder block is veery useful!

Larry


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## wasabe64 (Jul 9, 2005)

Nice work on the knurler Daniel. I've considered doing the same thing to a 1" Iscar toolbit of mine to use it on the TS Engineering toolpost. But I wonder if 1" would be too far from the centre of the post.../ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Larry, those are wedge type toolposts aren't they? Worth every cent I'll bet!


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## gadget_lover (Jul 21, 2005)

Just because this is a flashlight site does not preclude other projects. I think.

My neighbor invited me over yesterday while he was using up some old pieces of walnut to make ball-point pens. It was facinating to watch the little pieces of wood take shape on his little Jet brand wood turning lathe. It reminded me that last year (about this time) I'd bought a kit to make a fountain pen for invisible ink. I promptly forgot about it and it's been languishing on a shelf since.

I was assured by my friend that I could cut wood with my 7x10, so last night I dragged out the parts and set things up.

The pen kits are easy to use. They come with:

A set of brass tubes to reinforce the wood,
A set of bushings that are just the right size to fit inside the tube, and just the right size for the outside diameter of the wood,
5 inch long blanks that can be shaped as you desire,
A bag of parts that have the pretty details and working parts.


I did not think to take pictures first. Here are the parts I have left. The wood blank is Padauk, a pretty deep red. The long mandrel on the right holds the pen blanks in the lathe. I had to make it myself, since the bushings are just under .250 and the 1/4 inch allthread was kind of sloppy.







The project was simple. Cut the blank in half, glue the brass liner in place, then mount on the mandrel and turn it in the lathe till the wood matches the size of the bushing shoulders. Assemble the parts per the instructions (a lot of press fitting) and you are done!



Here's the finished product. Wood is French Boxwood with a light coat of polyurethane. The cap screws on the end when in use.











I was surprised by the outcome. Total cost ? $8.25 

BTW, the wood cut very easily and cleanly at 1000 RPM with a sharp TiN coated carbide insert. I even had shavings several inches long. I was able to cut .040 deep without anything catching.

Daniel


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## gadget_lover (Nov 24, 2005)

I've been playing with a lot of different things recently. A neighbor showed me how to do pens, so I've done a little wood turning. When my Dad's 80th birthday approached I had no idea what to get him. I happened across a 'plumb bob' kit at the local Woodcrafter store. This was a great idea since he is a semi-retired civil engineer who still goes surveying on occasion.

I made a simple tool rest from a 6 inch piece of aluminum angle. I bought the "mini lathe" tool set at woodcrafters for $20 (on sale) . Here's the tool rest. The wood in the picture is just for an example. In reality, it would be between centers, at least on the tail end.







And here is the result of turning down a 2 inch by 2inch walnut block. The bob is supended by a 24 inch kevlar thread.







And here's the real payoff as he unwraps it at his surprise party. He did not know that my brother and I were flying 1,000 miles to wish him happy birthday.






It's the first important piece that I've turned.


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## Anglepoise (Nov 24, 2005)

What a great idea. There is something about receiving a gift that is hand made, especially when it 'well made' at the same time.
Lucky Dad....


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## cy (Nov 24, 2005)

nice job!

hope my boys make something for me, when I'm 80


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## gadget_lover (Nov 24, 2005)

Thanks for the kind words. It's funny how the turning is the easy part. The finishing takes many coats and lots of time in between. I know nothing about finishing except what's on the can of paint.


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## gadget_lover (Dec 20, 2005)

I am always stymied for Christmas gift ideas. My brother has recently swapped his smoking habit for a flavored toothpick habit. His heart attack may have provided motivation.

I turned this on my 7x12 metal lathe. 











I used the normal indexible tooling held in the normal toolpost. The bore is 3/8 inch. The outside diameter is 1/2 inch. The total length is just under 3 inches. 

The body is (I think) maple and the cap is walnut burl (I think). That is it's natural finish, just rubbed lightly with my fingers. The accent grooving should have been on the cap instead of the head. Oh well. 

I think he will be pleased.

Building it....

I used a 3/8 inch aluminum rod as a mandrel and a live center in the tailstock to keep the whole thing centered. The pressure from the tailstock also kept the mandril firmly seated in the bore so it was driven correctly. I cut it down from a 1 inch rectangular block in .040 increments, as I did not want to tear the wood. As I got close to the final dimensions I used finer feeds (under .005) to make sure it was cutting and not tearing. It turned at about 1,000 RPM. I held the vacuum cleaner hose near the tool and it caught 95% of all chips and sawdust.

To make the end look a little better, I cut a second piece of maple and turned it on the bias to make a butt-cap (.025 thick) that I then glued on and trimmed to fit. This hides the end grain that looks so unfinshed. The proper way to do it would probably have been to glue the second piece before I turned it.


Woodworking with a metal lathe. Whoooda thunk?

Daniel


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## nemul (Dec 21, 2005)

i wanna toothpick holder!


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## proFeign (Dec 22, 2005)

Hey y'all,

I posted this in the glowring thread on B/S/T but that thread is primarily used for the seller to talk to his customers about order status so I thought I'd post it somewhere people were inclined to read and give feedback. Now I also just posted my own thread because I want to know if anyone else does this but I'm pasting here because it's probably appropriate. Cool stuff you guys made! I want my own machine tools! I always feel like I have to get my stuff done fast in the machine shop so I seldom get to make things pretty...

The stock glowrings have molded acrylic hexagonal casings with an acrylic plug jammed in the end to hold the traser in. They can simply be pulled out or can come loose on their own and just fall out. Also all of them I have ever carried I have sanded down to remove molding lines and sprue points.

It really helps the appearance to do that because you get nice, flat sides on the hexagon but it doesn't solve the problem that they're an unnecessary fluourescent plastic that doesn't change the color of the traser except to make it dimmer. Also the traser is loose and rattles around in the acrylic, which is asking for trouble in case of shock to the ring, IMO.

Anyway, the details of my project are below. I did it because I like making my own stuff, plus I wanted to incorporate the awesome rich glow of the purple trasers with the awesome bright glow of a green traser in one keychain. Please give feedback! I'll probably make one or two more for my family and/or friends so any improvements are good to think about...

I ordered 5' of .5" polycarbonate rod stock from the internet for my keychain because acrylic, though nice and crystal clear, is brittle and scratches easily... Polycarbonate machines well but is a royal pain to polish afterward, and drilling it out requires an incredible amount of lubrication... But after polishing it's extremely scratch resistant and very nearly as clear as acrylic if it's a small piece. It's the stuff some types of bulletproof glass are made out of, as well as the colorful Nalgene water bottles that are indestructable.

Anyway, machined off a couple of pieces and turned them down to ~.35" OD and proceeded to make as cosmetically appealing as my limited time and machining experience would permit. So the biggest pain was polishing it. Some 600 and a lot of 1200 grit sandpaper later and this is the result:






My camera is hardcore crappy and this is the best I could do. I hopefully will be getting an Elph for Xmas so I'll post better pics in a week or two, with any luck.

The vials are green (brightest) and purple (way cooler and brighter than the blue IMO, and considerably more rich color. Purple is a close second to green as far as I'm concerned, and the green is pretty bad a**, primarily because of its brightness) and are held in at the bottom with stainless steel 3/36 dimple point allen head set screws.

I felt that the existing keychain was too scratch-prone as well as being brittle and with the greatest shortcoming being the lack of a positively secured cap in the bottom as well as the "rattling" due to the size of the hole the tube rests in. It was a pretty big problem in my mind that the thin glass traser was held loosely in a very hard (acrylic) environment, meaning that a sharp drop would cause the tube to collide with a hard surface (inside of tube).

I solved both of these problems with the set screws (very secure) as well as a small piece of very, very soft and porous rubber foam between the end of the set screw and the bottom of the traser, which holds the traser securely in a rattle-free (shaking hard makes no noise at all) position without having any point at which the traser has a point load that would encourage breaking. 

Here's an endorsement for polycarbonate: I drilled the holes in the bottom of a backup (essentially a duplicate but with a *smaller* OD) of this keychain that I made that had a lathing flaw and placed it on a hard linoleum floor and was able to strike it with a steel 20 oz. hammer as hard as I could, repeatedly, with no visible damage to the keychain. After polishing, certainly, the surface would be marred by the hammer, but the fact remains that this bad boy can take some serious abuse. Also I put a screwdriver through the keyring hole and clamped it in a vise and couldn't break the screwdriver out through the top of the polycarbonate... Go polycarbonate, it's your birthday! 

Anyway, I like the way it turned out but there are also some things I'd change in rev.2...


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## tvodrd (Dec 22, 2005)

I started with 1/4" polycarbonate, drilled it for the vial, and made a stainless steel piece to attach it. The attachment is pinned with with a 1/32" dowel pin. I've been carrying it for 6 minths. 





Larry


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## proFeign (Dec 23, 2005)

tvodrd said:


> I started with 1/4" polycarbonate, drilled it for the vial, and made a stainless steel piece to attach it. The attachment is pinned with with a 1/32" dowel pin. I've been carrying it for 6 minths.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Nice work! :goodjob: Do you have your own machinery? I really wanted to put two in mine, and I liked the idea of having it all be one piece. It's nice that I wasn't the only one who chose polycarbonate. With a better camera I can show what I actually did for this thing. I took thirty pictures from various distances/angles/lightings and the one above is the best. I hate my camera. :thumbsdow

So I guess the PC is holding up better than acrylic or something else would, huh? The dowel pin probably would have fractured anything but PC anyway, no?


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## proFeign (Dec 23, 2005)

You guys are probably the people to ask:

What is a good lower end milling machine and lathe? Not all in one, necessarily, but hopefully both are less than $500. It would be a bonus if basic tooling was included with some package or something like that. 

Everybody got a favorite microlathe and micromill? It would also be a plus if I could move it by myself.

-kelly

that's less than $500 for the mill and less than $500 for the lathe.


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## gadget_lover (Dec 23, 2005)

I'm pretty sure the mico lathes would be unimat or Taig. They have very small beds but are usable for prototyping small projects.

This is probably not the right thread for this discussion, but what the heck.

I have the Sieg micromill and the Sieg mini-lathe. Both are quite usable. The micro mill is portable (less than 75 lbs). The lathe weighs about the same.

The micro mill is accurate and works fairly well. Because it is small you have to be patient and take light cuts to avoid chatter. Lots of patience. If all you can handle is a bench top small machine and you understand it's limits, it's a great tool. You should have a bigger drill press to complement it. 

As far as lathes, I have both a Harbor Freight 7x10 and Cummins 7x12. Both are made by by the same manufacturer. I'm selling the smaller one ( http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=102072 ) and keeping the bigger one. I've made a lot of things on the 7x10, including flashlights and parts for other projects. I upgraded to the 7x12 because the price was right and my capabilities had grown to where I could use the extra length.

If you want to discuss it more, start another thread about it and I'll be glad to bend your ear

BTW, your glow rings came out great. Makes me tempted....

Daniel


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