What did you do today (2015)

[“Bill Hancox”Participant @billhancox]

Posted by Bob Rodgerson on 19/01/2015 22:48:50:

Today I got the two fire extinguishers up on the walls in the workshop, managed to get my new muffle furnace to run at a 200 degrees celsius for longer than two minutes and made a bracket so that I could fit a second monitor to the Tormach mill so that I can use the CAM software in the workshop.

A good evenings work.

Bob

The fire extinguishers are a a real good idea. I have two 20 pound dry chemical extinguishers in my shop. The only time I have had to use one was a few years back when a nearby neighbor's motor home caught fire. I managed to extinguish the fire before the dry chem ran out and kept the area cool with the chap's water hose until the fire brigade arrived from just down the street a few minutes later. Always be prepared as good old Lord BP used to say..

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Hi Bill,

being into old motorcycles has taught me just how easily a fire can start, particularly when you have just set up the ignition timing and you get it wrong.

I also do a fair bit of welding and brazing which is not without risk either.

[“Bill Hancox”Participant @billhancox]

Recently compiled film clip regarding the teaming up of the Canadian and British Lancs. **LINK**Also a photo showing the Dover cliffs: a sight that brought tears to the eyes of many airmen returning from missions.

Bill

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Not so much as what I have done today as going to be doing today.! (and probably some of tomorrow)

These puppies got delivered at 1:30 pm

Now to stick them on the machines with blutack and wallpaper paste.

Nick

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Nice Nick

I hope your workshop is a lot warmer than mine – I'm still in hibernation mode!

Norman

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Wish me luck.Today, n order to maintain matrimonial harmony, I have been mostly painting the entrance hall stairs and landing. However last night, at last, I got round to hooking up the dedicated CAD/CAM computer monitor to my CNC Mill following a lengthy workshop re arrangement. I finally got myself sat in front of the screen and drew a simple 3D drawing using Turbo Cad.

Tonight, aches and pains permitting after all the decorating, I will attempt to translate the drawing into a G-code programme using my CAM Programme.

I am sure there will be the odd bout of profanity just to help the job along, but I will get there.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

On the subject of CAD; I did start a course ( AutoCAD.. #1 ? ) many years ago..20+, at my local college but didn't have the time to complete, got as far as polar points, vectors, layers ??, now reading at what some of you guys play with Arduino.. Turbo Cad # ??? has got me thinking again .. being a silver surfer can anyone suggest a nice simple easy self learning system that I might attempt that would keep the grey matter agile..? preferably free ? ( on a pension y'know  .  )

Cheers

George.

Edited By mechman48 on 24/01/2015 15:48:35

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

George – there are quite a few CAD offerings out there.

I would suggest take a look at Cubify Design – it isn't free but is cheaper than most. It is a somewhat slimmed down version of Geomagic Design (formerly Alibre Design). It is more than adequate for many people. There is a free trial to check it out and free on line training videos.

If you only need 2D – then Draftsight is free and gets many positive comments (I'm told it is very AutoCAD like).

I'm sure others will have alternate suggestions that might also be suitable.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Another vote for Cubify, have a play with the free trail and see if you likeit.

Nick did you only get two scales for the lathe, 3 scales would be nicer if the readouts will combine carrage and topslide movement into one. I should think the Easson ones will allow that so could always be added later. Now get those holes drilled.

J

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by JasonB on 24/01/2015 16:38:02:

3 scales would be nicer if the readouts will combine carrage and topslide movement into one. I should think the Easson ones will allow that so could always be added later.

J

That's the plan.

When I have some more coins. – I think I have spent enough for one week. lol

I did actually want to see how the profile of the magnetic scales would fit and look without interfering too much if added to the topslide. – Seems it will be OK.

Nick

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Been feeling a bit cranky today.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Anyone who saw the 'Vulpestruments' recycled instruments in the Maker Area at the Model Engineer Exhibition might like this bit of ingenuity.

Neil

VULPESTRUMENTS

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi Norman,
Forgot to name my rescue outfit. “First Call GB Ltd”
End of 2014 summer, I had day out @ Laughton show, not far from Lewes, county town of East Sussex. Guess what? Good ol’ O2 – no signal! Serve ’em right if they get eaten soon by the Hong Kong outfit (EE etc).
John.

[GoCreateParticipant @gocreate]

Concerning CAD, as an experienced user of Autodesk Inventor and Solid Works IMHO Cubify Design excels in ease of use, functionality and price.

After looking at several packages for home use, I have bought Cubify Design which allows 3D part design, assemblies and drawings, it operates similar to the afore mentioned high end packages.

I much prefer 3D design software that allow editing of original sketches used to create the 3d model, this presents all the data when editing. With some packages you don't have the original sketch and edit the 3D part directly which IMO is much less convenient than it would appear.

If you have an interest in 3D cnc or 3D printing and only need 3D part design (i.e. don't need assembly or drawings) then Cubify Invent is available at a very low price.

Nigel

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I'd agree with you Nigel. For the price, it's pretty good. Apparently it's the exact same installation as the full Geomagic Design (Alibre) package but simply has some (a lot?) of the features disabled. My trial started out as Cubify Invent and I got it changed to the Alibre Design trial after a few days, simply by entering a new key.

Murray

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

This isn't actually something I've done myself. It's something my daughter has just made – her first effort in the machine shop. Pretty impressive! Made using lathe and milling machine. Good girl.

When I was at uni in the 80s (Cambridge and Newcastle), we weren't allowed near the workshops, much to my frustration. Lara's studying mech eng at Sheffield Uni – it's great to see they are required to do this kind of work as part of the course these days.

I may have a fight on my hands when the workshop comes out of wraps again…..

Murray

Usual curses aimed at Windows 8….

Edited By Muzzer on 25/01/2015 20:57:36

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

Finished installing the DRO's onto lathe and mill.

Then had a 'practice' at doing PCD holes. Seemed to go OK so now will have a 'dabble' for real on the James Coombes build I have neglected due to decorating and tiling duties.

Nick

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Nice one, Nick

MichaelG.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Well done Lara, Nice one Nick.

Neil

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Muzzer on 25/01/2015 20:57:02:Usual curses aimed at Windows 8….

Never mind. For the first year Microsoft will be offering Windows 10 as a free upgrade. Of course I have been getting free upgrades for the last ten years or so on Linux.

Russell.

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Posted by Muzzer on 25/01/2015 20:57:02:

Usual curses aimed at Windows 8….

Muzzer, if you are using the built in windows photo viewer, although the picture may appear rotated, the underlying image is not altered, windoze simply saves rotation information with the image, this is not read when the jpg is uploaded to the forum albums.

To rotate images you should use a proper image editor, I use Paint Shop Pro or Serif Photoplus but other image editors are available Windows paint has a rotate feature but I've not used this, it may work.

Graeme

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Slow progress towards making my first part with the CNC Mill but I managed to get the tools into the tools library in my CAM program for the machining of a simple machine cover.

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

Hiya Bob welcome to fun and sometimes frustrating world of CNC, I don't know how new you are to CNC, when I started in this fascinating area of machining at home, I found that more often than not most time consuming aspect was not the machining of a part (after all all you do is press a button and a part pops out) but the holding of parts to be machined, I often spend as much time making fixtures as I do making a part, manual men don't get this at first.

I have an article you may find interesting, it came via my cutter supplier and makes interesting reading entitled "Why Climb Mill", pm me and Ill mail it to you…..

Shaun

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Graeme – I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that. See my previous rant and some tests I did (half way down) to figure out the problem last year. Looks like a W8 problem (it doesn't affect W7), possibly something to do with the forum setup. I take it you haven't been stuck with W8 yet.

I see that Dell have now stopped offering the option of W7 on new machines (at extra cost, willingly paid) instead of the default W8, despite worldwide acknowledgement that W8 is a complete disaster. Where's the logic in that?

I'm not about to install photo editors to rectify the problem – assuming that would fix it the first place, which remains to be seen. I've got a live to live. Of course, there's a fair chance that W10 will also show this problem. In the mean time I will just have to put up with it….

Merry

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Hi Shaun,

I imported my Tormach in June last year, however one thing I underestimated was the space required for the installation of the mill. I had done some basic measurement of the workshop to see if there was room for the footprint of the mill. It looked OK in theory, however when I got the mill I realised that I would have to completely re arrange my workshop.

At the time I ordered the machine I was working in the Oil Industry offshore on a two weeks on two weeks off cycle. That may sound Ideal to most folk but it isn't, you arrive home completely knackered and your head is at sixes and sevens for the first two days so it is not worth doing anything for the first couple of days home. I have ended up with more jobs in the scrap bin in the first two days off that at any other time. I also had to travel back a day before due to the flight schedule, so you are down to 10or 11 days that can be productive, however, with family commitments, such as babysitting for my youngest daughter in London every other weekend it leaves little time to do any jobs that require any continuity.

It didn't take too much to build the machine up and install the 4th Axis driver and other accessories such as power draw bar and ATC but the re arrangement of the workshop took the time, mainly because the place was like a bomb site ( in order to get the mill into place I had to scrap various things such as a set of shelves and a storage cupboard). This made things slow and difficult. I retired from offshore work in December (Probably just in time because I probably would have been out of work some time in 2015 due to falling oil prices), this has made a major difference and I was able to concentrate on sorting out the workshop, firstly by installing as much new shelving as I could to clear the clutter that was everywhere, then secondly by building a fitted workbench for the Mini Lathe, tool & cutter grinder and bench drill.

In doing this I have transformed my workshop and it is much more pleasant to work in.

While working offshore over the last year I have been able to concentrate on reading as much as I could about CNC machining as well as trying to get to grips with 3 D Cad and the CAM programme (Sprutcam) but reading about it is no substitute for the real thing and in the last couple of weeks I have been slowly and systematically generating a drawing and programme to produce my first part, so in answer to your question I am fairly green but getting into it and so far enjoying it too.

The only advantage I have is that I am not too bad with Autocad 2D which I have found has helped me a lot with both the CAD and Cam software.

In my reading about CNC milling I also read about the advantages of climb milling etc and it makes sense with low power machines as long as there is no backlash.

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