Model Engine Maker
Supporting => My Workshop => Topic started by: Allen Smithee on September 19, 2014, 10:45:18 AM
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Well as everyone else is publishing their plans I thought I'd join in by posting the end objective for operation Garage Storm (which differs from Operation Desert STorm in that it does actually HAVE a defined end objective).
Just to recap - the starting configuration (at least the tidy side, anyway) looked like this:
(http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/sir_pdr/workshop2.jpg)
But due to the loss of my last remaining parent I have been forced to clear the space to receive things from the clearing of her house. I've made this an opportunity to redesign the space from scratch. My primary hobby is (and will probably remain) aeromodelling, so the workshop has to support aircraft manufacture/support, electrical/electronic stuff (scopes, power supplies, sig-gens etc plus battery charging and wiring/soldering) and a machine shop (that is less extensive than that of most of the rest of you, I'm sure). The current plan is that it will look like this:
(http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/sir_pdr/workshop.png)
The "reserved family space" is for a trailer, top-box, roof bars, car washing equipment & supplies and a few other things, but the rest is mine - the compressor is fitted where it is so that it's available for Supreme Commander to check her tyre pressures (that's "tire pressures" in the colonies). The benches are all existing stuff, and the racks are existing dexion-type racks (two full-height 3'x1' ones and four half-height 2'6"x1' ones that will be underneath the building board). There are two 15-way mains power strips - one along the back of the main metalwork bench and the other along the back of the electronics/assembly benches, plus three double wall sockets over in the corner near the Myford. The existing for 8' striplights will be moved to better locations, but I also have nearly a dozen assorted old anglepoise, gooseneck and clip-fitted spotlights I've accumulated over the years which will be put in strategic locations as required.
AS
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Looks like a plan to me Allen. The only thing I see is that the Braze area is a bit boxed in there in the corner, but you would know what will work for you best. Now the fun begins...getting from picture 1 to picture 2 :)
Bill
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Looks like a plan to me Allen. The only thing I see is that the Braze area is a bit boxed in there in the corner, but you would know what will work for you best. Now the fun begins...getting from picture 1 to picture 2 :)
It's not quite as boxed as it appears on the plan - I chose that location so that I can easily have three paving slabs (underneath and two sides) plus three or four breeze blocks to create a safe "hearth", and because there's already an extractor fan above that corner (helps keep the moisture down when using propane). The partition to the left of the myford may yet morph into a full-height dexion rack (subject to negotiations with Senior Management) to store lathe tools and bits.
Now the fun begins...getting from picture 1 to picture 2 :)
That's already in progress - the garage has been largely cleared into crates over the last two weekends (to date a total of nine complete car-loads have gone to the tip) and I'm in the process of putting up the shelves so that the benches and racks can be cleared ontoi them, ready to accept the incoming stuff from the other house. I estimate the task as about 25% complete (at least that's what I told the project manager - we engineers always keep a little leighway in our status reports).
AS
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Looks like a plan Alan. I daren't have so much bench space myself though as I'd soon put stuff on top of it ... :naughty:
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Looks a good plan :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: Have you decided what the first engine from the new shop will be?
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Well the space is nearly cleared and the first of the new toys is in (see below, and thanks Simon!). Reading up on these things I discovered that they use the same motor control board in the mill and the lathe, which means that there is a connector on the board which (when wired to a simple switch) offers a forward/reverse function.I was wondering whether there were any occasions when running a mill in reverse might be useful?
AS
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I was wondering whether there were any occasions when running a mill in reverse might be useful?
AS
For putting the metal back on? :mischief:
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Would love to run my SX2 in reverse, have you any info or a photo how to implement such a modification?
With a anticlockwise cutter it would make milling the outside of a round safe when it was in a chuck screw mounted to a rotary table.
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On the speed control board (the one behind the speed control knob) there's a 3-pin JST-XH header. The centre pin is connected to ground, and the other two have resistor pull-ups to 5v. If you short the centre pin to pin 3 (the one nearest the outside) the mill runs in reverse. If you then short the centre pin to pin 1 it will go back to running normally. As I understand it the pins are only "read" when the motor is stationary (can someone with an SC2 lathe confirm this?).
So to make a forward/reverse switch just get a standard toggle or rocker switch, connect the common to pin 2 and the poles to pins 1 and 3. The stitch doesn't need to be anything clever - it's working with 5vDC and will only carry a handful of milliamps. You could solder wires to the board, or even the pins, but a 3-way JST-XH plug with pigtails is easily bought by buying a balance lead adaptor for a 2-cell Lipo battery (as used by the RC model fraternity) like these (https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__26095__JST_XH_2S_Wire_Extension_20cm_10pcs_bag_UK_Warehouse_.html), these (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lipo-Balance-Extension-Charger-Cable-Lead-2s-JST-XH-2-cell-7-4V-/230786425855) or these (http://www.giantshark.co.uk/product/170935/silicone-2-cell-balance-lead-jst-xh-2-connectors-qs) (depending on your preferred type of supplier and location). Just cut off the connector you don't need, solder a switch to the three wires and Bob's your uncle*.
AS
*other parents' sibling genders are available
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I was wondering whether there were any occasions when running a mill in reverse might be useful?
If the mill has a quill then definitely useful for tapping under power ;)
Ramon
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got it many thanks. will take a gander tommorow
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I was wondering whether there were any occasions when running a mill in reverse might be useful?
When you've put a slitting saw the wrong way round in it's arbour :-[
Rod
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When making the Versatile Dividing Head body the other week I had to use a boring head to cut the outside curve but the boring bar in the head faced the wrong way to do this so I had to run the mill in reverse.
Jo
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Carefull running boring heads backwards as on some the body screws onto the shank, same with a slitting saw running backwards will tend to want to loosen the screw rather than tighten.
The real reason for reverse is so you can redo a hole you have drilled in the wrong place :LittleDevil:
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Peter,
Two things spring to mind about your workshop layout, the first one is the famiy space and the second one is the
brazing aera, both are poentential rust problems, :o when you bring your trailer back from a wet and rainy day out all dripping
with water, and driping on the floor, the moisture conent will rise and attack all the nice shiny metal parts, there will be rust
every were. If you have space, the best place for the trailer is outside under a car port if you have one, latched on a post with a lockable ball hitch.
The other thing is your brazing aera, is a bit to close to the Myford, again heat and flux fumes can cause very bad rusting, :cussing: :'( again a small covered aera just out outside by the door would be ideal, again if you have room.
Good luck with it, it is looking good :ThumbsUp:. :DrinkPint:
:old: Eric
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Reversing the mill... Like Ramon said, very useful for power tapping.
And extremely helpful if you've spent a couple of hours carefully making up a specialized cutting bit from silver steel, only to find that in the process you ended up making the cutting edges on the "wrong" side... I have a T-shirt for that one :-[
There are also left-hand twist drills and milling cutters available. These can be very useful to drill out broken-off screws/bolts.
Kind regards, Arnold
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OK, so a few reasons which probably amount to a justification to hunt though the bag of electronics spares for a switch...
Thanks peeps.
AS
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Meanwhile, the general reorganisation is nearing completion. This photo was taken from roughly the same place as the one earlier in the thread, so as you can see the two general benches (electronics and assembly) are just about sorted, and the aeromodelling building board is under that protective ply cover (as it's surfaced in pinboard which is easily bruised).
For those in the UK - if you look at the edge of the shelving on the left you may notice two small striplights with directable reflectors. I found these in Lidl yesterday for (IIRC) £10 each or £16/pair. They're mains powered, but have a lead which "daisy chains" multiple units in a line so you only need one mains plug. They seem very effective.
AS
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Along the back wall of the garage I have the main metalworking bench, which is now clear and will soon be ready for use. at least at this end:
AS
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But I still have a fair way to go with the left hand end of that bench, plus the space where the Myford will be going shortly.
AS