Thread: What have you invented?

I'd say I re-purpose gadgets moreso than invent new stuff, typical of something I do is my laser line on the bandsaw, nothing really invented, just re-purposed, I took the laser bit out of a laser level and mounted it on my bandsaw to give me a looooong (2.5m +) line on the infeed sled, the other thing was way too short, now I can line up the edge of a slab and know where it will be cut.....


Pete

Attachment 166449 Attachment 166451 Attachment 166450

Like pete I fiddle and diddle with a lot of stuff.

Of the hundreds of gizmos I've made and use, I reckon my third chainsaw mill (the BIL Mill) is my best effort. In principle it's a basic alaskan mill but it has a lot of not very visible extras on it that make it much easier to use than any other alaskan mill I have tried.

With apologies to those who have seen this before.


The top-of-the-wazza-gizmo is this remote motorcycle throttle and kill switch. It also incorporates a locking knob so I can let it run solo.


I spend a lot of time planning many of these gizmos and usually build up much higher expectations about how they will work that what they turn out like in practice. The BIL Mill is a rare exception in that it works far better that I ever thought it would and is a real pleasure to use - or not use as shown above.

That looks like a well deserved bottle of ! Hard ,hot, noisy, dirty work!
Your saws are impressive.

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

That looks like a well deserved bottle of ! Hard ,hot, noisy, dirty work!
Your saws are impressive.

Cheers AB.
My day job is dealing with people, endless paperwork with an occasional stint in a quiet ultra-clean 22.0 +/- 0.1ºC laboratory. CS milling is kind of like my antidote to all this.

What I would really like to have is ~1% of your machining skills - that way some of my other ideas might actually work better than they do.

Hi All,

Here are a few recent projects, I don't know if you'd call them inventions. These are some I've done with my eldest son Matthew.

The most recent was audience participation device for a theater company in Adelaide

It uses a battery powered hand held controller pic microprocessor, with an accelerometer and zigbee wireless network, and rgb leds.

Oribotics by Matthew Gardiner | Art | ZigZag

The main project last year was the Ars Electronica Festival in Austria.

Networked robotic origami flowers... what else...



Some of the mechanicals were machined on the HM52, but most of the parts were 3d printed.

Here is a video of Matthew describing the project.

Oribotics [the future unfolds] on Vimeo

Working with artists is always good fun, they seem to come up with the weirdest ideas, and then I get to design and build the electronics.

Makes a nice change from industrial control.

Regards
Ray

Bob L,

Looking at your blog makes me realize I'm just fumbling around!

Beautiful work.

Bob T

Ray,

The artist as the inventor of joy.

Bob.

Some nice innovative work there!
I potter around making all sorts of things, but my favourite useful item is the two grinder stand I showed some time back. Each time I use it fills me with satisfaction, space efficient and sturdy!

Cheers,

Originally Posted by Andy Mac

Some nice innovative work there!
I potter around making all sorts of things, but my favourite useful item is the two grinder stand I showed some time back. Each time I use it fills me with satisfaction, space efficient and sturdy!

Cheers,

Interesting - I've been contemplating doing something like that with my grinder, since I want to add another to the collection. Nice implementation!

I'm also thinking of making a table for general marking out and rough fabrication, but with a top made in two halves which can be swiveled into the vertical position next to the legs, allowing grinders or similar to be elevated up in the centre...

I could do with something like that as well. Late last year I wanted another grinder or two so I could have them set up with different wheels. After looking around at new prices for Chinese grinders, I was shocked at how much they had gone up and also the quality had gone down.
I went to the markets and came across 4 near new 6 inch grinders for $15 - $20 each, the wheels where either not used or barely used. Each time my wife saw me come back she said not another one. lol
I think people buy them or get them as presents thinking they are handy and they just site in the garage.
So now I have 5x6 inch, 1x8 inch and a dental lathe (which is a smaller type polisher)and they take up a heap of space on the bench.

Maybe a big wheel with 4- 5 grinders on it made into a bench?

Dave

Originally Posted by Dave J

I could do with something like that as well. Late last year I wanted another grinder or two so I could have them set up with different wheels. After looking around at new prices for Chinese grinders, I was shocked at how much they had gone up and also the quality had gone down.
I went to the markets and came across 4 near new 6 inch grinders for $15 - $20 each, the wheels where either not used or barely used. Each time my wife saw me come back she said not another one. lol
I think people buy them or get them as presents thinking they are handy and they just site in the garage.
So now I have 5x6 inch, 1x8 inch and a dental lathe (which is a smaller type polisher)and they take up a heap of space on the bench.

Maybe a big wheel with 4- 5 grinders on it made into a bench?

Dave

did i read right...5 off 6inch grinders....you into collecting grinders?

Yep I got carried away that day, but because I never looked for them before I didn't realise how many where around the markets, not no more.lol
I think it cost me around $90-$100 for all of them and they all work perfect. I would have only got 1 1/2 at the shops price.

Dave

Dave J you sound like a man who likes to grind!!

Originally Posted by jatt

Dave J you sound like a man who likes to grind!!

Or a man that doesn't like changing grinding/buffing wheels.
You maybe right though, I have around 10, 4 to 9 inch angle grinders and 4 die grinders all with different disc's so I don't have to change them as well.

Dave