Thread: Tips and tricks

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

But one may wish to Dean. For some of us this is a hobby. Hobbies often don't have time constraints. The time I spend making something might be deemed a waste of time by others. I know one forum member who thinks anything I've made and the way I've gone about it, is a waste of time. But it is my time, mine to waste however I like.

“In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, though they should fail immediately, they had better aim at something high.” - Henry David Thoreau


I think most of us here are 'hobbyists'.... although for some of us it is a way of life...

Without this digressing into philosophical rhetoric... we all have one life here, we need to make sure we budget our time to get the results we are happy with.

My tip: You get what you give.

Originally Posted by Auskart

I had an old evaporative cooler I took the water pump out of and it and it makes a great coolant pump for the Lathe, it is also submersible.

You can also use an el-cheapo parts washer which gives you the supply reservoir and the pump. Add one strainer liberated from the kitchen as a swarf catcher for the drain from the machine and you have it.
IMGP0078.jpg

Just to negate my apparent reputation as a thread killer (and this thread is a good one) I better come up with something tangible.

A computer connected to the internet is a valuable thing in a work shop, great for looking up tap drill charts, feedrates, checking out info on forums etc while a job in is progress. Computers only a year or two old can be picked for washers on Ebay and prevent greasy fingerprints on your Iphone (if you are silly enough to own one )

Originally Posted by Gerbilsquasher

Just to negate my apparent reputation as a thread killer (and this thread is a good one) I better come up with something tangible.

A computer connected to the internet is a valuable thing in a work shop, great for looking up tap drill charts, feedrates, checking out info on forums etc while a job in is progress. Computers only a year or two old can be picked for washers on Ebay and prevent greasy fingerprints on your Iphone (if you are silly enough to own one )

Hi Gerbilsquasher,
I'm silly enough to own an Iphone but whats even sillier is I own a small PC laptop
That one has just been released and is allowed to go out to the shed.
She just wont allow the Imac to live out there Maybe if I got an Ipad, I could... Nah, she'd never let me

Phil

Originally Posted by Gerbilsquasher

A computer connected to the internet is a valuable thing in a work shop

Ethernet over power is a beautiful thing(though the bluetooth(?) DRO Joe has on his phone would have to be a close second).

Add a second WiFi router(with the same name) and you're good to go.

Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Ethernet over power is a beautiful thing(though the bluetooth(?) DRO Joe has on his phone would have to be a close second).

Add a second WiFi router(with the same name) and you're good to go.

Stuart

I have a 7 inch tablet that I am slowly getting sorted. I managed to get it connected to my wireless network very early on but I have not even tried it in the shed yet!
I can see that it could be very useful as I could access all the photo's I have taken when dismantling things etc etc. The router is in the room nearest to the shed. 30 feet to the door max.

Dean

Originally Posted by Oldneweng

I can see that it could be very useful as I could access all the photo's I have taken when dismantling things etc etc.
Dean

Started doing this myself! Great idea for electrical and/or mechanical repairs, and much quicker than trying to find a pencil and paper. Especially for those 'long term' (read: unfinished) projects where sequence of assembly, connections etc could be forgotten.

A couple of happy snaps with a cheapo digital camera can save hours of trial, error and frustration.

I made my own rust preventer a few weeks ago.... I had to disperse some water on some sheetmetal parts which got wet in the rain on the back of the ute.

It was a large area, so I didn't want to waste my WD40. I made a mix of (roughly) 1 part new engine oil to 2 parts mid range thinner, gave it a good shake, and applied it with a spray bottle.

I suppose the mid range thinner could be substituted with anything which evaporates such as metho.

It worked well enough until I got around to welding it together... and even acted as a very good anti-spatter spray.

I'm sure home made WD40 has been on the forum before but I thought I might mention it again.

Of course it must be used in a well ventilated area away from sources of ignition

For any one that makes there own jigs,arbors or special tooling for jobs and dosent want it to rust,consider looking for an old fridge or freezer,air cant get in and objects don't rust.

Quick tip for you Lathe or Mill coolant system, put a couple of old magnets out of old speakers etc below the return line in the coolant tank and it will catch iron filings and iron swarf, no good for Ali or other non ferous metals though.

[QUOTE=Auskart;1776644 no good for Ali or other non ferous metals though.[/QUOTE]

If you have the room ,you can use a 40mm sink S bend and fit a mesh in the up leg of the bend.A push fit makes it removable.
Grahame

Originally Posted by pipeclay

For any one that makes there own jigs,arbors or special tooling for jobs and dosent want it to rust,consider looking for an old fridge or freezer,air cant get in and objects don't rust.

good idea. Id need a old rounded style one to match my machines. could be funny watching the mates looking for a beer.
aaron

Originally Posted by Jekyll and Hyde

Looks like there is enough meat in the body of that arbor that you could mill 2 flats onto it, then you could hold the body with a spanner while undoing it. Assumes you have a mill, and it's not hardened - otherwise you could grind the flats in...

This is what I've done with mine. The loose clamp collar is hardened so I ground two flats onto it so I could grip the collar with a mover. The mandrel is soft though. I only discovered that by clamping it in the vice whilst unscrewing the collar.

By the way I managed to pop the head off the countersunk allen socket screw whilst using a 4" x 1/8" blade on a deep cut in mild steel. It was unnerving when the blade just stopped and the collar bounced onto the mill table.

I needed to rework something I’m making which meant I had to drill and tap (M8) half on half off an existing (6mm) hole. So the 6mm hole needed to be plugged very solidly. This is in 10mm mild flat.

I have taper pin reamers, so my solution was to taper ream the hole, turn a taper pin to suit and press it in.

Drilling and tapping across the plug was just like tapping virgin material.

One of those minor ‘might come in handy one day’ tips.