1940s Vocational Film

Not sure if I have posted this before, but in case I haven’t…..

A 1940s vocational film on woodworking.  Back when the world was a simpler place, and you didn’t need a degree to sell McDonalds chips.

MagSwitch 2014

Retailers of MagSwitch will soon have a new Point of Sale device that looks quite well done.  Nothing like being able to play with a product to see how well it works!

They have also released their latest catalog which not only covers the product range, has some really interesting details about field depth, magnetic saturation, effects of airgaps (including painted surfaces etc).  Worth a quick gander (here).

I’ve suggested a new product to them – the MagSwitch GoPro mount.  They probably won’t go with it, but when my 3D printer arrives, I’ll make one anyway!

SSYTC069 Dado FUBAR

Episode 108 DadoStop!

Had a look at the blade(s) after the fact, and found out where the significant cascading sound comes from when the brake activates.  12 separate tungsten carbide teeth ripped loose of the blade.  Most presumably are due to the spacer blades not being in direct contact with the aluminium brake, so were able to move when the blade was (rapidly) decelerating, and knocked the teeth off as they slid past.

It is a good effort, stopping that much spinning steel on a dime!

Triton WX7

At the IWF in the USA, the new Triton workcentre has finally been seen in the wild.

I have the catalogue for 2015 around here somewhere, but it is always better to see a product in action.

The original replacement for the Workcentre 2000 (which this is based on) was originally slated to come out around 2004 or 5 or so.  So about 10 years or so late?  Is it too late, with all the cheap cast iron topped tablesaws now available for a comparable price, or is there something here that appeals over a fixed platform?

A matter of scale

In Episode 107, I had a look at the Amana Tool miniature inverted copy router bits from Toolstoday.com.

Although you get an idea of the size from the video, I thought I’d give you a closer look, and compare them in size to a Australian 5c, and the USA cent and quarter.

What I really wanted to show however, is the size of the bearing that is used on the smaller trim bit.  It makes for a smooth copying operation, and so the router bit doesn’t burn at the rub point.  Now when I say it is small, I mean small.  It is in that first photo – have a look at the 1c piece.  However, to make it clearer, here is a real closeup!

Jamie & Adam

The weekend was just yesterday…wasn’t it? No idea where time is flying to.

Went to see a certain two mythbusters on Sunday – pretty cool, especially for a mythbuster’s fan.

Conveniently, it was at Jeff’s Shed, so also dropped into the Home Show, and caught up with Proskill who had a stand there, and their latest gear. They now sell the Mascot range, which you may have seen on “The Block”, or their tug of war challenge

Even the cynical (which I am usually), would find that unusually convincing. Not unlike an advertising strategy from about the 80s for Canterbury rugby jerseys.

Picked up a jacket, good for carpenters etc, as shavings and sawdust don’t stick, the sleeves tape up (velcro), and it zips right to the neck. Great as a turning jacket especially in a cold shed!

And a few other bits’n’pieces!

Episode 107 Miniature Copy Bit

 

Making a start

Ever find it difficult to take that first step to getting a project underway?

I really want to build the Hummer, but have been procrastinating about kicking it off.

So I got the plans out again last night for another read-through, and to work out how I’m going to tackle it. Once I make the first cut we’ll be away.

So I just have to get thoughts of the cold shed, the articles I need to write, the videos I need to shoot, and the shed organisation all put aside (all the start-avoidance behaviour), and get into it!

Addition and Subtraction

The battlefield of the very near future could be quite a different place indeed.  At least as far as logistics and materiel supply is concerned.  I imagine it will be even more profound for the Navy, who have a stable working platform (stable by our standards!)

Where once, a battle was fought only as far as the supply chain could stretch, and every spare part imaginable was carried, it will soon get to a point that all that will be required is the generic raw material, and the ability to fabricate any required part in the field.

The age of one-off part creation is upon us.  It may still be in its infancy, but RP (rapid prototyping) and RM (rapid manufacture), in the form of 3D printing is about to become an unbelievable growth industry over the next 6-10 years.  Even the Formula 1 is taking it very seriously.  They already use 3D printing for prototyping parts for their vehicles, but it won’t take long before the cars themselves have 3D printed components on them, especially where it comes to recovering from an accident.  Cars are occasionally knocked out of the big event due to a crash during practice, and the inability to get the required spare.  This costs the team a fortune in lost exposure, lost advertising, let alone potentially lost championship points.

3D printing is a form of AM – additive manufacturing, where raw material is processed and added to build the required component, layer by layer.  This is no longer restricted to plastics either, with companies now able to utilise titanium 3D printers.  This results in products that goes far beyond prototyping and concept models, and results in fully functional products, some which cannot be made by any other method, with moveable components in seemingly impossible locations.  Impossible if traditional fabrication methods were used.

So where 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process, CNC routing is a subtractive process.  You start with a block of raw material, and carve away everything you don’t want.  Each have their advantages, and CNC machining has now been around for decades, so is a very mature process.

Soon, both additive and subtractive computer manufacturing in my workshop.  The Redback CNC will give me the subtractive process, (in spades), and a soon-to-arrive 3D printer will let me start to become familiar with additive manufacturing.  The rolls of filament arrived during the week, so hopefully the 3D printer is not too far behind!