Pssst,over here, I've got a nice little update for you!
Well hello there, nice to see you all again. Today we will mostly be considering little pieces of black plastic.
Why is it that no task seems to be completely finished? Anyway on to the work recently done. I have finally made the black part of the handle, including the recesses and switch housing. how did you make it I hear you ask?
Starting with a round bar of Delrin/Acetal approximately 40mm in diameter and 150mm long. This was carefully, with humourous quips from my neighbour over the fence about my inability to saw in a straight line, sawn in half lengthwise, the two pieces were then sanded and the pieces glued together. The pice was then installed in a 4 jaw chuck on the lathe and centred. The outside diameter was then turned down to the 31mm required for the largest diameter of the handle. I have a specially ground tool which was used to rough out the steps to form the waist in the handle. The tool started life as a 60 degree threading tool, which has been reground after the tip chipped badly. With the lathe spinning the part slowly the profile of the waist for the handle was made using a combination of files. Once this was completed the inside diameter was bored out to size. Unfortunately during the initial drilling of the part the work got quite hot resulting in the superglue bond failing. I resorted to a few cable ties to support the work while the boring operations were completed.
The handle was parted off from the stock and test fitted on the Aluminium housing and sanded to fit. Once this was completed the holes for the switches were drilled and a pocket milled for the switch housing. The switch housing is self was a much simpler task. (Yeah right).
A piece of Delrin was cut to an appropriate size, ie, too small! So another piece was sawn from a block previously purchased in case of just such a need. Mounted in the lathe it was faced then the profile of the box milled. Things then went awry. I may have mentioned that my CNC mill is a home conversion that from time to time likes to find interesting and complex ways of failing. This time the X-Axis jammed, but only in one direction. I heard this from a couple of feet away but was too late to save 2 hours of work.£$%&*%!!!
So most of Sunday evening was spent stripping down the X-Axis drive on the mill, cleaning and adjusting the motor mount and rebuilding the mill. Finally the work-piece was reinstalled and the switch housing milled. I will need to re-tram the mill though and check backlash and calibration due to the messing about.
So there it is, about half the work I wanted to do but another small step forward.
So Pictures, soon.
Further random ramblings from the Galactic Hitch-hiker.
I was operating a scooter concession near the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains, where God's last words can be found, Its's an impressive sight, and if you get the chance you should go. Any how, who should call at my stand but the bloke who borrowed my towel. Arthur I think his name was. So he asks me about renting a scooter. I had to tell him that they are only for the return journey. Nice guy, still has my towel!
And now, finally, the event you have all been waiting for....
The pics.
