Plans, projects and How-to's for Home Machinists and Other Makers
Rob
SwarfRat Enterprises has a set of free plans for a quick-release dial indicator holder that mounts on the front of a mini-lathe. The holder is made from a 5-inch long piece of .875-inch square aluminum stock. It also uses a quick-release lever from a bicycle seat or wheel that can be purchased inexpensively or salvaged off an old bike. … Read the rest
I needed to cut a piece of glass tube to a certain length and this is how I did it using my mini-lathe, an inexpensive diamond blade, some masking tape and WD-40.
The Stirling Engine I’m building uses a glass tube for the power cylinder. It calls for one with an outside diameter of 16 mm and a length of 26 mm (1.02-inches), although those dimensions are not critical. … Read the rest
My last post described how I made the flywheel hub for Jan Ridders’ simple LTD Stirling engine. It was pretty easy to make, which is good because I screwed up and now I have to make another one. The hub slides on to the crankshaft and is held in place with a set screw. … Read the rest
Here’s how I made the hub for Jan Ridders’ New Simpler LTD Stirling Engine. I started with a piece of 1.25-inch diameter aluminum and turned down a shoulder to fit the CDs that are used for the flywheel. This part has only two critical dimensions and this is one of them. … Read the rest