Plans, projects and How-to's for Home Machinists and Other Makers
I just found out about an inexpensive CNC Workshop for hobbyists that is going to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan from June 22 to 25, 2010. I’d really like to go because I recently acquired a CNC mini-mill, which I haven’t learned how to use yet because it’s either been buried by building supplies for our home remodeling project or it’s just been too cold to spend time in my garage. … Read the rest
Here’s an idea I haven’t seen before. Adam made a very inexpensive tachometer for his variable speed X2 mini-mill using a cyclometer (bicycle speedometer). Almost any wired cyclometer will work and you should be able find one with a nice big display for about $15 or less. (You probably don’t want to get a wireless cyclometer because they’re more expensive, you’ll have an extra battery to replace occasionally, and you might get erroneous readings caused by the receiver picking up electrical noise from your motor).… Read the rest
I want to tell you about Ralph Patterson’s free plans for a ball turning tool post that will fit a 7-by-whatever mini-lathe, and show you how he used it to fix a broken shower head. I’ve also included a YouTube video that shows a similar tool post being used to make a ball end for a tool handle. … Read the rest
I’m not exactly sure who Dave Akin is, but he’s obviously a wise man. He wrote these 33 Laws of Spacecraft Design that are full of astute insights and observations that can be applied to many other engineering, design and management situations. He’s kindly granted permission for them to be reprinted, and so here they are:
1. … Read the rest