haven't been on here much largely because of an exhausting job search followed by a cross country move from PA to WA, but I've now got what passes for my workshop set up and started making things again.
First project is a cable stop for the front derailleur on my commuter bike. I want to run a continuous outer to the mech, like on the rear mech (keeps out crap, makes it largely maintenance free), but with under BB cable routing, there's no end stop for it. Idea was to make a simple split clamp. First, I used a holesaw to make a round out of 1/2in alu (6061?) with an offset hole. Then drilled and tapped a couple of holes so that I could saw it in half and then bolt it back together to bore out the hole to the seat tube diameter. That didn't quite work as planned but it came good in the end.
Pile of chips from slotting one half of the clamp, then the clamp itself. You can see the hole that the cable will go through and the stop for the cable end on the other side. First major metalworking project on my drill press "mill" and it went really well. Next time I think I'll slot with a smaller endmill and then finish each side, instead of trying to do it full width. now I need to get the chemicals to set up my anodizing rig so I can anodise it black and stick it on the bike
next up is something similar to act as a suspension boot retainer and mudguard mount (bike has a PITA headshok)
Vanc just machined me a nice fork steerer tube extension to be epoxied and set-screwed in place. You guys would be dangerous if you ever got in the same room.
thanks Vanc! Slowly getting there... We're in south east WA, town called Walla Walla near the Oregon border. Close enough that people in Oregon buy their groceries in Walla Walla (no sales tax for them) and people in Walla Walla buy their petrol in Oregon (15c/gallon cheaper! It's a bit different to central PA without a doubt, but there are some damn big hills to go ride in fairly close to town.
kwarwick - it's probably for his 'bent bike, so he's only a few inches off the ground anyway. If it breaks he'll just end up sitting on his butt
Good to hear from you though Rich! Still working up my gumption to reprogram a few driver boards for my lights. Just keep getting distracted by all my other projects..
Well you must not be enjoying the hospitality of the state at the prison there, so I'm guessing Whitman? Either that or you've opened a winery. Welcome to Wa!
good guess! Not a state guest (although I did get a small "gift" from an Idaho state trooper on the way over ), I got a 1yr position teaching Genetics at Whitman college. Pretty pumped and scared about it, fingers crossed I wont make a hash of it and it'll get me a permanent (well, tenure track at least) job next year somewhere. Only downside is that I have to get on with applying again in a few months time, which I'm looking forward to like a DIY colon irrigation.
So are you in Vancouver WA? I thought for years that you were in Vancouver BC for some reason! I have a really good biking friend in Portland who I'm hoping to visit soon if you're up for a ride? Be awesome to actually meet you in person at last. It'll also prompt me to get off my ar$e and fix my lights too..
Is that anything like Pennsyltucky? If I can get hold of my buddy Slippery Rick I'll get something organised - any problems with a weekend in the middle of August?
thanks! The milling was done with a Walker Turner 15in drill press using a collet chuck and heavily modded HF x-y vise. Not ideal and I have to make light cuts with minimal extension (and avoid climb milling like the plague), but it's better than not having a "mill" Making another couple of brackets next..
thanks for the anodising tip, I found that through the monster "anodising at home" thread that was on here a while back. Unfortunately could only find the 7lb sodium bisulphate (Ph down) so I have plenty spare. I have everything bar the desmut, anodising solution and dye make up, just have to add the various chemicals to the various tanks then find time to give it a whirl!
stubborn would be the word I'd use, but I appreciate it anyway I'm like a caveman transported to the Industrial Revolution, these tools are such a huge step up from the jigsaw/dremel/hand drill I was using to make stuff before. Something that would take me 10h before now only takes me 4
I thought I was being clever holesawing out the center of the clamp for my headshok until I took the time to measure it properly and realised the hole was too big I have another round so I'm going to have a go at grinding a trepanning tool, which should be fun.
I thought I was being clever holesawing out the center of the clamp for my headshok until I took the time to measure it properly and realised the hole was too big I have another round so I'm going to have a go at grinding a trepanning tool, which should be fun.
If you want to send the blank to me, I could do the bore in the blank and send it back to you to finish up. I have a program in the CNC for circle cutting a bore that is super easy to use.
thanks for the offer Vanc, that's very kind. Would feel a bit like cheating though (did I mention stubborn?) plus it gives me the excuse to try out trepanning on the lathe which might be a useful skill to know. I'm really getting into grinding my own lathe bits - did a RH facing tool last night which is very nice - and a trepanning tool looks like quite a challenge!
Vanc, you still haven't come out for a ride! Went on an awesome ride a couple of weekends ago, beautiful views, awesome singletrack...
Managed to finish my little list of projects for the commuter with 2 more clamps. One to hold the top of the front mudguard and one to clamp to the chainstay bridge as a mounting point for the rear mudguard (rattles like crazy on our cratered roads)
front clamp (old version first!)
rear clamp - yes the holes are off center, that was an issue with the drill chuck and the lack of readouts on the table (my next project)
still need to get the anodising rig up and running, though that will probably have to wait for the weekend..
That front clamp is looking pretty nice! I like the weigh reduction cuts.
I might have to try a copy. I ran into the guy that I sold my old C'dale to. He recently drank the 29er Koolaid and asked me if I'd be interested in buying it back at a ridiculously low price. It might make a decent around towner with a set of fenders.
thanks Vanc! I wanted to try out some of the ball endmills I got and this seemed like a good application. The clamp was a bit of a pain the azz to fit, as it has 3 different IDs and the bottom of the steerer is actually oval because of the welds, so I had to put it back in the 4 jaw and offset it both ways from center by about 30 thou.
Go for the 'dale commuter, they make excellent general purpose bikes. Mine has (or will have!) front and rear guards with mahoosive juice bottle extensions (I can ride through 4-5in of water and my toes stay dry), rack, rattly old suspension seatpost, 1.5in road tires and crappy BB7 disk brakes. I go mtbing on it after work a couple of times a week on my way home and it's just scary enough to be entertaining! Plus it looks like shite so hopefully no one wants to steal it..
thanks Brad! it's a pale imitation of a mill (converted drill press) but it allows me to do stuff I couldn't otherwise do. Great way to learn the ropes too, as it's pretty unforgiving of nonsense. I certainly would be hesitant to cut steel on it, let alone stainless!
whatever happened with your wireless light? I thought that you'd gotten a long way along with it and then I lost track.
that sucks Brad, but I know where you're coming from, sometimes life just gets in the way of life! Fingers crossed you'll get back to it, you've got a bunch of time til winter comes round again dahnunda
Nice mill work with that setup! Makes me want to get an adjustable vice and try it out on my cheapo HF drill press. There is so much runout in the chuck that an end Mill might just bounce around though!
It's really far from ideal, very flexy and there's a lot of chatter so light cuts and super sharp endmills help, but it's better than no mill. I was very lucky and a guy off the hobby machinist forum gave me his old collet chuck which has a collar that threads right onto my spindle (JT33 male taper, so solid spindle). I then had some help from the machinist at my old job making a range of collets from 3/8 down to 1/8, so the run out is basically what was in the 3 jaw on the lathe I made them on (about 2-3thou).
Also, the HF X-Y vise took a lot (no really ALOT) of work to get working nicely - if you want to save yourself the hassle, get one of the proper X-Y tables from Enco or Grizzly. Would have cost me more than double but saved me about 3 mths work!
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