Member postings for jaCK Hobson

I note it seems to do all sorts of things... except ball handles. Elliptical grooves and tapers, so you can have half a ball but not a ball handle...

Std screwthread relief to DIN 76-1 seems a nice feature.

Easy conical threading!

'embed' option gone from Youtube for me

But after this I restarted and the screen stays blank and will not play anymore. Just as I was starting to have fun

It doesn't seem like a common problem so I have to wait for Rocketronics support - they have been on holiday

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 02/09/2023 18:03:38

So I made a few wiring and dip-switch mistakes but I got all the motors working... now have to calibrate.

Nice. I got the Pro.

I forgot I started this thread so added to an old one:

I'm currently installing on an old Super 7. It is a cheap way of getting the equivalent of power cross feed and gearbox (gearbox alone now goes for the cost of the complete kit).

I could easily pull it all off if I switched machines.

The challenge with the install is how to physically connect the components : spindle encoder, x and Z motors.

Some observations:

I have the 'hidden under the cross slide' DRO from machine DRO and this would complicate putting the Z motor on the back of the cross slide (where it would probably look nicest. So I'm putting mind on the front, using a bracket bolted to cross slide T-slot.

The toothed belts/wheels for printers (and 3D printers) are cheap and good for light loads. '2GT' 2mm pitch 6mm wide. Lots of options next day delivery on Amazon. Excellent for spindle encoder... but I didn't find them until I had already used 5mm pitch 10mm wide. I will see if it is enough for cross slide.... an 80 tooth wheel replaces the dial gauge while retaining the handle which is really neat. 60 tooth might work and be even neater.

Certainly happy to stick with bigger belts for leadscrew. I put it on the handwheel end.

Document from rocketronics suggests not to gear down steppers too much (steppers lose torque at higher revs so gear down for torque doesn't always help) and stick to whole ratios.

Now I just have to wire it all up...

I'm currently installing on an old Super 7. It is a cheap way of getting the equivalent of power cross feed and gearbox (gearbox alone now goes for the cost of the complete kit).

I could easily pull it all off if I switched machines.

The challenge with the install is how to physically connect the components : spindle encoder, x and Z motors.

Some observations:

I have the 'hidden under the cross slide' DRO from machine DRO and this would complicate putting the Z motor on the back of the cross slide (where it would probably look nicest. So I'm putting mind on the front, using a bracket bolted to cross slide T-slot.

The toothed belts/wheels for printers (and 3D printers) are cheap and good for light loads. '2GT' 2mm pitch 6mm wide. Lots of options next day delivery on Amazon. Excellent for spindle encoder... but I didn't find them until I had already used 5mm pitch 10mm wide. I will see if it is enough for cross slide.... an 80 tooth wheel replaces the dial gauge while retaining the handle which is really neat. 60 tooth might work and be even neater.

Certainly happy to stick with bigger belts for leadscrew. I put it on the handwheel end.

Document from rocketronics suggests not to gear down steppers too much (steppers lose torque at higher revs so gear down for torque doesn't always help) and stick to whole ratios.

Now I just have to wire it all up...

Nice ideas. Shallow pullout trays should be more common.

Cheap drills can be used by grinding them flat and then putting the cutting edge back on with just one stroke on the stone on each side to get near-enough equal flutes. If it doesn't look right under the loupe then grind ftat again (rather than trying to correct with little strokes)

my Bergeon tap and die set goes down to .3mm; biggest is 1.2mm

Expanded polystyrene can dissolve electric cable insulation... takes a few years. So don't let them touch.

Ah, for dovetails, this works https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-SW45-Coping-Five-Blades/dp/B000LFVJLI

360 degrees no problem

Those Knew Concept saws polarise opinions. Some people I respect swear by them, others (who I respect at least as much) see no benefit and prefer tools with character.

I suspect they don't make anyone significantly better. If people like them then fine. My favorite is either the cheapest deep throat eclipse (big knew is getting heavy), the medium one I made - neither are 'stiff'.

I quite fancy a Seth Gould http://www.sethgould.com/standard/jewelers-saw but my small one I got for £10 delivered off ebay (probably 150 years old) is pretty nice.

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 02/08/2023 13:42:38

Look up 'project farm' on youtube - he tested lots. I remember makita coming out OK but... I have a bad memory.

Beautiful. Jealous.

J6 M25! I would love some tips!

Modified to 5mm stroke and fettled the scraper. Much nicer to use. Another poor video of the scraper in use with one hand only,  and then a shot of one of the passes for size

https://youtu.be/Ec4n4DH2n6Y

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 29/07/2023 19:11:30

Thanks for the tips - the blade doesn't last long if you fall off the edge and then hammer drill it square against metal! This happend a few times while one handed scraping and holding the phone. A rough grind really made a difference. The blade profile is as new, but I agree more radius on end is needed for my skills and this much brute power.

I will shorten by 1/3 I think. The scraper is a sandvik and the material is really hard and inflexible. And difficult to drill...

I might halve the stroke, but I'll play with this for a bit.

The thing is prone to leaving cutter marks perpendicular to the stroke. I think when adjusting the cutting angle there is a fine line between too shallow and no cut, and too steep and plough lines.

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 29/07/2023 10:16:28

So I think the main conclusion is, I don't know what I'm doing with a power scraper. I guess it's good I didn't splash out on a Bax! I'm not sure it is any faster.

Here is a vid taken one handed (I hold phone with other).

Edited By jaCK Hobson on 28/07/2023 11:35:42

So I ordered. Price showed incl Vat, but I didn't actually get charged VAT. Now it stuck awaiting customs payment... and I'm awaiting payment instructions via snail mail. Take back control!

Thanks. I will bolt on a scraper at 15 degrees... and then I could add a layer of rubber underneath if needed.

I should have asked before I hacked. 10mm just seemed about half way on the Bax.

If this works, and I need a shorter stroke, I may just buy another ... rather than try to engineer an adjustable stroke (there is an example on youtube but it isn't exactly easy to adjust, and not sure it would work on the Titan). Does one find they change stroke often, and is it critical? What stroke would be good for finer work? 5mm?

I thought I'd try making one as a small holiday project. I bought the cheapest reciprocating saw from screwfix (titan) and put a new pin in centred on the diameter of the shaft which then gives 10mm stroke. Would be really easy to do next time now I know...The original pin is pressed in so it might even be possible to press the pin back out and the conversion is then reversible. Now to attach the scraper...