Member postings for John McNamara

Hi Joseph

Like many others I am slowly becoming proficient with Fusion 360, having spent many years using AutoCAD as a two and 3D tool. So far I can work a lot faster using Acad when creating drawings. While the parametric design features provided by Fusion can be used to control dimensions and assist in accuracy the editor is not as efficient, (for me anyway) moving between drawings in fusion can also be a slow process, a simple save taking many seconds as the program updates the server and the local files. If you keep each component in a separate file as I do the design process involves constantly moving between files. Fusion does allow you to have several files open at one time. Acad allows you to edit a component in an assembly drawing in place a very useful feature. I have not found a way to do this in fusion.

My interest in fusion is focussed on the CAM features here it clearly excels. It can also do mechanism simulation, finite element analysis, sheet metal, Etc. It also handles free form 3D design very well, things that Acad cannot do or do well.

The good news is that Fusion can "upload" many 3D CAD drawing formats including DWG and DXF files. Therefore I can have the best of both worlds. The imported drawing can be edited within fusion if need be.

For now I will continue working on improving my modelling skills using Fusion directly, while continuing to use Acad for larger design projects that are already created and import them into Fusion. Moving to fusion does not mean you have to abandon the program you are using now. Maybe I will move entirely, maybe not. The best of both worlds.

Oh! I really admire your work.

Regards
John

Hi John

Not my thing but you are not alone! Good luck with your experiments.


Regards
John

>**LINK**

Edited By John McNamara on 15/01/2018 13:36:29

Edited By John McNamara on 15/01/2018 13:36:59

How much power?

If the fix consumes say few% more power and a PC consumes from 100 to 500 watts what will the world power bill be for this fix. Microsoft states that they support 1.25 billion currently running PC's (Add to that all the other devices that contain the faulty chips)

**LINK**

How much power?
I guess it depends on the use. Server farms alone in the US used 75 billion KWH (In 2014)
**LINK**

For PC office and home users who knows.

On thing is certain the cost to the community of fixing this problem will not be trifling. In fact it will be huge.

Regards
John

Edited By John McNamara on 08/01/2018 14:24:52

Thought So

**LINK**

Well at least the memory unit is still working!

Cheers
J

Looks like a sturdy machine to me, 2 x Box ways (More rigid) and, dovetails on the table with what looks like decent travel, a separate motor and gearbox for table power feed. if the paint is original it does not show a lot of wear. Is it 40 taper? if it is there is a lot of second hand tooling available. R8 would be OK. Does it have automatic feed for the quill for drilling and boring?

If the vendor will allow it I would take some steel wool and a can of CRC, RP7 or similar and test a section of the table to see how deep the rusting really is, you may be surprised.

Freight should not be that bad if the distance is short and there is a contractor near. From the photo it looks like the current yard it is located in has a nice big crane available to load it, hopefully they also have a smaller one!

The first thing I would do when I got it home would be to spray it all over with oil and start cleaning. I would also open the switch box and play a couple of fan heaters from various angles on it for a few days. the big mistake is to power up a machine that has been wet and not fully dried out. You could get an electrician to test the motors and electrics for safety and with a megger to check for insulation breakdown, failing that check yourself with a multimeter if you have the experience to read the results. Once fully dried out and tested it can be powered up. the top speed of 2300? could be a increased to around 3000 RPM with a VFD.

Big machines are heavier to use, and setting one up can take a bit longer, but they can take much heavier cuts than a light hobby machine. You also have plenty of room for a decent size rotary table and larger work pieces. If you have the space you will not regret getting it.

I found this one on Google looks fairly similar.

**LINK**

Regards
J

Edited By John McNamara on 04/01/2018 12:29:49

One hardware free solution to tightly stuck tapers is to reprogram your biocomputer, the one that sits above your shoulders to instruct your arm servo to use less force on the spanner!

If the taper will not release with a light tap of the lead hammer you over tightened.

Regards
John

This is why some chemicals are different? They can sneak up on you.
**LINK**

A couple of drops and straight through the gloves it went. many months later she was gone and a terrible journey it was too.. Note she was a professional chemist. Bitten by a nasty that can be absorbed through the skin.
Imagine if the chemicals spilled in the post, or were in the hands of a criminal.

Weak hydrofluoric acid, another sneak
**LINK**

Materials like these need to have a restricted supply chain. Not banned but restricted. Available to all who can prove they know the risks and have the means to handle and dispose of them properly.

Rather different to a machinery injury where the danger is more obvious. you can see what happens if you stick any part of your body in danger.

Regards
John

I have recently emptied a damp (with a lot of Roof leaks) shed of stored machinery. It also contained a couple of pallets of individually double wrapped rolled high end UK furnishing fabrics.

All the steel items were oiled then wrapped in two layers of heavy 200um polyethylene concrete slab underlay, No Oil for the textiles! Each layer was carefully and separately sealed on every fold and edge with silver duct tape, the type used by contractors, not the packaging tape you find on parcels. this created two layers of sealing. Finally a layer was used as a tarp over the pallets, making sure it was not holed. It is available in rolls (Folded) up to 4mt wide. The Items were stored for about 5 years.

There were only a couple of parcels that had been damaged by holing. The rest were fine. even the textiles were free of mildew. Holes are the enemy. 200um polly is quite strong.

The polythene is readily available from building supplies outlets together with the tape.

All I can say is it worked for me.

Regards
John

Hi Rainbows
Hmm I missed that you want an internal ring gear, I was thinking an external gear train.
Regards
John

Hi Rainbows

A while back I made a few Epoxy timing gears....
**LINK**

Also made some for a clock....
**LINK**

If your application is slow speed they work fine

For this sort of application use more Epoxy maybe 25% by volume
And plenty of release agent (Wax) so you can get the belt off

Bore the mould and bearing bore in one setting as shown and the result will be very accurate.

Belts are available with hundreds of teeth so high ratios can be achieved with one pair of gears.
Small pinions are available quite cheaply ready made, its not really worth making them unless you want the exercise.

Regards
John

Hi Martin

Second hand antique and brick-a-brac shops often have boxes of unmatched old knives with various bone or bone like handles, maybe a couple of the right colour and texture could be found and thin slices cut from them to make the inlay. They should not cost a lot if the blade is worn or corroded you are only after the handle.

Regards
John

Edited By John McNamara on 14/12/2017 05:20:49

Hi Sean

I think the following sketch drawings may suggest an alternative that will give a very rigid result.

Just drill and tap the front plate 4 x M12, Drill the back plate with 4x12mm holes and use M12 rod and lock nuts to carefully set the position of the plates.

Now insert your spindle unit.

Finally clamp two sides and a bottom to the unit to make a mould they can be anything that comes to hand, but before you attach them coat the inside surfaces with wax to stop epoxy sticking to them. OOps I have given the secret away. The unit will be filled with epoxy resin and bone dry sand, about 15% epoxy by volume, not that much really. I used this process to build a small grinder a while back. I use it almost every day to grind my lathe tools.

**LINK**

You will notice in the second see through illustration below I have added 4 long nuts for a possible base mounting point. You can cast attachment points anywhere you choose, just screw them to your mould plates in the correct position when set just remove the screws.

Regards
John

Edited By John McNamara on 12/12/2017 13:19:40

Venturing into this conversation with some trepidation and having just hit the 3 score and ten mark I guess I am finally entitled to learn how to be grumpy and contrary!

I want to make a case for the white hairs who have learned CAD. It is never too late to learn a new skill and I highly recommend that Computer aided design, CAD, will greatly assist the design process. Yes I started using a drawing board and at the start the time taken on the computer using CAD to draw an object was much greater than with a drafting pen, pencils and the all important rubber probably used the most. This situation changed over time, Would I go back? never.

Freehand sketching is another matter no matter how you create drawings the quick sketch is invaluable, enabling you to freeze thoughts that flicker through your brain during the design process. The drafting board or CAD is too slow for this process.

I see the biggest difficulty in learning CAD is starting the right way. If you take the time to go through a good how to book on your particular CAD choice and do all the boring but essential little steps in order you will not find using the program nearly as difficult as you will by trying to learn it by using it without learning the basics first.

Regards
John

Edited By John McNamara on 11/12/2017 13:18:45

Hi All

Attached is a link to a powered surfboard build.

Trouble is I do not surf! However this set of videos is well worth watching from a CAD and engineering perspective.

He uses Fusion 360

3D Printing and basic machining.

Most of the electronic parts and a rather powerful motor are sourced from Asia. (may come in handy for our projects)

About number 7 he starts to use Virtual reality augmentation for the Cad design process. This must be the way CAD will head now, allowing you to crawl right into the machine.

Oh and he is a first rate designer!

**LINK**

Regards
John

How ya goin Ernie

from Melbourne Australaia

Regards
John

If its for industrial or serious hobby use allow for a power feed unit. Spindle moulders are high risk noisy dust making machines, the further your fingers are away from the cutter the better. The cutter try's to push the material away (or even throw it!), you need to apply a fair bit of pressure to the work that tends to be down and toward the cutter and back fence, the power feed will help a lot, depending on the work you are doing it may not be practical to guard the cutter. You only get one set of fingers. If you have not used one before try to find someone that has and take their advice seriously.

**LINK**

One cutter set can produce a number of patterns, this is done by adjusting the position of the work and the up or down position of the spindle. When selecting them bear this in mind.

If you need a special design some saw sharpening / cutter suppliers can CNC generate a special cutter set to match your machine from a cad file of the outline automatically.

I did this for a recent project, we needed to match up existing heritage mouldings. The work was sent out to a wood craftsman's shop. as I no longer run a shop.

When in business we never needed a tilting head. I guess it depends on the type of work you do.

**LINK**

Look for a solid machine with a cast iron table, heavier is likely to be better. You may be able to pick up a good European made machine second hand machine make sure you can see it running. We rather liked SCM Italian woodworking machines, I still have an SCM sliding panel saw waiting for a bigger shed to put it in.

Regards
John

I am assuming chain oil, given its use I doubt if it is high spec.

Hmm Chainsaw Oil?

I Would be worried about the source, Is if free of impurities that may abrade the ways?

Hi
Self fusing tape can come in handy for an item you cannot heat shrink. In a few days it blends together and cannot be unwound.

**LINK**

Regards
John

1. I have put on my flack jacket.

2. The Myford was built down to a price. "Ok for lunch" but not banquet fare, Homage to the late Leslie Walford one Australia's great designers.... his specification to me when asking for a textile that was not too pretentious.. British trained too,

3. The DSG was built up to a supreme standard. As were a number of other makes of "tool room" standard lathes.

4. I am entering my bomb shelter!

Regards
John