Best Apps and Software for the Workshop?

Neil must have decided there weren't enough apps Michael so included books.

One i have used is on Lathes co that calculates nearest change wheel for a desired pitch.

One I have but haven't really done anything with is Gearotic. May or may not be of use.

Another in exactly the same boat is Auggie. No idea at all what that does.

Sketchup is a 3d package and pretty capable but only just works on Linux.

Codewheel generates rotary encoder patterns. There is also another of these about.

Design Spark Mechanical looked interesting but wont run on Linux

There are a couple of stirling engine simulators about but of dubious use. A search will find them.

eMachineShop looked interesting but I can't run it properly

John

-

Well Michael

I do have a (pretty old) Windows machine in the workshop but I do not have internet service there. Just as well too I think as a quick trip into my study to "check something" on line can often expand into a lengthy visit as more and more "stuff" of interest is turned up on the Internet. Although well insulated my workshop is not kept heated at all times and hence is not the friendliest environment for books. So the distinction between books and Apps I find a bit nebulous - both are sources of information each accessed according to location, availability and convenience.

Norman

O.K. Chaps ... It was only an observation [and I hoped that I had made that clear]

I was just interested to see how scant the 'Apps & Software' recommendations had been ... I don't think Neil has enough there for an article in MEW.

Good thing, or Bad thing ?

Predictable, or Surprising ?

... I know not.

MichaelG.

Michael,

If it helps, I downloaded a fairly recent copy of Machinery's Handbook (27th edition - 2004) for free after following a link someone posted on a forum I discovered from a internet search. I can't remember where now and a further search fails to find it. It is, however, a proper pdf file, not a scanned, poor quality version dating from the early 20th century. At a stretch, that could qualify as "software".

John

On reflection, whit i think would work for MEW is if anyone wishes to send me a short review of any utilities or simple programs/apps that might be useful in the workshop, they could make useful one-pagers. Just enough so that people can decide if something might be useful to them without taking up lots of pages.

I would need a couple of screenshots and 5-600 words (no more, please) on details on price & availability as well as what it does, how easy it is to use and what platforms it runs on.

Need I say that pirate copies of recent books don't count?

Neil

Some pretty amazing valve-gear stuff for the choo-choo people here

Even if you don't need it, it's interesting to watch various motions in action

John,

could this be where you downloaded the Machinery's Handbook from?

Thor

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 15/06/2016 14:50:59

I've removed the hyperlink as I don't want this forum to facilitate copyright theft. I would also advise members to be wary of downloading from a Russian hosted site that hides its ownership and keeps moving servers and IP addresses.

Neil

Android App: Bubble Level by Antoine Vianey (free).

As well as the bubble it has an angle readout so I can use my phone as an angle gauge.

--------------------------

I tried it out and it's really good, works in all planes and can be locked.

My lathe bed angle was 59.9 and 60 degrees the first time I tried it, amazing

If it be a proper pdf file methinks it is not a proper early 20th century version of a handbook unless its a proper early 1990s 'lectronic edition.

Ady, much more than that! Santa brought me a smartphone, just so I can play with 'apps', as I have a steam-powered phone to make calls and texts on when out & about. The amateur radio ones are mostly formulae, aerial sizes and propagation workings, and the science ones are the periodic table, chemical formulae and home experiments. The ones I am having most fun with are Night Sky Pro, far better than 'Redshift' on the PC, and FlightRadar 24, monitoring aircraft in real time, superimposed on Google Maps, so that, for instance, I can pick up an aircraft, flying North over the Peak District, and watch its progress over the satellite picture of the ground below, as it prepares to land at Manchester, having described a graceful U-turn over North Manchester, constantly updated from the aircraft's own transponder, all the way down to landing. Below about 300 feet the accuracy deteriorates, sometimes it seems to fly backwards, or appears still in the air, having landed (0 feet, 0 mph) but it is great to watch.
Having played with (sorry, studied) it for some months, I have collected several practical apps like, Stroboscope, Plumb-bob or the very similar 3-axis Gravitometer, Magnifier, Audio spectrum analyser, sound level meter, frequency meter, oscilloscope, tone generator, pedometer, etc. I have tried two radioactivity detectors, without success, unless my basement is a very benign environment. The Vibrometer is very sensitive, detecting passing traffic and the desktop computer fan. Google something like 'Free Android stroboscope app' as required and try one. Many are free or only a nominal price, and the choice is growing all the time.

Geoff

Only available on iPhones but I found the iEngineer app indesepensable!

It is a really easy to use database of every bolt imaginable in metric and unified threads (also a choice of metric or imperial dimensions regardless of which form). It gives head dimensions, tolerances of hole sizes, tensile strength in single and double shear mode, torque, thread info, drill charts, fraction charts and more.

I now have an android phone and I cry everyday for how I miss that app!

**LINK**

Thomas, look in Smart Tools for several Android apps, inc screw thread details.

Geoff

Thomas, look in Smart Tools for several Android apps, inc screw thread details.

Geoff

This doesn't really qualify as 'Workshop' but it's better here than in the Food thread:

Cupify is a very clever, and beautifully executed, unit-conversion utility for the kitchen.

Cupify - convert to cups/ml/fl.oz from weight by Clafou Apps
https://appsto.re/gb/O2fo_.i

It could easily be adapted [by its author] to engineering units.

iOS users; have a look [it's free at the moment]

MichaelG.

iOS-enabled readers might find this useful: **LINK**

DimPin by Ruslan Sushko
https://appsto.re/gb/VL8Bdb.i

Shows the dimensions for checking involute gears over pins, etc.

MichaelG.

Just waiting for my wife & daughter's flight to take off

Neil

This might interest Londoners, http://traintimes.org.uk/map/tube/

.... or even ex-Londoners. Thanks for that it's really cool.

I notice that it shows some "graininess" due to interpolation when you zoom in a lot. Trains suddenly shifting, reversing or even disappearing completely (at least I assume it's not a real effect )