ENGINEERABLE

The DeWalt ToughSystem drawers are an awesome portable toolbox for quick tool access, but here are a few ways that they could be made even better. STACKING (How to remove the wobble) When stacked, the drawer tool boxes are not stable and wobble a lot. The taller the stack gets, the worse the wobble. There are cutouts in the lid for the feet to fit into, but the cutouts are so deep that the feet never bottom out. I found some designs available to 3D print, and some to buy. The

Although we can tap parts on the HAAS CNC mill using rigid tapping, it's often quicker to hand tap parts vs setting up the code and fixtures, especially if it's a part that we are not already CNC machining. So we needed to find a tapping arm. Tapping arms traditionally had air powered tapping heads, but there are now many relatively inexpensive electric tapping heads that have much more programmable options, and don't need air, which is loud and inconvenient. The electric tap

I've needed a cordless extended reach ratchet/socket wrench to save time when working in hard-to-reach places. The Milwaukee one with the low-profile sockets is sweet, but I can't justify the cost for occasional use. If I were using it daily for my work, then it could be worth the investment. Dare I say it [Harbor Freight] actually has a good 12V Cordless 3/8 in. Extended Reach Ratchet sold under the Hercules house brand. They also have a 1/4in version. The watcher looks nice

WORK OFFSETS (X and Y) USING THE 3D TASTER PROBE - (HAAS Video Link to 0:27) The 3D taster (Tschorn) probe is calibrated to be centered on the spindle axis when the indicator value reads 0 in X or Y. Use the 3D taster (Tschorn) Probe, touch the part with the probe until the indicator is at 0. This is the edge of the part, no offset calculation is necessary Make sure the correct jog axis is selected that is to be zeroed, and press PART ZERO SET Repeat for the other axis. USING

MAINTENANCE Download the PDF Manual Variable Speed Belt Drive The variable speed belt replacement # is 1922V443 and can be purchased here on Amazon. The most difficult part of changing the belt is putting the new one on because the spring-loaded pulley attached to the motor needs to be kept open. MODS Table Lift Using a Chain Hoist VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) 110V Single Phase to 3 Phase Motor Driver There wasn't 3-phase power available where I wanted to use the drill pres

THE FRAME The proliferation of inexpensive laser cutter engravers has dropped the cost of simple CNC machines that can support the load of a torch head. Normally CNC plasma cutter frames are built strong, often as strong as a CNC router. For non-industrial use, the frame doesn't need to be nearly as strong, so these basic laser engravers will work. $150 - 350mm x 350mm - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mP2J8hM DIY CNC Engraver Kits Wood Carving Engraving Cutting Machine Des

I needed a hydraulic shop press for many uses. Force testing vs displacement on some rubber samples. Pressing and forming PEM nut threaded inserts into sheet metal Bending sheet metal Pressing in pins. Pushing out pins. One thing I would like to be able to do is to pull on samples to test to failure. I could find or modify this press with a double-acting hydraulic cylinder. The way this hydraulic press is designed, the head with cylinder can be flipped upside down with the cy

Research paper on the efficiency of rotational cone disc cyclones for removing mist from airstream. Oil-Removal Performance of Rotating-Disk-Type Oil Separator I'm planning to test some dust cyclones to see how well they remove water and oil mist from an airstream. I use a Gore-Tex HEPA air filter in the shop vacs post cyclone. Will these filters effectively remove any remaining water/oil from the air after it has passed through the cyclone? It would also be interesting to se

Sand blast cabinet windows are notorious for becoming hazy when used. Blasting media bounces off the part, hits the window and scratches it. A glass window is more resistant to hazing than plastic windows, but it will become cloudy over time, especially if using a large abrasive grit. A glass window tends to last a long time when bead blasting with glass beads. There are disposable plastic covers that you can apply to protect the window and peel them off as they get cloudy, h

Coolant used in metal cutting and CNC machining applications turns into an inevitable primordial soup if the machines are not run continuously. I've tried bubbler ozonator, but the problem is that the tanks are shallow and there's not enough time for good mixing into the coolant, so a lot of ozone escapes. It works, but it's not efficient. Also the stones get clogged over time. Venturi and Static Mixer The coolant lines on the Tormach and Haas TM-1 Mill and GT-10 lathes are b