Sure, I'll bite....
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JCDammeyer's 42 projects
- Thread starter jcdammeyer
- Start date
Sure, I'll bite....
If you were smart ( 🙄 ) there was a bar in town that wouldn't ID until later in the night, if you were already in nobody questioned it. This suave 17 year old idiot spotted my English teacher on the dance floor. Much to my surprise swatting her on the behind was NOT a great opening move. It's hard to say who was more surprised to see the other person in the bar
I failed worse than I failed her English class 😀
17 is such a wonderfully awkward age!
I had a somewhat similar experience. Our grade 10 English teacher was also a hottie. I wasn't learning any English in her class, but I was studying curves and imagining hidden surfaces so my math was improving just looking at her. One day I was particularly taken by the view and she noticed me daydreaming and asked me a question, which I answered sitting down. That was a no-no. You had to stand to answer back then. I wasn't gunna do that - too embarrassing. She insisted. I still refused. Slowly but surely the giggling and whispers spread through the class as they began to understand my "situation". When she finally figured it out, she turned beat red and left me alone.
Getting to be time to repair that section of rotted deck joist. Actually it's the 2x8 plate at the end of the joists. For some reason, even though the vinyl deck material and flashing was supposed to keep water off it somehow still must have retained water and rotted.
Since I don't want to damage the deck covering and there's a gas line underneath the overhang I have to be careful where I cut and how deep.
So I bought a new toy.... I mean tool.
I've been practising a bit on some used lumber. Sometime this week I'll attack it full force. Requires removing deck posts, eaves-trough in the corner. Pushing up the vinyl deck overhang a tad. I really only need the multi-tool in one spot. The sawzall could probably do the rest.
Since I don't want to damage the deck covering and there's a gas line underneath the overhang I have to be careful where I cut and how deep.
So I bought a new toy.... I mean tool.
I've been practising a bit on some used lumber. Sometime this week I'll attack it full force. Requires removing deck posts, eaves-trough in the corner. Pushing up the vinyl deck overhang a tad. I really only need the multi-tool in one spot. The sawzall could probably do the rest.
I regret not buying one sooner too.
But don't underestimate the sanding capabilities. I missed out on that for years until a particular job required something different and it did that job too!
Some progress on the AR3 Robot Arm. All 6 axis work now. Had a problem on the second set of 3. Two of the B channel encoder wires were swapped in the cable between the control box and the arm. So it homed because that doesn't use the encoders but positioning kept faulting with odd errors.
Went back to the test encoders section and found the wrong axis was incremented when a different axis was turned.
The original used 3D printed tubes in the covers to route the wires. Hard for service and assembly. The AR4 version changed to channels with Tie-Wrap holes. Was fine for the J2 Arm.
Not so fine for the J5 arm because the design switched to an internal limit switch and that meant the mounting holes changed position and my AR3 cover wouldn't fit on the AR4 assembly prints. No drawings and the STL to STEP conversion created a drawing over 46MB in size and Alibre choked on that.
So out came the calipers to measure the new AR4 J5 base piece and after many trial prints forgetting to put in holes or moving them in the wrong direction I succeeded. Should have only printed the first 5 layers each time instead of the complete cover twice.
The font was also a challenge.
Now the cable guide is open and working on this will be easier.
I've also noticed he's now gone to HALL sensors and magnets for the Home Switches. I don't think I'll go there with that. I like the normally closed option I have at the moment so I can tell if the wire is broken.
Went back to the test encoders section and found the wrong axis was incremented when a different axis was turned.
The original used 3D printed tubes in the covers to route the wires. Hard for service and assembly. The AR4 version changed to channels with Tie-Wrap holes. Was fine for the J2 Arm.
Not so fine for the J5 arm because the design switched to an internal limit switch and that meant the mounting holes changed position and my AR3 cover wouldn't fit on the AR4 assembly prints. No drawings and the STL to STEP conversion created a drawing over 46MB in size and Alibre choked on that.
So out came the calipers to measure the new AR4 J5 base piece and after many trial prints forgetting to put in holes or moving them in the wrong direction I succeeded. Should have only printed the first 5 layers each time instead of the complete cover twice.
The font was also a challenge.
Now the cable guide is open and working on this will be easier.
I've also noticed he's now gone to HALL sensors and magnets for the Home Switches. I don't think I'll go there with that. I like the normally closed option I have at the moment so I can tell if the wire is broken.
With the piles of cables that I have you'd think I'd have at least one Centronics to DB-25 cable. But no. Can't even find any chopped of Centronics connectors. Likely went into trash decades ago.
Now I'm trying to interface to an old S100 system for the parallel port and I need one of these which Amazon can deliver tomorrow. But if someone in the local area has one in their unused cable bin and wants to find it a good home...
.
Now I'm trying to interface to an old S100 system for the parallel port and I need one of these which Amazon can deliver tomorrow. But if someone in the local area has one in their unused cable bin and wants to find it a good home...
.
I found one. But now as it turns out I don't need it. I am connecting an MC68C21 on an S100 board to an ESP32 base module that talks to SD cards. The idea is to make a MicroSD card equivalent to a hard drive.
Anyway, in the process of searching I now have almost 20 DB-9 extension cables. I think 4 null modem cables. A number of DB-25 extension cables.
And tonight I screwed up my network IP and it took 2 hours to get things fixed. Spent a whole bunch more money at Digikey and Mouser on parts for the production run.
Ah such is life. One day I may actually make metal chips again.
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140mower
Don
Metal chips...... micro chips....yer a fussy dude. 😛
Now if only I could find the bag of MicroSD card modules. I put them in a place that I would remember...............
Just go buy or order a new one. They are cheap now. Your stash will show up the next day.....
A quick trip to the 'Restore' place to donate some stuff I don't need anymore. Then a wander through the store and found a $10 bookshelf that was missing 3 of the 25mm x 4mm pins for the second shelf. It came home with me. Pulled some 4mm shaft stock from one of my bins and now I have the 3 replacement pins.
Herbus and all it's parts has a new home.
Just need to put casters on the bottom so it can be rolled around more easily.
Herbus and all it's parts has a new home.
Just need to put casters on the bottom so it can be rolled around more easily.
Yes. The stash of MicroSD sockets did show up. And a second bag...
Speaking of second sets I of course couldn't find the bag/box of power modules for the second part of the robot arm. I needed about 9V and only had 5V available. I spent two days searching and then ordered 10 knowing full well the missing ones would then turn up. They did two days later.
And a week later I now have the 10 extras.
1/3/5/10PCS MT3608 Adjustable Step-Up DC-DC Boost Converter Module 2V-24V to 5V-28V 2A Micro USB Type-C Voltage Regulator
Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com
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Took the plunge today to trim the two tabs on 50 Deutsch connectors. After TE Connectivity in the USA took over making these they screwed up on the mold and made the slots too thin by about 0.015"" or so.
That means the tab on the connector can still be pushed through which compresses the plastic just enough so it does fit. But trying to compress it again to be able to push it out is virtually impossible. I know it's not the Deutsch connector because an older version of the box made in Germany doesn't have this problem with the new connectors.
In the past I've used a file to enlarge the rectangular holes but with 50 boxes to do instead I've changed over to making the tabs a bit thinner. I clamp it in the vise and run a short G-Code program that trims them down. It makes them thinner so the hook part easily slips through the hole and it's easier to push down so the connector can come out again.
Look carefully on the right taps and you can see how it's a bit thinner.
Here's how it's mounted. This is the last one of the 50.
Finally a video showing the 20 seconds it takes to do this. In fact it takes longer to scrape away the shavings that are still attached than it does to do one connector.
That means the tab on the connector can still be pushed through which compresses the plastic just enough so it does fit. But trying to compress it again to be able to push it out is virtually impossible. I know it's not the Deutsch connector because an older version of the box made in Germany doesn't have this problem with the new connectors.
In the past I've used a file to enlarge the rectangular holes but with 50 boxes to do instead I've changed over to making the tabs a bit thinner. I clamp it in the vise and run a short G-Code program that trims them down. It makes them thinner so the hook part easily slips through the hole and it's easier to push down so the connector can come out again.
Look carefully on the right taps and you can see how it's a bit thinner.
Here's how it's mounted. This is the last one of the 50.
Finally a video showing the 20 seconds it takes to do this. In fact it takes longer to scrape away the shavings that are still attached than it does to do one connector.
You have to allow time for cleanup !!
I don't why but I've had this fear of melting metal over the last 4 years or so. The last pieces I cast were the frame for the Pneumatic Power Draw Bar that worked but not the way I wanted. I then made new patterns but never cast them And an even older pattern for the harmonic drive 4th axis. And patterns for the newest distraction to avoid other projects; the AR3 robot arm.
Anyway, even though it was about 24C outside with not much breeze I finally bit the bullet and set up to make ingots from Hyundai intake manifold and other sawn up bits.
Because the pieces are large I used the pipe crucible that can hold 12 lbs of aluminum. About half full for each set of ingots. All told the end result was 10 lbs of ingots.
By then I was puffing and really out of breath. And bending over a hot cruicible to fish out the left over steel bits from the castings. A lot of dross on top too, some of which might have been good metal but to make the ingots I didn't bother with degassing. Not even sure what sort of flux I might use and if it would separate some of the dross.
Anyway, even though it was about 24C outside with not much breeze I finally bit the bullet and set up to make ingots from Hyundai intake manifold and other sawn up bits.
Because the pieces are large I used the pipe crucible that can hold 12 lbs of aluminum. About half full for each set of ingots. All told the end result was 10 lbs of ingots.
By then I was puffing and really out of breath. And bending over a hot cruicible to fish out the left over steel bits from the castings. A lot of dross on top too, some of which might have been good metal but to make the ingots I didn't bother with degassing. Not even sure what sort of flux I might use and if it would separate some of the dross.