Massive Update (well, at least for me)
It is amazing how fast time is going. So here are some bullet points and other news.
Personal
Finished out my short term leave, still unable to do the old job, so I'm officially displaced, now on long term disability. Still an employee, just on the injured list. If I get back to workable condition, I'll have to hunt up a job within a couple months of the "ready for work" diagnosis or I get released. Free agent or unemployed? Not sure which is more accurate.
Projects
The 3 jaw chuck
Original issue was it locked up when I was attempting to use it. Then I encountered a stuck cap screw.
Leigh over in upstate NY sent me an email that buttressed my thinking. Carbide endmill into the stuck cap screw and it is done. Back plate is off, and the threaded portion was just finger tight. Eased out no issue.
Those three threaded holes in the back plate are for jacking screws. I was figuring metric since it was made in Poland, but they were 5/16. Common bolt, and it worked as designed. (Thank God!) No metric fasteners on the unit. Relief!
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| You can see the little spider web of cracks around the hole |
Part of the reason it was stuck is, this hit the ground at some point in the past and it pinched the screw head. I tapped it back out a bit to make it roundish, but it may have tweaked the screw such that it was no longer true. That carbide endmill went through it like butter.
After I got it disassembled, I found the back edge of the main body as sharp as a razor. Shaved a few spots on my hands, but no blood, just thinner skin!!! WOW!!!!!!!!
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| Pinions in order |
The pinions fit between the jaws and the jaws are numbered. I figured it best to put them back where they came from. Not sure if that is CDO (OCD in alphabetical order!!) or just trying to be detail oriented.
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| Scroll retainer |
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| Too much grease, and it should be oil |
Video
Glen Filthie asked a while back if I could do video. I'm working on it. I have the camera, and I have the lights, but I'm having some stand issues. Keith Rucker showed some of his behind the camera work the other day and I realized I have all I need to make this into a workable unit. Just need to put it all together. When that happens, I'll start loading stuff up on a video hosting site. More to follow.
Plasma Table
I got the table running really well. But every step forward reveals another issue. Previous owners were not worried about maintenance or efficiency I guess. Found out the slats are so caked with slag that they were holding the material unevenly. Lots of valleys and peaks. That led to tip drag and damaged the torch. So..... I figured cleaning would be good, but the owner wants all new. I pulled some stuff loose yesterday, and am working on the slat holders today. Some holes to drill and slots to burn. Then, I get to cut the slats. It still takes me hours to do minutes of work due to having to refresh the O2 and not over working my heart.... I never ever thought I'd type a sentence like that..... heck. It's like free diving to do the work. Only there isn't any water involved.
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| There was enough slag to fill a 55 gallon drum |
That grating was my seat, and it was a bit rough!! That's just half the table. Years of neglect.
The owner did some trading and got wiring close to the machine... The wiring is too small for the load, and the breaker is a used weak one, too. Any long cuts, or thick material pops the breaker.
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| Breaker failure |
To date, I have about a 110 hours on this thing. I know I have more than that, but I didn't document everything. The agreement was to trade my work and skill for time on the machine. I'm hoping that will payoff.
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| First order from the table! |
I got my first order the other day!! I got it done while testing the table. If you want one, let me know. This one is 3 inch tall letters, and is 5 x 14 inches. I'm really green on this cad software and plasma torches in general, so any practice I can get that will generate some pork chop money is welcome.
Ford F150
I did a lot of reading about the old Ferd F150. It ran really rich and drank fuel. I found out that the slide rule brain runs on vacuum. And those hoses were dust and muck. South Texas is pretty hard on rubber goods. They were cracked, rotten, dry and gummy. Go figure. How can it be all of the above on a three inch length? And those little plastic straws they used around the engine bay? If I scowled at them, they'd shatter. Found a place on fleabay that sold 5/32 silicone hose cheaper than anyone else. The first ten foot length brought the idle to normal, the rich smelling exhaust is gone, and it's just drinking gas now, not gulping it. That is a win.
I like the V8 growl best, and this is a straight 6. I've heard them with too little muffle and they irritate me. Took off the cherry bomb and put on a Thrush turbo. I got the muffler, and an OD-ID adapter next day. The turn down tail pipe is arriving sometime this month.... maybe..... Weird how somethings are right here and others not so much.... The note is more mellow, and not ragged. I could make it pop and snarl before, mostly when I didn't want to. Now it just rumbly purrs. I can deal with that.
Stake pockets are coming, as is a head ache rack and front bumper...
The headliner was bad too. And having to brush giant flakes of foam out of my eyes when the vent windows are open isn't much fun. And, I don't deal well with dust. So...... I'm learning a new skill. I found that using a cup wire wheel will cut the old foam off the cardboard like a breeze. Note: let the fabric hang until all the folds are out of it. That was a disappointing, but it's not real problem. Just my CDO kicking around again....
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| old one not too bad on this side |
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| doing half at a time |
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| The good stuff |
Remember those little balloon kits we used to get? They had some rubber cement in it and a little straw? They smelled like toluene to me. This stuff is it's big brother. The solvent is so hot, an hour after I sprayed it, the smell was almost gone. It's resetable for a good bit, too.
That's about all I have time for today. Therapy is over, so I need to start drilling holes....
Thanks for stopping by.
The Pietenpol builders are always looking for a source of pre-cut hardware kits. That plasma table would be ideal for that. A fellow with such a rig could make a bit of coin making those available. Might take a bit of digging but I know someone out there has the CAD file for it.
ReplyDeleteI am casting around for anything I can cut right now. If you have a line on a product, I'm game. Thanks for the visit, feel free to give me a holler anytime. Also, got you on the blog roll this afternoon.
DeleteJust did a little looksee and 4130 sheet steel is primed with zinc chromate. Is that applied after the fabrication? And as far as welding goes, the owner is a CWI and has 10 years Navy experience as well as pipeline work. I've not seen better wellds with TIG and MIG.
This might be serendipity....
Email is STxAR@protonmail.com Shoot me a line, and I'll pass along my phone number if we need to visit...
Yea the zinc chromate goes on after all welding is done. Most guys are just looking for the flat stock pre cut parts and will gas weld and bend their own as needed. The time saver and added precision would be in a CAD guided plasma cut package. Let me do some digging see if I can find out about the CAD/DXF files.
DeleteThere are several Pietenpol groups on FB as well as;
http://www.pietenpols.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=2
Thanks man. I appreciate the lead!
DeleteYou know you're supposed to save that grease that came out of the chuck. Suppose to clean it up, get all of the shavings out of it, and reuse it. You didn't know that?
DeleteI have it in a container. I'm bringing it with the parts. I need a refresher, so I expect a good one next visit!!!! ;P
DeleteLoL!!! I'll be glad to clean it for you when you come down next weekend.
DeleteOh, I may have to put it into a different container for you.
DeleteSTxAR - My friend, you continue to amaze me. You use words and speak things that I understand are English, but cannot fathom. I have always admired mechanical-aligned brains as I have none of that.
ReplyDeleteHow long does the "long-term" disability last? A year? Two? A man could do a fair bit towards getting ready for the next step in two years.
Hey TB! It is extremely strange to me that mechanical-brain is not a more widespread ailment. Since I was a little guy, the HOW of things has been the question. Lots of seat dustings took place because I pulled new stuff apart to see how it worked, usually ruining it. I left tools strung out all over the yard or house, usually finding them with the mower. ADHD helped me grow callouses on my hindquarters in a roundabout way. I have a pretty good memory (if I'm interested otherwise it's teflon), so I retained a lot of what I discovered. And with the unrelenting push in my head to do stuff, it was a natural fit. I finally got to the point where I could fix and make useful things.
DeleteYes sir. Two years is the limit for LTD insurance thru my work. The ins also has a department that will assist me with the filings and such to get some of what I paid in, back out of Uncle's pocket. The pulmo-doc says this is permanent and not likey to get that much better. I am working to clean my old projects up and / or out. Getting my house in order for the next chapter in my book-o-life.
mechanically-inclined brains..... mech-lined brains..... maligned brains..... That's where that came from.....
DeleteJohn's infection appears to have spread....
*face palm*
Sigh. Well, at least you know the end date and can plan - better than just a random "departure.
DeleteAnd you and John should be separated, apparently. We cannot have this sort of frivolity on the InterWeb. Serious stuff, you know...
If you had used a bit of heat on the 3-jaw, would that have been a chuck roast. Just thinking. :)
ReplyDeleteJohn, spring is almost here! Hold on a little longer!!! And keep the muzzle discipline on that pun your waving around!!! That WAS a good one! I'm boiling it in Zep 505 and what passes for water down this way right now.
DeleteHow's the recovery coming, STxAR?
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see that you are still in the game and engaged. For me... I am watching the world go by up here and wondering when the party's over.
Maybe it already is and I missed it...?
It's like a chart of a logarythmic function. Say, the charge on a RC circuit. 1/RC = τ 5τ is the amount of time for the circuit to charge to ≈ 100% of V. I figure I'm in the 4th τ. The curve looks like a radius going up to the right. I'm not at the top of healing, but on the slowest part of the curve approaching 100% of what I can get. I don't know if that is accurate, but that's how it feels.
DeleteLook, we don't care who comes across the southern border. If you can get to Mejico, and pay the cartel to get you over here, we will accept you with open arms. I, for one, would be happy to help you settle in with the hot weather stubfart clan. Cotton drawers and sunscreen, no more woolies, basements and snow to worry about. After you get your UN cash card, you can get the missus to join you, and anyone else you care to call a "relative". Just mumble along in whatever dialect you care to, and you're golden!!!!
Just don't try and get a job, then you get treated like dog dung on a house slipper. Much better to be Minnie the Moocher. We'll never run outta dollars, Non-Compus Mentus up in DC has the automatic spreedsheets adding zeros all day long!