For anyone reading this, you’ve probably noticed a lack of posts. I started it about 6 years ago or so as a way to give back little things learned along the way from other blogs I have read. Priorities have changed and the time has come to shut down the blog. Thanks for reading!
I had a chance to bike Detroit by bicycle. It was a great exercise as I biked in areas I probably should not have – regardless a great tour of the city. In my opinion, Detroit is a great little gem that has great promise.
*note – parts ARE dangerous as it is a city faced with high crime and economic decline. Generally the path is north-south and east west from the center of the city. When in doubt – ask a friendly local as I found most locals were helpful and friendly.
I had not posted much since July. That was around the time I learned my mother in law got cancer. From then on I had to re-focus my priorities to being there for my wife. Her mother passed later that year and it was difficult to say the least. Life goes on and that it about how 2013 ended.
I am now back in college! Through circumstances and opportunities, I am pursuing my MBA in management. I am excited to learn more about this area and apply the skills to my career.
Tried and liked for 2013
Kondia Manual Mill – great accessory for building things on the fly. It took some time to restore – but works very well.
Rivendell Sam Hilborne – I finally have a “do it all” no compromise bike to go where I want.
Canon iS 10×42 binoculars – Having them has been great for trips – image stabilization is a must
Camping – Started at New Years last year, ended at New Years last year. Not too many trips – but worth it.
Shortwave radio – my father is working on a nifty little project to put a short wave radio into a car. Its been a fun project getting that working.
USGI military surplus 100% wool blanket – Who knew that this vintage item would be so useful? Keeps you warm and is versatile.
Music:
Tesla Boy!! Perhaps my favorite find of 2013. I saw them play in Orlando recently and they put on a great show.
I also saw Toad the Wet Sprocket, the reunion of UK as well as Dweezil Zappa’s Frank Zappa tribute.
That’s all! I hope you have a wonderful 2014!
Here are photos of the complete Rivendell Sam Hillborne build. I took it out for a spin today. It’s a great ride, especially with the double top tubes. The frame is pretty much near perfect for me and much stiffer over the single tube version in a 60cm size. In the photos, you notice a unique way to mount shimano deerhead shifters to the stem. The front bag is a vintage leather camera bag that I added supports to adapter to the rack. Steel supports were welded to the nitto racks and the racks were powder coated. A bracket was fabricated for the rear light.
I destroyed the motor of my Milwaukee drill. To replace it, I needed special security torx bits and had to make a custom tool with an extension.
This was my first attempt at aluminum MIG welding. 4 vanes were damaged (missing) on the fan of the mill motor. The caused vibration from the imbalance. New vanes were cut from a bandsaw and welded. I thought I needed to dynamically balance it, but it ran so smoothly that I decided to skip that.
The advantage of having a mill, lathe and welder is that each machine can contribute to make parts to repair themselves. Since getting the mill, I discovered some parts needed to be custom built for repairs. This is a modification of the quill lever which needed a couple dimension changes and a new circle hole pattern. Holes were filled in with a welder, turned down on the lathe and new holes drilled on the mill.
Having had my fill in dead generators due to bad gas during hurricane season, I went for a propane conversion. This system allows the generator to run from BBQ propane tanks. The advantage is that the propane can be stored without expiration. The system is dual fuel, so I can switch back to gasoline with a switch if I wanted to.
Here’s the Fusalong mill all put together. Its been quite a journey assembling and restoring it.
The mill rebuild project that I had been working on has taken too long. I would spend way too much time and money to build up a mill that would have less capability than a bridgeport. However, I learned exactly what I needed to get through this rebuild for the next machine. After months of shopping, I found a mill that was in the condition and price that seemed attractive enough to get. It is a Kondia/Clausing FV-1. This mill is a bridgeport copy from spain. However, the quality of this seems to be up to the level of a bridgeport. It seemed moderately used and had a powerfeed and DRO. Most importantly, it ran smooth and the ways were tight and smooth in all directions. The ways were also hardened. Its not perfect. I had to replace the quill spring and add a VFD. The power feed for the quill needed repair already. But its getting there and at the moment will not require a complete teardown. I want to start making chips, not repair machines.
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To Travel is Better Than to Arrive 