7×12 bandsaw wheel upgrade.

I welded a new bottom frame for the bandsaw. The current design required physically lifting part of the 300 pound bandsaw to move it around. The new swivel casters are the locking type that will lock not only the wheel, but also the swivel portion.

I had recently purchased a use harbor freight chop saw. The power switch broke after a few chops. What a waste of money. I gave in and purchased the DeWalt chop saw. What a difference! I like this model because the angle and the position of the chop can be adjusted without tools.

Rust Prevention

In Florida, rust is the enemy to exposed steel tools.  With the constant rain and high humidity, exposed steel quickly starts to form a layer of rust.  I have been very impressed with electrolysis for rust removal that I started to wonder what was the best rust preventative.  Below are links to some tests done on the internet.  I have avoided the tests performed by the manufacturers themselves as they obviously show their product was the best.  I can’t guarantee tests test are 100% objective, but they are interesting.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=10700/guntechdetail/Gun_Cleaning_Clinic__Knowing_the_Limits_of_Rust_Preventatives

http://www.6mmbr.com/corrosiontest.html

http://www.home-machine-shop.com/Rust-Off.htm

http://sparetimeactivities.net/RustPrevent.htm

Here are some sample photos from the above tests:

It seems that EEZOX and BoeShield T-9 are definitely heavy duty rust inhibitors and seem to perform quite well.  However, was surprised to see where WD40 was used, it performed quite well.

I have always heard that wd40 causes rust because it strips away the grease, contains kerosene and evaporates away.  That statement is partially true.  I think what happens (particularly with bicycle chains) is that the superior grease protection gets stripped away when the WD40 dissolves it, the bike is left outside and that chain is neglected and never oiled for a year.  Had the chain received regular wd40 treatments, it would not rust.  Despite popular assumption, it does NOT contain kerosene.

From the WD40 website:

“How long does WD-40 last after application?

While this may vary depending on the application, WD-40 remains effective even after it appears to dry. The corrosion and rust protection ingredients remain adhered to the surface. External conditions may, of course, require additional applications of WD-40for maximum protection.”

As you can see, regular applications are recommended by WD40 themselves.  After you use a tool, give it a light spray and wipe it down after each use.  The water displacing properties of the lubricant will remove the moisture from the metal, coat it with the lubricant and deposit corrosion inhibiting chemicals.

Kurt vise restoration

I started working on restoring the vise. The process seemed pretty straight forward using electrolysis for the rust removal. I put a nice coat of hammerite over the parts. I figure about a week after letting the paint harden, it can come back together.

“My measures” app

I recently acquire an ipad2 after my asus transformer android tablet recently died. The transformer was good, but the PDF viewing was less than stellar. Still trying the ipad2 out and happy to report the pdf viewing is quick And snappy. It’s ok, but the file management (forced drm) is annoying. The app variety is really great….if you are willing to shell out the cash (I thought more free apps existed on the android). I need to add that so far the battery performance completely outperforms the transformer.

Anyway, I gave this app, “My Measurments” a try. It’s very impressive, making notes over photos. In this example, I took a photo of the lathe and used the dimensions I input to determine how much metal stock I would need to make frame. It would be nice if they included a calculator for notes input.

Shaper

More deals I just couldn’t refuse lately.  An Ammco 6″ Shaper.  I had no idea where to us it before getting it.   A little more research found that it still had some strengths over the mill.  Such uses include: dovetails, square holes, broaching and contour cuts along a length.  It’s also mechanically automated, serving a place to automate the squaring of stock before a milling operation.  The surface finish is also supposed to be better than that obtained with a fly cutting operation. 

Reorganization

House renovations put my garage into disarray.  I figured this was a opportunity to reorganize it.  Note the work table will be in the center of the garage.  I will use the table saw as the base and have a removable table top so I could still use the table saw.

Reams and a vise

I scored a nice USA made Kurt vise and set of precision reams for practically nothing.  The vise has just a little surface rust.  I think a nice bath of metal rescue and some new paint will clean it up.  

Vertical milling machine.

I came across an impossible to pass deal on a vertical mill.  The brand is a “Fusanlong” and seems to be a version of the Grizzly g3102 knee mill, but with a cast iron base.  The exterior looks rough, but everything seems to run fine.  The table didn’t have any holes drilled into it.  A bunch of end mills, collets, a vise, rotary table and parallels were included.   The motor that the previous owner installed didnt seem to fit well, requiring a pvc spacer for the top cover.  That is ok because I plan on replacing it with a variable speed 3 phase motor. 

First Class…in the office.

I needed a place for visitors to sit in my office.  I came across a steal of a  deal on some first class seats.  Its the only way to get them while working at my current place of employment!  :)  They came from a TWA 767 and had the standard features such as tray tables and a reclining seat.

I would guess they were not the seats that came from the flights that went from NY to Paris, but more like Toledo to Tulsa.  I was told that the airline paid about $16,000 per pair of seats.  I got it for 99.7% off what they paid.  Time to start searching for the drink cart…

First attempts at MIG welding

It was a learning experience.  I started to get the hang of it on the left side of the base after checking feed and the gas level.