FOUND - Repository of old CIG manuals for welders, etc

 Finding a copy of the owner manual for a Cigweld TransMIG 190

Thankfully the helpful people at CIG have uploaded a lot of their old manuals (and some current ones) to: https://www.cwsupport.com.au/   which takes through to a public google drive section with all their uploaded manuals available for free.

It has been a big help for me, and I hope it helps you.

scale model of the "Music Box" - 1932 Laurel and Hardy figurine

Just a drop for three photos of the "music box" which I built over the weekend to replace a missing part of a figurine which we'd owned for years.
the box is 250mm long, and 242mm high - I think the box is 116mm deep, but that is from memory.

the box is made from 3mm ply, and pine boards ripped from 12mm and 19mm stock - each board is 3mm thick, and the 19mm boards are planed down to the required 14mm for the scale appearance.

all dimensions were taken from screen snaps of the original 1932 movie, and scaled to suit the distance across Oli's back.

Enjoy

webpage updates... they'll be back, but it's rating as a lower priority compared to a number of other tasks and projects. - Sorry.

New project - "Bin'da" the mill

Well what can I say..
Firstly a bit of an apology for not updating the webpage - plenty of things to blame, but that's that.

Secondly - yes I've picked up another project - Yes I'm aware I have more projects on my list than hours in the day, and time, money and space is always an issue - let's see what I can arrange over the next 12-18 months.

So, what have I been up to?
Cut down a number of trees around the property (ones which posed a danger to structure, fencing, etc)
Done a number of minor repairs in the house and "shed"
Built a woodshed
Filled said woodshed with timber dried and split from the tree feeling
Started various minor projects including a keyway shaper for the lathe, minor doodads, etc
Worked hard on a number of key projects at work (mostly centred around Documentation systems)
Started designing my real shed - the one I hope to build one day

My new project...
Back in January 2013 (this year) I found this milling machine in a skip bin. It is a bridgeport clone, sold by Herless (Melbourne) and seems to carry dates from the mid 1980s.

It took some effort from a number of people, but I was able to get permission to rescue it, got it lifted from the bin, and eventually transported to my house (Photos of that endeavour wil have to wait for now)

Since it's arrival here I've researched the mill as best I can, and commenced cataloging the damage.
Briefly the damage is...
Handles for X and Y axes are damaged
Y screw is broken
X screw is bent
Z handle is missing
electrical circuits are damaged (cables and controls)
nearly every knob from the head is missing
quill controls (handle, fine feed, and clutch) are missing

I have commenced fixing her up (yes the mill is a "She") and named her "Bin'da" based on her being "Binned"

Thanks to a number of people on anumber of forums, I have been able to track down photos and dimensions of some missing pieces and have already commenced making up the missing parts (more articles and photos on that to come as well)

In the meanwhile, hopefully you see the potential in this the same way I do...

Until next time

Symmetrical Alignment Method

Symmetrical Alignment method, is a method for marking and drilling holes so two plates align, and they can be rotated in relation to each other and still align.
Where did the need for this method come from? – I was constructing a Lantern Chuck and needed to make two plates which would be rotated in the lathe, and I was concerned about needing to ensure the alignment of the two plates when screwing the parts together. Typically I would try for a good fit, but mark the two parts to ensure the same assembly orientation in case there were any errors in drilling or marking out. I reasoned this practise would not be beneficial for something which was to be rotated, since my typical method for marking the orientation was to dock matching corners off, or use one fixing bolt as a larger size – both which had the potential to influence the balance of the final device.

Presumptions:
Drill press is vertical and holes are shake free fit on pins or bolts of the same nominal size.
Clamping is firm, but non-distorting

In reference to the drawings, the two plates are "Back Plate" and "Front Plate", with three holes to be placed in each plate. The two centre holes are labelled "BC" and "FC" - for the Back Centre, and Front Centre respectively. The other two holes per plate are labelled as "B1", "B2", "F1", and "F2" as a means of showing how they are drilled in the method. (refer Sk. 1)

The plates are marked with the longitudinal axis, and the centre holes (BC & FC), and one hole in F (F1) are punched for drilling. Holes "BC" and "FC" are drilled to match a bolt which will serve to join them together for the marking/drilling - In the case I'm describing I used a 6mm bolt and nut. Hole "F1" is also drilled at a size to match the required task - 5mm in the real world case I'm describing since it is the tapping size for M6x1 threads. Sk. 2 shows the two plates with the centre holes and F1 drilled.

The two plates are laid together and joined with a bolt or pin through the centre holes (Shown as a solid RED sectioned bolt in holes BC and FC in Sk 3). Then the hole F1 is lined up over the longitudinal line for B1 as shown in Sk. 3. A clamp is used to stop the plates moving in relation to each other.

With the plates clamped, a drill is used to drill through F1 to create hole B1. Since I used a 5mm drill to drill F1, I used a 5mm drill to create hole B1 and effectively used hole F1 as a drill guide. – the result is shown in Sk. 4

Once the hole B1 is drilled, the clamp can be removed, and the plates rotated relative to each other – in Sk. 5 I’ve shown the “Front Plate” being rotated about the central bolt which joins it to the “Back Plate”

The top plate is rotated until the visible hole (F1) lines up with the marks for the bottom hole (B2) and then the plates are clamped together again. This orientation is shown in Sk. 6

With the two plates joined at the centre, and clamped in position, the Hole F1 acts as a drill guide for the drilling of hole B2 as shown in Sk. 7. As noted in Sk. 7, the previously drilled hole (B1) is hidden by the undrilled portion of the “Front Plate”

Once the hole at B2 has been drilled by using F1 as a drill guide, you can either leave them clamped, or slip a close fitting bolt or pin through the holes as shown in Sk. 8 as a sectioned BLUE pin.

Irrespective of how the two plates are joined together (clamped or two pins), the whole assembly should then be turned upside down so the top plate is at the bottom, and vice versa – this is illustrated in Sk. 9 and clearly shows how the previously drilled hole B1 is now visible to use as a drilling guide for the hole at F2

Sk. 10 shows the resulting hole at F2 was drilled using B1 as a drill guide.

Sk. 11 is the result and culmination of the “symmetrical alignment method”. Each plate has the three holes drilled, and can be placed with a shaft through BC and FC and have F1 line up with either B1 or B2, similarly with F2 lining up with either b2 or B1 – this means a part will fit either way, and compensates for any minor errors in marking out.

This information is offered as additional information to support the article which was written for MEW (Model Engineers Workshop) for the Lantern Chuck article.

I suppose I should apologise for the dearth of articles lately - things are being worked on, jsut not as quickly as I'd like, and time for writing the articles is becomings scarce again.

Still kicking - Home repairs, and FIFO

This is yet another "I'm still alive and sorry the webpage isn't being updated" posts... what can I say - life gets in the way of updating this page.

What have I been up to?
I'm now in a house my wife and I bought - reasonably good, but in need of some love and attention. I've had to fix a few things here and there - assisted the sparky in moving some lights, installing some ceiling fans, and running data cabling throughout the house. I learnt a lot, and did all the prep and finishing work (patching the walls after the work was completed)

I'm in the midst of changing roles again - the first role change annouced last year moved me from residential callout support to a Fly in, Fly Out (FIFO) shift worker, and this new role will keep me FIFO, but into a supervisory role wth a lot of scope for personal and professional development and opportunity. With the move from residential to FIFO, I've been less active in Volunteer Fire and Rescue in the community, and have instead joined the local Bush Fire Service in the little town I settled in. I'm still active in the minesite Emergency Response Team (ERT) and hope to transfer my ERT membership to the new role and new site.

I hope to be able to do some reviews in the next few weeks - some of the engineering books I've been reading, the GPS unit I bought (so I didn't get lost in the city), and anything else which is of interest.

Current projects:
a - arranging the house and garage to create a workshop
b - Obtaining planning approval for my permanant shed from the local council
c - planning the electrical design for my permanent shed, revisions to the house wiring, and additional works
d - assemble the taig Mill, and commence using it
e - assemble a tool and cutter grinder
f - assemble a small propane furnace for aluminium, brass and bronze.

Longer term projects:
everything else I've put on hold

The only other thing of note is I've got back into "indexing" work - I allocate a couple of hours each Sunday afternoon and index records for Familysearch.org - it's interesting work, and helps those researching their ancestors. Well worth the minor effort on my part.

Still alive - some news

Well it's been a while since I posted - lots happening.
Long story short, I'm in the middle of moving house due to a change in my employment conditions. This means for the past 4 weeks I've been working shifts, and had the house in boxes... and those boxes won't open for another few weeks, and I'll continue on shift even after that.

Longer term this means a shift in my projects whilst I shake down the house, and get the shed/s up. For quite some time, the projects will be limited to small things done in the field desk, and a lot of home renovation/ repair work.
Whilst I'm in the shift situation, I will be flying a lot, and getting very little done except on my off swing - then it's flat out getting work done at home.
I don't want to be doing FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out) and shift long term, this was a decision accepted based on the conditions under which I currently work, my scope for promotion, and other factors. I am applying for other work within the company since it is a great company to work for, and I don't really want to leave it if at all possible.

Current challenges:
trying to keep losing weight whilst surrounded by "camp food"
trying to remain busy developing my skills in Control Systems, Electrical Engineering, and Managemnt (Personelle and Project)
trying to keep busy with my hobbies and interests
trying to not let the distance and seperation from my family cause issues or concerns

Next challenges:
Overcome whatever obstacles prevent me from obtaining my next job - the one which allows me to spend time with my family, and still meet my financial commitments.
Underfloor ventilation in a building built in the 1950's (or was it 1850's?)
adjustments to various sewerage/septic systems
repairs alterations to fencing - boundary and pool
repairs and alterations to existing "shed"
minor extensions and modifications to house
construction of shed/studio on site to suit my needs - now and future
construction of granny flat (ancillary accomodation) on site

That's it for now - Once everything is unpacked, and settled down, I'll update this with some archived projects, and some of the "home owner" projects as they arise. Hopefully I'll be in a position to accept a new role, and spend more time with my family, and less time away from them.

Construction Photos for Serial Cable kit - Mk3/4

The serial cable kit was formally released at work last week - the usage instruction manual was completed, and the construction manual as well. Confirmed cost came in at $48.87 per kit if 20 were made, $97 to make a single using company approved vendors and their MOQs for certain parts - If Ebay was used, the price per single kit still sits around $40. Either way you look at it, it is a dramatic reduction in price compared to the Mk2 kits I made back in 2008 - they came in at $400 per kit for the same functionality as the Mk3/4 Kits.

In the meanwhile here are a few photos taken during construction, and a couple of snapshots of the finished kit, and construction manual.

Photo 1 - breadboard cut to form baseboard

The baseboard is a small segment of breadboard anchored to a baseboard which incorporates the breadboard, the serial cable terminations, cable anchors, and module "ejection mechanism"

Photo 2 - Baseboard and anchor plates - under construction

Everything in this kit was designed to minimise costs, and as such salvaged materials were used wherever possible - including salvaged screen-door extrusion for the anchor plates -the construction manual has drawings of all parts to be constructed, and alternate dimensions/ drawings if the extrusion was substituted with pieces made from simple sheet metal.

The "modules" are simply modified IC sockets, which are later labelled and "potted" for protection and resilience.

Photo 3 - "Modules" under construction

The serial cable is modified to suit the cable kits requirements. All construction for the prototype kits was made using tooling and equipment in my field desk - including the third-hand, modified pliers, solder pens, etc

Photo 4 - Serial cables being modified to suit kit

Compact/ resilient storage of the kit and components was one of the deliverables I placed in the kit design. I accomplished this by modifying a commercially available storage box, and then constructing stack-able compartments which slid inside the outer case.

Photo 5 - Completed modules in stacked storage compartment

The user manual was deliberately formatted so when printed it could be trimmed to fit in a designated space in the the container - the finished manual measures 245 x 185mm (9 5/8 x 7 1/4") and is around 25 pages thick (printed in duplex, but with 6 pages of blank paper for notepaper)

I will have to "de-crest" the manual/s if they were published here since they reference work, and the department I work in - since they were the target audience of the design.

I've blanked out the company/ section details, and my address information on the thumb-drive label - hence the white blotches

Photo 6 - Completed kit with instruction manual in lid

The construction manual contains a number of progress photos, drawings, tips and  alternate materials discussions. I wrote the manual with second year electrical apprentices in mind - some familiarity with basic hand-skills, interpretation of drawings, and the sense to know what holes get changed if you change a countersunk screw from 3/16"-24 to 4mm. The manual printed out to 29 pages of duplex A4.

Photo 7 - Sample page from construction manual

As mentioned, I'll have to de-crest the manuals before publishing them here - not a huge amount of work, but still anything which adds to my "TTD (Things to Do) list" is not overly welcome right now. If I get some time spare, I'll do it in the next week or so, and add them here: (links will reference google docs)
User Manual
Construction Manual

I'll post again when something is completed, progressing, or worth discussing.