Lloyd Leung

Blog

  • Y-axis bracket. Mill works again!

    Day 1 Design.
    Day 2 bore out a single hole.
    Day 3 refine design
    make a tool to hold the giant tap (1.302″ in shaft diameter to tap a 1-9/16″x18TPI hole)
    tap the part.
    Day 4 measure everything again
    refine design
    Mill out the part by hand (done horribly but works)
    Disassemble mill
    install newly machined bracket
    reassemble mill.
    Mill’s measurable backlash = 0.0005″ [on that axis]
    I’m happy now.

  • For wick2o, Logic

    Lisp function logic
    Store as “CubeSize”, “CylinderSize”, “ShrinkBy”, “Count”
    prompt “What dimension do you want for the cube?”
    prompt “What dimension do you want for the cylinder?”
    condition: Cylinder diameter must be smaller than cube
    prompt “What factor do you want to shrink each cube by??”
    prompt “Total Number of cubes in the end”
    MasterCube = {
    Draw cube, with it’s centre at 0,0,0
    Draw THREE cylinders, along each exists, with it’s length intersectin along an axis in the cube.
    subtract the three cylinders from the cube.
    }
    for (i=0; i 0,0,0 @ // creates new object
    shrink previous object by ShrinkBy
    }
    find out what the cylinder hole size is for smallest cube.

  • LL – Gallery 0.5

    LL – Gallery version 0.5. here
    Modifications:
    – created some CSS
    – changed colors
    – borders around stuff
    – added checking for a single textfile name “folder.info” which is HTML safe. So I can give a description of the folder, and contents.

  • HD Based MP3 Players

    I look at the large capacity ( > 5 gigs ) players, such as the Zen, and iPod (mini, and original), and the prices are all over $290CDN + taxes
    Where the iPod 60 gig is cresting around $800CDN today. (more…)

  • What's left to complete for the rotary axis…

    I’ve finish the retaining ring, that took a little while.
    What’s left now is to purchase some bolts, and machine the bracket.
    Loads of fun. I wish I would just finish my axis issues in my mill.
    Pictures to come on an update.

  • Acrylic Mockup

    I’ve moved up from Cardboard to Acrylic sheets for part mockups.
    I’ve made a cardboard mockup of the part, but I couldn’t get really get any measurements off of the mockup. The cardboard kept flexing making it very difficult to position the secondary pieces to any acceptable limits. Another issue with cardboard is that it’s a soft material to measure.
    Benefits of Acrylic over cardboard
    1.) It’s ridged
    2.) The variety I’m using is clear so I can measure bolt holes and such.
    Downsides:
    1.) much more expensive, as opposed to free
    2.) Takes time to measure, score, snap, sand, assemble, glue.
    So I guess I’ll try and use acrylic only when necessary — which this seems like one of those times.

  • Rotional Axis Project

    The old adage of “Measure twice, cut once�… is so true.
    Well, I didn’t measure most of the stuff I’ve been playing with lately, nothing bad has happened yet. I did have a mock up, so I cut by lining the mockup to the part.
    What did happen is that I received two set screws from a local shop, and the package that it was taken out of said it was 6-32. Well, the set screws aren’t #6-32. But I have a nicely machined, tapped, and completed motor coupling that is ready for two new #6-32 x 3/16� setscrews. Even ¼� if need be.
    Completed:

    1. Spigot
    2. Spindle
    3. Spindle housing
    4. Stepper Motor coupling
    5. Motor mount spacers

    To complete:

    • Locking ring for spindle
      • bore it out
      • drill out holes
      • tap
    • The mounting bracket now.
      • Machine the edges
      • Machine the spindle hole
      • Drill out bolt holes for motor mount.
      • Machine the bolt holes to mount the bracket to the spindle head.

    To buy:

    • #6-32 x 3/16â€? or ¼â€? length.
    • Mounting bolts – measure what they are. I believe they are M8 x 1.25

  • My machining skills, 2

    I thought my skills were improving, and they probably are.
    However, I was able to cut myself, not on the machine, but by handling a part that I just cut.
    It was a partial cut, where I could break the end by just twisting it… I snapped the part off where it was supposed to, but in the process I squished my finger, in the process cutting it.
    To update
    Completed:

    1. The spindle
    2. Spindle housing
    3. Motor mount spacers

    Todo:

    1. Spiggot – Drill two holes at 90degrees apart and tap
    2. Motor Coupling – Drill two holes at 90degrees apart and tap
    3. Bracket
      1. drill mounting holes
      2. Clean edges on bracket
    4. Buy proper sized bolts to bolt everything together.

  • My machining skills

    If I just keep things clean and tidy, working on the lathe becomes so much more productive. However, it’s just so difficult to do so.
    I get distracted and misplace stuff in the mess all the time. I need some sort of tool management or something.
    Anyways, progress on the Rotary-axis assembly is coming along nicely.
    I’m thinking of using an angle bracket machined a bit to fit around the lathe spindle bearings, and weld a piece on the base to get a nice ridgid structure to mount the assembly. Photos to come. The cardboard mockup is embarrassing to show. 🙂
    But carboard is your friend.
    I’ll have to work on my welding skills [well, learn some welding skills].
    More pictures with a nice background here,
    here, and
    here”.

  • The worms continues

    What this project is all about…
    It’s to make a rotational axis for my lathe. This is so I can do milling/engraving on cylindrical objects. Such as rings, and pendants. I can even use this to help rough out gears before hobbing them.
    “Gear Hobbing” is the process of grinding/cutting out the teeth on a gear.
    The spiggot machined. It was a pain to machine, but I felt pretty good when I was finished making it, as I machined it exactly to size. The error wasn’t measurable with the measuring tools that I have.
    Spiggot for the worm is almost completed. I still need to put in the set screws for the lathe spindle shaft. All I need to do is drill two holes 90° apart, and tap them.
    Worm Spindle, this part is the shaft that I needed to mount the worm to. It’s pretty precise; I think I’m about 0.01mm off from where I really wanted to be. But it shouldn’t affect anything, and well within tolerances of what I need it for. When I drilled the spring pin hole, I wasn’t exactly centered, so I drilled into the shoulder of the worm just a little. This shouldn’t affect anything as well. The spring pin was 1/16″, and had to be ground down, due to the pin and teeth on the worm gear were knocking. Out came the dremel clone.