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CNC milling, Projects, Uncategorized

Wheelchair cup holder

This cup holder has been specifically designed and made for an electric wheelchair user. I had already made a cup holder for an older wheelchair, but it would not fit the new wheelchair.

Using a mix of CNC and manual machines I started out with a piece of 12mm thick aluminium plate, then drew the basic cup holder shape In Vectric V Carve to produce the necessary toolpaths.

A 6mm end mill slowly cut out the 10mm deep pocket and the outer profile.

Vectric Vcarve is used to create the toolpaths
Pocket has been machined and now the outer profile is cut

With the main cup holder shape cut out, I took a piece of 18mm square aluminium and milled out the hinge bracket.

Hinge bracket

A slot was cut into the main cup holder shape to accept the hinge bracket, this needed some filing to make sure both parts could hinge properly.

Then a 4mm diameter hole was drilled through both the cup holder and hinge.

Drilling the hinge. With creative work holding!!!

A special 4mm diameter hinge pin was made on the lathe, it has a small lozenge shaped head which will fit into a recess in the bracket, this acts as a anti turn device when the nut is tightened up.

To make the cup holder stay in the upright position, I machined a slot in the hinge bracket to accept three small magnets which were glued into place. A smaller slot was milled into the cup holder to accept a small piece of mild steel bar, again glued into place. When filed down to a smooth surface the magnet and steel strip lined up perfectly to keep the cup holder upright when not in use.

Three small magnets ready to be glued into the slot
Milling the slot for the steel bar

After few more test fits and filing sessions to get the fit right, making a keep plate for the two M6 cap head screws, and a final test assembly it was nearly time to paint it.

Final test assembly prior to painting

Painting was by using car spray paint and undercoat. The end result is petty good for me!

The keep plate slides into a ‘Tee’ slot on the wheelchair frame, and is held securely by the M6 screws. The magnets do a good job of holding it out of the way when not in use, but it is easy to drop the cup holder down to use it. And in a test the cup holder stays in the upright position even when going over bumpy ground.

Overall a very nice project which will definitely be used.

Uncategorized

Impact driver bit

This is a little job making a impact driver bit out of 1/2″ diameter tool steel. I have a small selection of impact driver bits and needed a larger one with a flat blade. The flat is milled using a 10mm carbide end mill, taking equal amounts from both sides to produce a flat 0.065″ wide.

A hexagon is produced using the Stevenson’s collet block, which makes the process quick and easy. Then the bit is heat treated. Heating to a bright cherry red and quenched in water, making it glass hard. Then it is tempered to a light straw to somewhere around 50 rockwell C hardness. Chemically blackened using gun blue and the bit is finished. The photo below shows the largest bit in the bought impact driver kit on the left which is 10mm wide, compared to the new bit which is 12.7mm wide (1/2″)

Uncategorized

Pokers!

These are two pokers I have recently made for friends and family. Two slightly different styles, the long one has plastic ferrules with a 3/8″ square black mild steel poker and a bright plated hook. The other has brass ferrules with 10mm diameter bright mild steel poker and home made brass hook. Both have polished pine handles and are in regular use.

Uncategorized

‘The Danny’

I have recently started volunteering on the steam boat ‘Daniel Adamson’ (The Danny). On the engineering team we are in the process of carrying out winter maintenance and inspections.

The Danny was built in 1903 at Cammell Lairds in Birkenhead UK. It is believed to be the oldest surviving Merseyside built steamship any where in the world.

The Danny is berthed in Cheshire at Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge, where winter repairs and inspections are being carried out.

I have machined new brass bushes and adapted M16 bolts for grease nipples. These pieces will be re-fitted onto the steering gear guide rods which travel down each side of the boat to the rudder.

Other updates and photos to follow. For more information about the Danny click on the web link below.

https://www.thedanny.co.uk/

Uncategorized

Tesla Valve

I have copied this page from the ‘CNC Milling’ category, mainly because I think Tesla invented such a clever device it deserves a page of its own. Have a look at the drop down menu ‘General Engineering’ (located above this page on the header)

General

Gauge Blocks

My latest addition to the workshop is a set of Imperial Gauge Blocks. It’s a 50 piece set made by Coventry Gauge and Tool (Matrix), complete and all matched serial numbered. Last used by Rolls Royce in 1996 it is still extremely accurate and should be a very useful addition to my measuring equipment.

The box is made of Bakelite and was damaged at the hinge side which needed a hardwood repair, and with the lettering re-whitened it all looks good.

Repairing the damaged box
Repairing the damaged box with a piece of hardwood
The complete set with the repair still visible. Calibration certificate is shown too.
CNC milling

CNC tool holders

These are little milling tool holders I have made for my Sieg KX1 milling machine.

Tool holders before blacking

The KX1 is supplied with a 2 morse taper spindle, which allows a range of tooling to be fitted. But one big flaw to this system when using it on CNC machines is that an accurate ‘Z’ height offset cannot be maintained when changing tools. The little tool holders are held in a 13mm ER25 collet which allows rapid tool changes whilst still maintaining the correct tool height offset.

Tool stick out has increased but doesn’t seem to affect accuracy

After a few months of machining various material the little tool holders performed very well. Although not up to industrial precision and accuracy they have made using the machine much more easier.

18 tool holders were made, all in a wooden holder
CNC milling, Uncategorized

RAF Roundel

This is a fridge magnet or toolbox magnet depending where you want to stick it. The roundel is the design used by the RAF between 1942-47 used mainly on the fuselage, with different designs for the wings.

Made from reverse engraving plastic with the four colours painted on the back, it is a reproduction of the fuselage markings on RB396 Hawker Typhoon, the last surviving combat veteran of WWII.

A project to restore the plane to an airworthy state has begun, and it is expected to be airworthy in time for the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings. For further information have a look at www.hawkertyphoon.com.

CNC milling

4th Axis for the KX1 CNC

Latest addition to the workshop is a brand new 4th Axis for my Sieg KX1 CNC milling machine. Purchased from Arc Euro Trade it is 4 inch diameter with stepper motor, plug and play.

4th Axis for Sieg KX1

It’s early days yet and I’m still getting used it, trying to find jobs for it to do!

I am using Vectric VCarve for the CAD/CAM.  Although VCarve is mainly aimed at CNC woodworking, it works great with metal too, I just adjust the speeds and feeds until the machine is happy.