![]() Next to it is my 3 wheeler band saw, bought around about the same time and also made in Taiwan. I used it for many years without that facility, finally getting around to making a new one from PVC this year (almost 30 years later). The only problem I had with it was the plastic depth stop bracket broke after only a year or so. It is a small 5 speed one made in Taiwan that I bought in about 1984. Probably the most useful tool is my drill press. ![]() It would allow me to make a lot of parts I currently buy and adapt, from scratch. The other thing on my wish list is a small milling machine. At this speed setting the spindle is beingĪs I have mentioned in a previous post it would be useful to get a 4 jaw chuck, in fact it would be good to get a bigger lathe as the size is really rather restrictive in what tasks you can carry out, for instance the biggest drill the chuck can only take is only 8mm but it is certainly a lot better than nothing. Pulley does not actually need to be there, its not actually doingĪnything in this arrangement. ![]() To get a tap to go in square and true to a link rod or spacer I remove the belt and turn the spindle by hand with the tap in the chuck and the tail stock free to slide.īright Orange urethane belts. The urethane belts are very hard wearing, last for ages and do a very good job. Now I have discovered that there are people who make very good quality urethane belts and sell them on ebay at a decent price. This would periocically break and have to be re-joined. It was easy to heat up the two ends with a heat gun and push them together to make a belt. For a long while I was making my own belts from that flexible plastic tubing used to push into a slot to secure flyscreening material in its frame. It is very well made and the only problems I had was constantly breaking the rubber O ring belts and they were pretty hard to get and expensive to replace. I got this second hand in 1990 for $400 Australian dollars which at the time I thought was pretty steep. Step 2: Laser Cutting the Base.I use this all the time for turning up spacers, drilling out links, tapping holes in the end of link rods etc. I bought the piece I'm using from Home Depot, though it would have likely been less expensive to get if from Westbrook Metals. This is available at most hardware stores. You will also need 5 inches or 3/8" round aluminum bar/rod. Chances are if you have a lathe you also have access to something you can use to cut your metals. I used a metal cutting band saw to cut my bars. Whether you buy from Westbrook or from an online supplier such as or, they will generally cut the item to the length needed. Here in San Antonio I bought my metal from Westbrook Metals. Check to see if your city has a metal supplier. The mandrel is made from a piece of 2" round, 6061-T6 aluminum bar. The ones I used came from Home Depot and cost $1.18 for a bag of 8. Cap screws will work too, as would truss head bolts. Be sure to get bolts that are flat on the underside of the head such as the round head bolts I used. The files I've designed for the base use 4, 3/4" long #6-32 bolts and nuts. That means that the acrylic portion of this project costs about $1.00. Plastic Supply of San Antonio sells their scraps for $1.00/pound. If you are lucky enough to live near San Antonio, TX or if your city has a plastic supplier like Plastic Supply of San Antonio that sells the acrylic scraps left over from things that they make, you will be able to pick up scrap pieces for very little cost. Your could also use 1/4" Baltic birch, or other materials with similar characteristics. The holder base is made from 1/4" acrylic. Or you could cut end-pieces from left-over acrylic (using the laser cutter or a drill with a circle cutter), etc. ![]() Or you could cast one with casting resin or epoxy. ![]() If you don't have access to a lathe there are many other options. You will need the chuck to be able to hold and support a 2" aluminum bar about 3.5 to 3.75 inches long. To cut 1/4" acrylic it is necessary to make 3 passes - 2 at 4mm/second and one at 6mm/second.Īny sufficiently large metal lathe will do for making the mandrel. It is small and can only cut about 8" by 10". My laser cutter is an (inexpensive Chinese made) 40 Watt CO2 laser cutter. Beyond this you'll need a screw driver and a set of center drills and drill bits (and normal lathe turning tools.) If you elect to make the mandrel as I've described you will also need access to a metal lathe. To build this project you will need access to a CO2 Laser cutter capable of cutting 1/4" acrylic. ![]()
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