All posts by Tom

Welding Edge Clamps

Edge Clamps in Use
Edge Clamps in Use

I’m making some sheet metal enclosures for a project but I don’t have a press brake in the shop so I’m building them by welding the individual pieces.  One of the parts has some narrow strips for stiffening and I could not get clamps in to hold the stiffener.

Simple Edge Clamp
Simple Edge Clamp

Kant-Twist makes some edge clamping 3-jaw clamps but only in the larger 6″ size.  I though about taking my smaller 2″ clamps apart and adding the third jaw, but came up with this simpler solution.

Closeup of the edge clamp in use
Closeup of the edge clamp in use

I used some short sections of 1/2″ CRS and some swivel pad 1/4″-20 set screws to make my edge clamps.  After the Kant-Twist clamp is secured, these are inserted and nestle in the crook between the jaws.  The setscrews are tightened to secure the edge strip for welding.

Quorn Parts 401/404, The Quill Body & Caps

This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series Quorn Quill

The Finished Quill Body and Caps
The Finished Quill Body and Caps
I debated a long time about whether to make the quill per the Chaddock’s original design based on the A3 magneto bearings, or to redesign the quill around a matched set of ABEC-7 spindle bearings. The A3 bearings are for a 13mm shaft and have a 30mm outside diameter. The smallest ABEC-7 bearings I have are for a 15mm shaft and have a 32mm OD. There is no way to fit 32mm OD bearings in the original 1-3/8″ quill body diameter, so moving to ABEC-7 bearing would also mean moving up to a 1.5″ diameter quill body. Fortunately a 1.5″ quill body can be squeezed into the existing wheelhead casting.

Continue reading

The Backhoe gets a Claw

This entry is part 9 of 9 in the series Backhoe
My First Rock
My First Rock

Millions of years ago, seeds of Petram immobilem var. murus were planted in New England. Since this is a hardy perennial here in Zones 4 & 5 we are blessed with a bumper crop each and every year.

In order to harvest our yearly crop of P. immobilem (Common name: New England wall stone) , I needed to add a grapple to my backhoe which involved a little reverse engineering for the attachment.

Continue reading

Atmel AT90USBKey Headers and Squid Cables

Headers for port access on the Atmel AT90USBKey
Headers for port access on the Atmel AT90USBKey

I’ve got a little fun project where I need to create a USB HID keyboard device. I searched high and low for an STK526 mezzanine board for my STK500 development platform so I could work with the ATmega32U2 chip.  Failing to find one, I purchased an Atmel AT90USBKey.  It seems like a decent, inexpensive little development platform except for one thing. Continue reading

TIG Torch Flow Alarm

The flow alarm ready to go in its caseMy TIG welder has a water-cooled torch. Being water-cooled, it is lighter and easier to maneuver than an air-cooled torch because a much smaller water-jacketed welding lead can be used to carry the welding current. The downside is without cooling water flow, the smaller welding lead will overheat and melt the cooling water hose. This can be an expensive problem as I discovered while welding the radiator shroud for my backhoe.

Continue reading