Sounds like a boring and laborious project.
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Bike builders that have machine tools/shops
- Thread starter Tom from Rubicon
- Start date
Ralph, boring and laborious project. Are you a Machinist or Tool and Die Maker? For me it was a time to express my machining skills ever alert to blending compound curved surfaces and geometry.
Hey Rick!
You there? The non client has a broken aluminum casting.
Hey Rick!
You there? The non client has a broken aluminum casting.
Absolutely not a tool and die maker! I had a few too many to drink when I said that after a long day. Apologies to you Tom! Though not sure I'd personally be willing to take on request like that.
Recently I hired to have have a clutch put on a tractor which requires a rolling frame table for the machine to be split apart and separated. I was expecting to be charged 100 an hour with about 8 hours of shop time.. When I received the bill the rate was 50 an hour at 6 hours with some extra parts like throw out bearings added. Don't be afraid to charge money for your work Tom!
You are the Primo welder Rick, I think you can envision the original structure. Slotted on the right side centerline and radiating some inches lower to the corresponding centerline stop hole. Question is, Are the two pieces weldable?
TIG with a copper or brass internal block.
Tom
TIG with a copper or brass internal block.
Tom
So is the other deal, Ralph are your ears perked up? My 1953 Ford tractor needs some love. Ferguson 3 point lift doesn't work.
Tom
Tom
Tom TIG is the welding answer and with a copper backer to keep the bore relatively clean. The casting is really thin at the point of repair so minimal chamfer available, but the welder should use what's available to obtain more welding surface area. Great surface prep of course. Typically on cast oven heat just prior to welding, but aluminum starts to oxidize immediately after cleaning (bad) so I don't recommend pre- heat on aluminum, but warm parts weld much better than cold. Some weld contour, a bit outside of the weld area can lend some strength, not really mounded but a little higher than surface. No grinding after weld. The operator needs to be very conscious of excess heat spread or cracks on the edge of the weld will develop. The job is fairly labor intensive as small jobs often are yet much quicker than recasting or machining.
Rick C.
Rick C.
Rick,
Pretty much what I expected of your recommendations. I will pass your words on to this 1987 Boston Whaler Montauk owner Eric Johnson, who will appreciate the extra expert welder insight to let him make a educated selection of someone to do the repair.
Wado !
Tom
Pretty much what I expected of your recommendations. I will pass your words on to this 1987 Boston Whaler Montauk owner Eric Johnson, who will appreciate the extra expert welder insight to let him make a educated selection of someone to do the repair.
Wado !
Tom
I have a drill press vise from HF Tools and busted the handle. I knew it was user abuse thought. My hands having some issues, I had more than once used a pipe extending the handle on the vise. Always wearing goggles! I though of my MIG welder, but with a 20% off coupon and a free flashlight coupon I got another vise. The interim I got by with a vise grip or something used in conjuction with the vise. Sort of reminded me of a stick shift that broke off. Was a month or so till I got to Pic & Pull used parts. I had the boot removed and wadded up news paper to shift the nub. Also at that time the heat exchanger was leaking. I tied it off and wore more cloths. They didn't get me the part in time frame they said, as they explained some trouble and took 50% off. So for like 20 dollars I finally got the part after freezing (CA not so bad) and installed trying not to bend the pipes with clamps and hose that were a bear to remove.
I ordered some Nichrome 80 wire sample kit. It contains a variety of 8 spools of different gauge wire each 25 feet long. Online I saw use of special electric knife to cut seat foam. An electric kitchen knife was also shown making it not quite as versatile but worked. Hot wire cutters were for cheap to way expensive. The cheap ones just did not have a 2 foot span to cut. Heck I'll have 200 feet and which diameter to choose probably in the middle at 26 gauge. The transformer I have can do 15 amps at 16 volts AC. No need for that much as a chart has a guide on how to get 600 degrees on the wire with other parameters entered. I would be using less than 5 amps and maybe like 3 amps. I can ramp up and use a thermo couple or infrared thermometer and see what I have at each setting. Making a concave radius curve cut maybe not necessary as I have seen where notch cuts allows bending medium density foam. They showed the notch cuts and then using a spray on glue and a result of a nice 90 degree corner bend was achieved. The feel of the foam though would not be consistant though out the foam, so for this large radius cut I would want to have the ability to do both concave and convex cuts. I have an idea to use some rims with the axles to connect to a platform. The platform holds the foam firmly and rotates it a specified distance from the axle to get the right radius curve cut as it passes through the hot wire.
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Nice interesting project MT & one that I've no experience with, but one more tool like you're putting together would be nice for future projects I've in mind which require a more precise method of cutting out foam plugs.
Rick C.
Rick C.
Hot wire foam cutter apparatus being constructed. I plan on using Nichrome wire that I have an assortment of gauges. 25 Gauge 2ft I will have heated with train transformer to adjust around 600 F for the wire to cut seat cushion foam. Half the Diameter of my 15-inch Diameter Inflatable Boat Pontoon is 7.5 inch radius.
The cushion will be possibly L 20 in by W 15 inch by H 5 inch.
If I glue the 5-inch thickness to another 5-inch thickness I could have more thickness. They have special glue spray on to do a good job on it. I may really want to do thicker as the cut away piece makes the cushion thinner. Also to have enough cut away so that the round of the pontoon under the cut away in the foam has it stay in place better when strapped an or Velcrowed in place. Seating would be more or less flat so that less psi on the rear as compared to the pontoons as they are now more problematic sitting on with spinal problems.
To make a precise cut concave shape that matches the radius of my boats pontoons I have a jig I am making.
The 12-inch kiddie wheels are a 6-inch radius from axle. I have the threaded rod to adjust outward to 7.5-inch radius for the curve arc I want to cut accurately. A concave cut on the seat cushion foam is to be made. The foam material is to be placed in position and not move while under the heated Nichrome wire from above.
I am to use the cut concave shape of the foam to have the foam seat mounted on the boat pontoons near the transom. A few straps and D-ring glued on the pontoons and maybe Velcro will attach the high denure fabric zippered case I will sew for the cushion.
Not done yet. 180 degree the other side of the hot wire to be connected to the threads you see mounted nifty in the valve hole on the rims, will be one of the pieces of wood dowel or flat wood long enough to gang the two rims to move together. The cutting wire on the opposite side slices through the foam. Thinking of a way to make a constant pressure and speed to make a nice cut. First I will try on small pieces of foam, don't want to waste any, but I have twice as much as I need anyway.
An extra table and shims for a flat surface to meld the work bench together so I manage the large foam section I purcased will be the way to go. Hey my handle Measure Twice is synonymous with cut once! But additionally keep the largest remaining piece after cutting is wise as well. More foam available for another project if less small pieces not good for much are ended up with.
The cushion will be possibly L 20 in by W 15 inch by H 5 inch.
If I glue the 5-inch thickness to another 5-inch thickness I could have more thickness. They have special glue spray on to do a good job on it. I may really want to do thicker as the cut away piece makes the cushion thinner. Also to have enough cut away so that the round of the pontoon under the cut away in the foam has it stay in place better when strapped an or Velcrowed in place. Seating would be more or less flat so that less psi on the rear as compared to the pontoons as they are now more problematic sitting on with spinal problems.
To make a precise cut concave shape that matches the radius of my boats pontoons I have a jig I am making.
The 12-inch kiddie wheels are a 6-inch radius from axle. I have the threaded rod to adjust outward to 7.5-inch radius for the curve arc I want to cut accurately. A concave cut on the seat cushion foam is to be made. The foam material is to be placed in position and not move while under the heated Nichrome wire from above.
I am to use the cut concave shape of the foam to have the foam seat mounted on the boat pontoons near the transom. A few straps and D-ring glued on the pontoons and maybe Velcro will attach the high denure fabric zippered case I will sew for the cushion.
Not done yet. 180 degree the other side of the hot wire to be connected to the threads you see mounted nifty in the valve hole on the rims, will be one of the pieces of wood dowel or flat wood long enough to gang the two rims to move together. The cutting wire on the opposite side slices through the foam. Thinking of a way to make a constant pressure and speed to make a nice cut. First I will try on small pieces of foam, don't want to waste any, but I have twice as much as I need anyway.
An extra table and shims for a flat surface to meld the work bench together so I manage the large foam section I purcased will be the way to go. Hey my handle Measure Twice is synonymous with cut once! But additionally keep the largest remaining piece after cutting is wise as well. More foam available for another project if less small pieces not good for much are ended up with.
Too smokey outside to finish right now. Using it I could do in car port, being careful and far enough away from flammables. Smell from the cutting might wear a mask. Most videos I've seen have all been indoors. They were mostly cutting the styrophome for art. Soft foam there was one video with the kitchen electric carving knife, but none I looked to possibly buy could cut such a swath like 1.5 ft and at a constant radius accurately. I'll see, maybe go outside using a mask. Though I would not like the foam to absorb the smoke from wild land fires. The burning cut of the wire I suspect has some smell that could impart to the foam cushion material. Maybe wash and dry it naturally indoors. Things are OK, stark comparison to how things are at other places in the Sierras and Oregon. Heard that use of Mexico and Canada Military Helicopters or something to help United States seen in the news.
MT, hope you are not in harms way with the wild fires. Keep us posted.
Tom
Tom
Nearest fire from me is maybe 50 miles away. There were so many started right after lighting storm few weeks ago. Highways were closed where I could only go out to North. Now since opened. Other fires they are from unknown started. I did see something said about a propane installation accident, but no sure as nothing said on CalFire. The strange thing I saw was when lightning was going on I never saw it coming down from the sky to ground. I'm on a side near top of mountain and the other side toward the Pacific Ocean is where it was striking. All I saw was Flashes by the horizon. The sound did not have any crackling sound, maybe since it was far away and I over the top over a ridge. Thought it was propane tanks or something exploding. It was just lightning but for seem like all night and early am hrs. Fire from strikes I hear can smolder for up to a week before flames and some one sees it and reports it. Stuff I did not know. Evacuation warning by phone I will set up with the reverse alert. My weather radio has a sleep mode where if an alert it turns on automatically, I should see about getting it set up. Crazy for sure.
I suppose this image explains where smoke is. Huge amount and over the Ocean as well.
Thanks MT for a nice "how to" cutting precise shapes in foam is something I've always farmed out to others. Now you've got me thinking....
Rick C.
Rick C.
Smoke from the Oregon and Washington fires are visiting British Columbia in my corner of the province along the Pacific Coast. Hanging there like a light sea fog amongst the trees and making breathing interesting for those of us with compromised breathing. The sky looks very overcast and I think that is because of the smoke.
Great to hear your relatively safe, Measure Twice. I say relatively because with wild fires that can change in a matter of hours. I think Canada has sent people and equipment down to help. The U.S. has sent people and equipment up here to help with our wild fires and other disasters over the years, many times.
Hope the foam cutter works out well. I'd be inclined to do it outside to give the smoke and smell a chance to dissipate and not in the house.
Steve.
Great to hear your relatively safe, Measure Twice. I say relatively because with wild fires that can change in a matter of hours. I think Canada has sent people and equipment down to help. The U.S. has sent people and equipment up here to help with our wild fires and other disasters over the years, many times.
Hope the foam cutter works out well. I'd be inclined to do it outside to give the smoke and smell a chance to dissipate and not in the house.
Steve.