Bike builders that have machine tools/shops

GoldenMotor.com

wrench

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2019
819
1,175
93
So Cal
While you guys are on the subject of work violations... Here's an old pic of me when I was in the Ironworkers union.

This is 33 floors up in Downtown Los Angeles.


View attachment 111993
That's Riveting LOL

I got a few more Iron Worker jokes I would tell but this is a PG-13 Forum LOL

Yeah, Iron Workers are a different breed (^)

I always Nail it and keep it on the Level LOL


Here's a clean Joke

What does an Iron Worker take to work?
An Iron Horse of course
 
Last edited:

Oldbiscuit

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2020
375
1,192
93
68
I’m not really scared of heights (60feet and under) , but working on the edge and towers in the sky was not for me. I used to work out of a bucket truck that maxed out at 60 ft. And off of steel scaffolding that was 30 ft. high. I also shingled three story buildings, but not any more. As I’ve gotten older and hearing loss, I’ve developed vertigo. So now I avoid anything higher than one story.
 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
2,773
1,269
113
CA
Sure enough. I can shop for food later and go to the post office later. I was up too late to get an early enough start to get out and back by 10am PDT. Besides power was out at 10:30am and was nice I had breakfast with the power on before overcast sunrise. The wind has been quite strong and I keep looking to see how my half wine barrel planter Valencia dwarf orange tree with fruit for summer ripening is doing. No loss of oranges or branches. A sizable branch from the 100 ft tall redwood trees around dropped one dead branch about 2ft long near but not in my garden. It is currently getting whipped back and forth around the deer fenced and partial bird netted blueberry bushes in the garden. All is OK. Water gravity feed only. Floor heat is a large heat sink of water pipes so OK. Cell tower went out short while. Internet from phone is working enough to be usable and hot spot my laptop. Not bothering with a generator yet. Batteries and inverter I have. Just thinking to take the two large shock pack ice things out of a chest freezer and move into refrigerator if power is out very long.
 

Tony01

Well-Known Member
Nov 28, 2012
1,840
1,947
113
sf bay area
What’s up guys. Just read the last 6 months of this thread. I’m amazed so many of you quit the drink half a lifetime ago. I really should! I only get blasted once a week now though that’s better than every day.

Home “shop” isn’t much of a shop but my drill press got a big upgrade. I was building this battery that had to be super slim and needed bus bars with threads in them to thread in the bolts and keep everything well under the cell thickness of .460”, keeping enough space for insulation. So I had to drill and tap 40 holes. I was like no way I’m doing this by hand...

So I wired in a reverse on my drill press. I shoulda put it on a foot switch instead but made it like a mill for now. It was pretty easy. The motor has two phases 90* out with one offset electrically by a capacitor. Switching direction is simply changing which phase gets the capacitor. I got this switch off Amazon for $15 and had to cut a hole in the side of the motor case for the two sets of input and output wires. It worked out! Now I can power tap at 3000 rpm although controlling it is difficult above around 1500rpm. I did all the holes with a stubby and form tap to avoid the spot step. The drill press isn’t that great, the table deflects a bit but I just put a reversed clamp under. A typical “setup” is shown.

Having the reverse is an absolute game changer. Woulda had to do it with a hand drill or not at all. The extra hole on those bars is for the balance wire with the .100” tall button head. I wonder what the biggest tap I can run. Except for the individual tools I bought I only have some crappy China tap sets which are supposed to be cut taps but they do about 50/50 of forming and cutting as they’re not very sharp and don’t have much relief for chips. Probably gonna buy up to 1/4 in form taps and go cut for anything bigger. This thing really isn’t that strong.

Hope you guys had a Merry Christmas. We finally got some real storms here in CA but I doubt they’ll give up on the claims of drought emergency or reduce our water bill anytime soon.
 

Attachments

indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
4,734
7,740
113
Oklahoma
Hi Tony good to see a post from you. That press is greatly improved for your needs building batteries but would be an advantage in a lot of special setups in a drill press.

I need a new table top press and a quick reverse feature would be nice, as would varible speed, but with no gear or belt changes necessary. Also an adjustable quill stop to prevent full rebound (not for depth limits).

Hope the rains won't be destructive in your area. Drought open turns to flood here and world wide.

Funny thing I don't miss alcohol at all. Not against drinking just don't want or need it for any reason. Take care of yourself Tony and stop in from time to time...

Rick C.
 

Tony01

Well-Known Member
Nov 28, 2012
1,840
1,947
113
sf bay area
Hey Tony, have you ever given any thought to a Procunier auto reversing tapping head? Sure makes tapping a lot easier and eBay has used ones for less than $200. Great investment if one needs to tap lots of holes.
Wowww blast from the past. Yea I did thousands with one at my first shop job. However the switch worked out for $15 and a few hours of my time. On some motors the secondary coil tap is buried in the windings. I dunno what I would have done in that case.
 

indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
4,734
7,740
113
Oklahoma
Curt I think one was a Tapmadic brand, really old but really worked good and got a lot of use on a powerful 3 hp floor press. Way to big for any bench top and most floor presses. Big knee mills were really perfect for it though. Reduction gearing in it was really low.

Rick C.
 

Mossy

Well-Known Member
May 20, 2022
1,128
819
113
Ya! But not for me, as very seldom even tap anymore, and have trouble getting straight. I am going to build a guide for that.........Curt

Has anyone watch homemadetools. net. I have for years now, just full of home made answers, to a lot of good ideas?
Something like this
 

Attachments