Thread: Things you like because they break....

Originally Posted by bobpell

I subscribe to Red Green's adage, "If it ain't broke, you're not trying hard enough." Actually I try my hand at everything, you know the consummate tinkerer. I can do most of the trades and really dislike hiring anything done. I like to invent things or make stuff out of weird things. My wife says I'm in "MacGyver mode". I guess it's the engineer in me. I have a full blown furniture/cabinet shop. But the love of my life is my 1952 Ford 8N tractor. It runs like a top and looks like new but at nearly 60 years old I can always find something to fix on it.



Pelkey

Wnna fix mine? Its sitting with something broken right now and I'm trying to figure out if I have the tools to fix it.

Originally Posted by mackie

My brother has a vacum sales and repair shop and I learned how to work on them to help him out. The most important thing to do is to remove the roller brushes and clean out the hair, lint, and thread from the brushes and bearings on each end. It will run better and last much longer.
Most of the problems I have seen with them is either people try to pick up pennies and the like. They break the wings off the plastic fan on the motor and then it looses power. Also straight pins and bobby pins will stick in the fan wings and pick up dust and plug it up.
Just a little info.
I love to fix and make almost anything. The more complicated the better. I have built from scratch a, small metal lathe, wood lathe, belt grinder, sheet metal brake, and many other things in my shop.
It is the second greatest joy in my life. Second only to the LOML

Basically what I did. It seemed to me like it was more of a matter of cleaning than fixing.

Speaking of building - Has anyone seen those DIY CNC machines? They're like $200-300 and you have to supply the cutter, but they come with the software and materials in a complete kit. Don't know what kind of cutter, but either a router or a carbide cutter would do it. I'm not sure on the tolerance you can get, but even if it's only .1 mm (I think the normal acceptable range is MUCH lower, but for a DIY kit...) it could make short order of making scales.

Originally Posted by BingoBango

Speaking of building - Has anyone seen those DIY CNC machines? They're like $200-300 and you have to supply the cutter, but they come with the software and materials in a complete kit. Don't know what kind of cutter, but either a router or a carbide cutter would do it. I'm not sure on the tolerance you can get, but even if it's only .1 mm (I think the normal acceptable range is MUCH lower, but for a DIY kit...) it could make short order of making scales.

This one can be built for less than $200 apparently:

Easy to Build Desk Top 3 Axis CNC Milling Machine