Stuff you have fixed today

[DAPPH]

bit of a more challenging job was to make my crane work by remote control. i bought a remote that should have been able to replace the wander lead entirely. now either im very dense, or there is absolutely no way to wire it to work in both directions. i DID manage to get it to go up, but not down.

so 2 240v ac double pole double throw relays and a bit of ingenuity, i wired it so the relays are emulating the switch on the wander lead. the lead is now attached permanently to the side of the winch, and the relays behind it, so it now works up and down. i would like to have the estop button on the remote work too, but i cant do it with the relay wiring method, so it'll have to do with the emergency magnet release instead. the estop button on the original control still works.

and yes, i will put the relays in a enclosure. but not today. i wanted it to work first.

the beginning (no those connectors are no longer there, i had the old wires i was using for testing still attached to identify the connections, the wires are all black but are numbered.)

the new wires attached to the back of the switch to go to the relays. i know i said i wont use blue insulated connectors anymore, and i wont on a car. with no vibration and moisture they are fine here. plus its all i had in the required size.

and the end result.

final function test.

Sounds like something is wrong there's a bloody awful dust bin down the stairs sort of noise the whole time your playing with the control .

Seriously , not a bad idea at all . What sort of sized angle iron have you used back to back for the gantry runner .. what SFL do you envisage it is ?

 

[Gragson]

Reorg in the shed, was quite concerned on the wobble on top shelves when loaded up.
Big convert to Thunderbolts now, TBH 2 would have done it, put 4 100mm in, rock solid now.

 

[minimutly]

Reorg in the shed, was quite concerned on the wobble on top shelves when loaded up.
Big convert to Thunderbolts now, TBH 2 would have done it, put 4 100mm in, rock solid now.

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View attachment 472469

HOW many grinders???

 

[Farside]

HOW many grinders???

<shrugs>
Eight seems normal around here.
I've only got three and I've been lagging.

 

[MattF]

Five seems a good amount.

 

[My Old Landy]

I've got three I need to list on here as I can't use them anymore. One is a new DeWalt battery one that has never been used since buying it three years ago!

 

[qwakers]

Sounds like something is wrong there's a bloody awful dust bin down the stairs sort of noise the whole time your playing with the control .

Seriously , not a bad idea at all . What sort of sized angle iron have you used back to back for the gantry runner .. what SFL do you envisage it is ?

late night radio is always awful... angle is 35mm iirc.. its stronger than the winch, for sure. ive had a entire rear half of a toyota mr2 hanging from it before now....

 

[awemawson]

At last I've brought my Migatronic KDX250 mig welder back into commission.

It has sat idle for at least two years in my unheated welding shed. I'd given up using it due to wire feed problems but decided that I really needed to fix it as it's a rather nice welder that doesn't deserve to be abandoned.

I knew a major issue was rusty wire (not surprisingly) and had planned to replace the torch liner but the two 'boxer' 20 watt cooling fans were squeaking like the gates of hell so a pair were ordered from RSComponents. Fitting the fans was a right pain. They sit on a horizontal shelf above the (rather large) rectifier stack, and are bolted through the shelf. Unbolting the rectifier and bending it away to the limit of it's huge copper tape connections barely allowed fingers in to manipulate a spanner but after much loss of skin I got there in the end.

New fans installed I turned my attention to the control board. This PCB is beautifully made - quality electronics. I'd always been suspicious of the burn back control but I couldn't find any faulty components. I changed the four electrolytic capacitors anyway as a precaution while I was 'in there'.

OK now for the liner - first I stripped off the top two layers of the 15 kG spool of 0.8 mm to be sure the rusty bits were gone. I did this by firing the gun (tip removed) into an empty 25 litre oil drum to avoid a tangled mess on the floor. Old liner out - then blowing the tube out with compressed air from both ends (it's a Eurotorch) I inserted the new liner and trimmed it to length (I needed 3m but only had 4m in stock)

Everything re-assembled and guess what - it now works

Now this welder will only be used very intermittently so the rusty wire problem will probably return. I know taking the spool out and keeping it in a heated place is really the proper solution but this is not practical. I'm tempted to give the spool a spray of WD40 but not sure what the effect will be on the welds - comments welcome.

 

[indykid]

Now this welder will only be used very intermittently so the rusty wire problem will probably return. I know taking the spool out and keeping it in a heated place is really the proper solution but this is not practical. I'm tempted to give the spool a spray of WD40 but not sure what the effect will be on the welds - comments welcome.

Spray some WD40 on some sheet, leave it a few days for the solvents to flash off then try welding it. I wouldn't have high hopes.

A sock full of dessicant beads in the wire compartment may have better success, but it may need to be reasonably well sealed to achieve much. Some antispatter sprays claim to have flash rust inhibitors? Might be cheaper to just junk a bit of wire every now and again though. When you use it, do you use it enough to need a 15kg spool in it? Could you chuck a smaller reel in so there's less exposed wire and less waste if it goes a bit rusty?

 

[qwakers]

due to the way i mounted the intercooler on the race car it was able to flex and hit the a/c rad, putting a hole in it.


new ac rad fitted...

and the intercooler mounts re designed to stop it moving into the rad.

just a slight modification to the intercooler pipe and job jobbed.

 

[dobbslc]

A/C in a race car!

 

[qwakers]

no windows..... the weight penalty is soooo worth it.

 

[Slowcoach]

How do you see where you’re going with no windows?

 

[qwakers]

no 'opening' windows

 

[qwakers]

due to the way i mounted the intercooler on the race car it was able to flex and hit the a/c rad, putting a hole in it.


new ac rad fitted...

and the intercooler mounts re designed to stop it moving into the rad.

just a slight modification to the intercooler pipe and job jobbed.

final fit up after a bit of paint.

 

[Tigman]

I've had to drill these holes out bigger , put it on mill heavy lump 850 dia 40mm thick

 

[qwakers]

a scratch coat put on the wall edge to take the render, might take a couple more coats in the middle.... and the joints and edges of the slabs filled with coloured mortar.

not much more work to it now before i can start putting block down...

bit premature but the drive is currently being used for its intended purpose....

 

[Tigman]

This is how I centered the holes made a little shaft to fit

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

A Blue Box Brownie, need some attention.


The shutter was not working correctly.

The issue, the lower left hand lever has a sping attached to it.

It is now fitted the right way round.

Front fitted.

Now working now.

 

[magnet]

Got this vice out of the scrap at work it was smothered in years of plaster Gave it a scrape a wire brush and a drop of oil