Stuff you have made today

[Ubique]

Here's the problem:
There's a HV cable assembly that needs changing on a lot of MB Hybrid vehicles, the cable runs from a socket on top of the gearbox, on the bell housing, across the top of the gearbox, onto the body and then to the NSR of the vehicle. Even with the rear of the gearbox dropped as far as possible, there is no room to get 'hands on' with the plug, it's just possible to remove it's protective shroud, removing the plug is easy once the E10 bolt is released.

I've done about six so far with another ten or so booked in for the next couple of weeks, I've been 'steering' the plug with a combination of twisting the cables and pushing with a couple of long extensions on the E10 bolt. A better method was needed.

A lot of practice required, especially fillet and dissimilar thickness materials. Overall I'm happy with the design, well until it's first test on Monday, I probably need to make more of them to practice the welds. Only one touch-down though.
Also, it's not fully deburred in the photos above, I did a lot more cleaning up around the business end to ensure no potential for damaging cable insulation.

It's a bit of a niche item admittedly and it's a practice piece that has some use, not just covering plate up with filler.

 

[Tangledfeet]

Some 'wood bothering'..! First bit of woodturning I've done in ages; rather than strain my elbows (bloody tennis elbow...) with big bowls I thought I'd work on my normally absent finesse with a small sycamore offset winged bowl... and, for once, no skinned or bruised knuckles!

 

[Dev]

A pair of collar pins and custom display frame.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Here's the problem:
There's a HV cable assembly that needs changing on a lot of MB Hybrid vehicles, the cable runs from a socket on top of the gearbox, on the bell housing, across the top of the gearbox, onto the body and then to the NSR of the vehicle. Even with the rear of the gearbox dropped as far as possible, there is no room to get 'hands on' with the plug, it's just possible to remove it's protective shroud, removing the plug is easy once the E10 bolt is released.
View attachment 310133

I've done about six so far with another ten or so booked in for the next couple of weeks, I've been 'steering' the plug with a combination of twisting the cables and pushing with a couple of long extensions on the E10 bolt. A better method was needed.

View attachment 310134View attachment 310138View attachment 310140View attachment 310143
View attachment 310144View attachment 310145

A lot of practice required, especially fillet and dissimilar thickness materials. Overall I'm happy with the design, well until it's first test on Monday, I probably need to make more of them to practice the welds. Only one touch-down though.
Also, it's not fully deburred in the photos above, I did a lot more cleaning up around the business end to ensure no potential for damaging cable insulation.

It's a bit of a niche item admittedly and it's a practice piece that has some use, not just covering plate up with filler.

Get a Patent, sell the rights, and retire.

 

[Ubique]

Get a Patent, sell the rights, and retire.

Once the 138,000 or so in the UK that need the cable changing have been done, it'll be useless (there will be a 'borrowers fee' applied at work, however )

 

[God mode restorations]

Finally got the light brackets welded on and a coat of primer. A couple of my welds I not happy with. The v down was OK but the underneath and top I not happy with.

 

[dobbslc]

3rd day this week Ive lost my safety glasses, looked everywhere.

Rigged up the lathe extraction. This little fan shifts plenty of air with a bit of pressure.
View attachment 309618

32mm pipe. 35-37mm hole through wall. Could use ideas how to finish the outside.

Painted the shed celing and walls. Get a lot of midges and small flies in shed. Hard to see where to swat when its dirty!
View attachment 309619

Keep putting my hand in it

@Kram
Try one of these.

BES.co.uk | Next Day Delivery On 15,000 + Plumbing Supplies

Order PipeSnug™ Wall Seal, Solvent Weld - 32mm White and other solvent weld products online at BES.co.uk. Low Prices, Free Next Day Delivery Available, 15k Plus Products in stock P/N: 24232

www.bes.co.uk

Screwfix do them, probably cheaper as well.

 

[selectedgrub]

After I see that bowl I want to burn my wood

But I drilled holes to 85.3mm and cut some copper pipe to 101.5mm leaving just enough to bite in with a whack,
I then flared with a wad punch and ball peened over.

 

[bricol]

Get a Patent, sell the rights, and retire.

Just don't put it on a public forum first . . . oh hang-on . . .

Alternative view - get a patent, pay some expensive legal types lots of money attempting to defend it, go bust, live in a tent under a bridge

 

[AndersK]

Just don't put it on a public forum first . . . oh hang-on

Yeah, rule #1
Patents aren't worth **** unless you have the financial muscles to defend it

 

[MattF]

Yeah, rule #1
Parents aren't worth **** unless you have the financial muscles to defend it

Auto-correct, perchance?

 

[AndersK]

Auto-correct, perchance?

Could have been a good statement to, just replace the last bit with ...unless they have financial muscles

 

[Arc Tourist]

..................................... Alternative view - get a patent, pay some expensive legal types lots of money attempting to defend it, go bust, live in a tent under a bridge

That's the hard way. Sell it initially, or establish getting royalties, and carry on enjoying life without worry.

 

[Memmeddu]

Finally managed to weld the truck bed pillars ,I started maybe 5 threads about but never managed to complete the job ,or because of lockdowns , other problems ,lack of time ,or just not able to find a day with my friend (truck owner) when we were both free.
And happened that he destroyed one yesterday
So come over there , remove the side panels ,Cut the welds ,then break the parts free using the gentle tap of a 5kg sledge hammer,clean the parts,weld prep , sides back on,lock them in place , aligned the pillars using F clamps.
Tack the parts using E6013 , fully welded them using E7018.
Each pillar required 2 vertical fillets, and a flat one ,350mm of weld
Then had to modify the rear panel.
Still have more to do on this truck ,add hooks , make a spread retaining bar , replace the sides, make two pillars for additional side panels (to increase the hight )
Repair a fender, adding turn indicators

Unfortunately working under the sun on sunday , with almost 35°C I've forgotten to make photos but
I'll make some whenever possible.

An odyssey lasted for almost two years

 

[Dr.Al]

This weekend I decided to rearrange my chisel wall. This is what it looked like before:

This is what it looks like so far:

The hole allows access to the switches for the door and for the battery charger. The plywood panel is held on with a couple of parallel French cleats, so it can be lifted off very easily if needed.

As you can probably tell there are a few more things to add to panel, but there should be loads more space now. While I was making French cleats, I attached a couple to two of the ceiling joists and made a couple of panels (again with space spare) for some power tools. The cleats are handy as I can arrange the tools on the panel while it's lying on the bench rather than working above head-height.

The height of these panels was very carefully chosen such that the bottom of the panel is more than an inch above my head when I stand on tip-toes!

 

[Dr.Al]

This weekend I decided to rearrange my chisel wall. This is what it looked like before:

View attachment 310331

This is what it looks like so far:

View attachment 310333

View attachment 310338

View attachment 310339

The hole allows access to the switches for the door and for the battery charger. The plywood panel is held on with a couple of parallel French cleats, so it can be lifted off very easily if needed.

As you can probably tell there are a few more things to add to panel, but there should be loads more space now. While I was making French cleats, I attached a couple to two of the ceiling joists and made a couple of panels (again with space spare) for some power tools. The cleats are handy as I can arrange the tools on the panel while it's lying on the bench rather than working above head-height.

View attachment 310336

View attachment 310337

The height of these panels was very carefully chosen such that the bottom of the panel is more than an inch above my head when I stand on tip-toes!

Added a few more things to the new panel (including a safety ledge between the two rows of chisels):

I think I've now got everything that was there before up except the jeweller's saw (which I never used). I've also added the compass plane and the marking gauge and I've still got loads of space left, so I'm much happier with this arrangement. Hopefully the new pen pot should be easier to get things in and out of - the old one was rammed:

 

[God mode restorations]

Lights are all bolted on. Paint done but need to rub down and paint the rest of it under there. Got wiring to do. All n all I am 50 percent happy

 

[Melvyn Best]

Get a Patent, sell the rights, and retire.

The only problem is that Mercedes are likely to take legal action if you mention Mercedes when advertising. A very good friend designed and made a few tools for servicing a well known American motorcycle , something to do with the valve gear IIRC , he sold a few on eBay as well as to the local motorcycle dealers workshop guys as it saved a few hours of work, he stopped selling them after a threatening letter from the motorcycle manufacturers lawyers

 

[Kram]

Im aware I could have got one off amazon for about two pound delivered, but this was more fun. Dinse 35-50 cross drilled 6mm with a bit of 8mm brass.

Silver soldered, turned and decided to broach the pin. Brass is very nice to broach!

Fits better than the original.
Dimensions to make - 13mm diameter, 19mm long. 5x5mm square pin located 10-15mm from shoulder with 16mm diameter.

 

[Arc Tourist]

The only problem is that Mercedes are likely to take legal action if you mention Mercedes when advertising. A very good friend designed and made a few tools for servicing a well known American motorcycle , something to do with the valve gear IIRC , he sold a few on eBay as well as to the local motorcycle dealers workshop guys as it saved a few hours of work, he stopped selling them after a threatening letter from the motorcycle manufacturers lawyers

Back in the 1980's I made up a special tool for removing a countershaft nut on an American V-twin bike transmission. The guy I bought it off of didn't realize it had left hand threads and forced things until it stripped them. As there was no room to get to get a nut splitter between the clutch plate rods he gave up.

I simply took a deep socket, heated up and annealed the edge, then drilled and tapped it for several set screws and welded it up to a T-handled bar. The socket was slipped over the nut and the setscrews turned in to the recess under it, and then with two feet against the transmission and my weight pulled back on it, I turned the nut counter clockwise releasing it. As the counter shaft was hardened steel, there was no damage to the threads. So for anyone that has experienced this situation, that's how its done.