Projects for over christmas

[Robotstar5]

Powder coating is not a wonderful idea for a road vehicle. Better would be epoxy and 2k colour of choice.

Can't complain about the quality of the powder coaters I used in Birmingham, they apply a chromate primer before the powder coat and it lasted well, I used my GS850 for 7 or 8 years after frame coating and it was still good when I sold it.

 

[8ob]

Over the break I will be finishing off the last of the oddsnsodds of man cave extension and moving the toys in.

Bob

 

[ajlelectronics]

Can't complain about the quality of the powder coaters I used in Birmingham, they apply a chromate primer before the powder coat and it lasted well, I used my GS850 for 7 or 8 years after frame coating and it was still good when I sold it.

The problem is that PC is a hard and brittle coating. One stone chip and the frame starts to rot unseen, until it collapses.

 

[Mikes]

I've started the find the workshop floor hunt. In doing so have managed to find:
One blanking plate that I made-up and lost so was just about to start making another so a good result.
Eight pieces of flat bar all cut to the same length but can't remember what for so now on the steel offcuts heap
Two angle brackets complete with holes. Again, made for someone who never collected and can't remember who or what for so also on the offcuts heap.
And two items that were 'sold' and never paid for or collected - to be re advertised next year hopefully when the knob-ends are all too broke from Christmas to even bother me.

 

[GRW]

Bring it up and we can take some quick measurements and mock it up on the computer.

I've got a box body that's for the same purpose and (because I can) modelled arrangements in Inventor. Was very handy being able to spin things around to visualise different layouts. Once I decided a layout could start refining it to actually create cut lists etc, for the frame.

Wow - that's very kind of you!

I have the general layout in my head & rough dims. Some things will have to "fit where they fit", but the general plan is working around the space needed for the garage/services area.

The garage needs to be 1750mm deep from the rear doors, for MTB's in the centre (1000mm clearance min), & a water tank mounted above one wheelarch (I've a 62L one thats 888mm L x 350mm H x 200mm W on order), & maybe the Shurflo pump & a small Expansion Tank (pressurised system with the pump triggered by pressure reduction when a tap is opened).

A standard double acrossways above the garage is I think 1375mm, leaving over 300mm gap between rear doors & the "bulkhead" I plan to add (so when rear doors are open the bed area is protected from the elements). The rear face of this bulkhead is where I plan to mount my diesel heater 10L fuel tank, and hopefully a tankless lpg water heater (also demand triggered, so turn on a hot tap & the boiler & water pump chime in).

Galley & fridge in front of the bed/garage wall, extending to the side sliding door with o/h storage. Opposite side will be a loo cubicle I hope, & a seating area behind the drivers seat, facing the side door (more o/h storage above seating, plus the overcab section for more storage).

The van bulkhead is out, & my swivel passenger seat to make the cab part of the living space is well underway.

Electrics DC & split charge under the seating area (AC hookup & AC charger probably from the rear storage). Night heater location tbc based on space and what's underneath!

 

[Migmac]

Nothing planned but I’m sure something will take my fancy

 

[Geoffm]

I took up archery this year along wiht the youngest boy. This Christmas project is to make a towable target frame and backstop to sit in the paddock so we can shoot at home. The club has an outdoor range 10 mins away, and indoor every Thursday (for 10 months of the year), but being able to walk out the back door and shoot is much more convenient.
I alos have the farm sprayer to fix - $NZ500 (250 quid) of bearings nad selas - for 1 wheel!

 

[northwest]

Well, I made a start, don't need to get this done for Christmas but it'll keep me busy:

 

[Smallfry]

Got to do a complete brake rebuild on SWMBOs Jimny while she is off work. Also to to rebuild the front suspension on my Renault Master and also redo some welding that was bodged by a garage years ago. They broke the captive nuts that hold the front suspension crossmember on, so chopped holes in the chassis legs to get at them. Then managing to weld the crossmember to the chassis in the process. Looks so shiddy that it bugs me, so while its mostly off, I will do it. Even though no one else will see it.
Weather permitting though. Have no indoor space to do any of this stuff

Edit. Looks like Autodoc are going to let me down again, or more accurately Evri. Who have twice claimed no one was here, but CCTV reveals they have not been here. So I might have to find something else to do.

 

[qwakers]

 

[qwakers]

That's my winter project being finished... from last winter, all the way through this spring, summer, autumn and back to winter again

 

[Keith 66]

I started the xmas break by carrying on as normal, today i finished my wifes present & wrapped it up. Tonight i was out here till 9:00pm tidying the bench & for once its pretty clear. Noticed a few of my chisels were showing rust spots so had the lot out to clean & oil them. They live in a wooden cubby hole rack on a 2ft shelf along with most of my other tools. Didnt realise i had so many, at least 50 by makers such as Marples, Sorby, Ward, Mathesion, James Howarth, Addis, Reynolds, Taylor & others, some date back to the 1850's then there are some rather special Japanese chisels that i dont use very often. Then two rolls of carving chisels & assorted loose ones. All cleaned & oiled up.
Will have a go at the shelf of planes below tomorrow.
Then i have my Boat windows to reseal over the next few days.
I am aiming to get my Morris 1000 pickup unburied from piles of crap so i can get on with finishing the welding over the rest of the winter.

Just gotto get the Xmas eat & drink a thon out the way first!

 

[DAPPH]

As bad as me!
All depends on my health - been feeling far better but gallbladder aching again last 2 days. Hope to God the infection isn't back or that's me in hospital again. Damn wiaiting lists worse in Wales than anywhere - 20mph speed limits far more important

Anyway on my list.
Building a modified JD garage cnc plasma cutter
Sorting out a nice vertical drill - rack and pinion table winder playing up
Trying to get my CNC milling machine working - the one with the Heidenhein controls
Finish the rear doors on the very hefty expedition trailer I am still building
Get in some lathe time
Finish off @DAPPH lathe pulley spindle
General tiding up so I can actually find all the tools I have
Oh and have a play with my Christmas present - a 20W laser cutter/engraver

Assuming wife lets me out of her sight as well

So why are you messing about on here if my spindle and cotton reels need doing Vince ? I started cutting up more wood at this end ......for your in house incinerator , Saturday is still good .

 

[DAPPH]

Started doing a massive mancupboard clean up after receiving about 20 big mancupboard electric & mechanical tools . Some need working on , others are fully working but covered in grime . Last night everything got a quick spray with , "Elbow grease " caustic spray and a blast of the power washer after 5 min or so . . To night I discovered most are dry enough to try them on the electricity ...so far so good . They havde cleaaned up well.

Question.
One of the tools is a complete boxed 240 volt Makita TEK screw gun & QuikDrive collated screw system, with extension tube & different heads etc. but no top handle . The drive bit is for square drive flooring screws .. are these readily available in timber supply shops etc . Asking , because I might be needing 1000 or so 45 mm screws for it to fit boards in the roof void on new battens at right angles to the roof trusses .. four row of battens for the 25 mtr. length of the bungalow .
The chip boards stuff put down by contractors is terrible they have used odd mismatch boards so half of it has split at the central join down the whole length of the roof space . leaving the worst cheaper board only fixed along one side of their width .

 

[GRW]

Got to do a complete brake rebuild on SWMBOs Jimny while she is off work. Also to to rebuild the front suspension on my Renault Master and also redo some welding that was bodged by a garage years ago. They broke the captive nuts that hold the front suspension crossmember on, so chopped holes in the chassis legs to get at them. Then managing to weld the crossmember to the chassis in the process. Looks so shiddy that it bugs me, so while its mostly off, I will do it. Even though no one else will see it.
Weather permitting though. Have no indoor space to do any of this stuff

Edit. Looks like Autodoc are going to let me down again, or more accurately Evri. Who have twice claimed no one was here, but CCTV reveals they have not been here. So I might have to find something else to do.

That sounds like a big and far-from-simple job! Given the front boingy bits of a Master look complicated - I don't envy you that job one bit.

 

[droopsnoot]

Last Christmas, I cut off my finger, but the very next day, it was a bit better.

I'd been putting off making a new circuit board for the back of my dashboard, it's one of those made of copper tracks sandwiched between two clear flexible sheets of plastic. I had the parts, had the template, had made one before without incident, but this time I thought I'd take all the stuff home and do it on the kitchen table where there's more room, better light, I can sit down. All going well with the scalpel until I just slipped and took a big chunk off the end of my finger. It's entertaining trying to open plasters with one hand while the other one is in my mouth. All I could think about was why I wasn't wearing the leather gloves that were just outside, or why I hadn't been a bit more patient. End of finger has grown back now, though, because in reality it was only a couple of millimetres of skin and flesh. Just a lot of blood, and I didn't manage to even get any sympathy for it.

This year, I might just not bother with anything. But I have just acquired another Anglepoise light, newer than the last one (which reminds me I have forgotten to add it to 'Today I acquired') with an electrical fault. The chap giving it away said "I don't know whether it can be fixed" - I'm no expert, but there's a wire, a switch, a bulb holder and a bulb, so not the most complicated of things to narrow down. Maybe I'll take that home and have a go.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Maybe I'll take that home and have a go.

Watch them fingers....

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Mrs nearly finished this job already....

 

[ATGNI]

I have a list!

1) Finish off my work bench project. I just have the cabinet doors to fix and make handles
2) Design and 3D print some vacuum port adapters for my wood working dust making machines
3) Tweak software on my CNC mist coolant system to reduce the lubricant flow.
4) Fit a splash back to the rear of my CNC
5) Do a video review on my youtube channel on a hand held video microscope
6) Do some more work on my automated weather station project - this is another youtube project.

Plan B is to just get smashed and wake up in the New Year, but I do this every year.

 

[roofman]

One more day of hell tomorrow renewing a garage roof, then complete tinkering rest for a week I may be even to communicate with people on a normal level as its been so hectic and chaotic the last 2 months.