Eyeball Engineering

[Duuuuuuuude]

Here's a vid of the aforementioned RF30-clone owner and a few of his mods. You can see his light assembly when he demonstrates the power lift.

RF30 CVT and other modifications - YouTube

His webpage appears to be gone though.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Here's a couple random things I've made lately...

This wasn't even a planned item...just squared up a chunk of aluminum and went to town with a 1/4" endmill and a vice stop. I think I might have actually measured something once or twice on this one. Don't know what it is or what it's for, but I stayed up until 2 a.m. a few nights ago doing it.



I tried my hand at making a shock once before on the drill press, and it was crummy. Now that I have a mill, the latest attempt is a bit less so. This was all turned from a 1/2" aluminum rod I picked up at Home Depot. It's close to being a working item...I still need to come up with a shaft and piston.

[trevinator]

That shock is uber scale looking!

[Soulo747]

I don't know what your talking about. But I like it. Everything is so shiny and smooth and appeals to my ADD in a big way. Yaaaaay

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by trevinator

That shock is uber scale looking!

Its alright...could be better...and smaller. I'll see what it'll take to make this one functional, then I'll work on smaller. Right now its about 3.5" eye to eye fully extended.

Originally Posted by Soulo747

I don't know what your talking about. But I like it. Everything is so shiny and smooth and appeals to my ADD in a big way. Yaaaaay

[dieselmudder]

found this thread last night an read evey post in it. gonna keep following it. i'd also like to have a small mill and lathe to play with some time. getting lots of valueable info from this.

[Duuuuuuuude]

If you can swing the cost of the equipment, do it. Even spending a little bit of time learning how to do little procedures adds up quick.

And you don't even have to run out and buy top shelf materials. Plastic (or even wood) is cheap and plentiful and is perfectly suitable for practice work.

[cragv]

Originally Posted by dieselmudder

found this thread last night an read every post in it. gonna keep following it. i'd also like to have a small mill and lathe to play with some time. getting lots of valuable info from this.

Same here exactly lol

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

If you can swing the cost of the equipment, do it. Even spending a little bit of time learning how to do little procedures adds up quick.

And you don't even have to run out and buy top shelf materials. Plastic (or even wood) is cheap and plentiful and is perfectly suitable for practice work.

I am IN! Mid-2012 at age 30 I finally had a neurological condition identified and have begun taking medication to address it. I suddenly have all this extra brain power just waiting to be used (my 'natural ability' has been released from its shackles, in a manner of speaking). This topic interests me greatly so it's time to start saving Thanks for a great thread!

[BubbaEinstein]

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuude that shock is freakin' awesome! I already see uses as is: Scale steering stabilizer and secondary shocks.

[Duuuuuuuude]

It needs to be way smaller before it does any of those things.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by CarterFab

I was gonna mentions vice stop. Yours will work fine but there is a better design that is super simple and small.

So I was busy yesterday making stuff and decided I needed one of those stops. I grabbed some aluminum, some 1/4" steel rod, a small spring, and a #10 cap screw.

I ended up with this...







What a handy little tool that is! I wish I would have made one sooner...

[CarterFab]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

So I was busy yesterday making stuff and decided I needed one of those stops. I grabbed some aluminum, some 1/4" steel rod, a small spring, and a #10 cap screw.

I ended up with this...







What a handy little tool that is! I wish I would have made one sooner...

Told ya. One of the best tools you can make and have. Haven't looked back but if to haven't made any screw jacks yet, do it. It's another one of those super handy easy to make parts. Hell you can even make your own spring tool to make springs, both compression and extension style. Takes about 5 minutes to make one too

[Duuuuuuuude]

Time to update the EE thread!

Picked up a 12" rotary table for cheap. Got it cleaned up, lubed, and even gave it a new coat of paint. Heavy bastard though...about 120lbs.



First I cut some pretty circles in some plastic, then tried my hand at something more complex. I was both surprised and happy with the results.





Then I tried a wheel. No plans involved, just eyeballing.



It even has something resembling a hex.




Today I made another that is an actual 2.2.

[Lukescb7]

That wheel looks cool, and the knuckle looks great too. I also dig the look of theat shock. Looks really scale and the rod ends at both sides equal no binding.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Tonight I decided to kick it up a notch.

[CarterFab]

Now quit messing around and throw some aluminum up there.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by CarterFab

Now quit messing around and throw some aluminum up there.

Not yet.

[CarterFab]

Look at it this way, every good plastic piece that comes out could have been aluminum and be one less part to make. I always just start with what the intended product will be made from, if you take your time, no worries. You seem to pick this stuff up quick, confidence, you got this.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Plastic is extremely cheap (free), quick to machine, and easy on tooling. This is all one-off practice stuff anyway.

I need to make table clamps before I do anything serious. It's a PITA having one hand on the RT crank, one hand on the down feed crank, and another on the cross feed crank.



Also, its one thing to make a single wheel, and an entirely different thing to remember what exactly you did so that you can make three more.

[CarterFab]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

It's a PITA having one hand on the RT crank, one hand on the down feed crank, and another on the cross feed crank.

Wish I had three hands, I'd get way more done, haha.
Keep it up and it will start becoming second nature to you hopefully.
I've done many wheels and they are fun, only I do as much in the lathe as I can and leave mill work just for the indexed stuff.