Digging foundations

Progress is currently slow due to funding. The foundation for a retaining wall on the workshop is dug and awaiting some blocks to come back into stock. I've chosen my CNC design (C-Beam X_Large Machine), but Im waiting for parts to come back into stock. And I have a shed design but the designers cant take any new orders until October. I hate having to wait for stuff. At least it gives me more time to save up for stuff.

Right now I am trying to decide what tool set to focus on. I want some new hand drills and saws, do I go for Dewalt, Makita or Bosch? I want all my battery chargers to be the same for ease of use. The CNC machine Ive chosen recommends using a Bosch Colt Router or Dewalt 600. I'm leaning towards Dewalt, but for no real good reason right now other than I like the look of it better (terrible reason).

Workshop

Getting people to manufacture bits I've designed is all well and good but I've got no control over it and it's driving me potty. So this weekend I designed a small workshop for my garden. Once it's in I will be adding a cnc machine and a few other staple tools. Much exciting. 

AutoCAD

I have spent the last two evenings playing with AutoCAD and I think I am getting the hang of it. I also had some n/o and c/o reed switches turn up to play with. I have videoed playing with the c/o switch because it's fun. I'm amazed at the distance the magnet can be and it still works. Some careful positioning will be in order methinks. 

Circuit diagrams

Spent all of last evening drawing circuit diagrams. Went to sleep doing power calculations. Geeky heaven

Don't fight progress

If I were a tv character I might be the Lone Ranger. I'm not one for sharing my work, even up to the point of trying to create my own components from scratch. Last night though I learned the value of buying something pre-made and tested from a manufacturer. I'm not spending all my evenings making solonoids!! Although the one I made last night worked fine, I don't want to make another!! I'd rather spend my time making other parts of the engine from bits I can buy off the shelf where possible. 

So eBay has provided and tomorrow I'm going SUP boarding. 

CTC Riverside SLA Printer

Just don't buy one. I got it "working" today. At best it's efforts were abismal. But the second effort only managed 1mm out of 30 before it failed. The resin is a pain, the cleaner stinks. I'll stick with filament I think!!

Little frustrations

I have been trying for the past week to get bits together to make some tooling and it hasn't gone particularly well. Everything has been a bit wrong and needing adjustment. Today I got to nearly the end of making the tool. I could use it manually but I haven't got the motor attached yet. However the most frustrating thing has been the 3D printer. I've currently got two, one is missing parts and the OS is wrong so I'm in talk with the geeks to fix it. The other is on lend from my friend and it couldn't be worse. It's practically just a paper weight. It's a CTC Riverside SLA (don't buy one, really don't). Last week I broke it and had to buy a spare part (£60 tank). Today after fixing a little mirror that fell off in transit I over tightened two crucial screws and rounded off the hex holes (I was hangey) so now it's stuck with no top panel on it. I've attempted to calibrate it but I cannot get the bed to move any further down so I suspect it will squash my caps when I finally print them. I'm going to attempt the print tomorrow with the resin. Last time I used it I burnt all the hairs out of my nose and accidentally left the Uv resin in sunlight, breaking the tank when it hardened. 

So it's going well!!