The Concrete Lathe Project
The origin of mechanical precision is a classic chicken-and-egg problem: If you need a precision machine tool to make a precision machine tool, where do precision machine tools come from, in the first place?
CNC & Machining
The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for the manufacture of metal, wood, plastic, ceramic and composites. We talk about machining, using a lathe to machine metals like steel, brass, and aluminium. We make chips fly!
How-To: Square Up Stock on a Mill
If you’ve ever tried to cut an accurate cube, out of any material, you know that it’s a deceptively difficult proposition. This video gives a sense of what’s required to do it right: Quality tools, proper technique, and plenty of patience.
Now That’s an Enclosure
I imagine Instructables user hellboy started out looking for a subtle, understated case design to show off his single-digit Nixie tube clock called CYCLOPS. Something well-crafted but minimal, and very modern, that would highlight the function of the device while tastefully eschewing decoration for its own sake. And then he thought: Screw that. You only […]
Beautifully Overengineered Toy Car
From Dutch designer Wouter Scheublin, who made a big splash in 2010 with his Walking Table. This pull-back-to-wind Toy Car, machined in stainless steel and bronze, with matching walnut box, was produced in a limited edition of twenty, and is still available in laser-sintered nylon, though it isn’t cheap. [Thanks, Billy Baque!] More:Seriously Overengineered MousetrapVery, […]
Intern’s Corner: What’s in Dan’s Jeep?
I’d like to introduce what I hope will be a recurring feature here on Intern’s Corner: a peek at what we interns have in our cars. To kick things off, let’s have a look at Dan’s Jeep, shall we?
CNC Milling a Spherical Ice Mold
We have covered these spherical ice molds before. I have used one, myself, and they work pretty well. A chunk of ice is sandwiched between two halves of a metal mold, and fast conduction of heat away from the ice, through the metal, causes it to melt wherever the mold makes contact. The mold halves slide on rods to maintain their alignment, and gravity does the rest. With a mold that starts at room temperature, it only takes a few minutes to make a nice shiny ice sphere.
How-To: Rifle Shell Pen Body
I have before identified Instructables user Mrballeng as a craftsman’s craftsman, and this latest offering only serves to reinforce that opinion. His work is not flashy or complex, but it’s always thought out with exacting detail and does amazing things with everyday materials. Here, he uses a mini-lathe to bore, swage, and align two .30-06 cartridge cases before soldering them together, at the joint, and fitting the guts of a refillable plastic click-pen inside. Cool stuff.
