Category Archives: Metal Working

Lost Foam Casting Aluminum

Posted on February 27, 2023 by jimhannon

I needed a pipe mounting flange for a project, so I decided to make one and get some experience with lost foam casting at the same time. This flange is used to connect a metal plate to a one inch … Continue reading →

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Telescope Mount Adapter

Posted on June 25, 2019 by jimhannon

The University of Iowa donated the Rigel robotic telescope to the Cedar Amateur Astronomers. Plans are to install this telescope in one of the domes at the observatory. To mount the scope an adapter is needed to connect the scope … Continue reading →

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Building A Sand Muller

Posted on May 28, 2018 by jimhannon

To do sand casting a muller is almost a necessity. It is difficult to mix up foundry sand either green sand or oil bonded sand without a muller. I have been thinking about how to build a muller for some … Continue reading →

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Bandsaw Stand

Posted on October 9, 2017 by jimhannon

I have had a 4X6 inch horizontal bandsaw from Harbor Freight for years. It works reasonably well. I have cut a lot of metal with it. The stand that came with it however leaves a lot to be desired. It … Continue reading →

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Mill Clamping

Posted on October 6, 2017 by jimhannon

Now that my shop build is finished I can get on with some projects. Some of my upcoming projects will need a way to hold small irregular parts in the mill/drill. Several home shop machinists on the web describe making … Continue reading →

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DRO for my MIll

Posted on May 29, 2016 by jimhannon

Like most of my blog posts this is not meant to be a “how to” but rather a “how did” in hopes that someone will find useful ideas for their projects. It has gotten a bit frustrating using my milling … Continue reading →

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Digger Bucket & Repair

Posted on January 11, 2016 by jimhannon

Recently I needed a narrow trenching bucket for my digger that I built some years ago. In taking off the larger 18 inch bucket I discovered that the pivot pin for the bucket had become rusted into the bushing. So … Continue reading →

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3D Printer

Posted on January 2, 2016 by jimhannon

Like all of my blog posts this article is not intended to be a how to tutorial but rather just my experience and observations in building a 3D printer. A few months ago I decided that I wanted to have … Continue reading →

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Chainsaw Lumber Mill

Posted on August 1, 2015 by jimhannon

A rather large silver maple tree trunk came down in a wind storm recently. I have cut most of it up for firewood but there was a nice 4 foot section that I decided to make into some boards. Maple … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Metal Working, woodworking | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

CNC lathe

Posted on December 4, 2014 by jimhannon

I have a Craftsman Atlas 6″ lathe that has been a workhorse for years. Recently I have a couple of lathe projects that are difficult or impossible with a manually operated lathe. So I have been modifying the lathe to … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY, Electronics, Machine Shop, Metal Working | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments