Small Benchtop Mills usually have an optional cast iron table, but I didn’t like the height (it was too low) and the lack of storage that these tables have. I decided to make my own, just like the lathe table. I didn’t spend quite as much time making it perfect like the previous table, but this one is certainly built like a tank and should last me forever. Like the lathe table, it has both leveling feet and wheels to move it around and keep it stable.
I purchased a PM932 Milling machine from Precision Matthews. It’s 850lb and definitely a beast to move, at least in my small shop. Honestly I’d have preferred a knee mill but I promised myself to keep the tools below 1000lb so that it’s not a complete nightmare when I move in the future.
Small lathes live and die by the bench upon which they are mounted. My little lathe has been struggling for the past year or so on a wobbly table and it’s really making me uncomfortable. The table is rated for 700lb, but my 350lb lathe is clearly too much for it. Because of this I decided to make a proper welded bench for my lathe. I spent the better part of a month on it and I’m extremely proud. The top surface is flat to within at least 10 thousandths of an inch and that’s more than enough to be able to mount the lathe and level it properly. Now that the lathe is mounted on a sturdy table the experience using it is 100% better. No wobbles and no worrying about 350lb of cast iron crashing down onto my feet. Also, the table has wheels to move it around, and levelling feet to keep it stable.
This project took me about a week. I used 16g square steel tubing for the frame, and 1/8 thick steel for the tabletop. In total the table is about 200 pounds. I accidentally warped the table top during welding but was able to grind it down a little to make it relatively smooth again. All in all I feel like I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do. This table will definitely serve me well in the years to come.
I’ve never welded before, but I am tired of the wobbly table the lathe is on, and I want to try my hand at making a better one. To start though I am going to make a welding table, both to get some experience and to have a good surface to weld on for future projects.
After some minimal spine damage I decided that yes, maybe I should make the backpack lighter, so here we are. I’m making a new frame from some square dowels and thin basswood. It’s sooo much lighter than the last one. Less than one pound I’d guess.
I put together a simple PVC reservoir and a couple pumps, as well as a small microcontroller board for some rudimentary temperature control. That and a fancy new backpacking frame and we’re ready to rock! Oh, final weight? About 22lb. Yeah- this will definitely not work in the long term. As far as performance goes, it’s very good at keeping you as cool as you want to be, assuming you are properly insulated from the outside weather. Since this unit is for cosplaying, that should be no trouble, since costumes that necessitate cooling are thoroughly insulating. Battery life is about 3-4 hours.
Well, I’ve mocked up a frame for the backpack and it’s clear this is going to be a real monster. It’s fine because I’ll lighten the whole thing later. Looks good so far though. For safety I’m going to use a LiFePO4 battery since they don’t turn into a fireball when things go wrong like LiPo’s do.
A couple years ago I started a project for a Microclimate Backpack, essentially a wearable cooling vest powered by a reservoir of icewater. It worked but was uncomfortable and the wearer risked hypothermia. I found a company online, RigidHvac, that manufactures all-in-one refrigeration units. These only weigh about 10lb or so and can be battery powered. I’d like to convert this into a wearable backpack as a proof-of-concept.
Now that I’ve gotten the basics of lathe work (HAH) I’ve machined a pair of low voltage feedthroughs using copper for the conductor, PTFE for the insulator, and aluminum for the KF flange (threads are bad for high vacuum). Hopefully this will work and be a lot less leaky than the last ones.
