Techgrasp Technology

Here are some more information for Aluminum Model:

Lathe pattern copiers are expensive and are not available for many wood lathes. Pattern copiers are used to make duplicate turned spindles from an original. Here's how to make your own.

You will need a piece of 1/2 aluminum tubing as long as your lathe bed or a bit longer to make your lathe pattern copier. You will also need some 1/8" thick aluminum sheeting or you can buy some aluminum cookie sheets. Purchase a box of 10-40 bolts 1 1/2" long and a wing nut and washer for every bolt. Buy a second box of 10-40 bolts 1" long with nylon-lined lock nuts for every bolt. You will need (4) 3" angle irons with screws, as well. The rest of the parts for your lathe pattern copier can be made out of any scrap wood you may have laying around the shop.

The design of this lathe pattern copier incorporates multiple feeler "fingers" suspended behind the lathe along the aluminum pipe. These fingers are adjusted to match the exact depth of the cuts in your original turned spindle. When you place a new spindle blank on the lathe, all of the lathe pattern copier fingers you adjusted will be laying on top of the blank. As you cut into the blank, prepare yourself to stop cutting as soon as the fingers relating to that cut drop down and through the cut.

Make two, vertical support posts about 6" higher than the top of the largest spindle blank you can turn on that lathe. Note the outside diameter of the aluminum pipe and drill a hole of that size near the top of each support post. Mount the posts using the angle irons on the lathe table immediately behind the lathe. Insert the pipe through both holes to make sure it fits.This will help position the aluminum fingers of your lathe pattern copier so that they can reach the spindle you are turning.

Make a bunch of wood blocks 3/4" x 1¼" x 6" long. Drill a pipe sized hole in one end of each of them through the ¾" thickness. With the blocks lying flat, cut through from the end into the hole with a 1/8" table saw blade. With the blocks standing on edge, drill completely through each block between the hole and the end of the block. Use a drill diameter slightly larger that the shaft diameter of the 10-40 bolts. Insert one 1 ½" 10-40 bolt through the hole you just drilled and place a wing nut and washer on the end. The idea is that the wooden blocks will slip onto the pipe and the bolts and wing nuts will hold them in place by closing up the 1/8" cut you made on the table saw.

Drill another bolt hole of the same diameter about 1/2" from the other end of the block, centered with the block laying flat on the drill press table. Cut another 1/8" slot, 1" deep and centered through the 1¼" dimension, at right angle to the bolt hole. Remove one end of the pipe from the vertical support posts. You can now mount the blocks along the pipe before replacing the pipe in the vertical support post of your lathe pattern copier.

Cut aluminum fingers out of the flat stock using a 1/4" blade on the band saw. The fingers should measure 6" long and 3/4" wide. Both ends should be completely rounded (3/8" radius) on an edge, belt or disc sander. Drill a 10-40 bolt hole in one end of each finger centered 1/2" from the end. Sand the fingers smooth, removing saw marks and burrs.

Mount the aluminum fingers onto the ends of the wooden blocks, securing them in place with the 1" 10-40 bolts and lock nuts. The aluminum fingers must be free to move up and down.

Now place your original spindle on the lathe. Set the fingers to just drop through, barely touching the depth of each cut. Place the first blank on the lathe with the fingers you just adjusted resting on top of the spinning blank. Start cutting and stop as each finger falls through.

Bob Gillespie

Woodworker

©2010 Robert M. Gillespie, Jr.

WOODWORKING TOOL REVIEWS:
http://www.PerfectWoodworking.com/woodworkingtoolreviews/

WOODWORKING ARTICLES:
http://www.PerfectWoodworking.com/woodworkingarticles/

The Wise Homeowner's Choice - Aluminum Patio Covers!

As a wise homeowner you're always on the lookout for improvements to your house, and to your budget. An aluminum patio cover is one such astute improvement. It extends the useable area of your house. The improvement adds value to the house. You can use the aluminum patio cover for any number of things - a shed for your car or for gardening equipment, a canopy for an entrance, anything that requires a little more space than you already have. An aluminum patio cover may appear costly compared to other patio covers, but when you factor in the durability, ease of installation and zero maintenance of aluminum patio covers, the cost of ownership is actually much less than that of any other type of patio cover.

Though patio covers can be made from a number of materials, the excellent durability and zero maintenance of aluminum patio covers make them the prime choice of wise homeowners. The value addition to the house is quite appreciable when it comes time to move.

A patio is the best way to enjoy the outdoors. You're protected from sun and rain and yet you can enjoy the breeze and an unobstructed 'window-less' view of the world at large. Aluminum is much stronger than other patio materials. So it is better able to protect you from weather phenomena like rain, snow and hail.

The aluminum patio cover is easy to keep clean. A solution of soap and water is ideal for cleaning an aluminum patio cover, though you may opt for a cleaning solution that's specially formulated for cleaning aluminum. Take a brush with a handle long enough to reach the top of the aluminum patio cover. The aluminum patio cover slopes downwards at an angle and you can easily reach every part of the patio cover with the cleaning brush.

Rainwater can run off the aluminum patio cover and collect in puddles. A drainage system is an advantage to have. The drainage system allows the rainwater to flow off easily and conveniently away from the patio area. Have one installed when you're getting the aluminum patio cover installed.

Aluminum patio covers need not look uniformly 'aluminum white'. Select from a range of factory-painted styles and patterns to suit the exterior appearance of your house. Or, you can add a personal touch by painting it yourself. Paint takes well on aluminum, spreading evenly, so you will enjoy painting the aluminum patio cover. You can use a solid color for it, or you can get let your imagination run riot!

An aluminum patio cover is an investment that is its own reward! Choose the style and design that really suits your house and your personality. You will spend many mornings and evenings sitting beneath the aluminum patio cover, enjoying the fresh air, enjoying the flowers growing in your garden, watching the sun rise, watching the sun set! The joy that you'll experience is well worth the investment. What's more, in real dollar terms, the aluminum patio cover will return every penny you spent on installing it. Now that's called great value for money!

Budget restrictions may make you look at patio covers made of materials other than aluminum. This may turn out to be a 'penny wise, pound foolish' strategy. You will spend as much on maintaining these patio covers as you did on buying them in the first place. If you do have to replace the patio cover, which is a distinct probability, then you'll end up paying thrice its retail price! Instead of adopting this non-aluminum strategy you should look for cheaper models of aluminum patio covers. You're sure to find one that suits your budget, though it may take a little extra time and effort. Be wise, get an aluminum patio cover and forget maintenance costs, replacements, and the weather! Now let's do something about that pesky fly...!

About the Author

To learn more about the aluminum, wood, and vinyl patio cover go to www.patio-covers-guide.com. Find out how a simple patio canopy can not only provide shade, but also help protect your patio and furniture from the harsh elements outside.

Where do i find appraisal information for a model rail road train?

It is a Mantua corporation cast aluminum silver streamliner ho scale. It's markings on the side of the cars are "Long Island Rail Road'. Can someone please help me with this?

You can try e-bay, or http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites
You use HO scale? GOOD! It makes the best (my opionion) And it's the chepest around, And don't by regular pecies.
Buy the Adjustable ones. You can find them (the're about a foot long) for $ .80 cents at your local hobby shop. As for the main question. IDK XD

MIT Media Lab Complex ready to illuminate
Architect Fumihiko Maki creates literal think tanks in the form of glass-encased labs for MIT's most famous interdisciplinary program.

Thanks for visiting!