Homework week one

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Comments

  • Wolf...  The helmet design is cool.  I like that you added the profile, too.  I need to do something similar to nail down exactly how my helmet design is going to work.  Also, I had considered using two layers of perforated metal since most of what I could find online was pretty thin.  Then I called a local source for metal and the guy said he had some stainless steel in 1/8".  It's beautiful.  I cannot flex the stuff at all.  I'm pretty jazzed about it!

    Rowan...  Again...  You can keep the blizzards.  It snowed here last night but melted off by noon again.  That's more than enough snow for me this time of year.  I also don't envy your bovine situation, either, as that had to be a serious chore to get through.  The most I ever had to deal with as far as a cow was concerned was looking out for cow patties as I crossed my neighbor's pasture field.

    Alan, how are those holes coming?  :)

    Now, back to the program...

    Fon, I was laying out where the heating elements are going and a question came up.  Bear in mind that I ended up getting the same toaster oven that you demo'ed on Saturday.  (Target had them on sale.)  It may be a mute point, but I was thinking that if I lay out the elements exactly evenly across the 16" (putting them at 3.2" apart) then the two areas at the ends may not heat as quickly as the rest since they would only have one element working on them while the spaces between the elements would have two.  I was thinking that the two outer elements could be a little closer to the edges (say 2") while the spacing between the elements could be a little bigger (this works out to be 4").  In my thinking, this would help heat the whole surface a little better.  I created a simple illustration to help explain my point.  The areas in yellow are the concern.  I know you reviewed this briefly on Saturday, but searching through the 8 hours of video is a bit daunting at the moment.

    -Dave

  • I have a couple of questions as well, Fon. What, again, is the 4" diameter air intake vent used for, and would a 4" sink/shower drain work? Also, what is the 12' high temperature cloth insulated oven wire for. I found some at an appliance repair shop, but it is $5 a foot, and it's nickel plated. I don't know it's function, so I'm not sure of what to look for, or what to substitute.
  • Thanks Dave. I am still working on it. Getting a consistent design

    image

  • You can never have too many clamps!  22 total for this step, plus 5 sets of clamping culls.

    So, the vacuum housing/box is mostly complete.  I scrounged a bunch of random sheet material I had laying around from old projects.  It saved some cash, which at the moment is extremely important, but cost quite a bit of time.  I could have built three or four of these boxes in the same amount of time.

    Regardless, here it is.  I still need to put the hole in the top to receive the vacuum itself and then the hole for the control panel.  I'm waiting on that until I get the electrical finalized.

    Tomorrow is welding day.  I have my parts cut and ready to go.

    -Dave
  • I got ambitious and put a coat of engine paint on my frames.  :)


  • Hello Rowen

    The 4" vent hole can be anything really. It could even just be a hole to allow the vacuum to blow air out that it is vacuuming in through he platen. I chose the put a vent grill on it to divert the air to the back and a filter to minimize the dust and baby powder it might kick up.

    The wire just needs to be anything that is rated for high temperature, and match the power specs of your heater box components.
  • It's great to see your progress Dave. Nice work!

  • Wolf, I love that the eyes are built in the that helmet design.

  • Hey Dave

    Between 16 and 19 I'd say you should decide what the design wants to convey. To me, the full face visor on 16 is more mysterious because it alloows no connection to who or what is inside and the eye openings in 19 feels more slick and has a feeling in speed associated with it.  So if this were a character I would consider it's role in the story.  For example if it's an active fighter or pilot,  I'd say 19, but if it were more the guard or assasin I might want 16.  It always comes back to character and story telling for me.
  • I'm going with the visor look.  I sketched a quick front view and this looks far creepier with a visor over the eye slits.  The eye slits are starting to look cartoony to me.

    Now, I'm trying to figure out how this thing will fit onto someone's head.  It would be nice to make it one piece, but I don't think that is going to work.  So, the next logical step is to break this into sections.  I think right in front of the eye thing is a good place.  The visor and "cap" part of the helmet will likely be one piece.

    -Dave
  • So close...

    I have to finish the wiring connections, create a mounting plate and then attach that to the base.  Then I'll be ready to fire it up!

    Oh...  And I need to find handles for the clamping frame, but that shouldn't take long.

    -Dave
  • Great job on the machine, Dave. I'm still having troubles finding the wiring, but otherwise, all is going well on mine.
  • my machine is still in pieces. Anybody knows the link to todays class?

  • Hey Rowen.  I got the wiring I needed from McMaster-Carr.  The high temp stuff is not cheap at all, but you should need about 10 feet of it.  I would check the gauge you need before ordering, though.  Originally I didn't look at what I was getting and ordered 12 AWG which is overkill.  The wiring in the original toaster oven I cannibalized was only 16 AWG.  Another thing to look at are your connections.  If you, like me, end up having to connect to solid wire at the end of your heating elements then I suggest using a crimp for butt splices over wire nuts.  Again, high temp ones are always more expensive.  The crimps I ended up with were pretty heavy duty but just regular crimping pliers were enough to set them.  Something like this would work well:  http://www.networktoolsandsupplies.com/craft-hand-tools-connector-crimp-tools-multi-crimp-tool-p-426.html

    Wolf...  No word on a link yet.

  • Wolf...  I pulled this from Chris' original email.  I assume the process will remain the same:

             Professional and Live critique students will receive an email this morning about 15 minutes before class for the hangout link, you must have a google account, and please join that link instead of the youtube link above for access to the interactive portion of the class.


  • I finished the switch mounting plate then finalized the wiring and locked it down.  All of the major components are now in their final, secured locations.  Tomorrow I need to take some burrs off of the platen, though, and re-seat it.  There are only two steps left after that.  The first is to put handles on the clamping frame.  I have the wooden dowel laying right next to me as I type.  The second is something for the magnetic strip on the clamping frame to adhere to.  I think I have a solution to that which will render the magnets unnecessary.  I'm too tired at this point to explain, but I'll be experimenting with it tomorrow.  I'll let you know what I find.

    Here's a picture of my installed spiffy switch mounting plate complete with heater indicator light.  It sure is nice having a laser engraver in your basement to add cool touched like this.  :)

    -Dave
  • Once again, Dave... That's really nice! I'm sending envious vibes your way ;)
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