Carb Velocity Stack Adapter

Spending more time upright and in the shop, and cutting patterns on the router. I put a new dust shoe on it which works much better.



This is a bolt on adapter for velocity stacks on an Inline Autolite carb. Besides the shape and function of the part, I used it to import and cut art work for the logo.

Here it is still mounted/taped to the waste board.



.....as cut and as the pattern came off the router.



.....and cleaned up.



Also did some engraving to memorialize the occasion. Should come in handy in the future for part numbers, etc. We'll see how it casts. It's very fine detail.



Best,
Kelly

 

Looks great Kelly, what did you wind up going with for cad/cam??

 

The biggest difference is the brush being centered on the cutter as opposed to the vacuum connection being offset in the oval. The old oval shoe would often overhang the work piece and expose the brush so it sucked air from an open area other than where chips are being made reducing the vacuum effectiveness.

The bristles on the old shoe were also too soft (or maybe I had too much vacuum?) and got sucked into the vacuum port almost instantly plugging up with chips obstructing flow. So overall chip and dust collection is much better now. The new shoe also uses the height adjustment dial ring from the original router to adjust height but can be released to remove the entire shoe for tool changes. My old shoe had a magnetic connection of the shoe which was nice and quick but was more cumbersome to adjust height. The new shoe has a little stiffer brush and only a 1 1/2" port which I thought would be too restrictive but with 2.5" hose and a hefty shop vac seems to be just about right. Nothing is ever perfect but this one does a much better overall job. Keep in mind that 90%+ of the time I'm using bits <.5" diameter. Bigger routers need more dust collection.

Woodworking bits are well suited for foam because relief angle on the cutting surface is about right and their wide gullets clear chips well, and just like with wood and soft materials, for finish double or triple flute spiral bits work great for end mills and good finishes, but ordinary 2-flute straight bits clear chips faster for hogging and do well all around. I've bought a couple that were advertised with helix and relief angles specifically designed for foam and they're nice but I can't say they really perform any better than the ordinary woodworking bits. In fact, for 2-flute profile cutters, the wood working bits work great.

Under 1"D I run them 20 krpm+ and anywhere from 60 tp 150 inches/min.....for roughing even faster......you can fly through foam.

Best,
Kelly

 

Right now I'm using CamBam for Cam. 2.5D and some limited 3D surface capability. It's probably sufficient for 90% of my cam needs (at least for the time being), but it's that pesky other 10% that's a problem, but for circa $100, CamBam is a pretty impressive value IMHO and very well supported. Gary Lucas told me so....I was just slow on the uptake.

I still have a free Fusion license. Not sold on it. Still considering Alibre. I originally thought an integrated CAD/CAM package would be an advantage but as a hobbyist I'm having my doubts and am waning on that thought. I still might go Alibre and Mach....would rather own the software for sure! Someone might have recommended that to me somewhere along the way.....

Best,
Kelly

 

You just missed the black Friday sale...

 

If I was going to do signage or art reliefs, VCarve would be at the top of my list. -Maybe some day.

Yes, packing tape. The cutting forces are small so it doesn't take much. I was and sometime still do use double sided tape, but after surfacing the MDF spoil board it's a bit fuzzy and doesn't adhere as well.

Dowel pins. I drill shallow holes in the spoil board in the same locations as on the machine stock and during set up, set the machine origin about them accordingly. For machining the first side, you only need to mount the stock in approximately the right location so all the machining occurs within the stock, but in the CAM program you do need to center the part features within the registration features in at least one direction and then can flip part about that axis and then install and mount it on the registration dowels, and further tape in place for further support and keep it held against the spoil board. The dowel pockets are machined in the first side cut. Of course, the top and bottom side machine features must also be rotated 180 degrees from one another in the CAM programs for top and bottom side. It registers accurately and works very well.

One of the limitations of a hobby CNC machine are tool changes. There are 4 or 5 tools used on each side. I have to take the complete CAM file and create cut files that only have the paths for each single tool enabled and then run them successively. I keep the X&Y work origin but need to reset the Z with each tool change. It's a PITA. I have forgotten to change the tool or call the correct program and blown up a part several times. Also, being a cheap router, it only has a collet. It'd sure be nice to have a spindle and CAT like tool holders but that is something reserved for real CNC machines......not my kit.

Best,
Kelly

 

I was back at it this afternoon. Made a filter base for the stack adapter to go along with my intake manifold project. It uses the same filter elements and lids as the other filters here:

http://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/automotive-intake-manifold-–-boss-302-independent-runner.1692/page-6#post-43026

Here's how they came off the router.



.....and here they are cleaned up.



Best,
Kelly

 

Z, I couldn't get that video to run but from the link, is that a spindle with auto/pneumatic changer for circa $1k range? Not sure it's worth hanging it my current machine but I already have machine upgrade urges. I'm getting quite a bit of mileage out of what I've got (compared to where I'm coming from), and still have a lot to learn before I outgrow it.

I have a touch plate but not sure that really gains that much if you still have to divide/load/start/stop for tool changes.......compared to walking away.

I don't cut foam on the table saw if I can avoid it. It melts and kicks back. I hot wire to resize. One problem with the retail store foam board is the scored lines on stud centers. I can get the Foamular 150 in 1", 1.5" and 2" and stock it all, but it all has those flipping cuts in it. When I go to buy, I take a razor knife with me, and right after I'm rung up, use the knife to cut the 4x8 sheet in half, then break it into narrow planks along those scoring lines, then carry it all out under both arms and stick it in the back of my car. You should see the looks I get from the cashier.....LoL

As an aside, that Owens Corning product is supposed to be available without that scoring and also in sheets 4" thick. It's even listed on some of the retailers websites but when I try to order it, it bombs out and when I call, I literally need to order a truck load minimum buy to get it, but sure would like some 4" clear stock. I can get EPS in any size but it does compare well to XPS on machining and quality finish on machined patterns

Best,
Kelly

 

I've been working at it. Been doing some 3D surface stuff with it lately too. You have to get a little creative to accomplish some things but for the price, CamBam's quite the value.

Yes, it's on the list, just a matter of whether there is as active of a user community, for when I get stumped or in trouble.

I have one. Just haven't set it up yet. Itdid take your advice and replaced the limit switches......that was a good move. Also new shielded stepper cables. The second time my machine lost it's mind for no reason and crashed in the middle of a program prompted that. I still cant reliably use the touch pad or wireless mouse on my lap top when connected to the controller but am working on a fix for that.

That's Kingspan GreenGuard brand. It's been a while but last time I looked at my local Lowes, they weren't stocking it. I did look it up on line. The 25 psi compressive strength is the lowest density, and that is 1.6 lbs/ft3 which is equivalent to Owens Coring (pink stuff) Foamular 250. Foamular 150 is 1.3 lbs/ft3. Here's the Kingspan specs. Just select the 25psi version.

https://www.kingspan.com/us/en-us/product-groups/insulation/insulation-boards/greenguard

I've been using the lower density Foamular 150 but 250 does seem to work fine thus so should the Kingspan. It actually makes for a little stiffer pattern and machines and finishes a little better, at the cost of having ~23% more foam to burn out during the cast. It also says it's available in 3" and 4" thickness.......but I bet not at the retail locations.

Best,
Kelly

 

I'm thinking commercial roofing and mechanical contractors might be a good source, but like most things, you'd probably need an acquaintance in the business or they wouldn't mess with you, unless you were dumpster diving. I found a source for the floating dock foam billets but it was 8x the density.........

Best,
Kelly

 

Gated.



I usually say you know what comes next. I'm just barely bipedal again. We'll see.

Merry Christmas all.

Best,
Kelly