hobby — Ramblin' Dan

Ramblin’ On

Creative Manufacturing Art and My Personal Philosophy Best of Both

I have one outstanding way of creating wax masters for lost wax casting. I use a high-speed spindle (up to 25,000 RPM) on a Taig Micro Mill. If I can draw it properly, I can machine it in 3D.

The limitation is the 4-axis ability of this machine. That doesn’t sound like much of a limitation to most machinist. 4 axis means X, Y, Z movement with an additional rotary A axis. There is a huge amount of work that can be accomplished with 4 axis milling.

But there are some designs that can benefit […] Continue reading » Ramblin’ On

Mindless Wandering?

I mentally wander off while looking at the things I like to make, wondering if I can do (make) them better. Kind of a wondering wander I suppose… Ha!

Tool lust is something of which I am well aware. I love well made good working machine tools. I actually, love any tool that works well for creating the tangible items I create. I assume it is a normal desire for any creative person.

That kind of lust does need to be understood and kept within reasonable bounds. How I manage it is a mental exercise. I examine the reasons for the lust (desire) and compare […] Continue reading » Mindless Wandering?

What I Am…

Where I spent my “allowance” in the 1950’s.

Read a comment made by an old (youngish 66 year old) dude about his involvement with 3D printing. He said he is a retired engineer. The reason he loved 3D printing wasn’t from what he made. It was the complexity and constant challenge to learn and understand the technical process. The CAD; the item design; the CNC; the process; the hardware; the mental stimulation. It had to be complex and difficult or he wouldn’t be interested.

I realized I was reading my own mind. It isn’t about what I make at all. It is […] Continue reading » What I Am…

Just “Ironsides” Now

Yipes! What a mess…

I am not going to get all computer nerd technical here. I want to say I just finished that upgrade to my oldest office computer I call “Ironsides”. It was named “Old Ironsides” before I did the upgrade.

Almost all new computers are using solid state drives (SSD). All our cell phones and hand-held tablets all use a form of solid-state drive. They have no moving parts and are very dependable. Price has come way down, and sizes (capacity) has increased. Multi-Terabyte drives are available today.

That’s as technical as I will get.

I bought a new 500 […] Continue reading » Just “Ironsides” Now

All Things Plastic?

Feeling rooked?

I am writing this as I think the “blush” of a new love has worn off. The love was infatuation with the process of three-dimensional printing. I truly like using the process but now only for purposes where it makes real sense. Printed plastic parts have a place in many things I like to make. That’s not going away.

I have also made a huge box full of useless plastic junk just because it was possible. Yes, it was fun. But it is still useless junk. I gave most of it to my young granddaughter as “toys” to play with. […] Continue reading » All Things Plastic?

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Ramblin’ On

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