The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Category: Machine Shop

Mechanical widgetry

  • Browning Hi-Power Magazine Capacity Reduction Block

    Based on tweaking the measurements from the nut trap block trial, this block attaches to the inner floor plate of the magazine and reduces the magazine’s capacity to 10 rounds:

    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block - solid model - whole
    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block – solid model – whole

    The horn fits between the follower’s pegs, so that chopping the pegs off won’t increase the magazine’s capacity. Chopping the horn off without modifying the follower won’t make any difference, either. As nearly as I can tell, chopping the pegs off the follower will destabilize it enough that it’ll roll over atop the spring, but I admit to not actually trying that.

    The yellow comb supports the overhang that captures the tab around the magazine spring and there’s a tiny support spider inside the lower nut clearance that holds the ceiling in place:

    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block - solid model - section
    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block – solid model – section

    The inner nut trap probably droops a bit without any support, but there’s no way to tell when it’s printed as one solid piece. That trap will hold the blob of steel-filled epoxy that secures the screw and helps prevent the block from turning, so it’s not really a nut trap and doesn’t require a precision fit. The vent tube from the top of the screw shaft gives the air and any excess epoxy an exit path.

    Here’s a bottom view of two blocks, showing the support structures and the results:

    Browning Hi-Power magazine - block support detail
    Browning Hi-Power magazine – block support detail

    I poked the tips of a snap ring pliers into the spider and twisted it out. The comb snaps off with fingernail pressure.

    You could also print it without support by laying it flat, then glue the halves together with alignment pins. This is a bottom view:

    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block - solid model - split bottom
    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block – solid model – split bottom

    The OpenSCAD program has a handful of configuration settings that determine which of those blocks it produces, which components appear, and how it’s oriented.

    Installed in a Browning magazine, the block looks like this:

    Browning Hi-Power magazine - block in place
    Browning Hi-Power magazine – block in place

    A detail of the bottom shows the notch capturing the spring tab:

    Browning Hi-Power magazine - block detail
    Browning Hi-Power magazine – block detail

    I think the top surface would benefit from a small bevel to ease the spring around the block, but that’s in the nature of fine tuning.

    Not having heard back from my legislators yet, I still don’t know whether this counts as a readily reversible modification. I have my doubts, what with it being plastic and all, but we shall see.

    The OpenSCAD source code:

    // Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block
    // Ed Nisley KE4ZNU December 2013
    
    Layout = "Whole";			// Show Whole Split
    							//  Show = section view for demo, not for building
    							//  Whole = upright for steel or plastic
    							//  Split = laid flat for plastic show-n-tell assembly
    
    AlignPins = (Layout == "Split");					// pins only for plastic show-n-tell
    
    Support = (Layout != "Split");						// no support for split
    
    //- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
    //  Print with 2 shells and 3 solid layers
    
    ThreadThick = 0.15;
    ThreadWidth = 0.40;
    
    HoleWindage = 0.2;
    
    Protrusion = 0.1;			// make holes end cleanly
    
    //----------------------
    // Dimensions
    
    Angle = 12.5;				// from vertical
    
    SpringID = 10.3;			// magazine spring curvature (measure with drill shank)
    SpringRadius = SpringID / 2;
    
    Length = 24.0;				// front-to-back perpendicular to magazine shaft
    Height = 18.0;				// bottom-to-top, parallel to magazine shaft
    							//  18 = 10 round capacity
    
    RectLength = Length - SpringID;	// block length between end radii
    
    HornBaseOD = 8.0;			// fits between follower pegs to prevent shortening
    HornTipOD = 5.0;
    HornAddTip = (HornTipOD/2)*tan(Angle);
    HornAddBase = (HornBaseOD/2)*tan(Angle);
    HornAddLength = HornAddTip + HornAddBase + 2*Protrusion;
    HornLength = 12.0;			// should recompute ODs, but *eh*
    
    TrimHeight = 2.5;			// vertical clearance for spring clip on base plate
    							//   OEM = 2.5
    							//   generic A = 2.5
    
    TrimInset = 1.5;			// ... horizontal
    							//	 OEM = 0.0
    							//   generic A = 1.5
    
    ScrewOD = 3.0 - 0.25;		// screw hole dia - minimal thread engagement
    ScrewLength = 11.0;
    ScrewOffset = -1.5;			//   ... from centerline
    							//  OEM = 0.0
    							//  generic A = -1.5
    
    NutOD = 5.6;				// hex nut dia across flats
    NutThick = 2.4;				//  ... then add 50% to trap for thread engagement & epoxy
    NutOffset = 6.0;			//  ... base height from floor
    
    VentDia = 2.0;				// air vent from back of screw recess
    
    PinOD = 1.72;				// alignment pins
    PinLength = 6.0;
    PinInset = 0.6*SpringRadius;	// from outside edges
    echo(str("Alignment pin length: ",PinLength));
    
    NumSides = 8*4;				// default cylinder sides
    
    Offset = 5.0/2;				// from centerline for build layout
    
    //----------------------
    // Useful routines
    
    function Delta(a,l) = l*tan(a);				// incremental length due to angle
    
    // Locating pin hole with glue recess
    //  Default length is two pin diameters on each side of the split
    
    module LocatingPin(Dia=PinOD,Len=0.0) {
    
    	PinLen = (Len != 0.0) ? Len : (4*Dia);
    
    	translate([0,0,-ThreadThick])
    		PolyCyl((Dia + 2*ThreadWidth),2*ThreadThick,4);
    
    	translate([0,0,-2*ThreadThick])
    		PolyCyl((Dia + 1*ThreadWidth),4*ThreadThick,4);
    
    	translate([0,0,-(Len/2 + ThreadThick)])
    		PolyCyl(Dia,(Len + 2*ThreadThick),4);
    
    }
    
    module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) {			// based on nophead's polyholes
    
      Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
    
      FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
    
      cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
               h=Height,
    	   $fn=Sides);
    }
    
    module ShowPegGrid(Space = 10.0,Size = 1.0) {
    
      Range = floor(50 / Space);
    
    	for (x=[-Range:Range])
    	  for (y=[-Range:Range])
    		translate([x*Space,y*Space,Size/2])
    		  %cube(Size,center=true);
    
    }
    
    //----------------------
    // The magazine block
    
    module Block(SectionSelect = 0) {
    
    CropHeight = Height*cos(Angle);				// block height perpendicular to base
    echo(str("Perpendicular height: ",CropHeight));
    
    	difference() {
    		union() {
    			intersection() {
    				rotate([Angle,0,0])
    					hull() {
    						for (i=[-1,1])
    							translate([0,i*RectLength/2,-((Length/2)*sin(Angle) + Protrusion)])						cylinder(r=SpringRadius,
    										h=(Height + 2*(Length/2)*sin(Angle) + 2*Protrusion),
    										$fn=NumSides);
    					}
    				translate([0,0,CropHeight/2])
    					cube([2*SpringID,3*Length,CropHeight],center=true);
    			}
    			translate([0,-Height*sin(Angle),Height*cos(Angle)])
    				resize([SpringID,0,0])
    					intersection() {
    						rotate([Angle,0,0])
    							translate([0,0,-(HornAddBase + Protrusion)])
    								cylinder(r1=HornBaseOD/2,
    										r2=HornTipOD/2,
    										h=(HornLength + HornAddLength + Protrusion),
    										$fn=NumSides);
    					cube([2*SpringID,Length,2*(HornLength*cos(Angle) + Protrusion)],center=true);
    				}
    		}
    
    		translate([0,ScrewOffset,-Protrusion])		// screw
    			rotate(180/6)
    				PolyCyl(ScrewOD,(ScrewLength + Protrusion),6);
    
    		translate([0,ScrewOffset,NutOffset])		// nut trap in center
    			rotate(180/6)
    				PolyCyl(NutOD,1.5*NutThick,6);
    
    		translate([0,ScrewOffset,-Protrusion])		// nut clearance at base
    			rotate(180/6)
    				PolyCyl(NutOD,(1.1*NutThick + Protrusion),6);
    
    		translate([SpringID/2,-((Length/2)/cos(Angle) - TrimInset),-Protrusion])
    			rotate(180)
    				cube([SpringID,2*TrimInset,(TrimHeight + Protrusion)],center=false);
    
    		if (AlignPins)								// alignment pins
    			for (i=[-1,1])
    				rotate([Angle,0,0])
    				translate([0,
    							(i*((Length/2)*cos(Angle) - PinInset)),
    							(CropHeight/2 - i*2*PinInset)])
    					rotate([0,90,0]) rotate(45 - Angle)
    						LocatingPin(PinOD,PinLength);
    
    		translate([0,(ScrewOffset - NutOD),-Protrusion])	// air vent
    			rotate(180/8)
    				PolyCyl(VentDia,(ScrewLength + Protrusion),8);
    		translate([0,(ScrewOffset + VentDia/2),ScrewLength])
    			rotate([90,0,0]) rotate(180/8)
    				PolyCyl(VentDia,(NutOD + VentDia),8);
    
    		if (SectionSelect == 1)
    			translate([0*SpringID,-2*Length,-Protrusion])
    				cube([2*SpringID,4*Length,(Height + HornLength + 2*Protrusion)],center=false);
    		else if (SectionSelect == -1)
    			translate([-2*SpringID,-2*Length,-Protrusion])
    				cube([2*SpringID,4*Length,(Height + HornLength + 2*Protrusion)],center=false);
    
    	}
    
    	NumBars = floor((SpringID/2)/(5*ThreadWidth));
    
    	if (Support) {									// add support structures
    		for (i = [-NumBars:NumBars])
    			translate([i*5*ThreadWidth,
    					   -((Length/2)/cos(Angle) + TrimInset/2 + ThreadWidth),
    					   (TrimHeight - ThreadThick)/2])
    				color("Yellow")
    				cube([(2*ThreadWidth),(3*TrimInset),(TrimHeight - ThreadThick)],center=true);
    
    		translate([-SpringID/2,-((Length/2)/cos(Angle) + 2*TrimInset + ThreadWidth),0])
    			color("Yellow")
    			cube([SpringID,(2*ThreadWidth),(TrimHeight - ThreadThick)],center=false);
    
    		translate([0,ScrewOffset,0])
    			for (j=[0:5]) {
    			rotate(30 + 360*j/6)
    				translate([(NutOD/2 - ThreadWidth)/2,0,(1.1*NutThick - ThreadThick)/2])
    					color("Yellow")
    					cube([(NutOD/2 - ThreadWidth),
    						  (2*ThreadWidth),
    						  (1.1*NutThick - ThreadThick)],
    						  center=true);
            }
    	}
    
    }
    
    //-------------------
    // Build it...
    
    ShowPegGrid();
    
    if (Layout == "Show")
    	Block(1);
    
    if (Layout == "Whole")
    	Block(0);
    
    if (Layout ==  "Split") {
    	translate([(Offset + Length/2),Height/2,0])
    		rotate(90) rotate([0,-90,-Angle])
    			Block(-1);
    	translate([-(Offset + Length/2),Height/2,0])
    		rotate(-90) rotate([0,90,Angle])
    			Block(1);
    }
    
  • Sherline Four-Jaw Chuck Speed Wrenches: 3D Printed Edition

    A Home Shop Machinist article (A Speed Key for Your Four-Jaw Chuck, p 67 Nov-Dec 2013, David Morrow) showed some lovely knurled steel knobs. These 3D printed knobs aren’t nearly as pretty, but they do much the same thing:

    Sherline Knobs - in 4 jaw chuck
    Sherline Knobs – in 4 jaw chuck

    The solid model resembles the illegitimate offspring of a wine bottle and a pineapple:

    Sherline Knob - solid model
    Sherline Knob – solid model

    The knurling comes from aubenc’s Knurled Surface Library v2. I ran off a prototype (on the left), then tweaked the dimensions to get the final version on the right:

    Sherline Knobs - knurl depth variation
    Sherline Knobs – knurl depth variation

    Being that type of guy, I define the knurl in terms of its diametral pitch, compute the diamond width & length to fit in the available space, then hand those measurements to the knurling library… which recomputes everything and decides on one less diamond than I do: NumSides has a Finagle Constant of -1 to make the answer come out right. We may be using a different diameter or something, but I haven’t deciphered the source code. It’s parametric out the wazoo, as usual, so you can spin up what you like, how you like it.

    Anyhow, a 24 DP knurl with 1.0 mm depth looks and feels pretty good; the XY resolution isn’t good enough for a 48 DP knurl around that knob diameter. The diamonds don’t come out as crisp and pointy as crushed steel knurls, but they’re OK for my fingers.

    Doing half a dozen doesn’t take much longer than doing a few, because there’s a 20 second minimum layer time in effect and those things don’t have much plastic, so now I have one for the hold-down clamps and another for Show-n-Tell sessions:

    Sherline Knobs - M2 platform
    Sherline Knobs – M2 platform

    I chopped a 5/32 inch hex key into five 15 mm lengths with a Dremel cutoff wheel, then filed both ends flat and broke the edges. The hex stubs were a press fit in the hex holes, so I finger-started them, grabbed the hex in the drill press, aligned the handle below, and rammed the stub about 5 mm deep. The final depth comes from jamming the wrench into the chuck and pressing firmly, so the stubs project exactly as far as possible:

    Sherline Knobs - hex key inserted
    Sherline Knobs – hex key inserted

    One might quibble about the infill on the end; one may go adjust one’s own printer as one prefers.

    There’s 0.1 mm more HoleWindage than usual, because these holes must fix a hex shaft, not a circular pin, and the corners need some clearance. They came out a firm press fit: exactly what’s needed.

    They’re no good for final tightening of those chuck jaws, but that’s not their purpose…

    The OpenSCAD source code:

    // Knurled handles for Sherline hex keys
    // Ed Nisley - KE4ZNU - November 2013
    
    use <knurledFinishLib_v2.scad>
    
    //- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
    //  Print with 2 shells and 3 solid layers
    
    ThreadThick = 0.20;
    ThreadWidth = 0.40;
    
    HoleWindage = 0.3;			// extra clearance to improve hex socket fit
    
    Protrusion = 0.1;			// make holes end cleanly
    
    PI = 3.14159265358979;
    inch = 25.4;
    
    //----------------------
    // Dimensions
    
    ShaftDia = 10.5;				// un-knurled section diameter
    ShaftLength = 15.0;				//  ... length
    
    SocketDia = (5/32) * inch;		// hex key size
    SocketDepth = 10.0;
    
    KnurlLen = 20.0;				// length of knurled section
    KnurlDia = 15.0;				//   ... diameter
    KnurlDPNom = 24;				// Nominal diametral pitch = (# diamonds) / (OD inches)
    
    DiamondDepth = 1.0;				//   ... depth of diamonds
    DiamondAspect = 2;				// length to width ratio
    
    NumDiamonds = floor(KnurlDPNom * KnurlDia / inch);
    echo(str("Num diamonds: ",NumDiamonds));
    
    NumSides = 4*(NumDiamonds - 1);		// 4 facets per diamond. Library computes diamonds separately!
    
    KnurlDP = NumDiamonds / (KnurlDia / inch);				// actual DP
    echo(str("DP Nom: ",KnurlDPNom," actual: ",KnurlDP));
    
    DiamondWidth = (KnurlDia * PI) / NumDiamonds;
    
    DiamondLenNom = DiamondAspect * DiamondWidth;					// nominal diamond length
    DiamondLength = KnurlLen / round(KnurlLen/DiamondLenNom);		//  ... actual
    
    TaperLength = 0.75*DiamondLength;
    
    //----------------------
    // Useful routines
    
    module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) {			// based on nophead's polyholes
    
      Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
    
      FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
    
      cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
               h=Height,
    	   $fn=Sides);
    }
    
    module ShowPegGrid(Space = 10.0,Size = 1.0) {
    
      Range = floor(50 / Space);
    
    	for (x=[-Range:Range])
    	  for (y=[-Range:Range])
    		translate([x*Space,y*Space,Size/2])
    		  %cube(Size,center=true);
    }
    
    //- Build it
    
    ShowPegGrid();
    
    difference() {
    	union() {
    		render(convexity=10)
    		translate([0,0,TaperLength])
    			knurl(k_cyl_hg=KnurlLen,
    				  k_cyl_od=KnurlDia,
    				  knurl_wd=DiamondWidth,
    				  knurl_hg=DiamondLength,
    				  knurl_dp=DiamondDepth,
    				  e_smooth=DiamondLength/2);
    		color("Orange")
    		cylinder(r1=ShaftDia/2,
    					r2=(KnurlDia - DiamondDepth)/2,
    					h=(TaperLength + Protrusion),
    					$fn=NumSides);
    		color("Orange")
    		translate([0,0,(TaperLength + KnurlLen - Protrusion)])
    			cylinder(r2=ShaftDia/2,
    					r1=(KnurlDia - DiamondDepth)/2,
    					h=(TaperLength + Protrusion),
    					$fn=NumSides);
    		color("Moccasin")
    		translate([0,0,(2*TaperLength + KnurlLen - Protrusion)])
    			cylinder(r=ShaftDia/2,h=(ShaftLength + Protrusion),$fn=NumSides);
    
    	}
    	translate([0,0,(2*TaperLength + KnurlLen + ShaftLength - SocketDepth + Protrusion)])
    		PolyCyl(SocketDia,(SocketDepth + Protrusion),6);
    }
    

    This might be a good stocking stuffer for that guy who has everything, but you’d need his shop to make it, so what’s the point in that?

  • Browning Hi-Power Magazine: Nut Trap Block Trial

    The general idea is to reduce the capacity of a 13 round Browning Hi-Power magazine to 10 rounds, in compliance with the NY Safe Act, using a number of possibly invalid assumptions. The new Firearms tag will produce earlier posts.

    This early prototype tried out the sizes, shapes, and angles, using an M3x0.5 socket head cap screw:

    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block - solid model - nut trap prototype
    Browning Hi-Power Magazine Block – solid model – nut trap prototype

    The bottom nut trap locates the block on the inner floor plate by capturing the nut. It might need a bit more clearance or a chamfer to allow for brazing material around the nut flats; cleaning up the brazed nut with a file might also help.

    The central trap holds a nut that anchors the block; the trap must be about 50% longer than the nut to allow for thread alignment, because the central hole is a loose tap fit.

    That central nut probably isn’t needed, because you’d fill the central shaft with metal-loaded epoxy, which would form a perfectly serviceable, exactly form-fitting, and utterly non-removable “nut”. The vent from the end of the screw shaft releases air trapped behind the epoxy by the screw; if you don’t have a vent, then air pressure will force the epoxy out of the cavity.

    If the epoxy “nut” is workable, then you can build it in a single piece printed vertically on the platform. Having a split version makes it easier to show off and, in truth, the cemented joint is about as strong as the rest of the object.

    Hot off the M2 3D printer, it looks like this:

    BHP magazine block - prototype nut trap - bare
    BHP magazine block – prototype nut trap – bare

    A few threads droop into the air vent, so that channel should be larger. The overall plastic block may be porous enough to release the air pressure even without a vent.

    With locating pins glued in place and a nut in the central trap:

    BHP magazine block - prototype nut trap
    BHP magazine block – prototype nut trap

    Pretty much as I expected, it doesn’t quite fit in the magazine, because it doesn’t have clearance for the little tab on the inner floor plate that captures the spring.

    One might argue that a plastic block isn’t “permanent”, but it’s definitely not “readily” removed:

    • PLA doesn’t dissolve in common solvents
    • It doesn’t actually melt and flow away at high temperatures
    • It’s protected by the spring and inner floor plate
    • It’s certainly strong enough to resist simple mechanical attacks

    This is a start…

    The OpenSCAD source code, replete with inadequacies:

    // Browning Hi-Power Magazine Plug
    // Ed Nisley KE4ZNU November 2013
    
    Layout = "Show";			// Show Whole Pin Build
    
    CrossSection = 1;			// -1, 0, 1 to select section side or none
    
    Section = (Layout == "Build") ? 1 : CrossSection;		// for cross-section for build
    
    //- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
    //  Print with 2 shells and 3 solid layers
    
    ThreadThick = 0.25;
    ThreadWidth = 0.40;
    
    HoleWindage = 0.2;
    
    Protrusion = 0.1;			// make holes end cleanly
    
    //----------------------
    // Dimensions
    
    Angle = 12.5;				// from vertical
    
    EndDia = 10.3;				// an 11/32 inch drill fits
    EndRadius = EndDia / 2;
    
    Length = 24.0;				// front-to-back perpendicular to magazine shaft
    Height = 14.0;				// bottom-to-top, parallel to magazine shaft
    							//  14 = 10 round capacity
    							//  28 = 7 round
    
    RectLength = Length - EndDia;	// block length between end radii
    
    ScrewOD = 3.0 - 0.5;		// bottom screw tapping diameter
    ScrewLength = 11.0;
    ScrewOffset = 0;			//   ... from centerline
    
    NutOD = 5.5;				// hex nut dia across flats
    NutThick = 2.4;				//  ... then add 50% for thread engagement & epoxy
    NutOffset = 6.0;			//  ... base height from floor
    
    VentWidth = 2*ThreadWidth;	// air vent from back of screw recess
    VentDepth = 4*ThreadThick;
    
    NumSides = 8*4;				// default cylinder sides
    
    PinOD = 1.72;				// alignment pins
    PinLength = 6.0;
    PinInset = 0.9*EndRadius;	// from outside edges
    echo(str("Alignment pin length: ",PinLength));
    
    Offset = 5.0/2;				// from centerline for build layout
    
    //----------------------
    // Useful routines
    
    // Locating pin hole with glue recess
    //  Default length is two pin diameters on each side of the split
    
    module LocatingPin(Dia=PinOD,Len=0.0) {
    
    	PinLen = (Len != 0.0) ? Len : (4*Dia);
    
    	translate([0,0,-ThreadThick])
    		PolyCyl((Dia + 2*ThreadWidth),2*ThreadThick,4);
    
    	translate([0,0,-2*ThreadThick])
    		PolyCyl((Dia + 1*ThreadWidth),4*ThreadThick,4);
    
    	translate([0,0,-(Len/2 + ThreadThick)])
    		PolyCyl(Dia,(Len + 2*ThreadThick),4);
    
    }
    
    module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) {			// based on nophead's polyholes
    
      Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
    
      FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
    
      cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
               h=Height,
    	   $fn=Sides);
    }
    
    module ShowPegGrid(Space = 10.0,Size = 1.0) {
    
      Range = floor(50 / Space);
    
    	for (x=[-Range:Range])
    	  for (y=[-Range:Range])
    		translate([x*Space,y*Space,Size/2])
    		  %cube(Size,center=true);
    
    }
    
    //----------------------
    // Components
    
    module Block(SectionSelect = 0) {
    
    Delta = tan(Angle)*(Length/2);				// incremental length due to angle
    
    CropHeight = Height*cos(Angle);				// block height perpendicular to base
    
    echo(str("Perpendicular height: ",CropHeight));
    
    	difference() {
    		intersection() {
    			rotate([Angle,0,0])
    				difference() {
    					translate([0,0,-Height/2])
    						linear_extrude(height=2*Height,convexity=2) {
    							for (i=[-1,1])
    								translate([0,(i*RectLength/2),0])
    									rotate(180/NumSides)
    										circle(r=EndRadius/cos(180/NumSides),
    												$fn=NumSides);
    							square([EndDia,RectLength],center=true);
    						}
    					for (i=[-1,1])
    						translate([0,
    									(i*(Length/2 - PinInset)),
    									(CropHeight/2 + i*(CropHeight/2 - PinInset))])
    							rotate([0,90,0]) rotate(45-Angle)
    								LocatingPin(PinOD,PinLength);
    				}
    			translate([0,0,CropHeight/2])
    				cube([2*EndDia,3*Length,CropHeight],center=true);
    		}
    		translate([0,ScrewOffset,-Protrusion])		// screw
    			rotate(180/6)
    				PolyCyl(ScrewOD,(ScrewLength + Protrusion),6);
    
    		translate([0,ScrewOffset,NutOffset])		// nut trap in center
    			rotate(180/6)
    				PolyCyl(NutOD,1.5*NutThick,6);
    
    		translate([0,ScrewOffset,-Protrusion])		// nut clearance at base
    			rotate(180/6)
    				PolyCyl(NutOD,(1.1*NutThick + Protrusion),6);
    
    		translate([0,-(ScrewOffset + NutOD),(ScrewLength - Protrusion)/2])	// air vent
    			cube([VentDepth/2,VentWidth,(ScrewLength + Protrusion)],center=true);
    		translate([0,(ScrewOffset - NutOD/2),(ScrewLength - VentWidth/2)])
    			cube([VentDepth/2,NutOD,VentWidth],center=true);
    
    		if (SectionSelect == 1)
    			translate([EndDia,0,Height/2-Protrusion])
    				cube([2*EndDia,3*Length,Height+2*Protrusion],center=true);
    		else if (SectionSelect == -1)
    			translate([-EndDia,0,Height/2-Protrusion])
    				cube([2*EndDia,3*Length,Height+2*Protrusion],center=true);
    	}
    
    }
    
    //-------------------
    // Build it...
    
    ShowPegGrid();
    
    if (Layout == "Pin")
    	LocatingPin(PinOD,PinLength);
    
    if (Layout == "Show")
    	Block(CrossSection);
    
    if (Layout == "Whole")
    	Block(0);
    
    if (Layout ==  "Build") {
    	translate([(Offset + Length/2),Height/2,0])
    		rotate(90) rotate([0,-90,-Angle])
    			Block(-1);
    	translate([-(Offset + Length/2),Height/2,0])
    		rotate(-90) rotate([0,90,Angle])
    			Block(1);
    }
    
  • Samsung Quiet Jet Vacuum: Improved Floor Brush Strips

    Those simple floor brush strips for the Samsung vacuum cleaner worked moderately well, but the urethane adhesive didn’t have enough grip on the plastic strips. Having just run out of that batch, I made up another set with slightly undercut holes:

    Bushing Solid Model - better holes - bottom
    Bushing Solid Model – better holes – bottom

    That’s half a thread width on each side, just enough to give the adhesive something to grab. Such is the plan, anyway.

    I taped the strips to a pair of credit cards (actually, flat cards without embossed characters), slathered a thin layer of urethane atop them, and laid on squares of the same wool fabric I used the last time:

    Samsung vacuum floor strips - gluing
    Samsung vacuum floor strips – gluing

    Then I piled a steel block atop an aluminum slab on both arrays, fast forwarded a day, peeled and flexed and cut the strips apart:

    Samsung floor brushes - glued
    Samsung floor brushes – glued

    The urethane foamed through the holes as I hoped and (seems to have) locked the fabric in place, at least well enough to withstand some experimental bending on the workbench.

    Now, to see how they stand up to actual use…

    The OpenSCAD source code:

    // Samsung Vacuum cleaner nozzle floor strips
    // Ed Nisley KE4ZNU January 2013
    //  November 2013 - adapt to M2, enlarge holes
    
    Layout = "Build";			// Show, Build
    
    //- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
    //  Print with +0 shells and 3 solid layers
    
    ThreadThick = 0.25;
    ThreadWidth = 0.4;
    
    HoleWindage = 0.75;
    
    function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);
    
    Protrusion = 0.1;           // make holes end cleanly
    
    //----------------------
    // Dimensions
    
    Body = [6.0,59.0,3*ThreadThick];	// width, length, thick
    
    Tab1 = [4.5,5.0,0.0];				// width, length, offset from centerline
    Tab2 = [3.5,5.0,0.5];
    
    HoleOC = 8.0;						// adhesive anchoring holes
    HoleDia = 2.0;
    HoleSides = 4;
    HoleMax = floor(Body[1]/(2*HoleOC));
    
    echo("HoleMax: ",HoleMax);
    
    //----------------------
    // Useful routines
    
    module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) {           // based on nophead's polyholes
    
    Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
    
    FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
    
    cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
             h=Height,
             $fn=Sides);
    }
    
    module ShowPegGrid(Space = 10.0,Size = 1.0) {
    
        Range = floor(50 / Space);
    
        for (x=[-Range:Range])
            for (y=[-Range:Range])
                translate([x*Space,y*Space,Size/2])
                %cube(Size,center=true);
    
    }
    
    module BackingStrip() {
    
    	difference() {
    		union() {
    			translate([0,0,Body[2]/2])
    			cube(Body,center=true);
    			translate([Tab1[2],-1*Body[1]/2,Body[2]/2])
    			cube([Tab1[0],2*Tab1[1],Body[2]],center=true);
    			translate([Tab2[2],+1*Body[1]/2,Body[2]/2])
    			cube([Tab2[0],2*Tab2[1],Body[2]],center=true);
    		}
    		for (i = [-HoleMax:HoleMax])
    			translate([0,i*HoleOC,-Protrusion])
    			rotate(45) {
    				PolyCyl(HoleDia,(Body[2] + 2*Protrusion),HoleSides);
    				PolyCyl((HoleDia + ThreadWidth),(ThreadThick + Protrusion),HoleSides);
    			}
    	}
    }
    
    //----------------------
    // Build it!
    
    ShowPegGrid();
    
    if (Layout == "Show")
    	BackingStrip();
    
    if (Layout == "Build")
    	rotate(90) BackingStrip();
    
    
  • Toyota Sienna Hood Rod Pivot

    We don’t drive the van nearly often enough (*) to keep the battery charged in cold weather, so I use a trickle charger to keep it alive between jaunts. While opening the hood one evening, I managed to twist the plastic fitting that anchors the hood prop rod beyond its limits and snapped the poor thing off, which left me holding the hood in one hand and the rod in the other.

    After extricating most of the fragments from under the van, I found that the OEM part had a hollow post that snapped into a square hole in the front bulkhead under the hood. The post had two keys and a pair of snap latches that held it in place, a design that seemed optimized for rapid assembly with no fiddly parts, but which depended on a few millimeters of plastic to restrain a meter of steel rod.

    I made up a simple replacement with a solid square post and a square cap to clamp it against the bulkhead:

    Toyota Sienna hood rod pivot - first version
    Toyota Sienna hood rod pivot – first version

    The general idea is that the screw puts the entire post under compression, giving it less temptation to shear at the deck line when I twist the rod a bit too far out of line. That 8-32 screw seemed entirely adequate to the task; a 10-32 screw would take up too much of the post for my liking.

    Alas, it turns out that underneath the bulkhead’s top flange lies a metal plate surrounding the headlight that’s so close to the hole that the big blocky cap wouldn’t fit. So I slimmed the cap down to three thread widths and tried again, only to discover that the plate came that close to the edge of square hole.

    However, there was a gap between the bottom of the bulkhead and the top of the plate, so I introduced pivot and cap to Mr Belt Sander, removed enough plastic to let the cap slide into the gap, then discovered the 8-32 screw head was just slightly too large to let the screw align with the post.

    Another tweak to the model, based on actual measurements on the abused parts, produced the final version:

    Toyota Sienna Hood Rod Pivot - solid model
    Toyota Sienna Hood Rod Pivot – solid model

    The rod hole has a nice bevel, there’s no fragile neck between the rod hole and the base flange, the solid post lies flat on the platform for EZ building, and there’s a slight offset between the post and the flange that eliminates the need for support material. Printing it lying down orients the filament paths around the hole and base, making the part stronger in the direction it needs the most strength.

    I think the cap walls could be slightly thicker, but we’ll see how long the thing lasts…

    A group photo of all the versions, lined up from left to right, shows the broken OEM part, the first blocky attempt, the slimmed-down and too-long version to the rear, the shorter version that actually fit, and a backup part for when that one breaks:

    Toyota Sienna hood rod pivot versions
    Toyota Sienna hood rod pivot versions

    The sanded-down part held the hood open while I took that group picture. Here’s what it looks like under load:

    Toyota Sienna hood rod pivot - in place
    Toyota Sienna hood rod pivot – in place

    The scrawls on the bulkhead just in front of the pivot remind me of fluid levels, torques, and suchlike. The stud sticking out to the rear is a headlight aiming screw mounted in the plate that caused so much hassle; you’d think I’d have noticed it before starting this adventure, but noooo

    For what it’s worth, that’s rapid prototyping in action: three (and a half) iterations in quick succession, each getting closer to a goal that you (well, I) can’t quite define, but will recognize when it appears. Took about three hours over the course of two days.

    I loves me my M2 3D printer…

    (*) Indeed, the tires often take three miles to warm up their flat spots due to sitting in the garage for a week…

  • Browning Hi-Power Magazine: Floor Plate Modification

    The Browning Hi-Power magazine has two floor plates:

    • the interior plate captures the spring and locates it properly inside the magazine case
    • the exterior plate provides reaction force against the spring and locates the interior plate’s boss
    Browning Hi-Power magazine - base plates
    Browning Hi-Power magazine – base plates

    The interior plate has two critical features:

    • the ramp on the front (to the right) that guides it over the edge of the exterior plate
    • the boss that latches the exterior plate in place

    If you remove the interior plate, you must somehow hold the spring in place while sliding the exterior plate in place, after which the spring is free to thrash around inside the magazine under recoil forces.

    An important point: you can buy exterior floor plates from all the usual sources, but, as nearly as I can tell, nobody sells replacement interior floor plates and they’re not included in kits of replacement springs. If you don’t have an interior floor plate, you must fabricate one from scratch before you can use the magazine.

    So one thought is to drill a hole in the middle of the boss:

    Browning Hi-Power magazine - drilled floor plate
    Browning Hi-Power magazine – drilled floor plate

    OK, that’s not quite centered, but it’ll suffice.

    Wire-brush the coating around the inside of the boss to prepare it for brazing, then braze a nut onto the inside of the floor plate (which I haven’t done yet), and run a socket-head setscrew through it:

    Browning Hi-Power magazine - drilled floor plate
    Browning Hi-Power magazine – drilled floor plate

    If that threaded into a block loaded with steel-filled epoxy, it’d never come back out again. You could machine the head down to a flat disk that would fit through the existing hole in the exterior floor plate and not provide any gripping surface:

    BHP floor plate screw - disk head
    BHP floor plate screw – disk head

    To be absolutely certain, you could file the entire socket head off flush with the boss, leaving no way to grip the screw.

    If the block surrounds the nut on the floor plate with a generous helping of steel-filled epoxy, then there’s no way to twist the block off the plate.

    If the block also captures the spring, then you can’t heat the plate enough to un-braze the nut without also de-tempering and wrecking the spring.

    I can think of a few other ways to attack it, but none seem like a project that would readily convert the magazine into one holding a few more rounds. Opinions may differ, of course, but …

  • HP Scope Probe Flange Repair: Improved Spares

    While reducing the clutter atop the Electronics Workbench, I ran off four more probe flange reinforcements, just so I’m ready for the next crunch:

    HP scope probe flange disks
    HP scope probe flange disks

    They’re almost identical to the previous version, although I tweaked the taper to end slightly inside the cylindrical cup, thereby eliminating the coincident faces and leaving a minute rim that doesn’t matter:

    HP Scope Probe Flange Repair - bottom
    HP Scope Probe Flange Repair – bottom

    Given that I’ve had the ‘scope for nigh onto two decades and have only broken one probe flange, I think four reinforcements will be a lifetime supply: with any luck, the scope will blow a capacitor before I do.

    The OpenSCAD source code:

    // Tek Scope Probe Flange
    // Ed Nisley KE4ZNU November 2013
    
    //- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
    //  Print with 2 shells and 3 solid layers
    
    ThreadThick = 0.20;
    ThreadWidth = 0.40;
    
    HoleWindage = 0.2;
    
    Protrusion = 0.1;            // make holes end cleanly
    
    function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);
    
    //----------------------
    // Dimensions
    
    FlangeOD = 16.0;
    FlangeID = 8.75;
    FlangeThick = IntegerMultiple(1.25,ThreadThick);
    
    DiskOD = FlangeOD + 4*ThreadWidth;
    DiskThick = FlangeThick + 4*ThreadThick;
    
    NumSides = 8*4;
    
    //----------------------
    // Useful routines
    
    module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) {            // based on nophead's polyholes
    
    Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
    
    FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
    
    cylinder(r=(FixDia + HoleWindage)/2,
    h=Height,
    $fn=Sides);
    }
    
    module ShowPegGrid(Space = 10.0,Size = 1.0) {
    
    Range = floor(50 / Space);
    
    for (x=[-Range:Range])
    for (y=[-Range:Range])
    translate([x*Space,y*Space,Size/2])
    %cube(Size,center=true);
    
    }
    
    //----------------------
    // Build it
    
    ShowPegGrid();
    
    difference() {
    union() {
    translate([0,0,2*ThreadThick])
    cylinder(r=DiskOD/2,h=DiskThick,$fn=NumSides);    // cylinder around flange
    
    cylinder(r1=(DiskOD - 2*ThreadWidth)/2,                // flange reinforcing plate
    r2=DiskOD/2,
    h=(2*ThreadThick + Protrusion),
    $fn=NumSides);
    }
    translate([0,0,(DiskThick - FlangeThick)])                // flange clearance
    PolyCyl(FlangeOD,2*FlangeThick,NumSides);
    
    translate([0,0,-DiskThick/2])                            // probe nose clearance
    PolyCyl(FlangeID,2*DiskThick,NumSides);
    }