Metro Detroit Metalworking Club

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April, 2007

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By the meeting in April, the worst of winter should be over, I hope. Woking on our metal projects helped get us through it. I will not be attending, my lady and I will be vacationing.

MINUTES We had 22 members and 1 guest.  I started by passing out nice plastic drill charts and catalogs courtesy of KBC Tools. Everyone seemed to agree that cancelling the last meeting was the right thing. I took a few minutes to talk about the Boy Scout who wants to build a boat cart for a lighthouse restoration. We talked about the Machining class (we are about half way through) and our instructor, Dick Moreno, answered a few questions. Then we went to Show & Tell.

We had a guest at this meeting. David Cameron was influenced to show up by the Internet and Karl Gross. David says he is here to learn, but he may have much to teach as well. He is working on a CNC mill conversion when he is not working as an engineer at General Motors. Welcome.

Bert Campbell made a vibratory parts finisher because he didn’t like the price of the commercial stuff. By scrounging the flea markets for parts and applying considerable ingenuity, he turned kitchenware, a motor and some plastic rope into what he wanted. (Nice eye splices in the rope ends). An off center weight spun by the motor provides the force for cleaning or deburring parts.

Joe Pietsch had several small projects and tips for us this time. Below are pictures of a Dremel cut-off wheel that is quick-change. Its clever and handy but expensive. Emil said soaking a wheel with super glue makes it last longer. Joe found a nice bevel gauge, passed out pipe free cleaners and brass shells for making file cleaners. He also showed how a 20ft rope carries 4x8 sheet goods.

The club library is growing. Ron Schmidt and others donated several books and magazines Please bring more next meeting. Those are Bert’s hands rummaging through many years of “live Steam.”

Ron Grimes is partway along on an ambitious project to build a model machine shop in the Machining Class. He is well along with the steam engine. He recounted several of the difficulties assembling the kit, like spending 3 hours to make a fixture, then needing only 10 minutes to cut the part. He made one bearing holder for the overhead drive shafting; only 15 more just like it to go…

Werner Stolz is using the Machining Class to build a toolmakers vice. When I asked him to present his work to the club, he said “But I’m not done, yet”. I said none of us are ever done, but we like to hear about the process. The vice has a nice low profile design, which I think is important. Werner also showed a sculpture he cast of his late wife. Metal working can be artistic as well as mechanical.