MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT

Hello everyone. Well not everyone; if you are reading this newsletter, it means you paid your dues to the club. We have about 40 paid members now. The list had over 120 names and it was costing quite a bit to send the newsletter to all of them. It was also more work for John Lee to copy, fold and mail them all. John reports that only 14 newsletters are now being sent by real mail and the remainder is emailed. The people who pay for the club deserve the perks of the club. Others don’t.  Names dropped from the list are welcome back if dues are paid.

I want to thank all the club officers for their work. Its not hard work, because we split it up 6 ways, and we back each other up, but its gets done and done well every month. All for now…John Osborne

MEETING MINUTES JAN 12, 2005

Meeting started at 7:35 with J. Osborne presiding, 20 Members present and 1 Guest.  Attendance was low due to the inclement weather all day prior to the meeting.

Meeting opened with John O. officially notifying the Members of the passing of Larry Chenault at the age of 65, in a local Hospice, of a series of strokes over the past few months. Larry’s condition had deteriorated considerably of late. He will be missed.

The "As Printed" minutes from November and Dec 2004 meetings were passed.

John Lee announced the Club newsletter comes with dues, or at the MDMC website.

There was a discussion about having Vendors do product demonstrations at meetings.  No consensus reached. Tabled untilfficers look into the suggestion a bit further.

Bob Weber said there have been no Volunteers for NAMES as yet. Tabled.

There was a discussion about changing the club name to a name more in keeping with the actual membership demographics.  Maybe the “ Great Lakes ” something or other. No determination or consensus for that either. Tabled.

The business  meeting ended about 8:15 .

SHOW AND TELL

John Osborne brought a new tool. It’s a trepanning tool that can make any size hole between ¾” and 3” in diameter. Larger sizes are available and cost more than the $160 for this one.  It cuts smoothly and cleanly in a low horsepower, non-rigid machine like a mill-drill. It will be used for making mounting holes for stepper motors and tube sockets. It is capable of making interrupted cuts and overlapping holes.

John O. helped Bud Kirk (the guy Larry Chenault used to talk about at every meeting) change from servos in a CNC machine with steppers, and they work very well.  Samples of some 96 identical pockets pieces were shown. John O is still making CNC punches, but started making some amplifier chassis for a company in California that makes custom high-end tube-based stereo stuff. It was suggested, especially for a quick try-out on CNC, to use a block or more of Parawax, as it is quite “stiff”, and if it gets messy it won’t damage anything.  Parawax is available where supplies for fruit and vegetables canning is sold.

Ron Schmidt brought in some mallets he built from scratch. They are meant for use with wood carving chisels. They are very nicely made from brass and rosewood. They are nice to hold, but maybe too nice to use.

Emil brought in a variable speed motor-control system he made. The motor is from a tread-mill, and many of these have been junked or are available really cheap.

Emil found his on the side of the road on trash day. The same type motor is also used in some electric lawnmowers, and the serpentine belts and the special pulleys are available really cheap locally at Murray ’s Auto Parts. The motor is a 2-1/4HP 120 Volt DC , and he got a Harbour Freight variable speed AC controller and added a rectifier bridge to control the DC motor with 120Volts AC, controllable from about 25 to 3000 RPM. Works slick for very little cost, and is very powerful. He thinks he will install it on a drill press.

Emil brought up a situation where he was having some trouble threading the water hardening tool steel to be used for the spindle on the tool post grinder he’s making.  Some members suggested that he try a stress-proof steel.  Emil reports now that he bought 36” of 5/8”diameter Stress-Proof steel for $15 and it is just great!!  Probably leaded or something.  Emil says the new stuff turns beautifully.

OTHER STUFF

I have to thank John O for all three of the pix he took at the meeting.  And a really big thanks to Emil for all the meeting notes, all the “news”, and the information for the photo captions.  And Emil again for the humour of the day. I wished Emil a Happy New Year, and he said.  “Don’t wish me Happy New Year, wish me a Prosperous New Year, and then I can buy the Happiness!!”

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