--- CAD Projects ---

Here are a few cad projects, un-sellable, but good designs I think. Please feel free to use any designs with all engineering/design/development credit to me. Please also download the CAD files and modify the drawings with your own ideas. I would love to post them.

Downloads

Revised (refined) New Iteration Web Coupler (Belt Release) Solidworks Documents - 12/28/2017

Revised New Iteration Web Coupler (Belt Release) Solidworks/F360 Documents - 03/01/2018

Completely revised Base-Plate. Now the entire assembly used less parts, and tightens itself when force is applied. It now uses no assembly hardware at all!

So This project got so big it's getting prototyped. The Solidworks files have less filleted sections than I would like to aid in manufacturing. So add them back in if you like. The Autodesk F360 files are to send out to the machine shops. The couple-up-at-a-time machining puts the web-arm at about 2k$ a piece! It's a complex part but mostly because there is a negative chamfer that requires a tool to be made.

The fix was to get the 6al4vTI laser sintered. The part can literally be 3D-printed. SoooOOOoo, there are two ways to do this. The first is to 3D print an investment and cast the part. The other way is not actually use a laser tuned to the wavelength Titanium likes, and fuse the Ti itself. This is the way I went and it is 99.5% dense. So is it billet? No. but it's also 1800 dollars a piece less to produce, and can produce infinitely complex shapes! I'm a little worried about surface finish, but we will see. I did EDM the gears though. The last Solidworks files with updated Base-Plate Spindles and Deployed F360 Files below:

Latest Revision 03/12/2018

Latest Revision 04/01/2018

Latest Revision 07/07/2021

Machined Ti, Linen Micarta, etc. Cap has diamond knurled band at base, and is tapped at the top, to except a threaded and bend piece of spring material. Spring can be produced from Stainless, Ti, etc. Thread is triple-start for speed of assembly.

Downloads

Small Pot (Cup) Adapter for Gas Camping Stoves

This is a non-physical model ready, concept drawing of a pan-adapter to allow camp stoves (specifically my MSR Dragonfly) to hold smaller cups and mugs. It should work on a lot of different stoves however. The only reason I say not prototype ready is that all the wings interface the gears at different angles (though each wing is it's own solid). I will eventually make all three planet wings the same part.

Rendering (I-know-I'm-No-Pro)

The Files

The planet wings are attached to the chassis with stainless lock wire (safety-wire) and may be secured to the stove with .032" safety wire as well.

Panastove Adaptor RevNew v20.step
Panastove Adaptor RevNew v20.iges
Panastove Adaptor RevNew v20.f3d

Starrett Mineral-Glass Bezel Adapter

05-08-2019

I always seem to manage to scratch the acrylic crystals on my calipers. My oldest (and my favorite) Starrett 120A's crystal is becoming yellowed. Federal (now Mahr) had some test gauges that had mineral glass crystals, but I haven't seen any calipers.

Starrett (my personal favorite for the dial calipers) gives out many CAD drawings of their components on their website… Nice! I just stretched the bezel out a little bit to make room for a SIZE mineral-glass watch crystal I already had, but no reason to not put sapphire in it next time. :)

I just had it printed in Nylon with the HP process from i.Materialise and it works fantastically well. If it needs to be tougher than this, you're probably using your calipers wrong. Then I glued the crystal in with Loctite GO2 GEL but I would probably use G-S Hypo Cement, or a UV curing cement next time. So far I couldn't be happier. I could probably modify the part to bring the glass a tiny bit closer to the dial, but it's not bugging me enough to fix it.

Nobody does knurling like Starrett, every thumb screw is perfect, I machined a linen Micarta brake to replace the plastic one that finally broke (from being too tight, during my learning curve).

Files
Bezel/Starrett Bezel Adapter IGES
Bezel/Starrett Bezel Adapter SAT
Bezel/Starrett Bezel Adapter STEP

The Chuckey Holder

I love the older Milwaukee drills because they are so rebuild-able ; mostly standard bearings, standard chucks, brushes, switches, wires, etc. However, 20 years after the drill had been purchased, the keyholder for the chuck key has long since been gone. After rebuilding the drill, I decided to print a replacement for this part as well. I like the idea of the key being kept on the cord (I like the idea of a key-less chuck better). If you keep the key near the plug end, it can remind you that unplugging the drill might be a good idea if you're about to put your hands all over the chuck. Likewise, if you put the key (holder) near the drill side on the cord, it's a fast place that's always close to access the key.

My design is simple enough, it using something out of the Web-Coupler playbook listed above. I wanted to be able to remove, replace, add to other drills/cord , etc. so this design keeps the cord captive and the cord its self helps to retain the holder. It was engineered with Nylon/Polypropylene in mind.

Chuckey-Holder in Action

This design uses two screws to help keep the arms mounted to the base. This is also for a small 22 guage, 2 conductor cable, so you might need to modify the cable openings for your cable size.