The home owner said she wanted it gone. So at my house sets to kilns [...]]]> In the post I talked about the trip to the storage shed. This pile of stuff came about because I just asked. I was doing a job for a home owner and in the back yard was this pile.

The home owner said she wanted it gone. So at my house sets to kilns and two motorized potter wheels.

A large potters wheel

small potters wheel

A small kiln

A large kiln

I also did another job at a house that was being sold. The owner called to ask a few questions and I asked about the bench.

It is now in the wood shop for the cost of just picking it up.

I enclosed the back to keep unwanted guests out of the drawers.

I did clean and lubricate all the drawer  bearings as well.

The switch went out on the grinder, new switch time. To attach it to the pedestal, the previous owner used [...]]]> This was a weekend of building and equipment repair. The air system went out on the Sharps machining center. So out with the old and a completely new regulator, filter and oiler went on.

The switch went out on the grinder, new switch time. To attach it to the pedestal, the previous owner used bolts with square nut. He attached the grinder to the plate and then another set of bolts to hold the plate to the stand. With everything rusted it took a little longer then I would have liked. So a new switch, new wiring and re-drilled and taped the holes for cap screws.

Not exciting , but things that have to be done.

With the hard piping completed all the old hoses were [...]]]> Part of this last weekend was spent working on the hydraulic forging press and the fluting machine for the VG1-5. I started by threading all or at least most of the 3/4 high pressure hydraulic piping necessary. This is a video for the project.

With the hard piping completed all the old hoses were removed and new ones ordered. The pipe supports were also ordered and the throttling valve for the fluting press. Hope to have it together this weekend.

New lights were installed over the HAAS and Sharps machining centers.

Installed one over the cnc lathe.

Went back and re-mudded the ceiling where we put the lights earlier.

I spent time working on the [...]]]> Not much fun stuff this weekend. Work was accomplished in the machine shop by adding even more new led lights.

New lights were installed over the HAAS and Sharps machining centers.

Installed one over the cnc lathe.

Went back and re-mudded the ceiling where we put the lights earlier.

I spent time working on the dust collector system for the wood shop.

The dust collector building was built a while back. This weekend was the first opportunity I had to get it all set up.

When I built the wood shop I put in a underground dust collector system. It has been a time coming to get it all hooked up, but now it works.

My crt tube for the wire edm came back I got it in stalled and all hooked up.

I powered it up and tested it that it worked properly.

I really want to thank the guys at McWilliams, http://www.mcwilliamsedm.com/index.html, for all there help and quick service. Great guys that really know customer service.

The only fun project that I started on was a new ammo/feed strip box for my Hotchkiss protatve light machinegun.

I needed the wood shop to build what I wanted for the box. Unfortunately, by the time everything else was completed it was late and I was exhausted. My project for next weekend. I did manage to get a few more posts written and a couple of videos for posts, but more on that this week.

First and most important is the VG1-5 project. I received a call this afternoon late that the firing pins can be picked up from the heat treating firm. With this last piece we can send the second rifle to [...]]]> Not a big post for today, just an update on the projects we are working on.

First and most important is the VG1-5 project. I received a call this afternoon late that the firing pins can be picked up from the heat treating firm. With this last piece we can send the second rifle to the ATFE for final testing. The second item on the VG project is that all the receiver flats are in the spot welding room and as soon as we modify the spot welders they will be on the line to finish. That will be this week.

The drawings for the MP-44 trunnions are solid modeled and material is ordered so we can finish that project.

The Japanese type 96 and 99 magazines have taken a step back. The first two stamping dies did not work as planed and we needed to send the magazines back. They are still on the drawing board as I need them for my own guns.

The AR-16 is still being solid modeled. We are getting closer but still more time is needed to finish this project. I only work on it when I have spare time and we know how that goes.

A member of our family here at Gun Lab located me an isolation transformer and with that I hope to get the wire edm powered up.

We have been doing a reverse engineering project on a German WW2 machine gun which is coming along nicely and I hope to have drawings in the near future and a solid model shortly after that. This project has been a real ball buster, but with the use of the schools cmm we are getting close now.

I am currently work on a few write ups for the site. Part 2 of the Winchester self loaders should be dome this week, a friend , O.H., is sending me some interesting photo’s and scan’s on a few weapons to post and the third installment on the Bushmaster pistol is in final editing.

This should answer all the questions that have shown up in my in basket. If there are any other question please feel free to drop me a line.

I do need help with a project though. I need manuals for the wire EDM. I am concerned that the batteries have died in the controller and I am going to have to reset the parameters. This machine came with no manuals at all. Here are a few pictures of the panels and model numbers.

Xerox copies are fine. I just need to learn about the parameters and set up of this machine. Thanks everyone for helping.

With nothing else going on I am going to hit the rack, tomorrow is another fun filled day for me.

The A/C went out in the house so testing was conducted and it was found that the evaporator fan went out. Time was spent on removing it to get a replacement today. Then the bad [...]]]> Last Sunday was a much easier day. It was a large amount of fixing things as well as shop work.

The A/C went out in the house so testing was conducted and it was found that the evaporator fan went out. Time was spent on removing it to get a replacement today. Then the bad luck just continued. Both a/c’s went out in the machine shop and had to be repaired. I finished the electrical to the spot welder and got them running.

Also finished the insulating and putting on wood covers to the spot welder room doors, this should cut down the heat load through the doors a great deal.

Because of some missing parts we went through the machine shop, the metal storage room, the 20′ container and the 40′ container with a fine tooth comb. I mean to say that every cabinet, box, container, plastic bag and drawer was gone through, not once but three times by three different people. This has been an on going project which reached a head this last week with no work being done other then looking for the missing parts. We moved desks, cabinets and work benches. So by the time this was all done everything was a disaster. Saturday was spent putting to 40′ container back together again. Here are a few before pictures.

This is a lot of cabinets to go through.

After we finished  going through and cleaning up and putting away everything this is what it looks like now.

All the cabinets have been labeled.

I made bottoms for the library index card cabinets so they are now being used from odd parts, like the barrel for an Astra 400 or the bolt from a Winchester 73 bolt and feed ramp, any parts that did not require a large cabinet to store them in.

We fixed a problem with the table saw and then cut a 3/4 mdf board for the cnc router.

I also finished the air system in the fab shop. Done and I am quitting for the weekend.