Due to the downturn in the economy---

[Tin Falcon]

do not think of it as playing you are using down time to hone your engineering skills!!!!
Tin

 

[Philjoe5]

Awesome progress Brian. Can't wait to see it go :bow: :bow:

Cheers,
Phil

 

[Brian Rupnow]

This is it for today. I have some real work now. I have to create some animations of a rail clamping device for one of my customers to use on their website as a marketing aid.

 

[Maryak]

Brian,

I know I've said it before but the speed at which you successfully progress just amazes me.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[kellswaterri]

Hi Brian...is the big hammer for the ''fine adjustment'' ;D...great work...
All the best for now,
John.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Everything is hooked up, and the mechanism functions like its supposed to, although I think it will probably benefit from a half hour run in on the electric drill to get rid of the "sticky points". I still have to make the two round top plates that the slinky attaches to, and I will probably do that tomorrow. I will machine a groove into the top plates about 1/16" deep, fill one with loctite, and set the end of the slinky in to set up overnight, then do the other end. I have no idea how fast or slow this thing will have to run, so some experimentation with pulleys will be required. This is fun, but man, I'd rather be working doing my regular engineering job!!! Things are really bad out there, and new machine development has come to a screeching halt in Ontario. After working every day for the last 43 years, I feel guilty as Hell for "playing" in my little machine shop, when I feel like I should be working, making money at my "real" job. I could retire, but I hadn't planned on doing that for another 3 years.-Perhaps this big economic slump is just going to hasten my retirement ahead of schedule. Sure am glad I've got a rich wife. (She works for the federal government, with a branch of the Dept. of Defence.)

 

[Kludge]

I feel guilty as Hell for "playing" in my little machine shop, when I feel like I should be working, making money at my "real" job. I could retire, but I hadn't planned on doing that for another 3 years.-Perhaps this big economic slump is just going to hasten my retirement ahead of schedule.

I've been watching this project and your comments above made me think about something. I've been in a number of executive offices around the country and in a great number of them there was a desktop "toy" of one sort or another. Usually they're the storebought levitating pens and other stuff but a few were custom crafted and fit the office's decor (ie, top dawg wealthy and not afraid to show it) quite nicely. With your talents and imagination, I can't see why you can't cash in on this very small but lucrative market. The "slinky machine" is just one example; I'm sure that you can come up with more over a decent single malt and a scratch pad.

Just a thought.

BEst regards,

Kludge

Sure am glad I've got a rich wife. (She works for the federal government, with a branch of the Dept. of Defence.)
[/quote]

 

[ksouers]

Hmm, the gears are a grinding...

Maybe a finger engine powered slinky tosser?

 

[Stan]

Brian: Not to get too far off topic, but you know the old saying about it's an ill wind that doesn't blow someone good. Southern Ontario is full of industry making products for the 1970 market. The world has passed them by so some of the opportunities out there now are, machine tool liquidation, scrap metal business, bankruptcy trustee or in you case adapting the factories to produce what the market wants. The companies that will survive are the ones that adapt now so that they are ready when the economy improves.

With your imagination and skills there must be lots of small factories needing to be retooled for new products.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Kludge--Not to wory. I'm just whining because I know somebody will listen. I've rode out these economic storms before, we seem to average one every 8 to 10 years in Ontario. Some are bad, some are worse, but they all pass. In the previous 4 economic crunches that I lived thru, I was protected from the reality of them in large because I worked for large engineering firms with deep pockets, and if things slowed down in the job market, they layed of the bad engineers and designers, kept the good ones, and initiated "Make work" projects within the company to keep everybody busy untill things picked up again. I'm just feeling it more this time because my butt is hanging out in the wind with no deep pocketed company to buffer me from whats really going on out there. I'm okay financially, thank God. As far as making shiny finger engine type things for executives---At the length of time it takes me to make even simple, unpolished parts, I would have to charge $17,486 for everything I sold, to break even at 40 cents an hour!!! ;D ;D

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I got up this morning and made the two plates to mount the slinky on. I then decided I had to assemble everything, slinky included. I put a bead of Loctite 648 in the groove that was prepared in the face of the aluminum disc that the slinky sets on at each end, put Mr Slinky in place, and stuck a couple of hacksaw blades thru with weights on them to hold slinky in place untill the Loctite sets up.

 

[Powder keg]

Great job!!! There better be a movie in the near future.....

Wes

 

[CrewCab]

I would have to charge $17,486 for everything I sold, to break even at 40 cents an hour!!! ;D ;D

That's why ebay was invented Brian ........... give it a go 8) ............. by the way, don't forget my comission if you sell a few ;D

Great work though, as ever ............. keep the update's coming though we're all waiting to see this baby perform 8)

CC

 

[Brian Rupnow]

As I set here typing this, the slinky machine is setting right beside me, running, powered by my twin horizontal engine. Its absolutely amazing!!! Only trouble is, now that my daughter has moved out, I have nothing to take a video with!!! She took her camera with her. I will have to arrange to borrow it to make a video.---Brian

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Crummy video deleted. See good one about 5 posts down.

 

[crankshafter]

Brian.
No word's needed

 

[dsquire]

Brian

Way to go. We all knew that could do it. Now you can build a couple more various machines so that when one get finished doing its thing the next one starts. Definitely A1.

Cheers

Don

 

[baldrocker]

Thank you Brian you have just broken my month long machining BLOCK.
BR

 

[dparker]

Brian: COOL!!!!! Sure wish I had 1/2 your energy and all your skills.
don

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Okay---Lets do this again!!! I had to go over to my daughters and put up some blinds, so I borrowed her camera to make a GOOD video.---Brian