My block is uglier than yours!
 

My blocks tend towards functional-but-ugly, to the extent that I don't often show them. This one is no beauty queen either (and the web-cam photography doesn't help).
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/water.gro...s/base16-1.jpg
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/water.gro...s/base16-2.jpg
It's a lame-ass milling job with an interesting story behind it.....stay tuned! ;)

selective etching ?, with sugar and ants ?

needs more "finished ammeter" :)

I think your story may be more interesting than mine, Bill.
pH: I have an essentially finished ammeter, but the calibration is squirrelly. C'mon, eBay!

With the top on:
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/water.gro.../block16-4.jpg
Looks much better this way.

precolumbian indians etched copper with citric acid
dunno 'bout cu eating ants

How good were the temps they got Bill, and what were they cooling?

Dang it, Bill, you've reminded me of a cartoon. Now I'll have to hunt it down. :(

Well, that didn't take long.
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/water.gro...ges/coffee.jpg

Anyway, back the block...

I've been talking too much about getting a mill. The frustrating visit to a travelling tool show that didn't have in stock the mill I wanted was an all too common rant. So, what did I get for my birthday? A mill? No, a toy.

I remember reading threads where a 1/10 horsepower mill was derided as too weak to make a waterblock. Ha! I've made a block with 1/125 hp toy. :D

The final product sure looks good! very nice, the insides are pretty decent, no problems there I dont think. That is kinda funny you made that block with that toy:p I have seen someone around here turned a block on a very similar machine to that.
What mill were you looking into getting ahold of?


Jon

That little toy looks like it could come in handy, I just got one of these , just wish I had it on my last block.

Oddly enough the little beast has been handy. I pulled the radiator out of Geo Metro, but was having trouble adapting the connections. I used the lathe configuration to turn a couple 3/4" brass nipples to fit. Without it, I would have had to use a ton of epoxy or some other stupidity. With a nearly a full millimeter of backlash on each axis, it ain't easy to do precision work on it though.

That's a nice looking drill-press. Digital tach, special. How's it been working for you?

Jon, I've been planning to get one of the many version of the Seig X2. Probably from Homier. If they don't come to town with one soon, I may end up driving to Indiana to pick one up. :)

I have the homier version of the mini mill(seige x2?) and Im loving it, its undergoing major opperation at the moment:D for a quick peak check out http://www.wc101.com/JFettig/mill/
for a better peak check out http://jfettig.wc101.com/cncncbig.avi (divx 5.11 or newere codec required)


Jon

Oops, had my spelling wrong. Sieg. Shanghai Sieg is the manufacturer of the little mills sold by Homier, Harbor Freight, Grizzly, Micro Mark, etc.

CNC, eh? Don't know that I'll be getting in that deep, but it's nice to know who has experience, just in case. Know anyplace that has metric collets reasonable priced?

No not off the top of my head, some places to check would be ebay, jtsmachine, mscdirect, mcmaster and whatever other place you can think of.
Check grizzly, they have cheaper collets, maybe they will have metric.

Just remember, the mill isnt the only thing you need to buy, youll probably spend $500 on raondom things like vices and tools and collets. That kind of stuff.


Jon

I already have most of the extra bits I'll need. Makes it especially pitiful that I only have a toy mill.

Nice use of an old computer case there JFetting!!! :D

It's not bad at all, much better than what I've been using " a real old 1/4" drill(1940's lol) mounted in a mini drill press" it's not the biggest or best but it sure make my life easyier, I'm not a wood worker but I made a slide rail for a drawer in a old dresser yesterday with it :p

JFettig I would like more info on your project, I've got a small X/Y table "maybe 4" travel each way, but really solid" also I've just made a relay interface that runs off my LPT port "(controling things in my room now) and some real nice stepper motors too. What are you using for control: protocal rs-232 or LPT? and what software do you use? I've been needing a reason to put a pc in my shop and this is it :p

Cool, someone with a smaller one than I. :D

I have one even smaller than Groths toy one, mines also a toy. Ill have a look at it later it might be usefull for making plastic tops for my blocks. I dont know what the HP is, I guess about 1/2000th of a HP, as it runs from batterys!

imagex: I use gecko drives and hook them up to my parallel port on my computer, theres a few programs Im using, I mess with mach2 cnc, a windows based program and supsoed to be really good, I havent hooked it up to the mill yet, What I have used is turbocnc wich is dos and it works really nicely.
YGPM