Tag Archives: Tools

Pen Decorator – Reworking the Drive strategy #2

I modified the original carriage to accept the timing belt approach. To do this I had to rotate the drive motor 90 degrees and mount a timing pulley on the shaft. The belt needs to thread through the carriage sides, and since it forms a loop, there are two holes on each side. The belt needs to be attached to the drill platform and loops over the timing pulley on the drive motor. The other end needs to wrap around a free turning idler bearing (or a very smooth/no-friction surface). Read more…

Pen Decorator – the Carriage Assembly

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The next stage of development is in progress – I got most of the code running on the test jig this week, and once I got it to a point that most functions seemed to work – it was time to put it into a practice jig. But before that happened, I got two micro switches to use to detect when the drill platform hit the far right and left points. Originally, I was just going to mount these so that I could tell when the drill platform hit the ends Continue reading →

Pen Decorator – parts list(s)

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For those that are interested, I’m going to keep a compiled list of parts, prices and sources for the project here. I already have a couple more parts on order, and if they work out, I’ll update the list to include them as well.

Pen Decorator Test Harness

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To be able to work on part of a project, while on the road is a bit of a challenge. I cobbled together a jig to hold the controller and motors to allow me to start working on the controller code while I was on a business trip. The gory details are in the update to the pen decorator project.

New Project: The Pen Decorator

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Ok, I admit it. I don’t just do woodwork. I also like playing with photography, and have a ham radio license (KC8MNS). It’s the latter that got me in trouble – because coupled with my professional background as a software systems architect (computer programmer) and the love of building stuff, even with electronics, I was ripe for the picking… read about it here

The Hag’s tooth

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(I think I was turned on to this by Shannon Rogers in the Hand Tool Workshop – and since then, it’s been a go to item in my kit.)

Its one of my favorite tools, because of it’s simplicity and general utility is a router plane. I have a pair of small ones that I use for close in work, hinge mortising and fine trim work. I have a pair of largers ones set up with optional fences and with different style blades. They excel as working on the bottom of flat surfaces that need trimmed parallel to a higher face.
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Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event at Exotic Lumber

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This past Friday I had the luxury of being able to take some time off from work and attend the Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event in Frederick Maryland. Hosted by Exotic Lumber, the floor was cleared out to make room for several Hand tool makers, in addition to the hands on setups for LN tools. I’ve attended the LN Hand Tool events in the past, and they’re always a bla$t.