Metalworking Deeds of the Day

I made a replacement shaft for an electric model airplane motor. My wife bent the old one as part of the learning process (she's learning control line. You cannot fly ten dumb thumbs high with a control line plane -- you're always one or two mistakes away from disaster).

So, during the better part of an hour's worth of work, I cut a 3mm rod to length, made a 20-mil wide groove cutter, cut a groove, pressed out the old shaft, and pressed in the new one.

Making the cutter on my bench grinder took most of the time.

The best part is -- I saved $8.50! $7.40 for the motor, and $1.10 for a replacement shaft! For just an hour's work!

Reply to
Tim Wescott
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Can I get a Triple Burger on a Kaiser roll, or would it be cheaper to get the Big Classic Double with an extra beef patty?

Reply to
Tom Del Rosso

So, at $15.00 an hour, minimum wage, you only lost six dollars and fifty cents :-)

Reply to
John B. Slocomb

Hope you at least made a second one while you were at it as a spare.

G'luck PaulS

Reply to
PCS

If I were doing this, it takes only a bit more time to make 2 or 3 for the next accidents.

David

Reply to
David R. Birch

If you were to drive off to the shop to buy a new one, you would probably have spent just as much time. And then there's the fuel cost on top.

Reply to
Robert Roland

Most of the time was spent making the tool, and that's done.

We bent another one today, so I have my evening's entertainment laid out.

(She's learning control line, where basically you don't crash at all or you land on the propeller. Infernal combustion engines tend to have much stouter crankshafts than 'lectric, which is why those little Cox plastic planes ever survived long enough for a second attempt).

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Were it in ThisPartOfRightPondia and Euro instead of Dollar, you'd even have earned the recently established mandatory minimum salary.

Reply to
Volker Borchert

My solution to teaching people to fly control-line planes was to teach tem on 1/2-A planes in tall grass. It saved props and motors.

Reply to
Ed Huntress

I'm working on an electric and foam alternative to that. Rev 2 will have the motor behind the wing, pushing, and the battery in the nose. Boring straight into the ground may mangle the fuse (we don't have tall grass), but at least it won't damage the motor.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

For Tim, I'll bet that his average hourly rate is a wee bit more. I'll rate his statement with a Facetiousity Factor of 100%.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Junior's first attempt went ammazingly well in the park across the street until, in an attempt to avoid the tree on our side of the street, he did an accurate vertical hit on the top of a street light!

Reply to
geraldrmiller

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