i know its only ali but that thing still is going to way a tonne. loving the look of the framework so far.
If you haven't looked at alu files before, here's a nice one: http://www.fine-tools.com/magicut.htm That counter bore looks so handy I might have to buy one. Can it be used on a cordless drill?
Actually, there was none. Although I do realise that it does take skills to file like that, it's also a matter of planning, thinking and error-checking often as you go along. I wouldn't not recommend inexperienced case modders to try it, but I would tell them that it's not a hack'n'slash job - it takes looooots of patience and you really get as much out of it as you put into it. The more careful and serious you are, the better the result.
Well put, at least some of it - also, the stuff that I didn't quote was also well put. I do believe more in the aesthetics part, too, than having the ability to do mediocre work with top-of-the-line tools. Also, there's something strangely satisfying doing things with you own hands - but I'm not sure that I agree with you on the speed thing. I do think that with experience also comes speed - and not necessarily the badly-designed-because-it-was-rushed-and-not-thought-through-completely way, but in the way that you're actually able to make ground fast, because you cut out lots of manual work and leave it to the machines (and don't think Cyberdyne Systems here, people...!) Still, I prefer your way of doing things - I somehow appreciate it more than CNC work, but yet, I wouldn't step back from using CNC as a shortcut in my own projects, if I thought it made sense and thus, allowed me to concentrate my time finishing more delicate details in the meantime.
Thanks for the comments everyone. Mounting the central plate to the bulkheads was always going be 'drill and screw' directly. But as you can see there is not a lot of room to get a drill in. I looked at some right angle adapters but these fit to a power drill and would have been unwieldy to use and get an accurate result. Anyway, I decided to make some mounting blocks and this made the job a lot easier (though much more time consuming). Some blocks were cut from a piece of 12 mm bar I had laying around. Filed and drilled. These were then clamped together with the two bulkheads, just a fraction higher so that it can be filed down level later. After the blocks were mounted, they were filed level. Here I've used a marker pen to give me a clear picture of the progress. Then some holes were drilled in the central plate. And the blocks made more interesting. And yes, it's very strong and not very heavy.
Holy moly Attila even just simple little chunky connectors you make look super duper neat features . High quality as always . Nearly forgot to say how much I like those tiny bevels you've been adding too .
It's an interesting debate, and I think that both approaches have merits. CNC allows you to make complex shapes to a high standard, but I have seen it being used as an 'overkill' solution. On the other hand you just can't beat bespoke hand-made craftsmanship. Not even with a CNC. I'm currently designing a project which probably is going to rely on CNC a bit. It does indeed involve a lot of planning on the PC. I do it that way because I do not have a metal work shop (or the space for one) right now so I can't just go and make stuff; designing it on the PC and having some of the parts made is a more workable option for me right now. Also, I like to see the whole thing and tweak it around before I commit to a build. Before Sketch-Up came along, I made cardboard mock-ups. Doing a mockup in cardboard or Sketch-Up allows me to think about the materials to use, whether certain solutions are the best/simplest, whether the shape is aesthetic, and you can prevent running into unanticipated glitches. I can't count the times that I pictured something in my head and when I Sketch-Up'd it, it turned out not to fit or to collide with some other bit I forgot about... Meanwhile you have to keep in mind how easy (and how cheap) it is to realise a part in real life. Just because it can be Sketch-Up'd, does not mean it can be CNC'd... That's where actually building stuff is useful --you are constantly aware of real-life constraints, and, incidentally, also of scale. Oh, and a Sketch-Up allows you to show people what the final product is going to be like, instead of leaving us waiting in agonisingly tantalising anticipation.
To be honest, I wouldn't be picky, I have neither capabilities at the moment Excellent job here Attila, very clean build so far!
What do you say we keep politics out of the PL forums? I'm enjoying the CNC vs. handmade discussion though, and I think ultimately I agree with what Nex said, that there are serious merits to both. Not getting to over zealous is important in my mind. In many cases (pun intended ) I think there is a huge benefit to having the correct machinery to perform the task at hand, but that doesn't mean its always the case. There are an incredible number of fabrication processes out there, many of which are simple and very effective, others which are incredibly expensive and will likely never be seen used in these forums. However those expensive processes are probably used for very specific situations. To me the same concept applies to the discussion at hand (pun intended again ). Also I agree with what Attila said, truthfully I have seen some incredible work on the forums, but also a fair amount that was sloppy and not well executed. And in my mind it nearly always comes down to execution and design. Even if your means of creation are limited, if you build within your means you can always achieve a high quality final result.
