{"id":36669,"date":"2020-07-23T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2020-07-23T16:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=36669"},"modified":"2020-07-21T12:08:31","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T19:08:31","slug":"running-3-phase-machines-in-a-single-phase-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/running-3-phase-machines-in-a-single-phase-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"Running 3-Phase Machines in a Single-Phase Shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Running 3-Phase Machines in a Single-Phase Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Put

Put a VFD on it.<\/p><\/div>\n

James<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0Malt & Make<\/a>\u00a0sent me a message and a link to his\u00a0recent video<\/a>\u00a0on running 3-phase machinery in a single-phase shop using a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD): \u201c\u2026 you can use three-phase tools in the home shop on single-phase power using a VFD. It\u2019s something that\u2019s made a big difference to my maker life, specifically that I\u2019ve been able to buy used industrial tools for a low price at auctions\u2026\u00a0which I\u2019m choosing to think of as a money saving exercise!\u201d<\/p>\n

Making Your Own Coiled Cabling<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Go

Go retro with coil cords<\/p><\/div>\n

In\u00a0this video<\/a>\u00a0by our ol\u2019 pal,\u00a0John Park<\/strong>, he demonstrates how you can use the thermoforming properties of most plastic-based equipment cabling (e.g. USB cables) to create coiled cables. Basically all you need is a heat gun, a dowel, and some zip-ties.<\/p>\n

3D Printing Custom-Fit Face Masks<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Mind

Mind the gap with a custom 3D mask fitter.<\/p><\/div>\n

DC-area artist and maker,\u00a0Dave Mordini<\/strong>, sent me link to the\u00a0Bellus 3D Mask Fitter frame app<\/a>. It allows you to use 3D scanning to create a mask frame that\u2019s perfectly fit to the contours of your face. The frame then goes over a typical surgical mask, giving you a mask with the minimum amount of edge leakage.<\/p>\n

Consider the “Opportunity Cost” of Shop Space<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"How

How much does the space in your shop “cost” you?<\/p><\/div>\n

My former\u00a0Make:<\/em>\u00a0colleague\u00a0Tyler Winegarner<\/strong>\u00a0sent me a link to\u00a0this Keith\u2019s Garage video<\/a>\u00a0which makes an excellent point. When organizing your workshop, think of the cost of the space (in terms of use, convenience, economy of motion, etc). Is where things are the best use of that space? Keith calls this the \u201copportunity cost.\u201d Spend it wisely.<\/p>\n

Pen and Marker Organizer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"3D

3D printable custom pen holders.<\/p><\/div>\n

I have a Letraset marker organizer that I love from my former life as a graphic designer. The markers holster at an angle and allow you to see the color and PMS color number on the butt of the marker.\u00a0This pen\/marker holder\u00a0<\/a>on\u00a0Thingiverse\u00a0<\/em>uses that same angled design and can be expanded to fit your storage needs. I might be begging a friend with a printer to make me some of these.<\/p>\n

Preventing Nails from Splitting Wood<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"It's

It’s better with a blunt.<\/p><\/div>\n

On the\u00a0Instagram<\/em>\u00a0channel for Custom Builds and Products,\u00a0they explain in a brief video<\/a>\u00a0why it\u2019s actually a good idea to blunt the tip of a nail when driving it into thin, soft wood where splitting is likely. Basically, the sharp tip of the nail acts as a wedge that splits the grain. A blunted tip compresses the wood around it. Watch the video for the full explanation. Science!<\/p>\n

Shop Talk<\/strong>
\nOn the\u00a0Cool Tools site<\/a>, newsletter reader\u00a0LarryA2010<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>took exception to my mentioning that I\u2019d used WD-40 to stop a squeaky door hinge (frankly, it\u2019s all I had on hand at that moment):<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026you don\u2019t necessarily want to use WD-40 to lubricate anything. It isn\u2019t really a lubricant. It is mostly a cleaner\/degreaser and water displacer (supposedly).<\/p>\n

I have been searching for a solution for years. I\u2019ve tried WD-40, 3-in-1 Oil, Tri-Flow, B’Laster PTFE and graphite spray, silicone spray, powdered graphite, WS2 (Tungsten Disulfide), directly in the hinges and removing the pins. They all work for about two or three months before they dry out and the squeak comes back. I finally did an exhaustive search online and the consensus that made the most sense to me was using\u00a0Lithium grease<\/a>. Most posts said to remove the pins from the hinges but that is laborious and often at least one pin is really stuck and requires hammer and screwdriver. So I looked at the SDS and found out that it is 10-20% each of hydrotreated light naphtha and hydrotreated heavy naphthenic. I put a good size dab of the grease into a needle-tip PE squeeze bottle and topped it up with\u00a0VM&P naphtha<\/a>\u00a0(close enough) and added a ball bearing to aid mixing. It dissolved instantly. Now all I have to do is dribble the thin liquid from the top of the hinge just under the collar of the pin until it starts leaking at the bottom of the pin onto a paper towel. The operation is clean and so far this has lasted a lot longer than any other lube I tried. The only problem is the naphtha evaporates between uses even with an added O-ring in the cap. Topping up is not that bothersome though considering that this works so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gareth’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales – Issue #54<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13684,"featured_media":36675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[2371],"tags":[2372],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36669"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13684"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36669"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36678,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36669\/revisions\/36678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkdev.kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}