On Wednesday 25 April 2007, John R. Gabriel wrote:
> I have such a probe sold by MAXNC for a rather expensive price. Having
>seen it, I think one could be made based on 4 micro switches arranged
>round a 1/4" ball end of a probe in gimbals or on small springs at its
>midpoint and a 1/16 or 1/32 ball on the lower end.
The repeatability of a microswitch scares me, its terrible.
>If the object being probed were metallic, a simple electrical contact
>could be used.
But that needs clean metal.
>An alternative, but also expensive, would be the very useful
>CNC camera from Atto Research, advertised on EBay. For the Homebrew
>enthusiast there are video cameras from $40.00 up, which might be usable
>if fitted with an extension tube, or with an inexpensive microcope
>objective to provide a much enlarged image , and correspondingly small
>depth of field. For the dyed in the wool homebrew enthusiast All
>Electronics have CCD sensors and circuit boards, descibed as video
>cameras w/o lenses for under $ 3.00 each. If these contain the scan
>electronics, and I had spare time, I would ask the vendor for a price
>break on Qty 100 and go into business buying suitable lenses (Edmund
>Scientific) and making video cameras for CNC. I think finished cameras
>would show a profit around two or three hundred dollars each, and parts
>kits somewhat less.
>
> Because deteriorating vision (I am 75 years old, and lost the sight
>of one eye in an accident a couple of years ago) compel me to automate
>my small machine shop, Gene Haskett's letter has suggested yet another
>product I have not considered making besides the DIY CNC kits for SIEG
>minimills and lathes, and larger tools from Grizzly and ENCO that I will
>need and expect to manufacture, but have not considered making.
>
> Thankyou Gene for a good idea.
You're most welcome John, but you have to realize you just knocked me off my
perch in this group, I thought at 72 I was the oldest old fart here. :)
But, just to put that in perspective for both of us, I was out to see Doc
Blake 2 weeks ago as I pick up scraps I can use from his shop floor from time
to time. It was about 7pm and he hadn't quit for the day yet, so I asked him
when he was going to retire as I know he has a few years on me, but give him
a chair at a pickin session and he can still start a fire on the fretboard of
a banjo or mandolin doing real justice to some bluegrass at least as good as
you'll hear on Mountain Stage, the radio program on NPR. He could sit in
with Ricky Skaggs and be right at home anytime. Anyway he said he was too
young to retire, he was only 78. And he said it with a straight face.
Knowing Doc, he will probably fall over while tending his power hacksaw,
making parts to fix a broken well tender rig. He and his son turn away work
all the time.
> Sincerely
> John Gabriel
--
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
"Not Hercules could have knock'd out his brains, for he had none."
-- Shakespeare
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