I cannot decide if I should hide it underneath the chassis or showcase it on top for its geek appeal.

Everything in your project should be visible, IMHO ... be bold ... be a showoff!

 

ehh...after the Covid-19 I see everything like a syringe pump. life , time-pass and etc.so, I decided to print one via my printer and wait for the rest... :-"
actually it simply works better than traditional hospital faulty pumps, because of that used strong stepper motor.

 

At the start of Jan 2021 I knew nothing about CNC and had zero experience.
80 days later my DIY 600 x 1000 mm CNC is built and did the first test cut today.

 

About to begin the Garage again, I still have some mud to do but it’s on the down hill side now. Next is to Automate the Garage Door, I like this old wooden door works great, just need it to work with my home security system. Once complete packages can be picked up or dropped off via and app or single code for driver.

This is the unit I plan to use which is currently integrated with my Vivint Home Security System.

My Door is a Flip Door.



kv

 

Can you have a rolling code? That is, the code is only valid for a fixed duration and the next delivery person is given a new code.

 

Can you have a rolling code? That is, the code is only valid for a fixed duration and the next delivery person is given a new code.

I allow once he uses it, then turn off access. I get an app alert when the garage door is in use and also receive notification from my driveway cam. If I’m away.

kv

 

Ok, so I have a flip door, however not sure if there is a flaw, if the belt drive can be manually over powered, will the gear box allow pressure on the top of the flip to be pushed inward enough to allow a grab on the bottom of the door to be raised? I would think it’s possible, either I contact the manufacturer or purchase it and test.

Purchase and Test I think. To much bother to contact the manufacturer because to get to an engineer is next to impossible. The only person I could contact is going to be reading from a cheat sheet.

kv

Edit: If possible I would need to design an electronic locking mechanism.

 

if the belt drive can be manually over powered

Don't even know if they are still made, but back in the day those flip doors had to use a screw drive door opener. Like the original Genie door opener had. I grew up in the city that made all of the Genie door openers and Tena-rotors. My wife even worked on the motor assembly line for a few years.

 

My Genie has a screw drive which makes it quiet compared to chain drives. I think you cannot manually fight against the screw drive. The chain drives use a rack and pinion which again you cannot overpower. My observation is that some gears are made of plastic which get worn over time and need to be replaced.

 

My Genie has a screw drive which makes it quiet compared to chain drives. I think you cannot manually fight against the screw drive. The chain drives use a rack and pinion which again you cannot overpower. My observation is that some gears are made of plastic which get worn over time and need to be replaced.

Yeah I just replaced my gear mechanism, also just after that, the tension spring cracked in two, had to make up a couple of levers for winding the required tension. A local company makes a copy of the original coil spring while you wait.
.
As to jobs that involve lumber, sky high prices, it's like gold with bark on!

 

I wasn't going to post my project but decided to after all. I started it just before the pandemic but spent most of my time during the pandemic working on it, getting nearer to the finish line now.

It's kind of based on the Struck Track mini dozers that were advertised back in my teenage years, in the back of all of the poplar mechanics type magazines. Never saw one in real life until a 2019 tractor show, they were really smaller than I thought. But then I bought my first older Cub Cadet mower and saw that they had dual disk brakes mounted out side of the transaxle, and then the project was on! Found another one that didn't cost to much and bought it.

The tracks were the big hold up for years. But the Struck company now makes their parts list and build manuals for free online and saw what they used to drive the track pads, CA550 agricultural chain. So then I came up with a "easy" way to make the track pads. The sprockets were the next hardest thing, no one makes CA550 sprockets in a big enough toot count/diameter. So did some research on the sprockets and bought some 3/4" plate and made my own. Wish I could have made them larger but was limited by my Bridgeport mill and rotary table.

2 things, I just realized I don't spell sprocket correct all of the time. And the front sprockets got a bearing hub welded into them after the pictures.

 

Here are the track photos. The main pad started out as 1"x3"x 3/16" wall tube. I wanted to use 1/8" but due to the pandemic shut down the steel supplier only had 3/16" in stock and couldn't get 1/8" delivered. The tub was cut to length, 6", and then slit and machined to size. The lugs to attach them to the chain are angle iron machined to length and holes drilled to register on the chain pins, then welded to the links. 34 pads to each track so made a couple of simple fixtures so they all ended up the same.

Each pad then needed a rubber pad to get bonded in them so found some 1/2" neoprene that was bigger pieces than wanted. And modified an old tile cutter to make a rubber cutter, so each pad was the same size and looked good. The cutter blade is a Stanley knife blade in a DIY holder that travels on the tile cutter rods. Dawn dish soap for lubrication while cutting. They will get bonded in with some 3M industrial contact cement made for neoprene to steel use.

 

New project... Performing in a live streamed theatrical production of monologues about The Year of COVID. I have a 30 minute monologue that I’m performing. Got to stretch those brain cells...

 

Yeah I just replaced my gear mechanism, also just after that, the tension spring cracked in two, had to make up a couple of levers for winding the required tension. A local company makes a copy of the original coil spring while you wait.
.
As to jobs that involve lumber, sky high prices, it's like gold with bark on!

Tell me about it. I wanted to build a speaker cabinet for my tube amp. I have resorted to salvaging lumber from wooden pallets that came when the floor laminates were delivered a couple months ago.



Photo of the covering being glued on to the cabinet as we speak (and a couple of Variacs repurposed as weights).

 

Here are pics of the Cub Cadet that is power for the project. When done the Cub body will be gone, and there will be DIY sheet metal in it's place to kind of simulate a old Cletrac crawler. Back after WW2 they made a mini dozer called a Trail Beetle that was the same size as I'm building, but I like the looks of the Cletracs better so decided to go that way.

 

I wasn't going to post my project but decided to after all. I started it just before the pandemic but spent most of my time during the pandemic working on it, getting nearer to the finish line now.

It's kind of based on the Struck Track mini dozers that were advertised back in my teenage years, in the back of all of the poplar mechanics type magazines.

I've been working for years now on a design on paper for my robotic lawn mover based on a track drive. Finding the right components was the difficult part. I finally found a supplier of Gates timing belts with just the right dimensions. After placing the order I was informed that they couldn't deliver. Back to searching.

That was before I got a 3D printer. And now with a CNC machine I think I can make this happen.

 

I've been working for years now on a design on paper for my robotic lawn mover based on a track drive. Finding the right components was the difficult part. I finally found a supplier of Gates timing belts with just the right dimensions. After placing the order I was informed that they couldn't deliver. Back to searching.

That was before I got a 3D printer. And now with a CNC machine I think I can make this happen.

Señor Chip:

I am the less qualified to issue any opinion on these matters; I am asking just out of curiosity: isn't easier to look for what is available in the market and adjust your design accordingly?

 

Señor Chip:

I am the less qualified to issue any opinion on these matters; I am asking just out of curiosity: isn't easier to look for what is available in the market and adjust your design accordingly?

True, but working on a DIY project is different from a commercial product. One is willing to wait for the right component at the right price rather than the rush to market.

 

Giant red cedar and Douglas fir trees are being poached in British Columbia, Canada.

 

I've been working for years now on a design on paper for my robotic lawn mover based on a track drive. Finding the right components was the difficult part. I finally found a supplier of Gates timing belts with just the right dimensions. After placing the order I was informed that they couldn't deliver. Back to searching.

That was before I got a 3D printer. And now with a CNC machine I think I can make this happen.

How heavy is the mower going to be? There are roller chains available that start at #35 and go up in size that have "wings" on them that treads could easily be put on to make treads. They are even available in metric chain sizes. Look for "attachment" chains. https://www.usarollerchain.com/Roller-Chain-Attachments-s/4915.htm

Even the RC models now have steel tracks available for a really good price from Banggood. https://www.banggood.com/buy/rc-tank-tracks.html