Machining Invisible** Yagi Antenna Clamps part 1

[@eulerizeit]

All hail the algorithm. Also I have no idea what you're building but enjoy watching. (to be honest I understand what a clamp is. NOT what one that doesn't interfere with UHF is

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

I can't believe that I lost the photo of the antenna system these things are designed to clamp to. I've asked my friend to re-send the photo and I'll see if I can put a link in the description. I've made other parts for several of his antenna systems before. The problem is that with wavelengths around 70 centimetres, any metalwork that's more than about a tenth of that starts to affect the beam pattern. These antennas are around 10 metres long and have a very directional pattern. If they move relative to each other, the phasing gets upset, hence the bracing tubes and these clamps. The antennas are bespoke items, so you can't just buy a mass-produced clamp for them. Luckily I enjoy making one-offs and prototypes and as I don't have a financial imperative or a Boss or any bean-counters to satisfy, I can spend ludicrous amounts of time and energy making parts like this. It's a hugely privileged position to be in, and I'm always careful to make sure I'm not competing with REAL machinists who have families to feed.

[@smallcnclathes]

I understand every word in the title bar one. But string them together like this and I don’t have a clue. Interesting video though.

[@KD2HJP]

I know exactly what he's making Unfortunately I cannot operate these tools, and I'm across the pond 73 DE KD2HJP

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

@@KD2HJP Hmmm, future project idea: Remote cloud access system for "Machine Shop As A Service".... Operate ancient cast-iron lathes and mills from the comfort of your armchair, kitchen or hot-tub. Definitely a winner. $$$$$$$$$$

[@KD2HJP]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves I'm 50. My old man owned a commercial insulation business from the 1960-1990's and he/we had everything but precision machining tools. You should start a MB&B (machining bed & breakfast)

[@someoneelse7629]

I am facinated that so many that watch this has absoluely no clue aboout the RF side, and just watch it for the machining

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

No clue about the RF side *YET* I'm playing a stealthy game and will be slipping deeper into the dark waters of RF and microwave engineering, but I'll be gentle....

[@TheDistur]

Hooray machining! Also I like when y'all over there say simples.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Heh heh, "Simples!" is a catchphrase from an insurance advert featuring a Russian-accented Meerkat. You couldn't make it up really!

[@andybonneau9209]

That banjo bluegrass riff warms my American heart.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

The composer is an amazing chap, his music is almost all freely available to use, and as a result it appears in SO many video games and KZbin vids.

[@jobkneppers]

The M4 tap is dull; that's why it squeaks. Drill size for M4, 3,3 mm works fine in brass. No nagging just trying to help. I'll burn in machinist hell also... Thank you for sharing your great content! Best, Job

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Hi Job, that tap is almost new, it has only been used to tap maybe 10 holes. I haven't checked where the drilled hole is accurate, I must check with a gauge pin. I bought two taps at the same time, I never thought to check the second tap to see if it is different. Always in too much of a hurry! Thanks, Neil

[@McTroyd]

With all that ribbon, you've got Christmas decorations covered for ages. Just don't let anyone touch it. 😁

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

My Chihuahuas love ribbons. Oh no!

[@sharg0]

I have a bunch of Inconel ribbons I intend to do a decoration of some day :-D

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Always useful when you run out of razor wire to protect your chickens and geese from foxes!

[@alwayscensored6871]

Delrin is one of my fav plastics to machine. UHMWPE would probably have worked too, but it is not as nice to machine, it still machines better than most other plastics.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

I like UHMWPE, I have used is for some dielectric lenses, but I put it in the freezer overnight before turning it. I also use it for low-friction waterproof bearings on dish elevation pivots!

[@alwayscensored6871]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves Wow, overnight freezing is a great tip. Thanks, that would make it stiffer and easier to machine. I used it for coloured LED light diffusing. At about 3mm thick it is better than any other plastic I tried. So nice and white.

[@franknukemcomegetsome2744]

Keep it up you’re doing great!👍😸

[@Bata.andrei]

I find the squicking of the brass thread cutting oddly satisfying.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ_OZGuqr62IhK8 heh heh....

[@sharg0]

About deflection and target dimensions. When I had my basic training in machining my teacher was adamant about two things initially: 1 - We weren't allowed to used digital readouts until we proved our skills with manual dials and taking proper measurements. 2 - We should be at target on the last but one cut at the latest so we could trust the last cut was well within tolerances. (And related, no grinding stuff to finish the part "You're here to learn to do it RIGHT - scrap it and start over!") This is one thing I like with working in inconel and similar - those materials are tough but also very predictable, adjust the tool setting with 5 µm and 5 µm is what one gets. I've also run my share of plastic parts in production - not once have I parted off using HSS. They thought of wasting time by grinding tools in a production environment... No problems with carbide.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

I have some excellent right-biased parting inserts for aluminium that work really well on plastic, but I bent the blade on that parting tool last week while I was filming a drilling operation and didn't realise the big Jacobs chuck would foul the parting tool. I was watching the camera and then heard a nasty noise. I don't think 30 degree bent parting blades can be used for anything! My ancient Newall DRO has a weird nonlinearity at 18 to 25 mm diameter, the readings are offset by up to 20 um and I can't see why. It's accurate again from 12 mm to zero and from 30mm up. I can avoid that range by using the compound at 90 degrees to put the Spherosyn scale back into the linear range. I should really buy a new DRO, that one uses TTL and discrete chips and the LED display is flaky. For critical dimensions I use a dial indicator as a double-check. When you need a waveguide spigot to be 3.980 with +8/-12 um tolerance, a 2 um resolution dial gauge is very useful for the last three cuts with a 0.2 mm tip radius. Pretty impressive for a cheap 850 kg cast iron lump from 1982 that it can hold those tolerances repeatably.

[@generaldisarray]

Love the videos, keep 'em coming

[@Blondihacks]

Ominous foreshadowing is the worst kind!

[@plunder1956]

I was remembering the serious (often violently vibrating) deflection of my TV antenna. I do feel some real concern about loads on the Antenna clamps and the banding around my chimney caused by wind loading. Even though the big silly birds landing on it look drastic, it's the wind I fear I have a civil engineering background from the 70s & 80s, I have seen what wind can do. It's a serious risk.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

The vibration is the killer. Static loads and fat bird impacts are less important, also electrolytic corrosion, corrosion from sulphur compounds in chimney smoke and salty air need to be considered. Most of the longer antennas use bracing wires and square booms to reduce vortex shedding and some have special spiral wound loading to dissipate vibration that can eventually cause fretting corrosion and even metal fatigue and work hardening fractures. Using stainless steel A2 or similar with aluminium in contact is a recipe for future trouble. We try to avoid the worst of those pitfalls, but to get the resonances damped in a complex structure needs in-situ testing plus regular inspection and corrosion protection

[@occasionalmachinist]

YOu had me on the edge of my seat when I heard the brass squealling...

[@Skyliner_369]

I started saying "Amy! that's Quinn's line!" every time she, well, takes one of her lines.

[@smash5967]

Is that sound from parting off the first delrin piece what happens when you marinate the insert in Tabasco for too long?

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

The smart kids are using Sriracha these days. But the underlying Physics is identical.

[@daretodreamtofly3288]

Can't do subtraction? Then how do you figure the acceleration of an object in space. I always use T=Thrust or time as I see fit M=Mass R=craft in motion not in contact of other mass V= Velocity D=Delta because I can't find the symbol on this Keyboard So the equation would look like Ā=V-Vo/t = DV/DT

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

It's to do with counting numbers rather than continuous variables. Like how many days are there since last Thursday, or how old I was in 1973. Off-by-one errors everywhere.

[@daretodreamtofly3288]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves XD so long as those errors are like the mathematics professors. How on earth they though 0.99999 was equally to 1 is beyond me. ⅓ is approximately equivalent to 0.33333 but not exactly. They're not going to be going to the moon anytime soon is all I'm saying. And you might not be able to turn your lathe into a time machine. Lol Greatly enjoy watching you turn knobes and making the cool things you do and appreciate getting noticed by you.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

I rather like the @Mathologer video on 0.9999999999 from back in the day kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXXXd3WJn7Ogo5I

[@daretodreamtofly3288]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves XD it is a pleased Sr. Must I say? For I haven't met many that have watch that video. It was very interesting back then. But I still can't agree. Regardless how far out you go it is still only approximately equal. It's why that ≈ symbol exists. You know before long they'll start saying numbers like 1×10^-32 is the same I As zero. I might not spontaneously Quantum tunnel though the Earth and come out the other side. But I'm still scared to crawl out of bed. Ooo though. Left field though, have you ever considered making a Neon or xenon lamp? I mean how cool would it be to the big brass\bronze\copper fittings and acrylic tube. I wish I had the space to do something like that, though I would probably use my knowledge about Tea and Lazers and end up with a xenon Lazer. Nothing that my neighbors need yet another reason to complain about me. I'm only trying to build a rocket to join tripoli with.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

@@daretodreamtofly3288 I did see a 0.1 terawatt pulsed CO2 laser at University in the 1970s, that was impressive. I have done some glassblowing and often wondered about making decorative discharge tubes, but I sold my vacuum pump a few years ago so I'd have to buy a new one and I already have WAY too many toys and projects!

[@KD2HJP]

I always hold people who have machinist tools and the chops to use em on the granite plinth they deserve to be on

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Heh heh, I have a granite plinth, but it's a 200 kg precision surface plate!

[@KD2HJP]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves I need a granite plinth for a turntable

[@zkasprzyk]

Greetings from Poland! Let's make the algorithm happy! 🕺

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Thanks! I hope to feature some of the excellent amplifiers and transverters I've bought from friends in Poland when I build them into full radio systems for 24 GHz and 2.3 GHz.

[@Boyracer73]

Good stuff as always :)

[@schulzcbs]

I really didn't expect quaternions on your channel 🤣. Whats their use in RF/machining?

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

The specific area for mechanics is the inverse kinematics of a Stewart hexapod platform. I'm working on an antenna dish steering system using six hydraulic rams instead of geared drives, which present a lot of problems of backlash and wear. The six degrees of freedom of the platform need the lengths of each leg to be calculated based on the target direction in space, but also its orientation, which is a 4-vector. The other use in microwave radio is for modulation schemes using polarisation diversity as an additional factor to increase channel throughput, and that needs a quaternion approach and QLMS filtering, and some schemes use something like a quaternion-based Fourier transform. arxiv.org/pdf/1504.02921.pdf talks of 16-QQAM as being the 4D version of 4-QAM.

[@schulzcbs]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves Interesting read, thanks! I wonder if those assumptions hold true in reality (normally distributed noise is a strong one and totally invalid in image processing). I'm more a high-dimensional-data and visualization person though. I've seen similar quaternion trickery in quantum error correction and stochastic ray tracing :)

[@theafro]

So, black delrin is black thanks to carbon-black being a part of it's recipe, I was always led to believe that it will effect the RF properties (especially at high frequencies) as although it is a miserable conductor, it's still conductive enough to mess with your lobes. Any idea if i was being told wishy-washy nonsense (it smells like it) or if there's some truth to it. I really hope its nonsense as I've got a great big length of delrin that is probably going to find itself in the path of some RF if I don't find other uses for it first.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

It's actually perfectly OK because it's not the tiny absorption that would matter, but the reflection and detuning and pattern spoiling. I ran some tests with 400 watts on 432MHz with a lump of this Delrin taped to the boom and there was no detectable increase in temperature at all. It isn't conductive, but it would matter if the particles were a significant proportion of a wavelength, or perhaps if the clamps looked like an electrical quarterwave or halfwave in some sort of weird dielectric resonance mode. It does detune the elements if you fix even a little bit near the ends, but on the boom, hald way between elements, I couldn't see any effect at all on tuning. The screws are cross-polarised compared with the yagis and are short. I tried modelling them but couldn't see any effect either.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

The bigger picture with acetal/POM/Delrin is the loss tangent, which is something like 0.02, when PTFE, Rexolite and HDPE are more like 0.0004. The molecules are somewhat polar, so there is a bit of absorption. It's not huge, but you wouldn't make a mmwave radome out of Delrin as the loss would be quite high if the thickness was a significant proportion of the wavelength. Materials like Kapton/polyimide are lossy, but can be made extremely thin and still retain stiffness, so the overall loss is still low. I've heard silly claims about carbon fibre masts used to make wired vertical monopoles being lossy, but the only impact is electrical shortening from the dielectric effect of the material, same as with fibreglass. I think there is a lot of nonsense about antennas because the Physics isn't intuitive, and the maths is hard and the real world is messy and complex. Actually doing the experiments and using electromagnetic modellers like OpenEMS rather than NEC does tend to shed some light into the dark corners of antenna mythology.

[@Paul-mb6ds]

Can't find the link to the edge spacer.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

www.machine-dro.co.uk/chuck-stop-set-edge-technology or www.edgetechnologyproducts.com/chuck-stop-30-000/ sorry I thought I'd copied it into the description 20 minutes ago. Ah, your message was 21 minutes ago!

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Robin Renzetti and Tom Liptop have chuck stops that are more flexible, but I use the Edge one a lot as it's very easy to throw on and off. I think Chuck of outsidescrewball (or someone) did a neat stop system that fits into a collet inside the headstock and has raised rings of various sizes. I'd like something like that but the Colchester has an oddball taper inside the headstock. I think I can come up with a solution, I'd really like something that would work with an ER40 collet chuck

[@HAL_9001]

Oh wow! I believe that's the first we've seen the face of I.S.A.A.C. (Inane Smug And Abstruse Commenter).

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

The Oppressor has a name! Yippee! Brilliant. The name of the Beast and Nemesis shall be ISAAC. Long may he fester and decay.

[@stevewilliams2498]

Wasn't your definition of machining based solely on "SUBTRACTION" ?

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Ooooh, you've got me there!

[@chrisstephens6673]

I'm only here for Aimee but since I am here, if you use a strip of abrasive cloth (80-150 grit) as a wrapper/jaw liner You will increase the grip on materials like plastics. PS grit to plastic if not already obvious.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Good tip, thanks Chris. The only time I've lost a lump of Delrin was when it was not far enough in the jaws, and the material actually deformed after I turned the carriage handle the wrong way and dug into the part. I tend to make soft-jaws with a slightly dovetailed edge when I'm holding Delrin/HDPE/PTFE/PU and use a live centre in the tailstock as an extra safety measure. Most of the plastics I work with are PEEK and cross-linked polystyrenes like Rexolite which are way harder than POM and the PE/PU and fluorinated stuff, and it's usually small enough to fit into a collet or at least through the headstock tube so it doesn't need to poke out silly amounts. I have an upcoming video about my adventures making an 8 inch vacuum chuck for machining Fresnel Zone Plate lenses out of 10 mm thick disks of HDPE. That is a whole different type of fun.

[@smash5967]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves you mostly work with peek and are complaining about the price of delrin? What's next, complaining about how the price of steel is almost as much now as your favorite brass was 10 years ago?

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

@@smash5967 Heh heh, I bought a 43 kg bar of 4" x 0.5" copper four years ago and it cost me £450. Last year, the price had almost doubled. Now I guess it's just a telephone number, although the futures market price is around $10500 per tonne, so maybe it won't be all that bad. I daren't ask....

[@irishwristwatch2487]

If youve got a sharp nosed HSS tool, theyre much better for machining plastics. You can drop a 10mm DOC on it, set the table and watch it unfurl like an old casette tape. I used to love making gear blanks as an apprentice just for the show. I also have literally zero idea what most of the stuff you make is (pure mech thank you, wiring gives me some kind of Vietnam-flashback breakdown 🤢) but they look interesting!

[@jimsvideos7201]

If you really need low conductivity there's titanium, but it's fiddly stuff.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Oh, the fun I had with titanium last year. Thin stringy chips with a little cutting oil and a fraction too heavy a cut and I had a blindingly-bright fire in the chip tray. Luckily there wasn't much metal, but it left interesting white smoke stains everywhere. I still have a couple of bars of the stuff that I'm keeping for some special project. I was cutting 1/4 UNC threads and turning and milling titanium tips for a Sonicator ultrasonic cell-wall disrupter. That was definitely an amusing little job. I saw one of the Russian machinists recently had a magnesium alloy fire in his chip tray, and that stuff doesn't go out. Titanium fires lose interest after a while. I kept the chip tray empty and stored the waste outside so I didn't set fire to the scrap bin with stray welding or grinding sparks.

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves hey, light the whole bucket up and there's your supply of sunscreen for the summer, lol. Actually AFAIK all you'd need to do is mix the ash with mineral oil and bob's your uncle.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

@@tissuepaper9962 "Trust me on the sunscreen". Baz Luhrmann. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYWtaHSwd659pas

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves nice, good song.

[@duckythescientist]

I got a little worried when you used your hand to grab the delrin as you were parting it off. I've heard that those ribbons can catch on things or very easily grab fingers. But I'm back seat machining, wasn't there, and don't even (yet!) own a lathe. So if you think it was fine, ignore my comment and just let this be algorithm fodder :D

[@duckythescientist]

And you addressed this literally in the next sentence after I unpaused the video 😅

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Normally I use a polythene food container or a folded sheet of paper as a catch tray but it's hard to use them with the cameras and lights while filming. Soon as I ditch this camera and get the overhead light/cam rails installed, and longer lenses, I'll be able to film without the added risk this causes. Perhaps I should 3D print some catch trays. Very good point though, I keep one foot on the emergency brake when parting off in case the blade grabs, but the chuck still turns several times even when I stomp the brake bar hard.

[@ptonpc]

I'm just going to nod and try to look like I know what I'm doing.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

That strategy has got me through the majority of my adult life so far. It's a winner, especially if you can nod CONVINCINGLY.

[@ptonpc]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves *nods* Agreed.. ahem...

[@ego73]

Quinn's awesome, isn't she?

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Completely.

[@mcconkeyb]

Umm... Spring cuts are used because they work. You even said it, all material is springy, so therefore spring cuts. Must have recorded this on Apr. 1, but April's fools jokes don't work so well when the video isn't uploaded until 9 days later. :-)

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

If I use two or three balanced cuts of the same approximate depth, the amount of deflection is totally consistent and I can hit the dimension every time with the tool nose radius buried at a good depth to get an excellent surface finish and decent chip formation. Stefan did a good explanation at kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqinoWSXbLuNbJY and Jon did one (with added cucumber) at kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3erXquJp7atatU

[@k8byp]

Acetal IS NOT invisible to RF" ( made up meme, no such term exists in RF enginerring.) Acetal is a plastic with a DIELECTRIC CONSTANT and relatively high Loss Tangent.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

True, for certain specialized values of "true". "Relatively high" is about 0.02, which is relatively high compared with Rexolite and PTFE and HDPE and similar non-polar dielectrics, but for the dimensions and location of the RF fields on these beams at 432 MHz, the impact isn't measurable. 400 watts for ten minutes caused no significant rise in temperature of the acetal (less than 1 degree, but that was actually -0.8 degree, so under the measurement uncertainty) and no measurable change in pattern, although detecting any change in sidelobe levels or gain below about 0.2dB is tough. the return loss showed no measurable change either. "No measurable impact" isn't *QUITE* the same as "invisible", but it's close enough for a KZbin title. It's effectively invisible in this application, being no further than 26 mm from the boom perpendicular to the elements and on the opposite side of the boom, and only 12 mm from the boom on the element side, and clamped around 30x30 or 40x40 booms. So yeah, If this was a scientific paper, I'd have stated my measurement precision and reported the detailed numbers. As this is actually a piece of entertainment intended to support the sale of online advertising by KZbin, rather than a submission to a learned journal, or a doctoral thesis. I think a tiny degree of hyperbole and popularization is reasonable in the cause of attracting viewers to the subject who might not watch a video with a dry-sounding title. Certainly when contrasted with the usual excesses of KZbin titling and thumbnailery, this is pretty innocent stuff, isn't it?

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

I've added an explanatory note in the description. Part 2 has some detail about the testing and modelling. Upcoming videos have examples of dielectric lensing, Fresnel Zone Plates, dielrod/dielspike antenna feeds and dielguide/subreflector feeds for deep dishes using Rexolite 1422, UHMWPE, PTFE, HDPE and other low loss-tangent dielectrics

[@fletcherreder6091]

Kitty did _not_ like the tapping part. I don't think she's ever used a tap before though, so don't take her opinion to heart.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

I've already ordered five new Cobalt HSS drills in the Right Size to avoid unwarranted stress to me and sensitive viewers of all varieties. My two Chihuahuas dash out into the garden, barking wildly, every time they hear an unexpected machining noise. Earlier today they heard me talking back to AIMEE and decided there was an Intruder to repel, so there was a huge barrage of barking, which of course was in my recording. A few minutes later, I played it back, complete with the barrage of barking and it was like launching two anti-aircraft missiles, they shot out through both cat-flaps, scarcely touching the ground or pausing to breath between barks, ready to chase the invading dogs away. They're not very bright, unable to recognise their own voices. They are very sweet souls, except when they think there are Burglers, Robbers and Vagabonds at large. Then it is pure savagery in tiny packages, but the rage per kilogram exceeds that of an charging grizzly bear.

[@fletcherreder6091]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves that super adorable

[@vincei4252]

Aimee always has a snug grin. Be careful, she could be telling you you're toxic next. In terms of safety at least you weren't the guy I watched today that had dental floss grasped in his fingers using it to floss the gaps in a part that was spinning in his lathe chuck. The thought of one or more of those fingers getting snatched off after a slip was horrifying.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Yikes, now THAT is a different level of silly.

[@JaenEngineering]

To be fair, he lives in a country where literally everything is super venomous and trying to kill you, so safety becomes somewhat relative!

[@peterbarratt8699]

Taipan motor rebuild, huh?

[@69uremum]

Those stock pictures for the talking head shots are cringy.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Heh heh, those "Stock Photos" are anything but. They are actually algorithmically-generated JPEG renders created by a Generative Adversarial Algorithm on thispersondoesnotexist.com The images only exist for one second and never repeat. they are one algorithm's idea of what to draw in order that a different algorithm would be unable to decide whether the output of the algorithm was an image of a real human face or now. It's the very definition of the Uncanny Valley of Cringe, it should make us feel uncomfortable, alarmed even. The image is just a flat representation of blocks of Discrete Cosine Transforms and entropy encoded quantized data encoded stored as Huffmann tables (but I guess you knew that), so it's fascinating to try to understand how those generated byte sequences evoke a range of responses in human viewers. AIMEE gets fan mail, despite being just blocks of FF bytes followed by type codes and encoded table values. See also thishorsedoesnotexist.com but that is a nightmare world of two-headed, five-legged horses ridden or led by weird beings

[@Strothy2]

Machining Delrin is all fun and games until... the part sucks back in the strings of the last 2H of working and the whole fucking birds nest you made gets shredded into confetti right in from of your face... :)

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

I clear out the ribbons VERY regularly after a particularly impressive auto-emptying of the entire chip tray in milliseconds, including a few nice sharp bits of stainless swarf, all thrashing round at 1300 rpm

[@Strothy2]

@@MachiningandMicrowaves I used to have production runs of up to 2500 parts (about 20 min each with 3-4 tool changes in mostly POM, and ABS) on a Weiler E30 (wanna be CNC lathe), and at some point you stop clearing them out and just accept that every so often you need to throw away one part because the confetti machine happened... Also, the coffee is not gonna drink itself...

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

@@Strothy2 On some of the larger parts, and particularly with UHMWPE, I've managed to get the ribbons to fly in a graceful arc straight into a bin a few feet from the lathe. Although there was that one time when I changed the feed rate and didn't move the bin. That was a big mess.

[@edgeeffect]

It's bad enough having Aimee on your back all the time without "I hate you! You are a useless machinist!". :) :) :) Good job you don't do circuit assembly on here..... because the moment you put your through-hole resistors in "the wrong way round".......................

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Unmarked SMD resistors are a joy**, because nobody can tell you they are the wrong way round. There will be some circuit assembly soon, making more of these, but the F6BVA 10 GHz flavour. This is a Kuhne kit. www.g4dbn.uk/?p=241 ** until you place one in the wrong location!

[@tissuepaper9962]

69th comment.

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

True. Whichever way you look at it.

[@franklingomez5311]

First!

[@neillawson4493]

You think we're "polite company"? I would have thought you knew your audience better..

[@MachiningandMicrowaves]

Ha ha! Entirely correct for certain highly-specialized meanings of the word "polite" then...