Reo VV - A major modification
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I think it's only fitting to mention here for the benefit of newcomers who may be following this thread that by no means do Reo's need modding. In fact Reo's are built pretty much bullet proof and require not much else other than a health rinse of warm water every so often to function for a lifetime.
What I'm showing here is one old man's feeble attempt in tinkering and changing things to make them unique while trying desperately to avoid screw ups in the process. Please understand that I in no way encourage fellow Reonauts to mess with their perfectly good Reo's.
If you think this is cool and perhaps feel the urge to attempt something similar I will happily show you some of my mega screw ups which will probably bring a tear to your eye.
Best trick to make your Reo function better than what it already does is ......... a fresh battery
What I'm showing here is one old man's feeble attempt in tinkering and changing things to make them unique while trying desperately to avoid screw ups in the process. Please understand that I in no way encourage fellow Reonauts to mess with their perfectly good Reo's.
If you think this is cool and perhaps feel the urge to attempt something similar I will happily show you some of my mega screw ups which will probably bring a tear to your eye.
Best trick to make your Reo function better than what it already does is ......... a fresh battery
Hey, we've all been caught up by the allure of Harbor freight junk...after all, it's the disposable tool store 
...as it is I've blown out the bearings in 2 cheap DPs now with milling...sooner or later I'll just have to break down and pick one up (that and a real metal lathe)
But until then I went "poor man" again but I researched this latest DP pretty carefully...I bought a 12" shop Fox that also doubles as a spindle sander...most budget DP's focus (obviously) on their thrust bearings as their main concern is linear force...but tend to go a little light on the radial bearings as there's not a lot of expected side loading of the spindle (which pretty much what milling does)...shop Fox touts that they put 2 beefy radial bearings expecting a fair amount of side loading of the spindle during sanding...and their not lying...there is almost zero spindle lash...pretty impressive $170 DP...it's still no "mill" but for what I use it for I've been more than happy so far.
And talk about marketing...right next to the Shop Fox in this particular B&M stood a 17" JET (serious gear) for $430...catching guys like me that go "well, I'm already looking at $170...in for a penny, in for a pound"...if I knew my wife wouldn't have killed me it would have been the JET...ah well
The biggest "mill like" feature of the JET was it has a super tight vertical height adjustment...as it was, I spent 3 hours on the Shop Fox fabbing up a proper height adjustment bracket (tossed the plastic thing that's supposed to be clamped to the spindle...I used an 1 1/2" muffler clamp and some aluminum angle...it works alright but could be better, I've got some 1/4" aluminum plate for ver. 2...next weekends project
...as it is I've blown out the bearings in 2 cheap DPs now with milling...sooner or later I'll just have to break down and pick one up (that and a real metal lathe)But until then I went "poor man" again but I researched this latest DP pretty carefully...I bought a 12" shop Fox that also doubles as a spindle sander...most budget DP's focus (obviously) on their thrust bearings as their main concern is linear force...but tend to go a little light on the radial bearings as there's not a lot of expected side loading of the spindle (which pretty much what milling does)...shop Fox touts that they put 2 beefy radial bearings expecting a fair amount of side loading of the spindle during sanding...and their not lying...there is almost zero spindle lash...pretty impressive $170 DP...it's still no "mill" but for what I use it for I've been more than happy so far.
And talk about marketing...right next to the Shop Fox in this particular B&M stood a 17" JET (serious gear) for $430...catching guys like me that go "well, I'm already looking at $170...in for a penny, in for a pound"...if I knew my wife wouldn't have killed me it would have been the JET...ah well
The biggest "mill like" feature of the JET was it has a super tight vertical height adjustment...as it was, I spent 3 hours on the Shop Fox fabbing up a proper height adjustment bracket (tossed the plastic thing that's supposed to be clamped to the spindle...I used an 1 1/2" muffler clamp and some aluminum angle...it works alright but could be better, I've got some 1/4" aluminum plate for ver. 2...next weekends project
I think it's only fitting to mention here for the benefit of newcomers who may be following this thread that by no means do Reo's need modding. In fact Reo's are built pretty much bullet proof and require not much else other than a health rinse of warm water every so often to function for a lifetime.
What I'm showing here is one old man's feeble attempt in tinkering and changing things to make them unique while trying desperately to avoid screw ups in the process. Please understand that I in no way encourage fellow Reonauts to mess with their perfectly good Reo's.
If you think this is cool and perhaps feel the urge to attempt something similar I will happily show you some of my mega screw ups which will probably bring a tear to your eye.
Best trick to make your Reo function better than what it already does is ......... a fresh battery
I agree with everything you said...thing is I was one of those kids that had every toy I got for Christmas dismantled and modified by the end of January (starting with the good toys, I just HAD to know how they worked...my dad finally gave up and started buying me meccano saying if you want a new toy, build one...my toy trucks had 4 wheel independent suspension
Quigs you and I are so alike. I walk in a tool store and I'm like a kid on Christmas day, sad really but there you go.
You nailed it about the drill presses, those lateral loads are just too much for most cheapo DP's and mine is certainly no exception. I've frequently drooled over those JET all white DP's and planers, and joiners and spindle sanders and dust collectors and band saws and and and....... I just want them all.
BTW I once asked a machinist friend about milling with a DP and he said that the problem with guys like me is the lack of patience. He said instead of taking out with each pass 3/8th of metal try 1/8000 nd and you'll find your DP will be with you for much longer. After that much valued tip I still find myself attempting the impossible
You nailed it about the drill presses, those lateral loads are just too much for most cheapo DP's and mine is certainly no exception. I've frequently drooled over those JET all white DP's and planers, and joiners and spindle sanders and dust collectors and band saws and and and....... I just want them all.
BTW I once asked a machinist friend about milling with a DP and he said that the problem with guys like me is the lack of patience. He said instead of taking out with each pass 3/8th of metal try 1/8000 nd and you'll find your DP will be with you for much longer. After that much valued tip I still find myself attempting the impossible
I agree with everything you said...thing is I was one of those kids that had every toy I got for Christmas dismantled and modified by the end of January (starting with the good toys, I just HAD to know how they worked...my dad finally gave up and started buying me meccano saying if you want a new toy, build one...my toy trucks had 4 wheel independent suspension
HAHAHHAAAAAAA oh you bring back memories with those steel meccano kits. I'd be all over that for hours on end.
Jet.... I bought a Jet Mini Lathe (wood) and near every accessory known to man for it in the 90's, used the crap out of it until a few years ago. It's manual speed, from before they added a speed control to them. Built like a tank, it's still as good as it ever was (but sadly has been in storage for years now).
Many of my other wood and gun shop tools were Grizzly... also reliable and well made.
Many of my other wood and gun shop tools were Grizzly... also reliable and well made.
Mod on my friend nice to see guys enjoying it . I never have the time to enjoy modding anymore always under pressureI think it's only fitting to mention here for the benefit of newcomers who may be following this thread that by no means do Reo's need modding. In fact Reo's are built pretty much bullet proof and require not much else other than a health rinse of warm water every so often to function for a lifetime.
What I'm showing here is one old man's feeble attempt in tinkering and changing things to make them unique while trying desperately to avoid screw ups in the process. Please understand that I in no way encourage fellow Reonauts to mess with their perfectly good Reo's.
If you think this is cool and perhaps feel the urge to attempt something similar I will happily show you some of my mega screw ups which will probably bring a tear to your eye.
Best trick to make your Reo function better than what it already does is ......... a fresh battery
Jet.... I bought a Jet Mini Lathe (wood) and near every accessory known to man for it in the 90's, used the crap out of it until a few years ago. It's manual speed, from before they added a speed control to them. Built like a tank, it's still as good as it ever was (but sadly has been in storage for years now).
Many of my other wood and gun shop tools were Grizzly... also reliable and well made.
That's sweet, take that puppy out of storage and have some fun
Hey Rob the screw up is just around the corner and guess what I'll be back looking for new toys to mod
Wish I could... but all the health issues cards I was dealt (starting in 2003) eventually ended my shop days by 2009. Don't have enough room in the storage garage to set the tools up anyway, a Corvette I also will never drive again takes it up.
Quigs you and I are so alike. I walk in a tool store and I'm like a kid on Christmas day, sad really but there you go.
You nailed it about the drill presses, those lateral loads are just too much for most cheapo DP's and mine is certainly no exception. I've frequently drooled over those JET all white DP's and planers, and joiners and spindle sanders and dust collectors and band saws and and and....... I just want them all.
BTW I once asked a machinist friend about milling with a DP and he said that the problem with guys like me is the lack of patience. He said instead of taking out with each pass 3/8th of metal try 1/8000 nd and you'll find your DP will be with you for much longer. After that much valued tip I still find myself attempting the impossible
I read the same thing on one of the machinist forums I lurk on. I tell you, if I had to do it all over again...I remember doing a big electrical job at a marine machine shop that made "Z" drives for Ferries and tugboats...they made their own gears?!?, like big honkin' 3' in diameter crown gears and had some $300K Toshiba CNC mill you could walk in doing the final machining on the props that came to them pre-cast...now THAT's a mill
...my productivity on that job was zero...may as well be a kid trying to work at Disney Land.But that is why I told you about the batt drill think...lots of passes and just shave it.
Hey Rob the screw up is just around the corner and guess what I'll be back looking for new toys to mod
That's how I see it...where do you think I get all these Grands to mod?
I read the same thing on one of the machinist forums I lurk on. I tell you, if I had to do it all over again...I remember doing a big electrical job at a marine machine shop that made "Z" drives for Ferries and tugboats...they made their own gears?!?, like big honkin' 3' in diameter crown gears and had some $300K Toshiba CNC mill you could walk in doing the final machining on the props that came to them pre-cast...now THAT's a mill
But that is why I told you about the batt drill think...lots of passes and just shave it.
Soon as I get home that plastic cap is coming off I'm telling you. I'm dying to try it and see how fast and smooth it'll go. You probably just cut down on my milling time by 70% buddy.
Quigs this is purely from memory just to show you how i'm going to prepare the sides for the wood inlays. It isn't dimensionally correct as i didn't have the exact dimensions with me but you get the idea I guess. I'll make a new one with the right dimensions in a few days so send me your email with a PM
Thanks buddy
Steve
ScreenHunter_31 Nov. 06 02.27
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ScreenHunter_33 Nov. 06 02.29
Thanks buddy
Steve
ScreenHunter_31 Nov. 06 02.27ScreenHunter_32 Nov. 06 02.28ScreenHunter_33 Nov. 06 02.29
Here is an update of how I'm getting on with my VV Grand modding. I decided to make some small changes to my design because I had the idea to have somewhere on the mod embedded in the wood a set of wings from aluminum. Since I needed enough wooden real estate to do that I decided to mill all sides down and wrap the mod in birdseye burl and put the wings on the back to contrast with the wood.
I used steel epoxy to glue the wood to the aluminum and then when it set I sand it down on the belt and the disk sander. I've test fitted flush the fatdaddy BF 510 and now got the interior to do and the fire button which I'll put on the side (bottle side) and then I'll leave for last the finish (sanding with 2500 grit)
I plan to shoot this with a couple light coats of clear then buff it with paste on the buffing wheels.
Overall it's coming along great and I should have it wrapped up next week
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Once I'm finished I'll engrave the wings to give them some texture and depth
I used steel epoxy to glue the wood to the aluminum and then when it set I sand it down on the belt and the disk sander. I've test fitted flush the fatdaddy BF 510 and now got the interior to do and the fire button which I'll put on the side (bottle side) and then I'll leave for last the finish (sanding with 2500 grit)
I plan to shoot this with a couple light coats of clear then buff it with paste on the buffing wheels.
Overall it's coming along great and I should have it wrapped up next week
UntitledUntitledUntitledUntitledUntitledUntitledUntitledOnce I'm finished I'll engrave the wings to give them some texture and depth
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Wow beautiful! Being a pilot myself this is right up my alley. I cant wait to see the finished product.
I have taken a 5 yr break from flying to pursue my oilfield business but I used to do air tours and banner towing at kitty hawk. Am also an IA/A&P.
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