Custom Billet Shift Knob for Toyota Tacoma (2-1/4" diameter). ***Utilizes factory boot.***

Seeing these progress in stages is really neat.

 

Not shown are 4 more fixtures of a new design that I am making, which are for the new Chuck I purchased today (pro quality with great repeatability). I also made two indexable tool holders for my radius tool(they hold carbide inserts). The brazed tools that it came with require maintenance with grinding equipment that I don't have yet, but I do have a ton of inserts!

Tweaking the process to perfection should help me go faster, and then eventually spend more time with the family when I catch up!

 

But then, spending more time with the new toys. It is a lovely, vicious cycle.

Just wait until you bring on your first pleeb. Hahaha!

 

Really wish I could hire somebody. Machining is funny that way. "Hmm, I need you to have a ridiculous amount of skill and experience, but I cannot pay you very much at all."

I need to find a bored and retired German guy who has a fundamental need for precision.

 

Or an old Brit that can organize and then go out on strike. Leyland Knobs! FTW!

 

3wk progress. Top engraving and a few final collar processes, and that's it.

Slightly behind, but each knob will have its own fixture now, should be able to move much more efficiently.

#2 is for a VW, need to get an M12x1.5 fixture bolt before I can go any farther. Thought I had one, but I do not.

 

Sweet! You gotta keep an eye on ze Germans.

 

To show another project that I tackled this time around, here is my radius tool set. I patiently waited for the right ebay auction to pop up, and ended up scoring the 3D (which is pretty rare relative to the 3S). This set is about $950 new, which is absolutely bananas ... but I was willing to pay that if I had to.

This popped up for $440 and free shipping. You can see that some of the longer tool bits still have the original dip seal. The set was 100% complete, with extra shims to fit the center height of various lathes. I only had to make a T-nut for my lathe compound, everything else was already there.




Left side (pic below) is one of the brazed tool bits it comes with. They work great, but I have about 80 DCMT carbide inserts that I would rather use, just so I don't have to buy grinding equipment to maintain the edge on the original tool.

Holdridge sells an actual insert holding tool (middle of picture), but it only works with their proprietary inserts ... and they are overpriced like you wouldn't believe.

The indexable tool shank should cost maybe $30, and a single carbide insert about $12 ... just normal pricing for something like this. Holdridge prices are $90 and $25, respectively. Whaaaat? That pissed me off. Would have been happy to support their fine products at a reasonable price, but blatant gouging is where I draw the line.




There were no answers as to why a standard insert would not work in their holder, but it was well known to be the case. Turns out the insert pocket walls (pic below) were tapered to match the 11 degree relief of their inserts. Straighten those out and the standard DCMT insert fits (which has 7 degree relief). I modified their holder, and then made one of my own (right side of above picture).

Then I signed up on a machinist forum and spilled the beans so the information was out there for others to exploit.
https://i.imgur.com/cKbfVQC.gif

 

That all black delrin

Just needs a bit longer shaft to go all the way to the boot of my 2nd gen. Strange that they simply thread all the way down, applying enough pressure there to "lock" the boot onto the shifter linkage shaft. Whereas the turds lock at the bottom of the shift knob and require you making a second part to mate with the boot collar's lock.

 

Yep. Sometimes I wonder why their designs are unecessarily complex. Perhaps it's a low level group of engineers having some fun with it, or maybe done to discourage people from wanting to work with their design.

 

Makes no sense to change such a small cosmetic item in that way.

 

Design by committee never fails to surprise. Everyone from designers to bean counters to engineers to mold makers and assemblers have input at some stage. It is interesting think about and difficult to accept. Haha!

 

I should rename the V1 connection to "M2 Bradley".

 

No! You are much faster than a Bradley. How about F-111?

 

Hahaha, nice.

 

These are shipping tomorrow.

 

Noice, someone's getting early Xmas...cept the dood who ordered those fugly radio knobs. They're not even round....Or Ti

 

I'm going to guess the third from left is mine?

 

Naww, yours isn't finished yet and will look like the one the far right in the above pic when complete (with the different boot connection, though). 3rd from left is stainless, and I have you down for aluminum w/ pocketed shift pattern.

 

No stainless to deal with in the remaining back log, so the original ship date of December 14th should be easy for me to hit.