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Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:32 pm
by Papa Gleb
With very minimal space available but with a big need for a grinder, lathe, polisher, sander etc etc, I came up with this little jig. The final price was only $2 and that was for the hose clamps because the wood used were scraps and I had a roll of sticky insulation and the hard foam. The hard foam came from my kids floor mate but Im sure Home Depot has plenty to choose from. Just remember you want hard foam because it allows the screws to dig in leaving area to protect the drill from the screws.

Its pretty self explanatory but I do want to outline 1 very interesting ability and that is full variable control. The hose clamp holding the handle of the drill is adjustable so if I want just a few RPMs I give it a quarter turn but if I want full power just tighten that clamp all the way. You have twice as much precision then with your finger so your able to have much more control of your RPMs.

You will also need to clamp the entire jig onto a bench or table so a C clamp or vise clamp is also needed.

I also want to figure out a way to adjust the jig so that the battery releases easier. Right now its pretty hard to get it in or out. If you haven’t figured out why I want to remove the battery well that’s because shut the drill down immediately. Otherwise I would need to unscrew the clamp. It’s a safe precaution.

As for the grinder and sander, I am working on an attachment jig that will be a little platform which will allow the work piece to also be a bit stationary. I may be explaining this wrong but every bench grinder has a little stand by each wheel.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:34 pm
by Papa Gleb
Notice that one the 2nd to last picture, the LED has just a hair of light but when I give it a slight turn it lights up more. This should give you a picture as to how much RPM control you have.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:43 pm
by Doogs
Papa just put the handle clamp above the brace clamps and put the drill in upside down. Voila easy battery removal.

ETA: This could give you some room underneath to mount a tool/stock rest.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:53 pm
by freek007
Creative solution, I dig it!

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 2:25 pm
by escapenrv
nice work...I may try it too
Steve

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:50 pm
by l0ckcr4ck3r
Nice job PG, If it works for what you need thats all that matters!

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 4:59 pm
by HT4
I love creative solutions. Now we need to see it in action! How does it work? I'm also curious as to what tips you use.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 5:56 pm
by Papa Gleb
Thanks gents.
Doogs, I dont want it suspended in mid air because it will require more pressure on the clamps which will have more pressure on the drill. Gotta thing of the star of this show before anything else or I will have a empty jig.

I used a brass wire wheel for now but I will be trying a grinding wheel to see how it works. ill keep you all posted.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 6:51 pm
by Doogs
Papa Gleb wrote:Thanks gents.
Doogs, I dont want it suspended in mid air because it will require more pressure on the clamps which will have more pressure on the drill. Gotta thing of the star of this show before anything else or I will have a empty jig.

I used a brass wire wheel for now but I will be trying a grinding wheel to see how it works. ill keep you all posted.


I can appreciate that Papa.

What if you hinged the two boards and locked them in place with a throw bolt or hook and eye system. Just tossing ideas out there. Also not sure about Porter Cables but my Ryobi's can get the directional control switch knocked into neutral while running however my DeWalts can't.


P.S. You probably don't want to know how severely I abuse my cordless drills.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 7:32 am
by plugspin
Nice rig! Upside-down drill will change the center of gravity if you want the drill at the same height which may not be desirable. The only thing I can think of off-hand is to use a lever in front of the trigger instead of the hose clamp (and a second lever behind the pistol-grip that doesn't move). You could then use a hose clamp to connect both levers and squeeze the trigger with the same precision, and if you need to shut it off quickly you can just slide the clamp outwards away from the drill (removing the clamp). However there's potential for that to get squirrely, but off-hand that's all I have for a quick-release mechanism that doesn't involve modifying the drill. If it were me I would add a remote-on-off switch in series with the battery, probably somewhere on the handle above or below the grip. But it's a nice drill so I understand the desire to avoid that.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 8:18 am
by Papa Gleb
Thanks gents. Yes I want to avoid changing or damaging this drill. I love it despite its wobbly chuck. I was blown away when this one arrived and Although Amazon had replaced this unit 4x for me due to the chuck I gave up and acknowledge that Porter Cable is also a victim like they all are including DeWalt. The drill I had before this was a 10 yr old Ryobi which had half the power, no speed control, and no lithium batteries so I had to charge it for 3 hours before I could us it lol.

I see your idea on the levers but i dont see that being practical in the long run because the trigger lever has to move so unless I get a joint lever. I like the idea about a relay switch but again dont want to mess with this drill.

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:02 am
by jeffmoss26
Very nice. I guess I am spoiled with my bench vise, grinder, key machine etc. A drill press would be nice though!

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 8:40 pm
by Hugo Martel
jeffmoss26 wrote:Very nice. I guess I am spoiled with my bench vise, grinder, key machine etc. A drill press would be nice though!



LOL Jeff I am spoilled rotten: 8 inches 3/4HP bench grinder, 2 key machines, 2 bench vises, electric sander, a bunch of dewalt, makita and botsh angle grinders, a bunch of corded drills, WAY more than that I am very lucky to have acces to all this stuff ( your thinking drill press, I am thinking milling machine...)

Hugo Martel :circlip:

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 9:12 pm
by jeffmoss26
I had access to a full machine shop at my old work...manual mills, lathes, CNC...I miss it sometimes :)

Re: Home Brew Multi Tool (Lathe/Grinder/Polisher/Sander etc)

PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 11:17 am
by Papa Gleb
Im still out on the hunt to become friends with a machinist near me not so much as to use which would be amazing but to watch and learn. Ill even be happy with any shop allowing me some use of their drill press. I made friends with a locksmith so I have access to the Blitz and 3 other machines but thats just for cutting keys, I want to make my own keys very badly. I even came so close to having my own mini shop at my moms house lol. She was cool with it so I picked out which drill press even took it a step further and started to pick out a mill but then I got a car :(. lol so its a love hate thing. But I did pick up a 5" bench grinder since I last posted on this topic which is awesome. Small and light which is perfect for me. $10 at a flea market and its very very old but hardly use. Even has original wheels which look near mint. Was missing all guards but thanks to the Butcher he made me new ones.

As for this topic, I have still not even used it lol.