The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

TechShop Arrives in Detroit

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On May 5th and 6th, TechShop will be opening its newest location in Detroit, a city where there are probably quite a few guys who would really appreciate it. Although we've mentioned TechShop on more than one occasion over the last several years, they haven't been expanding anywhere near as fast as many of us had hoped. The completely equipped membership workshop is such a … [Read more...]

Rediscover Lost Knowledge – The Concrete Lathe

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In today's Internet connected world where practically every bit of information seems to be at our fingertips, it's hard to believe that some old and very unique know-how sometimes slips away. Lucien Yeomans, way back in 1915, invented a method to construct the beds of metalworking lathes from concrete instead of cast iron. Pat Delaney, who was trying to come up with a method to … [Read more...]

Garage Life Feeds Your Workshop Fantasy

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How many guys might define their ideal home as a huge multi-bay garage with a small living area overhead or off to one side? Many years ago I ran into a website for a magazine called Garage Life that seems written for the Japanese motorhead with the same idea, it's all in Japanese and I couldn't find any way to subscribe. When Mule wrote about his very functional garage … [Read more...]

Igniting the Hands On Spark Building Model Kits

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Were you ever a modeler? Do you remember yourself opening those boxes from Monogram or Revell containing all of the plastic makings of an airplane, a ship, a car or a truck? As you pulled off the lid that often had an action image of what you were going to build, you could see the assembly instructions folded neatly inside, a sheet or two of decals and all of the parts, large … [Read more...]

Heavy Press Program – Monster Machines for Forging Light Metal Components

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We talk about all sorts of methods here for making metal components, from welding and machining to casting small and large parts, and some of you are personally involved with a lot of these methods on a daily basis, but I came across this article yesterday about the Heavy Press Program, and it just stopped me in my tracks. These machines are absolutely breathtaking. The … [Read more...]

Building a CNC Milling Machine the Hard Way

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Current CNC milling machines have dramatically advanced what a builder can create from a simple block of metal, and as we've seen, a properly programmed high end mill can turn out amazing work. Home machinists and builders often make do with more basic equipment allowing them to make those special one off parts or even a series of parts, but if you start with a basic milling … [Read more...]