Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Wolfgang]

Will everyone stop it with the 3DP stuff. I've got a fat chunk of cash burning a hole in my pocket from "crap clearout", a footless scope and the requirement to make some custom parts. I'm trying not to solve it that was as I'm stuffed for time on everything already

3D printig is for masochists.
In ads you see perfect parts, the crude junk leaving your printer is another matter.
It took me years to get usable parts out of my 3D machinery. Now I make some, where machining them with a CNC mill is too difficult.
The typical 3D development cycle : enthusiasm - frustration - sobering - pragmatic use without emotions

https://electronicprojectsforfun.wordpress.com/3d-printing-desasters/
https://electronicprojectsforfun.wordpress.com/using-the-keysight-autoprobe-interface-in-your-own-projects/

[Addicted2AnalogTek]

I bought one. $30 plus $3.66 shipping plus tax. They are located in NY so should get it quick.

Yea....NOT CHEAP. 

$30?!?!?

I have the parts unit 485 and a curve tracer and would have been OK parting with a tested used 512-0177-00 for a hell of a lot less than that!

[xrunner]

The typical 3D development cycle : enthusiasm - frustration - sobering - pragmatic use without emotions

My goodness was it that bad an experience for you? 

[Wolfgang]

YES, it was. but now I can make decent parts when avoiding all pitfalls.

[bd139]

You see that's why I can't be arsed. I'd rather ship the file off to someone else to cry at 

[tggzzz]

You see that's why I can't be arsed. I'd rather ship the file off to someone else to cry at 

Precisely.

Plus you can get it made in a decent materlal, e.g. nylon, SLA, brass, ... Or if you are prepared to use a crap material, you can google for "3d printers near X" and find lots of people that think they can make money from their printer.

The only problem is if you are on a tight timescale and need a respin.

[Wolfgang]

You see that's why I can't be arsed. I'd rather ship the file off to someone else to cry at 

Good idea, I tried that as well. Parts were OK but getting expensive when you wanted non-warp materials.

Now I found a guy in Vienna who took the bet that my parts (flat clamps for my CNC mill) wont warp. He tried dozens of materials, and
all of them did not work. But he never gave up (good guy). After a while, I found a new Chinese stuff that promised almost
zero thermal expansion. He ordered it, tried it out, and it worked. Result: I bought the printer plus the
material from him Persistence pays in the end. The guys from Stratasys had no clue.

[factory]

Your story saved me. Mahalo!  So the 3400A sits on my bench  while I try to find a complete rear panel for it. Rivets.    The weird rounded corner rectangle power socket.    A modern socket won't fit without major metal work that is beyond my skill. 

I can see the problem with trying to fit a modern socket to a 1960's 3400A, they had to move the line voltage selector & SN plate up a bit to make room for the larger IEC socket. The newer unit is my parts mule.


Do you have the old power cord? replacement PH-163 sockets aren't too hard to find.
eBay auction: #254240034537 others are available.

David

[med6753]

I bought one. $30 plus $3.66 shipping plus tax. They are located in NY so should get it quick.

Yea....NOT CHEAP. 

$30?!?!?

I have the parts unit 485 and a curve tracer and would have been OK parting with a tested used 512-0177-00 for a hell of a lot less than that!

Well, if I need another one you'll be hearing from me. 

[mnementh]

Will everyone stop it with the 3DP stuff. I've got a fat chunk of cash burning a hole in my pocket from "crap clearout", a footless scope and the requirement to make some custom parts. I'm trying not to solve it that was as I'm stuffed for time on everything already

3D printing is for masochists.
In ads you see perfect parts, the crude junk leaving your printer is another matter.
It took me years to get usable parts out of my 3D machinery. Now I make some, where machining them with a CNC mill is too difficult.
The typical 3D development cycle : enthusiasm - frustration - sobering - pragmatic use without emotions

https://electronicprojectsforfun.wordpress.com/3d-printing-desasters/
https://electronicprojectsforfun.wordpress.com/using-the-keysight-autoprobe-interface-in-your-own-projects/

For those playing along at home:

Buy an Ender or Tevo Tornado. You'll fall in love with FDM fabrication all over again. 

I did the same misery² route myself... spent months fucking around with multiple iterations of "PRUSA Kits" until I was ready to shoot the whole industry with the biggest photon torpedo I could find.

Then I helped a friend put together an Ender online and it was literally painless, for both of us. So I got curious and bought its cousin, the Tornado. I was printing usable parts an hour after I opened the box, and that included time spent being anal about cable dress.

If you expect SLA-resolution parts from FDM, you're fucking yourself before you ever start. If you go into it expecting to make parts of similar precision to what a man can make braking sheetmetal or welding structural steel, you will be rewarded with parts that meet or exceed your need.

I forgot to mention the canonical rules of product selection: no Oracle, no Autodesk. Anything else? 

Then you've fucked yourself before you even begin. Think of Fusion360 the same way you do Winbloze: Tie its feet together to minimize testicular assault, keep local copies of your work and use it until you get close to something that can be marketed, and THEN buy a license.   

As with OSes... there is nothing "Free" about it. You either pay with mental fuckery and self-inflicted intellectual torment (the *NIX business model) or you buy into somebody else's ecosystem with your time and/or money. 

Of all the available modeling environs, Fusion360 yields usable models with the fewest CCs of sanguine elixir shed. If I can learn to use it, anybody can.

mnem
*just returned from working outside in the liquid air*

[Neomys Sapiens]

Just back... waaaay behind on the thread but I have a good excuse:



Wasn't a wifi or LTE signal within thirty miles of me. 

How much TE did you have to cart up there to be so sure of that?

[xrunner]

If you expect SLA-resolution parts from FDM, you're fucking yourself before you ever start. If you go into it expecting to make parts of similar precision to what a man can make braking sheetmetal or welding structural steel, you will be rewarded with parts that meet or exceed your need.

Or said another way - get it/use it for what it can do, not for what it can't do.

It makes many useful things of acceptable quality; it also cannot make a great many other things of higher quality.

Take the NanoVNA case I had it make this afternoon. It came out very nice and looks pretty good, and it should be a useful and durable item for my needs. However, I will not be making replacement gears for a Rolex watch tomorrow with the thing - that is unreasonable.

It's like any other tool, if it sucks so bad it cannot do much of anything, I'd agree that tool is worthless. However, that certainly doesn't apply to current FDM machines. Sure they have quirks and learning curves - but didn't we all go through similar things in electronics? I've made a great many things with it - both for serious and fun requirements. I sure wouldn't want to go back to not having one in my room now.

Now for the NanoVNA case - if I only had one to put in it ... 

[worsthorse]

Your story saved me. Mahalo!  So the 3400A sits on my bench  while I try to find a complete rear panel for it. Rivets.    The weird rounded corner rectangle power socket.    A modern socket won't fit without major metal work that is beyond my skill. 

I can see the problem with trying to fit a modern socket to a 1960's 3400A, they had to move the line voltage selector & SN plate up a bit to make room for the larger IEC socket. The newer unit is my parts mule.


Do you have the old power cord? replacement PH-163 sockets aren't too hard to find.
eBay auction: #254240034537 others are available.

David

I have the old power cord. The phenolic in the power cord socket is broken. No good way to fix it. There's a couple of 3400As on ebay (with the newer back plate). I am going to buy one at parts mule prices and swap the whole back plate out. Trying to fit an IEC socket into the old style plate is more masochism than I am willing to bear. 

[worsthorse]

Just back... waaaay behind on the thread but I have a good excuse:



Wasn't a wifi or LTE signal within thirty miles of me. 

How much TE did you have to cart up there to be so sure of that?

*sigh*  none. so, technically, you are correct. I do not know there was no wifi or LTE signal of thirty miles of my location because I had inadequately equipped myself for finding out. 

[worsthorse]

If you expect SLA-resolution parts from FDM, you're fucking yourself before you ever start. If you go into it expecting to make parts of similar precision to what a man can make braking sheetmetal or welding structural steel, you will be rewarded with parts that meet or exceed your need.

Or said another way - get it/use it for what it can do, not for what it can't do.

It's like any other tool, if it sucks so bad it cannot do much of anything, I'd agree that tool is worthless. However, that certainly doesn't apply to current FDM machines. Sure they have quirks and learning curves - but didn't we all go through similar things in electronics? I've made a great many things with it - both for serious and fun requirements. I sure wouldn't want to go back to not having one in my room now.

I am with you on this one... I don't expect to make precision or high reliability parts. If I learn how to make decent boxes and the doodads that my wife needs to trick out her ikebana arrangements, I will declare victory.

And, BTW, nice job on the case... going to post the 3DP file somewhere for that? 

[xrunner]

I am with you on this one... I don't expect to make precision or high reliability parts. If I learn how to make decent boxes and the doodads that my wife needs to trick out her ikebana arrangements, I will declare victory.

And, BTW, nice job on the case... going to post the 3DP file somewhere for that? 

I can't take credit for this design but the link is below. However, I may need to adjust it's dimensions a bit if the designer wasn't as anal as I am. 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3818979

[beanflying]

Like with others fairly recently getting a 3D printer the experience has been fairly painless. Given the homemade Prusa Clone or plywood warby models and the pain of ABS of only a few years ago it is now affordable and easy to buy, build and use a printer.

Now I have material and slicing profiles where I want them it is simple reliable and just plain works. It is never going to be a perfect solution but for one offs and fiddly jobs it is so much better than what can be achieved by the average mortal.

Last job on the ender was literally 30 minutes of Cad time and an hour per bracket while I had a few beers and made dinner. https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/3d-printer-yet/msg2703118/#msg2703118

How much time and what would the result have looked like made by hand otherwise?

[Kosmic]

Damn you people. I'm looking at 3d printers now.

[Neomys Sapiens]

Damn you people. I'm looking at 3d printers now.

I would have to start by looking at workshops or warehouses - so I desist.
 

[beanflying]

Takes about 12RU of valuable TEA space to fit in an Ender3 so it is a consideration 

[Mr. Scram]

Modern day Prusa stuff apparently is pretty good. There obviously was a lot of trial and error done to get to where we are now.

[beanflying]

Should have clarified 'Prusa' I was meaning the earlier DIY like this below. Team this with suspect mechanics, belts etc and any wonder it was boffin level to get a decent print likely using ABS.



You can always jump further into the CNC Hole. Todays mock up for likely aluminium job by a big boy Laser was this panel. Still two pots to be added and some text but for the sake of <$1 worth of ply worth it for a stepping stone. Maybe could have been done in high temp plastic and 3D printed but the top edge on the old panel used to hit 70C+ and was still over 50C at the PID and timer. In ply it will work for a few weeks while I play with a final layout and the extinguisher is within arms reach 

[mnementh]

Whaaaaat...?

Damn you people. I'm looking at 3d printers now.

Yoooooou're welllllllllcommmmme!!! 

Takes about 12RU of valuable TEA space to fit in an Ender3 so it is a consideration 

You fucking psychotic ozzie wag you... literally made me snort iced tea all over myself. I only narrowly (and completely by accident) avoided drowning the keyboard I just repaired the other day!!! 

mnem
*toddling off to ded*

[worsthorse]

I set the 3400A aside until I find a donor unit that won't make me feel like I am spending $50 for a plug socket. Wandered into the storeroom and pulled the next thing out of the pile. Guess what it is from this photograph:



Yes that is a 0.009975mfd, 400V electrolytic capacitor. One of two in this unit.  The big capacitor above it has the negative lead removed and the entire case is soldered, along its length, directly to the printed circuit board.

It powers up and generates and appropriate signal (more or less), too, which was a surprise as it came out of the last "here take this stuff I need to get it out of my garage" trip.

Med or one of the other tek-addicts will probably recognize it.

[beanflying]

And in other non TEA related content. The rest of the fasteners for the first batch of fume extractors arrived today and got a testing in some of the Laserply. Oversize gauge to test an easy hole size and also tweak the cut speed and power.

I also ordered a 'sample' of custom Carbon fabric over a week ago. The 15sqm 'sample' has enough in it to make nearly 1000 filter elements    Material was a great price the DHL freight was several hundred % more.

Final tweakage and production commencing in the next few days.