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Not sure anyone is interested in this, or if it's really considered "Fabrication", but I figured I'd post this up and kinda show the process. Once you get the machine set up, and get it figured out, it's pretty easy to do.
Since I'm putting an aftermarket air conditioning unit in the truck, I took the old heater box assembly out and tossed it. The A/C system came with a boring, thin ass piece of black sheet metal to bolt over the hole, but you know we can't have something like that !!
So, using the old heater box, a pattern was made and cut out of some aluminum we had laying around the shop, and smoothed up a little.
Then we got it thrown up on top of the mill and clamped it down.
Find a place to start and get after it. We use a rubberized abrasive stick called Cratex. It's a 1" diameter, so after each "circle", you move the machine on the "Xx" axis down .500", so they are overlapping. When you get to the end of the piece that you're working on, you have to start back over at the end you started on, but .500" down (moving the "Yy" axis in), and .250" over from your previous row, so they are offset, and overlapping still. A digital readout makes life MUCH easier, but you can do it without one by turning your "Xx" axis handle 2 1/2 turns, clockwise. Each full revolution is .200"
Sorry some of the pictures are blurry--I was trying to run the machine and take a picture at the same time. Sounds dangerous, but this thing turns VERY slow rpms when doing this, so it's very easy to work around.
And after some clean-up and painting, with the panel installed !
-Aaron
Since I'm putting an aftermarket air conditioning unit in the truck, I took the old heater box assembly out and tossed it. The A/C system came with a boring, thin ass piece of black sheet metal to bolt over the hole, but you know we can't have something like that !!
So, using the old heater box, a pattern was made and cut out of some aluminum we had laying around the shop, and smoothed up a little.
Then we got it thrown up on top of the mill and clamped it down.
Find a place to start and get after it. We use a rubberized abrasive stick called Cratex. It's a 1" diameter, so after each "circle", you move the machine on the "Xx" axis down .500", so they are overlapping. When you get to the end of the piece that you're working on, you have to start back over at the end you started on, but .500" down (moving the "Yy" axis in), and .250" over from your previous row, so they are offset, and overlapping still. A digital readout makes life MUCH easier, but you can do it without one by turning your "Xx" axis handle 2 1/2 turns, clockwise. Each full revolution is .200"
Sorry some of the pictures are blurry--I was trying to run the machine and take a picture at the same time. Sounds dangerous, but this thing turns VERY slow rpms when doing this, so it's very easy to work around.
And after some clean-up and painting, with the panel installed !
-Aaron
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