Minimizing the Mini

I believe you've used a lathe a time or two!

Very cool. Fun project.

Don't you have anything better to do with your time?

Looks great-that really cleans it up!

I expect that might void the warranty somehow.

Stephen, as a former fellow machinist I dig it! Nice whittling job. Breaks and lunch time were often used for "government work" when I was machining. I have a milling machine at home but wish I still had access to a decent lathe and grinder.

jimmyb

Noice indeed.

Off to Grandad's lathe I go…

That looks awesome. I actually dig the clean lines!

Love it.

Ryan

ok, that's just ridiculous…

and I wish I could do that to mine, if anything for the fun factor. love it!

you guys are sick

oh, you could have removed the label too…

Was just messing with my Mini. Never thought of it as ugly and bulky looking before seeing this mod.
You should send those pics to Sawyer. Inexpensive as they are, I'd buy another if they made them like that, just because I like it.

I wonder if he can do that to my toothbrush :)

If you'll remember, this is the guy that designed and created a hook for hanging his pack on his trekking pole when setting up his TT Notch….using a 3D Printer. STEPHEN HAS MAD SKILLS!!

Ha, glad you all liked it! I thought I might have gone to far there, but having just seen photos of the car key with holes drilled along the shaft I felt safe that I wasn't the craziest person on these forums. You will let me know if that ever happens, right?

My lathe is just a tiny little feller, but is perfect for little projects like this and for bending the rules on Pinewood Derby wheels when we have a competition at work (yes, imagine pinewood derby with a bunch of engineers).

Ha, pine wood derby. I got busted for modifying my wheels in a PWD race. It was all my brothers fault. He was really good at tweekin' stuff, no so good at reading rule books :)

jimmyb

My only entry while in the Cub Scouts was pretty bad. My dad isn’t the most mechanically inclined person – a front wheel fell off the first time my car went down the track.

I may have overcompensated as an adult:

2009 PWD Outlaw

(Sorry the guy took the video with the camera sideways)

What powers those cars?

Gravity

The "derby" class cars are only powered by gravity. The "outlaw" class cars could be powered by whatever would fit in the size and weight limits, as long as it didn't use a propellant or combustion or the like. Mine used a brushed DC motor for RC cars that looked about the right size and a lithium-polymer battery pack, with gear drive from the motor to the front live axle.

I probably spent too much time on this at work. I estimated that if this had been a project for a client, using our typical overhead rates, the car would have cost around $10,000.

I heard that a "car" at another center's competition used a ducted fan powered by a bank of capacitors that had to be recharged before each run. It was reportedly very fast but not reliable. It would have not had a problem with graphite on the track, which is a concern with a traction drive like my car.

Holy cow, that things a rocket ship. Nice job!

10 grand. Yeah that's not surprising though. Easy to get carried away when your involved with an interesting project of such importance ;) Sounds a lot like the MYOG hiking shirt I'm working on. Turns out the pattern leaves much to be desired and I am left to do quite a bit of tailoring. I don't know and don't want to know how many hours I have in it. I know I couldn't afford it even at min. wage at this point. To top it off its for my wife so I have to wait to make my own. At least the patterning is done and the next shirts will take very little time to make.

Wow, sorry for the thread drift.

jimmyb