Opening

We wrap up painting of parts and we prepare to apply our high work standards to be rebuilding precision machines up to 100 year old. Are videos killing the writing star? NO not quite! Anyways could fame and transparency bring the uninvited? We compare two types of professional paint depending on what your doing, and who exactly is not full of hot air.

Topics

• Painting of some vintage machine tool components completed.
• Machine and tool rebuilding progress begins.
• YouTube and our private lives collide.
• Powder Coating versus 2 Part Epoxy Paints.
• Where we get the gas welding and specialty air tanks from.

Machine Components Painting

At last a single process of our journey is completed.

We have completed the rework and painting on the individual machine and tool components and we are now able to begin installing the new bearings, felt, bushings and perform the final assembly of 3 lathes, an indicator stand, a carbide tool sharpener, a mini power mill and a micro drill press.  And just maybe one of two additional items that might have gotten snuck in during the precision instruments refurbishing process.

These above mentioned pieces of machine and tool equipment are part of the arsenal of tools that are going to be making our products for years to come and we will be offering them via our social media outlets and on our online store.

Go Easy Please, I am about 100 Years Old

We have this mystery manufacturers drill press from the past, (more research over time required) it is professionally made, it was made in metric dimensions and it is from Germany (we just powder coated it in German Machine Green).

Bronze Bearings are Machined

Those two oil impregnated bronze bearings needed to be turned on the larger machine shop lathe. We then drilled the bronze bushings on the larger machine shop drill press to factory specifications have successfully been completed.

The Purpose of Replacing those Bronze Bearings

The Micro Drill Press bronze bearings were worn after 100 years of use, so we mentioned that we are machining new ones. The are completed and they came out very well. Only had to make one of them twice (welcome to the making things world), so we have the set required to proudly begin the spindle head rebuild for this micro drill press, a very precision German made machine.

With these newly made bushings and their oil lubrication holes, the drill press is on its way back into service and to her original specifications and intended precision drilling, reaming abilities and tolerances from her rich past.

Our Vintage Micro Drill Press has all of its Parts

This is important for the two of us during this rebuild because this drill press is also going to be drilling the holes in our first product.

The idler pulley stand or shaft, the mounting base and the idler pulley arm is the actual assembly that the belt runs from the bench top motor over and to the drill press. This idler pulley assembly is generally missing when one of these micro drill presses are are found on the market to buy so we have all of our drill press precision components.

Identified Some Machine Component Damage

There was some damage to the idler pulley base plate and to repair this prior to prep, clean, mask, prime, paint and bake, we first discovered that we had to do a 2-part metal filler epoxy, the type that is reinforced with steel. It is one way this forged metal machine tool part could be fixed correctly and still be able to accept electrostatic powder coat material and sustain the high temperatures of the baking oven that bonds the painted material to the very hot metals permanently.

How we Repaired a Damaged Forged Mounting Idler Pulley Plate

Once this 2-part metal filler epoxy dried, we then block sanded it to form precisely to the original specifications that the remaining diameter of this drill press idler pulley enjoys. Making a vast improvement to the appearance though this repair has no obvious functional requirement of the drill press.

The entire powder coating process it a real chemical reaction and worthy enough that we filmed it to share how to powder coat and show some of the homemade equipment we have bought and built to accomplish this and prior painting and baking task.

Assembling the Micro Drill Press

You know what is really nice about powder coating parts, once they are baked in the oven for a short period of time and cooled to room temperature, you can pretty much work with them right away. There is really no waiting time for drying in this case, to continue to begin the installation of the spindle bearings and assembly of the whole machine. This drill press is going to me mounted to a special maple board small enough to take from one work bench to another while all staying together as a little work station.

YouTube and You!

We think YouTube is a great way to get out your message. YouTube being a video format that may actually be one of the greatest ways to accomplish this task for one really giant standout reason, a reason neither one of us ever thought about until we made that first video a while back.

You can express your inter most personal feelings, your personality and a lot of character. Only thing is (why is there always a catch), you have to have some of this ability in you otherwise you run the risk of not having any entertainment value and thus putting people to sleep which would be a really bad idea especially if like so many people, they are watching us while on the go, egger to see how we make things like we are doing in our video series.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Hey if you have not already done so, please be sure to head over to our YouTube Channel and watch our first videos that are out now to get caught up and see what we have been working on.

Visit our YouTube channel at http://youtube.activeatom.com.

NO UNAUTHORIZED VISITORS

We are not mean but we live and work here, and would have to stop everything if you stop by. However, we do welcome visitors as we are really friendly people.

Here is how you can visit Active Atom, our precision machine shop and meet with us: http://www.activeatom.com/policies-visitor-vendor-policy.php.

It should be a caution that YouTube can become intertwined with your "private life". That is if you are one that still actually believes you have one of those. We believe you are likely much more similar to these two desert dwellers in that you have little to no expectations of privacy anymore.

Example: Our home and business address is:

Active Atom, LLC.
57475 Aviation Drive
Yucca Valley, California. 92284 USA

Our business phone number is 760-320-1414.
We even have a toll free number which is 855-750-1414.

You can start to see that we share it all and there is nothing to hide here.

 

Powder Coating Versus 2-Part Epoxy Paints

One is to powder coat the parts of the machines and tools and the other is to paint with a 2-part epoxy paint.

It comes down to exact matched color paints and then cost. Both powder coatings and 2-part epoxy paints are really tough and they are also the clear winners for longevity, wear and durability.  Although aerosol spray paints are inexpensive and easy to use, they are not recommended for machine equipment or tools unless absolutely necessary.

The choice of Powder Coating and 2-Part Epoxy paints however is the cost which the difference is quit large.  If you are talking about a small number of parts or paint surface area that is in need of being painted, then here is the decision to be made.

Powder coat paint comes in many stock colors for about $15.00 per pound but you can also custom order an exact match. However this requires a minimum purchase of about 100 pounds of the powder to be specially blended and it is the same a being a paint match and which is going to be very costly.

Powder Coat SHELF LIFE: If stored correctly in a dark and cool area, and placed in an air tight sealed glass type container to protect from moisture, it will last literally forever. The primary reason why powder coating goes bad is from moister as it causes the powder to clump up which makes it completely useless.  

2-Part epoxy paints come in all desired colors as you custom order them supplied in a set of single gallon mixtures of the formulas for a perfect blend. These paints cost around $400.00 a gallon mixture.

2=Part Epoxy Paint SHELF LIFE: Stored after first or partial usage, it will last between 12 and 18 months before requiring the replacement of the set of mixtures.

My Tank is all Full Now

Gases and welding supplies, even basic metals, mostly for fabrication through welding hot and cold rolled steels for making of things is located maybe 3/4 miles to our west down the main highway through town.

We Utilize Nitrogen

A lot of this nitrogen gas for a two man operation. The gas in need for this small micro machining operation is because we work with such detailed products, the type found in extreme assembly applications.  Nitrogen is a very dry gas compared to our compressed air even though we live in a dry environment but moisture can still become trapped in sealed environments.

Nitrogen is a higher grade of air utilized for its extreme dry characteristics and provides for assembling, say of optical lenses where the slightest amount of moisture sealed inside can cause fogging or condensation through outer ambient air variations. Especially in watchmaking, you do not want any moister to be present when sealing a watch case after service.

Lint or micro particles would also be an issue that nitrogen gas compressed can help alleviate. So we utilize compressed nitrogen as opposed to just utilizing our compressed air (we have an American Made air compressor by Quincy) system that is accessible throughout our work spaces because of the arid quality nitrogen provides.

We use a few compressed gases at Active Atom for welding (argon) and for assembling items that are filled with nitrogen and sealed. Also required for installing a new air conditioner as needed, it comes in really handy. It has become very convenient that we are located well within a mile of the only welding supply house up here in the Morongo Basin, in the town of Yucca Valley.

Thank You

Thank you for allowing us at Active Atom Precision Machining to share our efforts with you. Hang in there and remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for our weekly videos. We do not want you to miss a thing during this journey of two childhood best friends living and working together to make great products for others to enjoy and share themselves.

Website: www.ActiveAtom.com

YouTube Channel: youtube.ActiveAtom.com.