new toy ready for some use!

[Cowanrg]

I finally got my mill and got it set up. (with stand its around 1/2 a ton). it took awhile to get in my basement...

I'm going to finish up some projects I've had half-done for a long time. it seems like it will work out. hopefully I can create some cool stuff!

[David Meek]

Now that's a piece of hardware to be proud of Robert.

[ThomasW]

And I thought having a Delta UniSaw with a 52" Unifence and an outfeed table in my basement was extreme ...... :wink:

[Cowanrg]

heh, its a fun toy alright!

i just ordered some shanks for holding mill bits, some mill bits and a new keyless chuck. tooling this thing isnt cheap at all...

i already completed my first use for the machine. i redesigned the back of the case on my xbox. i now have component video, digital coax out, and video out all on the back panel, hard-wired into the motherboard. it looks SWEET. much better PQ than with that crappy dongle thingy. i can post pics if anyone cares.

[denverdoc]

My man, noticed you were up the street in Erie--any interest in doing occasional custom work for those of us needing such?
John

[ThomasW]

Yep, I can see the headline now.

"Noobies eaten by milling machine", film at 10:00 .... :wink:

[Bent]

Yes, by all means post some pics of the X-Box with a real connection panel. :T

[Cowanrg]

actually, i just ordered a few bits, a shank, and a beautiful 5/8" keyless chuck. and my router bits work fine in it too for plastics and softer metals. i have like 20 of those. so, for now i have a decent amount of tooling to be dangerous. i also ordered some motors and am almost done building some power supplies and regulators so i can have powered ways (hand cranks for a table that big is a pain in the a$$!).

denverdoc,

definately. i am quitting work and going back to school full time to get my phd in psychology, so for a part time job i plan on using the milling machine to make a little extra cash. but first i need to learn how to use it. i wouldnt mind letting people use it to teach me a thing or two, or being commissioned to build a few small things so i could learn. im all for it.

Bent,

ok, ill get some pictures and post them tomorrow before i cruise in to work. im VERY impressed with how it came out. the video quality from the xbox is finally realized with real outputs!

ThomasW,

who are you calling a noob? you know better than that just because i dont post here very often doesnt mean im a noob. i just mainly hang out at diyaudio.com, where ive logged well over 1000 posts :roll:

[denverdoc]

Very cool. I don't know that I could teach you much as my contact with milling machines has been limited to a few years in grad school with my buddies down the hall who helped build all the instrumentation for doing real science--as well as time here and there on DIY audio, home brewery, and lest I forget the mouse in space high powered amateur rocketry exercise. Little bugger survived the 3 mile ascent and less than graceful touchdown.

Have always wanted one. and am green with envy! Send me a PM and we will stay in touch. There are a couple of simple projects I have in mind and likely some others of pals in the amateur rocket society I fly with near Fort Collins. All perfectly legal but quite over the top, :W
John

[ThomasW]

who are you calling a noob?

Rob,

'noob' was referring to operating the milling machine... :wink:

[Cowanrg]

ThomasW,

hehe, ok. fair enough.

everyone else:

I added a write-up on my website about the xbox changes. I'll post a pic or two here. here is the address to my site:

http://www.cowanrg.mesanetworks.net/projects/

just click on xbox modifications.

[Bent]

That stuff looks great - why didn't MS do this in the first place?

(Ah, don't anwer that, I know the answer already.)

I'm looking forward to your tutorial you plan to put up - I'll be following suit thereafter.

[Cowanrg]

I will probably have it up tonight or so. i have all the pages bookmarked, i just need to add them in, and throw up some more pictures.

if you could do me a favor... can you take a picture of the back of your xbox unmodified? i didnt think to take a picture before i started doing the work. and i cant find a good full picture of the back panel.

thanks!

edit:

i dont blame MS for not adding these jacks. if you think about it, if you were to duplicate all the dongles (which was my original intent), you would have 3 RCA's for component, one for composite, one for digital coax, an optical jack, two more RCA's for audio left/right, and an s-video. Thats a total of 7 RCA's, one optical and one s-video. not to mention the expense, that would be a nightware trying to fit them all on the back panel as well as wiring it all to the mobo.

if one were so inclined, its possible to add all possible jacks on the back (as mentioned above), and put small DIP switches in the back plate to change the modes. this would let the box select between composite, s-video, or component, and the same for audio. i didnt do this because of the time involved and i will never use anything except for the combination i made.

[Bent]

Sure, here's the OEM rear end
You guys prolly all know what the little blue switch is for.... :W
(at least the back panel is still mostly un-modded.)

[jdybnis]

That is some mighty impressive work on your website. How difficult/expensive was it to make that dual ganged volume control on your BOSOZ? I was thinking of doing something like that so I could use the mono version of that stereo PEC carbon pot being discussed on diyaudio.com. A pair of mono pots from digikey for $7 makes a lot more sense than one otherwise identical stereo pot from a group buy for $40+.

[Cowanrg]

That is some mighty impressive work on your website. How difficult/expensive was it to make that dual ganged volume control on your BOSOZ? I was thinking of doing something like that so I could use the mono version of that stereo PEC carbon pot being discussed on diyaudio.com. A pair of mono pots from digikey for $7 makes a lot more sense than one otherwise identical stereo pot from a group buy for $40+.

thanks! the dual ganged volume control was really just because i couldnt even find the value i needed under $200. so, i got some cheaper pots and just made them into a dual. it works pretty well, but i ended up finding a stereo pot with the value i needed somewhere for like $10, so i just ended up using that instead. that project could have gone a LOT better too, because i only used my drill press for that one. the design made up for the sloppy equipment. there is NO play in it though.

keep in mind you will spend SEVERAL hours and a fair amount of money in materials to make two mono pots a stereo one. $33 difference could easily be justified in time and materials. but if its the accomplishment you are after, go for it!

[jdybnis]

keep in mind you will spend SEVERAL hours and a fair amount of money in materials to make two mono pots a stereo one. $33 difference could easily be justified in time and materials. but if its the accomplishment you are after, go for it!

Good point. But this is DIY so time doesn't count

[Cowanrg]

Good point. But this is DIY so time doesn't count

it does when you have 5 current projects you are working on for the past year or so!

[Cowanrg]

ok everyone, the tutorial is now up. if there is anything missing, let me know.