I’ve finally been able to make a little time to work on my CNC mill/router project.

I have a dedicated controller PC built from three old PCs. Older desktops are best as they don’t have all the power saving features that interfere with real-time processing and control. It runs Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS from LinuxCNC.org. The OS comes as a live CD that you can try out to make sure it will work with your hardware before you commit to installing it. It installs a basic system that has everything you need to run a CNC machine with EMC2 (control software). It’s also free, which is pretty great!

The controller hardware and motors are from Xylotex. I have a 3-axs controller and 425 oz. motors. I tested the software and hardware out today. Below are the results:

The next step is to build the actual mill table. This will probably wait until warmer weather arrives.

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Here’s J’s birthday cake. It’s vanilla white cake with peanut butter frosting. It will be devoured shortly.

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Looks great!

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Thank you, Sock Dreams!

Merino wool toe socks in men’s sizes are fantastic!

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Here’s a set of jeans that needed to be patched. They wear out around the belt loops and the back pockets. I figured I might as well add some bell-bottom goodness to the legs while I had the sewing machine out.

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Meet the bane of my existence for the last two days. It is the starter from my late-model Saturn s-series.

It had to be towed home. The drive was too slippery to push it into the garage, so yesterday I suited up and wrestled with it.
After 2.5 hours and a bout of freezy, panicky claustrophobia, I called it a day. Everything was together except for the last bolt. I fooled with that last bolt for an hour. It was tucked up out of the way and not visible. One had to have arms the size of a small child with the strength of a gorilla to get it.

The snow melted enough to push it into the garage, so this morning I gave it another go. I got lucky and hit it on the first try. Then I took the kids swimming. :)

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I’m going to start posting some of my projects that were completed prior to my website update.

This is a terrarium/micro-train layout built on an industrial machine gear and covered with a cloche from a defunct anniversary clock. Not photographed is the working street light that I later added. Alas, the fern has now passed on to its next incarnation (as has the moss), but I have purchased a replacement that is awaiting installation.

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This is a set of flannel-backed items I made this year. In increasing silliness, we have a set of spats, two colarettes, two pair of thong panties, two sets of ridiculous pasties, and lace-up-ass undies. Make certain you can handle the answers if you ask questions.

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Here are a couple of berets I sewed up for K for Christmas as modeled by D and J. They’re both reversible. The top one is made of wool felt on one side and a poly microfiber on the other. The bottom one has velvet (the good stuff) on one side and wide-wale corduroy on the reverse.

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In keeping with the band-aid theme, we have Spongebob moving into new lines of work. If you will remember, he was working in the posterior cleaning trade. Apparently he’s now available to sop up your child’s blood – ew!

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