Dome light repairs... How Ford should have done it

[derek7871]

I received my dome light bezel and it looks super nice. Far superior to anything offered by the aftermarket. Thanks, and good job!!


Cooter

[Supermike]

Jamie, I just wanted to say that, while before I responded about the quality and appearance of this item, it was not until tonight that I finally broke down and installed it.

The main reason was that I was sort-of holding on to it for when I get the interior re-done someday. But my old light was dim, and I figured what the heck... I couldn't stand that sitting on the shelf any longer!! I took off the old plastic lens, removed the light and cleaned it, and installed the new lens and bezel using the same (original) screws, which were still shiny.

All I can is... WOW! It's like 100x brighter in my cab with the light on now, and it looks SO SO SO much nicer.

It's a class A product, and I hope your new mill continues to make them as good as the one I got!

[Ranchero50]

Thank Mike, I've been working hard on getting the new machine up to speed, well, getting me up to speed on the new machine... Good old 'G' code...

Running some 'canned' cycles in a chunk of pine;





Notice the little 13" CRT monitor and little stand? They didn't last long.


This is the proofed inside top milling cycle. Takes about a minute to flycut the face, then switch to a 1/4" end mill and make a couple .050" incremental depth passes at 60 inches a minute and then a faster final .005" finish pass, then switch out to a 1/2" 90` counterbore to bevel the lip, then switch out to a #5 center drill to drill the mounting screw holes and bevel them out.


Last night I proofed out the inside bottom milling cycle, took about two hours to fine tune the program. Flycut the face, then a 1/2" end mill to cut the housing flange face, then a 1/4" end mill to cut the housing and lens step cuts, then grab the drill again to deburr the mounting holes from this side.




Ended up digging the grey machinist table out of the lower shed where it's been buried under transmissions for the last twelve years. The 13" monitor has been replaced with the guts from a Gateway branded LG 15" LCD monitor ($55 eBay). Had to fab the mounting flange out of some old shelves. I also finally managed to get two of the windows back in, plan on the other today. The machine light also works now as does the green safety lamp for tool changing.


My goal is to have parts off by the end of the weekend. The final outside program is built, just need proofed with real parts. Gonna be making more aluminum chips really soon.

Jamie

[Ranchero50]

Argh, it bit me this morning. Tool change cycle got hung up, I brainfarted hitting the E stop and reached in to see why the spindle was vibrating and when I turned it the encoder showed the spindle was in the correct position for the change and the tool changer came out and grabbed my left index finger at the knuckle and pulled the skin off. I looked down, saw the tendon moving as I flexed the finger and came real close to passing out... Five stitches and $100 later I'm heading back down to try again (to make it work, not to cut off my finger)


Stupid operator...
Jamie

[Supermike]

Wow... dude... be careful with that stuff! NO fun making awesome looking bezels with four fingers.

Aside from that, though, your setup is looking great!

[Ranchero50]

Yep kinda dumb, I should have hit the E stop and then poked around or at least hit the E stop once it grabbed me so I could push it back out of the way, instead I jerked my finger out of the way and that's what did the damage.

Doctor at urgent care was pretty cool, only took about an hour and a helf to get seen and sewed up. finger's throbbin a bit now and I get to work tomorrow...

I did get the fixture's vacuum section finished up this evening and it turned out really cool. I just have to drill and tap some holes to mount stops and then it's back to the bezel programs to make them for this fixture correctly.

Still looking to have product off by the weekend.

Jamie

[SteveC]

when ever you get time sign me up to list for a bezel

Thanks Steve

[ford4x4fun]

Hope your finger is doing better!!! Anyhow I am sure that you have got a million orders!!! If you ever have time to get around I would like to buy one. I wish I had that skill, you would never get me out of the shop!!!

[itsmy72f100]

just spent the last hour reading everything in the thread first time why didn't I see it sooner sign me up for one. You should talk to some of these parts suppliers for our trucks and sell to them as well. I bet people would pay $50 for these.

[rjewkes]

Ok, Jamie i think i'll be ready to fully commit to two of them in about a month here. Will let you know for sure when.

[Ranchero50]

Thanks for the support guys. I'll PM you if I ever get the stupid machine to work again...

Been a miserable week, truely miserable. Been off since Thursday because we are switching ends of the week at work (3on, 4off, 4on, 3off, flip ends of the week every ten weeks or so). Planned on proving out the programs on the mill and actually making parts with it. Things went well for the first couple hours, got the first fixture program working well (top inside cuts, face the top, and drill the mounting holes). Had two actual parts off so I figured to flip the fixture over and check the fit for the second cut and after that worked out fine the spindle decided it wasn't going to go over 50rpm.

Man what a kick in the nuts... Spent the rest of Thursday and all of Friday troubleshooting the problem and finally came down to the spinde VFD not reading the motor encoders position. Figure this is 99% of what caused it to whack out last weekend when it bit me. Right now the dealer is making up a test cable to use another encoder on the machine to drive the VFD so I can troubleshoot it between either the VFD or Encoder, neither of which has acted up for as long as they've been in business. The VFD runs around $500 on eBay, not sure about the encoder.

Of course all this troubleshooting costs money, not sure how much or who's paying yet...

Jamie

[H-DFord]

when you get it going please PM me my 69 wants one of those. Thanks John

[Ranchero50]

H-D, you are on the list.

Finally got it to do something. Used the test cable to tie the spindle encoder into the drive and it 'saw' that encoder so now I have the spinle motor encoder pulled and waiting on a replacement one. Parts next Monday?

Jamie

[dave g]

hey i know your list is getting to be a mile long but please put me on there as well that thing looks sweat and i just broke mine

[Ranchero50]

OK guys, I am back in he bezel market... Spent a couple hours after work this week and cobled out ten more bezels. Came home last night only to realize I only had four lenses done. Arghhh...

A couple PMs were sent. I'm working on doing the taxes today and I found a company that will rebuild the dead encoder for the mill so I have to contact them and get that POS off for repair.

Jamie