To assemble this build the way I planned required drilling through three MHS sections at the same time, assembled. I had obvious reservations of how this would impact the threads and overall strength, but I figured I'd give it a go. (The bottom line is, it worked. )
I started with the power-up switch.
As you can see, the switch is going smack in the middle of an MHS double-male coupler, which joins an MHS extension and an MHS sink tube adapter. As Don Se Wion pointed out, the original design had the switch too close to the emitter as it would interfere with the LED heatsink. This location is not only far enough back, but looks pretty cool lining up centered on seams of the sections.
With the switch test-fitted, I next moved on to the LED-blinkies on the side of the body. The plan was to cut a piece of blank circuit board (Radio Shack) to house the LEDs, then attach it inside the tube from the outside. I should note that the plan is to keep everything modular, so any components can be removed and replaced with relative ease. This is why I didn't just glue them in place. Figured this was important, especially with a first build where things can (and do) go wrong.
...and the completed LED board... I located some screws that were tiny enough to use existing holes in the board, drilled out to 1/16". The screws needed to be tiny, since the heads will need to be countersunk into the tube so the sleeve material will be able to slide over them.
Now, this is where my inexperience as a machinist comes in. I used a drill press for all the holes; I can't imagine trying to do it by hand with any accuracy. But, I still managed to screw it up. You'll notice that the three LED holes aren't spaced evenly. We'll chalk it up to experience on using a drill press properly vs. improperly. The good news is, all is not lost. The holes aren't so far off that the LED's don't line up in their respective places (sort of). Since, these holes will be covered by the MHS sleeve, and I planned to use smaller holes in the sleeve, I will essentially get a second chance to get the alignment right. You can see I oversized the center hole to help with this plan (it was too far to the left).
The next shot shows 6 drilled and tapped holes through the sink tube and sink tube adapters (3 on each end) to attach everything. Drilled a hole for the 2.1mm charging plug; test fitted. Drilled and tapped the blade retention screw hole.
So, all this was done yesterday afternoon. I actually did 90% of the sleeve last night too, but pics on that will have to wait until next post.
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