Home Docks: making your own?

Posted by: mlord

Home Docks: making your own? - 19/03/2008 00:05

I'm no longer in the Home Dock business. You may have noticed! smile

But SWMBO & I do have fond memories of The Year Of The Dock, when we were both unemployed and kept afloat here through the generosity of those of you who purchased them from us back then.

So, thanks again for that.

Now.. over the years, a few people asked for plans. Well, I don't do plans. Wrong brain type or something. I just start building and things get done.

But here's the closest thing to plans. A 4MB 600dpi scan of the trickiest dock parts: the two sides (mirror images of each other), the center divider (very tricky), and the rear panel (non critical).

By measuring pixels (photoshop, gimp, or similar software) you can obtain exact measurements and locations for the various holes, slots, and other cutouts. Just divide the pixel counts by 600 to convert to inches, or by 23.622 for millimetres.

You'll also need a bottom and top (with fan air channel), but those are mostly ordinary pieces and are much easier to fabricate than the others.

The wiring diagram is still on the Home Docks site (link at top of this page).

Cheers!
Posted by: mlord

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 19/03/2008 00:11

Rumour has it that oliver may make a few docks, with a somewhat modified design. Keep your eyes peeled for those.
Posted by: corrigun

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 15/12/2008 15:56

FYI...If I can get some drawings from someone, I would be willing to do some parts on my CNC router. If anyone is interested.
Posted by: Major_Sarcasm

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 18/12/2008 20:58

Anyone who's considering making one, it'd be worth the aggro. I have one of the originals, painted black by me, and it rocks.
Posted by: crazyplums

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 14/02/2009 10:37

assuming the panels are simply flat with cut outs etc, i can quite easily knock up some to scale drawings and save them in any number of formats for cutting, i only use x&y measurements myself so whoever does the cnc thing would need to input the z (depth) measurememnts if they're needed (assuming cut outs don't go right through, in which case 2d is fine).

only prob... would need an unconstructed case to begin with, ie the flat panels to measure and draw..

Hugh
Posted by: mlord

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 14/02/2009 12:06

If you can get hold of Oliver, he has a set of flat unassembled panels from me.

-ml
Posted by: crazyplums

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 14/02/2009 14:04

i'll give it a go! i sit here all day drawing stuff (well, when not spending half the day on various forums!) so it shouldn't be too tricky at all.
Hugh
Posted by: gbeer

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 16/02/2009 08:26

I've taken Marks 600dpi scan and converted it to Pro/Engineer models. Attached is a plot. What I don't know, is what any of the actual dimensions are. The model dimensions are in units of pixels/100. Nor do I know any depths.

If Mark is willing to mark-up the pdf with some of the correct values. I'll fix that and post a corrected plot and a set of step files.

EDIT: I noticed I have some of the parts mis-assembled, fix it later. I'm off to bed.
Posted by: mlord

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 16/02/2009 15:28

Well.. wouldn't 600dpi mean that 100 pixels == 1/6" ?
Posted by: gbeer

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 17/02/2009 03:56

Well I've wiped the egg off, and here is an updated pdf.

There are still errors in the print. Since I've never seen a dock and don't have access. Someone else will need to provide correction.

Posted by: crazyplums

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 26/02/2009 17:40

not been on for a bit, sorry!

I've had a reply from Oliver who can send a kit to draw.

just seen the above pdf, i've no idea how big a pixel is, or even if it has a set size, nor have i actually seen a home dock in the flesh, so i don't really know how accurate that drawing is (no offence!), a mm or two out would make a good job bad!

cheers,
hugh
Posted by: gbeer

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/02/2009 02:49

@ 600 dpi, 1 pixel = .0016"

That's pretty good. The problem comes from errors in reading the image. The edges of the parts are either rounded (out of focus) or not quite square to the scanner's rows.

I was able to draw the lines directly over the image. It may also be that the parts scanned actually have the mismatches as I've drawn them. Nothing every gets built exactly perfect.

If you look at the dimensions and compare one side to the other, they similar features should be sized and located by similar dimensions.

BTW. I'm not representing that drawing as final, it's a check print. I know there are errors. The most gross, is the depth of the cuts on the inner surfaces of the sides.
Posted by: crazyplums

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/02/2009 08:55

technically i can draw them from a hi-res scan and just one measurement in mm from each piece, i would need to be told the depths of rebates though,

Hugh
Posted by: mlord

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/02/2009 12:01

Originally Posted By: crazyplums
i would need to be told the depths of rebates though

I think the relief cuts (rebates) in the side pieces should be about 2mm deep.

The idea is that they provide clearance for the screw heads that protrude from the sides of the empeg, so you could measure the screw head projection distance and use that if you want a better number.

Cheers
Posted by: mlord

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/02/2009 12:06

Originally Posted By: gbeer
The problem comes from errors in reading the image. The edges of the parts are either rounded (out of focus) or not quite square to the scanner's rows.

Those are roundovers on the exposed finished edges. The only places you should see them in the scan are around the cooling holes, and at the front edge of the side pieces.

Just include the blurry part in the overall measurement (the scanner is pretty good about that), and the exact length can tolerate a mm or two of variance there.

-ml
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/04/2009 12:56

Originally Posted By: crazyplums
rebates

Is that British for "rabbet"?
Posted by: andy

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/04/2009 13:04

Originally Posted By: wfaulk
Originally Posted By: crazyplums
rebates

Is that British for "rabbet"?

Yes.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/04/2009 17:41

Pronunciation? In American, "rabbet" is pronounced "RAB-it", virtually, if not completely, the same as in "bunny rabbit". "Rebate" would refer to an amount of money returned after a sale, and is pronounced "RĒ-b&#257t".
Posted by: peter

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/04/2009 18:39

There's no difference in pronunciation between a rebate that's money returned, and a rebate that's a receptacle cut in something.

Peter
Posted by: mlord

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 27/04/2009 20:27

Us confused canucks use both "rebate" and "rabbet", with each pronounced properly, of course. smile
Posted by: crazyplums

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 12/06/2009 19:59

who was it said "the United States and Great Britain are two fine nations seperated only by a common language", or something to that affect!

next you'll be telling me that pants are long shorts instead of underwear and that a fanny is the back bottom and not the front bottom, on a ho (see, i speak americaaan!) of course.

then we get into the whole automobile (car) thing, you have a hood, trunk, fenders, windshields, mufflers and a steering wheel while we have a bonnet, boot, wings, windscreen, silencers and a turny thing. crazy

Posted by: andy

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 12/06/2009 21:38

You do know Mark is Canadian right ?

wink
Posted by: crazyplums

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 06/08/2009 17:06

Originally Posted By: andy
You do know Mark is Canadian right ?

wink


I do now!

can't believe it's been so long since i logged in!
Posted by: drakino

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 13/09/2010 16:27

For reference (Since the link at the top is gone), the docks site is:

http://rtr.ca/docks/

That contains the wiring diagram, parts list, and other information.
Posted by: mlord

Re: Home Docks: making your own? - 22/06/2014 11:48

Originally Posted By: mlord
Originally Posted By: crazyplums
i would need to be told the depths of rebates though

I think the relief cuts (rebates) in the side pieces should be about 2mm deep.

The idea is that they provide clearance for the screw heads that protrude from the sides of the empeg, so you could measure the screw head projection distance and use that if you want a better number.

Oh, and the long slots at the rear of the side pieces should be about the same depth as the rebates you can see on both ends of the back insert.