Hmm.. a slight glitch today. I had previously cut out around 135 rear panels for docks, and bored the cooling holes and audio jack holes into them.

Then I goofed -- drilled the power jack holes, but with the panels flipped, so the holes ended up in the wrong locations. Aw fudge! So, I figure, I could just use the holes in their new spot, and not worry about it. WRONG.

Everything is interelated. The holes are roughly where the serial ports belong, which means the serial ports would need to be moved. But we've already cut and crimped the wiring for the serial ports, and it won't reach if they are moved..

So.. scrap heap for those.

On the plus side, this presents an opportunity to find better quality material for the rear panels. The first 20-30 docks constructed used my remaining stock of tempered hardboard. Once we ran out of that stuff, we purchased and used hardboard from the Borg. While adequate, it isn't nearly as stiff or even as good looking as the tempered stuff. The problem is, nobody stocks the tempered stuff around here, and heck.. most of the salesfolk have never heard of the stuff and assume I'm bonkers for asking about it.

I have located the Good Stuff down around the Toronto area, but shipping from there would be rather expensive. One hope though -- a local wholesaler claims to have the stuff in Montreal, and is having a couple of sheets put on the next regular inter-office shipment for me. Hopefully it really IS tempered hardboard, but so few people know the difference that I'll only believe it when I see it.

Meanwhile, I'm working on the inner panels, that hold the docking connectors.

Cheers

Maybe try calling it pressboard or masonite? You might also try an art supply store, as they might have it as a ``canvas'' or as a pallet, even though it's likely to be expensive there.

Tempered hardboard is very different from pressboard, though try convincing the salesfolk at the Borg of that.

Masonite is the premier brand for hardboard. This Chicago based company makes the best stuff. Their "basic" hardboard is as good as most companies' "tempered" hardboard, and true tempered Masonite "Duron" is about twice as hard as that.

Anyway, we'll see what comes in the truck on Friday.

Cheers

Well, my point is, as with all such supplies, each person has his own names for each thing, and those names often contradict each other. The only other way I can think of to ask for it is to ask for the stuff that's slick on both sides.

I've taken to visiting with a chunk of original (smooth on one side only) tempered Masonite Duron, from 8 years ago.

One place had smooth two sides hardboard, but it was the same mushy material that the Borg sells. The yard workers recognized my sample, though, and said "Yeah, that's the stuff we had back maybe 5-6 years ago, before the change in ownership" (of the lumber yard).

Cheers

One place had smooth two sides hardboard, but it was the same mushy material that the Borg sells.

I've never seen any such thing. Weird.

Just to make sure that we're talking about the same thing, you're talking about that stuff that they used to make clipboards out of, right? (Except probably thicker stuff.) Like pegboard without holes.

This is 1/8" thick (the size I use), and very very dark in colour. I did find one place that still makes clipboards from it, but they're too far from here -- delivery would cost more than material. This stuff is normally smooth on one side, and can also be found smooth on both sides. It is made by adding oils to the mix and then heat treating the works as it is pressed into sheet material. Regular "hardboard" (aka mush-board) lacks the oils, and tends to approach a light blonde colour.

Cheers

I still say use black acrylic. It may be harder to work, but you can get bits and blades for plastic that surely work better in a production setting than general purpose or wood tools.

Stu

Well, a big day in the shop today. Completed the first six milling operations on all 270 side pieces -- only five more cuts (per piece) to go! That really adds up after a while -- happily all my fingers are still there and wiggling (for now).

Meanwhile, got so carried away with making sawdust (and drill dust and router dust etc..) that I forgot to check the dust collector bins.. major overflow into the filter bags as a result.

(the shop has a dust collection system, like a massive built-in vacuum, with a cyclone separator that normally dumps EVERYTHING into a waste bin, and then passes the 99.99% clean air through 100 square feet of filter bags just to make sure -- when the bin overflows, everything ends up in the filter bags instead, which are trickier to empty -- http://rtr.ca/workshop/ ).

Anyway, last act of the day was to swap out the overflowed bin for an empty one -- I'll clean out the bags some other day.

No photos cuz SWMBO was out and about (pronounced "oot and aboot" up this way), and I was just "in the groove" happily cutting away (thus the overflow). But there is a pic from yesterday.

And now things are at the point where I can assemble three more docks -- payment notices just went out for those.

Cheers

Oh, and for Bitt (and others):

This photo -- http://rtr.ca/workshop/z0000572.jpg -- shows tempered Masonite (smooth ONE side only) as used on the shop dustbins -- visible on the one in the rear.

Cheers

The fact that your workshop has its own faq is just too cool

You might be a geek if...

-Mike

You know... here I am waiting in the queue, and it's like, every day there's an update, and I dunno, but it just doesn't seem to fit with all the other projects. I demand to have to wait 6 weeks between updates -- it just doesn't feel like you're being part of the community, here. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to cancel my dock orders!

Oh, wait... I forgot... this is the same guy who wrote hijack as an excuse to inflate his post count.

Your shop is insane. That is the only word i can think of to describe it.

Beautiful insanity

Uhmm, yeah.. so embarassing, that. I mean, like, what will I ever do now that Hijack is complete?

>Your shop is insane.

Thanks. But one must remember that it isn't the size that matters, but the production..

Generally speaking, the larger the shop, the fewer completed items that emerge from it. I try and get around that by having a small shop (388 sq.ft.), jam packed with goodies.

Cheers

what will I ever do now that Hijack is complete?

Says who?

Speaking of which.. another day, another update (and photo).

Cheers

> I try and get around that by having a small shop (388 sq.ft.), jam packed with goodies.

Hmmm, your *small* shop is 70% of the size of my flat!!

Phil

And half the size of my office!.

Heh: "New Hotness".

Nice work.

Wow, look at all that space! Perhaps you need an Empeg dock or two, to help fill some of that!

Speaking of which.. two more docks are being glued up now, so I've just sent out more payment notifications.

Cheers

I've updated the Home Docks page again with the latest news and photos.

Basically, the two sheets of "tempered hardboard" (for the back panels) arrived today and.. it's the real stuff!. I wish I'd had material this nice for all of the earlier docks, as it is so much easier to machine and handle in the shop -- nice crisp edges, clean cuts with no sanding/clean-up, and it looks rather handsome as well. Plenty stiff enough, even better than the really old stuff was.

Folks are going to be very happy with these back panels!

We now have over 130 complete sets of dock parts cut out and machined to final form. Still gotta notch out the serial port connector holes, and drill for screws, and cut biscuit slots.. but the end is in sight! Or rather, the beginning of gluing up new docks is in sight!

Cheers

How hard is it to open up one of your docks for adding extra components/replacing the panel? Is there anything glued together or any other impediment that would make doing so exceedingly difficult?

Stu

*laughs* Your docks are awesome, and I'd buy one or two, but I'm a DIY kind of guy

Besides, my two docking connectors and the power pins from Digi-key came today via UPS. The smaller pins (I ordered 50) are on back order until June 22 . That's OK though, I still have enough stuff to do until they arrive. My router table is really being put to use now, I'm making new thresholds out of maple for the borders between my carpet and the ceramic tile I installed last year.

Hi Stu,

The docks open up with four screws from the bottom. Everything inside then lifts out except the docking connection -- have to remove all of the gold pins to get it completely out, but there's no need to do that.

Adding a connector to the rear is very easy to do. I think you'll get some practice soon, as one of the docks here is being sent via you next week.

Cheers

one of the docks here is being sent via you next week

New delivery option? Stu-back?

Well, today SWMBO pulled out some of the new back panels to begin wiring them up, and .. pointed out that I had cut the RJ45 jack slots in the wrong orientations.. oopps..

So, much of today was spent back in the workshop (yay!) milling an entirely new batch of back panels yet again (boo..). Third time lucky? Yup!

Now.. about them 2000 biscuit slots..

Cheers

oh man. triple check before you cut anything eh? =]

Bah... measure once, cut twice!

Okay,

As of today, I'm finally back into "glue up" mode for the docks. This means they'll begin shipping in quantity in a few days! I might even pack a few extras for Amersfoort..

In the meanwhile, I'll be sending out payment requests to the next dozen or so people on the list, for shipment next week.

Cheers