Off Topic Arrrrggghhhhh. The Never Ending Parts-Needed Black Hole

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Cushing H.

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Just a vent....

I received in my ceramic platen I had ordered earlier in the week. Discovered that, due to some confusing wording on the website, the glass that came is too long after placing the safety shelf in place. I have a choice - wait something like 1 1/2 weeks to ship it back, have it shortened, then returned to me .... or take the chance that I could reasonably do the score and snap myself (no place near me will do the cut).

So .... after several hours of research, off I go to Home Depot to buy a glass scriber (oh, and some carpet tape to attach the glass to the platen.

get home, decide to take a little time in the shop to at least drill the holes in the platen and attach the shelf ..... only to look at the angle brackets that attach to the back of the platen, and realize IT is in the way of where the socket head screws for the safety shelf would protrude from the back of the metal platen. Scratch head - if the bolts for the safety shelf are in place, there is no way to screw the angle bracket onto the metal platen. on the other hand, if the bracket is in place, there is no way to screw the socket head screws for the shelf through the back of the metal platen.

Oh.... (substitute your preferred word here).

spoke with ameribrade, and they agreed that grinding away the offending parts of the brackets would work .... but I would rather not do that. Alternative is to drill the 1/4 hole through the platen, then countersink the back side, and put in place flat head machine screws in place of the supplied socket head screws.

So NOW I need to go buy an appropriate sized countersink (believe it or not I dont own one), AND find the right geometry screws. That is tomorrows first errand I guess.

So .... who on earth NEEDS knifemaking as a hobby if all the time is taken up with fussing around and getting the right parts just to get in place the equipment to make the knives .... that you then dont have time to make, because - no doubt - there will be ANOTHER little piece of equipment or tooling that needs tweaking???????

Rant Over.... :)
 
Most of us use a $20 "too long glass platen" purchase as an excuse to order a $100 10" flat platen assembly and associated wheels. Heck, why not toss in the water cooled platen back for an extra $60.
 
Don’t get into a hobby of working on $hit if you are going to complain about working on $hit.

I feel the frustration though.
 
Can't you just put on the glass and then use the side mounting bolts to take on and off the platen?

If you use JB Weld you do not need a support bracket
 
Is it possible to use the existing bolts/screw holes that attach your mild steel to the bracket and just get longer screws and put the angle shelf between the platen and the bracket and use a washer or 2 for the top screw?
 
The platen liner: Wouldn’t a tile saw cut it? Maybe an angle grinder with a diamond blade. Or if there is a glass shop near by, they could most likely trim it for you.
 
If you have an existing platen that you are replacing, just grind the glass to size with your current one. Glass grinds easily. Just watch the dust particles...not good for you.
 
weo said:
Is it possible to use the existing bolts/screw holes that attach your mild steel to the bracket and just get longer screws and put the angle shelf between the platen and the bracket and use a washer or 2 for the top screw?
Click to expand...
Oh man... that’s WAY too much geometry for me to think about right now.
 
3fifty7 said:
Don’t get into a hobby of working on $hit if you are going to complain about working on $hit.

I feel the frustration though.
Click to expand...
You are taking me too literally ... I was just trying to inject a little humor... basically I agree with you...
 
seanj said:
If you have an existing platen that you are replacing, just grind the glass to size with your current one. Glass grinds easily. Just watch the dust particles...not good for you.
Click to expand...
Ummm ... I’ve been cautioned on a number of fronts to NOT try to grind this ceramic ?
 
SS369 said:
The platen liner: Wouldn’t a tile saw cut it? Maybe an angle grinder with a diamond blade. Or if there is a glass shop near by, they could most likely trim it for you.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but ... I don’t have a tile saw. One glass place said” we won’t touch anything where we don’t source the material”, the other place would not return my calls. Other places are just too far away for me to think of going to..... go figure.
 
Have you considered making a platen with an integral shelf from aluminum on your new milling machine? You could tap the mounting holes and bolt it to the L-brackets from the back. I think the shelf would only need to be 1/8" or so tall, giving you enough room to fit the ceramic platen without cutting it.
 
I've never used a safety shelf... Never had an issue and I run mine soaking wet and dry
 
Same here. The only flat platen I have with a shelf came that way. All others have just been glued on. Not one ever came loose. Heck, getting them off requires a torch.
 
Hubert S. said:
Have you considered making a platen with an integral shelf from aluminum on your new milling machine? You could tap the mounting holes and bolt it to the L-brackets from the back. I think the shelf would only need to be 1/8" or so tall, giving you enough room to fit the ceramic platen without cutting it.
Click to expand...
That was actually my first thought, but the shelf came (pre drilled and tapped) with the glass, so I figured I would try to use. Famous last words...

I wonder if aluminum is safe enough to use as a platen?
 
It’s just that I have this stack of blades waiting to be ground and I want to get this platen up and running.... :-(
 
My shelf is held on by 2 1/8" brass pins peened in place, grind the glass to length.
 
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