I was scouring the internet (I practically live online) for future projects and ran across this one. It reminded me of the model that @snaps did for his CAD class. with a little modification it would make for a nice charm to wear. It could certainly be done on the HAAS but I’m wondering how we could do that on manual equipment. Just forward thinking for when we get the Sherline tools set up, Any suggestions? or any other ideas?
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I have actually considered trying to cut the brick I made during the class on the Shapeoko and the HAAS at some point… Hehe 
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With clever fixturing, could you set it up off center on the rotary table and profile each of the “bumps”?
yes that had occurred to me. It might be too advanced for some newbies. but if we set it up correctly for some cookie cutter operation, its doable. Fun stuff to play with when we get the equipment in.
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Might be worth considering making some small “project” tooling for items like this. This would allow folks that have just learned how to use the Haas to practice making small things to get their confidence and skills up. Even have some pre-cut blanks they can buy.
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We need to look at the magazines that @richmeyer loaned the space. There were plenty of projects in them.
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I am taking the lead from the woodworking committee here. recently they’ve come up with a series of “Inspired! Making Cool Stuff Series” which have been very avant garde and just up my alley. I would love to see the same thing in the machine shop. Our stuff may take longer to do but should be cool just the same. I can forsee using the Haas to gang cut the basic shapes and all the shaping and finishing work being done on the sherlines, etc. The more people doing stuff the better but it needs to be easy.
-Nick
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That sound fantastic - similar to buying the steam engine kits where all the parts are roughed out.
I’ve looked at a couple and there are some really neat projects in there. Tilts more toward the advanced but some more newbie projects as well.
Circles on manual equipment is perhaps not a great newbie project 
That look like someone did a delft casting of a Lego not machined…but it’s cooler on a machine!
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Instead of trying to mill the circles, we could have the class use an insert through the workpiece. It could even be a contrasting material if we wanted. Would be an easy way to show how to use a reamer properly.
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I agree, your method would be easier and possible more efficient to turn out a lot of these little bricks:
- Turn a section of stock to whatever diameter we need
- Cut several brick “nub” blanks from the turned stock (give some extra length for finishing operations),
- Drill and ream hole pattern in the brick via Bridgeport mill and the DRO (bonus points if your drawing does all the math for you)
- Insert blanks into holes with some locktite and let set in holes (bonus points if your surface finish is great and they slide cleanly, but firmly in)
- Face the top with the shell/face mill to even the height of the nubs and presto! Machined (but non-functional) Lego brick!
- Also sandblast the brick to soften all the edges evenly, sharp nubs are the chief concern.
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Bonus points for tapping the brick and threading the “nubs” !!
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