Needle turner/polisher

AndreZA

Air-Valve Autobot!
There are various machines you can use to polish your needle ;-) You can use a drill, dremel or even a lathe. I just use a battery eraser and in this case, one from Foxystudio.

Don't know what those rubber tubes are for? Well I did not. They are there to turn your eraser into a lightweight, light duty drill. And in this case, a polisher.01.jpg
Choose the one that will fit the needle. In the case of the Micron needle, it is the smallest one.
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Just give the back end a lick and push it in. Make sure it is about half way in.
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Fit it to the gripper and pop it into the eraser body.
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Do not give it power just yet. It will swing the needle around and it might just fly out. If you hold the tip between your fingers you can control it better. That is the bit you will be working with anyway.
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For some it can be nice tip.

I remember someone used erasing rod to polish the needle tip, just by inserting the tip into erasing rubber and turning on the eraser. That rubber has some abrasives in it (not white one) and work as the abrasive.


Don't know what those rubber tubes are for? Well I did not.

I have similar eraser from Foxy, BTW great tool! Only mine came in bigger sets. Those rubbers are the bushings for using different bits. Generally, just in a way you did with the needle.

There are various machines you can use to polish your needle ;-) You can use a drill, dremel or even a lathe.
Do not give it power just yet. It will swing the needle around and it might just fly out. If you hold the tip between your fingers you can control it better.

I have bad experience with the Dremel for working over the needle this way. I've installed the needle in the chuck, just the way you've shown. Switched on the tool and in a second the needle was bent right at the chuck creating 90 degree angle, rotating at crazy speed. One can only imagine what that was. I was very, very much lucky that the needle would not flew away the chuck. If that would happen... I don't even want to think over the consequences.

Slowest Dremel speed is 5000 RPM, so No way to use the tool for installing the needle in the chuck.
Though, the thing is great when you install polishing bit and work with the needle constantly turning it on the flat surface, but following the right direction of the rotation!

Battery drill would be the best tool that people might have at home for polishing their needles as you shown with the battery eraser. But the speed must be slow enough.
 
This is extremely similar to what I'm using for SN1s, except you know powered, and with more complexity for setting angles and depth limits.

And not very dissimilar for what I was thinking about making for people to use. Though this might be a little better design than what I had come up with.

Is it too early to pre-order? I want one.
 
For manual sanding and polishing the needles I successfully use the part holding the needle from the tool @J000seph has shown. Not exactly the same, but modern and with better precision, just similar idea. Will show one in future thread for my way of sanding/polishing/repair of the needle.
I even wanted somehow to make an attachment to my sanding machine for repairing the needles. But no time for it now and no time I had then. Somehow...
 
For manual sanding and polishing the needles I successfully use the part holding the needle from the tool @J000seph has shown. Not exactly the same, but modern and with better precision, just similar idea. Will show one in future thread for my way of sanding/polishing/repair of the needle.
I even wanted somehow to make an attachment to my sanding machine for repairing the needles. But no time for it now and no time I had then. Somehow...

We want to see a picture of it.
 
I’ve got it! All you need are these 4 things! :)

One more thing you need!;) Attachment that keep the needle at certain angles. But yes, the principle is in the things you've shown.
Though, you don't need that stand with the springs.

Generally, if to combine bench grinder with the needle holder and angle gauge we'd have AB needle grinder. Only thing to add is the grinder should drive not the sanding wheel only, but also should give movement to the needle holder. Small gear box is smth starting to appear in my mind:D
 
One more thing you need!;) Attachment that keep the needle at certain angles. But yes, the principle is in the things you've shown.
Though, you don't need that stand with the springs.

Generally, if to combine bench grinder with the needle holder and angle gauge we'd have AB needle grinder. Only thing to add is the grinder should drive not the sanding wheel only, but also should give movement to the needle holder. Small gear box is smth starting to appear in my mind:D

A gear box is a good idea. I was thinking pulleys. And, those aren’t springs in the one picture. It’s to adjust height and angle.

Edit: Oops. They’re springs. I chose the wrong picture.

DD6A5CAB-4D5C-446A-940B-4D1B100E09A9.jpeg
 
A gear box is a good idea. I was thinking pulleys. And, those aren’t springs in the one picture. It’s to adjust height and angle.

Edit: Oops. They’re springs. I chose the wrong picture.

Not springs really?lol Just a joke;)

Now I see that thing (last picture) is good and simple idea to work with the needles. The only thing to change is central part. Instead of this I'd use the tool I use for the needle holding I mentioned above. Though the idea is the same, but the rod must be drilled through. Your thing for holding only the drill bits etc.

All you've shown just parts of the needle treatment machine, but the question is who will put the parts together?:) Definitely, one who has the lathe and the miller and other equipment.

One thing that bothers me much. What 3M tape is supposed to be used for?:) My brain is starting to break trying to find the answer:D
 
...the question is who will put the parts together?:) Definitely, one who has the lathe and the miller and other equipment.

Great question! Whoever that may be probably won’t be needing that 3m tape after all. :)

I also wondered about how to hold the needle better. I imagined some type of sleeve for stability. Remember, this sort of thing is not my area of expertise. I thought maybe a bit holder that could hold the whole needle similar to:
AC198B44-48A5-486C-8C8E-7F9905681B66.jpeg

My idea was to put the entire thing in a chuck and spin more than just the needle. I’ve played swirling darts before. I don’t like that game.
 
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