My Homebrew ESR Meter

[Yorkie]

Hi,

Many thanks for adding this informative and interesting thread David.

Although I'm a woodworker and understand David's box making technique using comb joints perhaps David you could also give details of your comb joint making jig which in itself is an interesting and useful little project.

I bought my meter from China and including postage it was very cheap it arrived within a few days of paying for it using PayPal.

Nice one David; very impressive and such a lovely little project.

Kind regards, Col.

Thanks for reading my post Colin, and for your kind comments.

Meters and China are a sore point with me at the moment. I ordered a digital frequency counter module to make a lathe RPM meter on 8 April. Still not arrived - they said allow up to 35 working days, and that's about up, so I'll have to e-mail them I guess. They do a no quibble re-send or money back, but I'm wondering if the components are sourced from Japan, and possibly affected by the tsunami.

First time I've had any hassle - normally stuff is here within two weeks. I've found Asia Engineer especailly reliable, but they didn't have this particular module, so I used another firm.

The router jig that I made for making comb jointed boxes was inspired by having seen so many similar boxes in 1920s/30s equipment such as crystal sets and test gear. I thought it would be rather nice to try to replicate those boxes rather than use ABS plastic or aluminium boxes for certain projects. They're a bit time-consuming to make, but then it's a hobby, and hobbies are about the enjoyable use of scarce leisure time, and developing one's skills and resourcefulness. I keep a keen eye out for scraps of oak, so mostly, the boxes cost nothing to make. I have in mind to make a reproduction of a 1930s Australian homebrew battery 2-valve receiver called the 'Hikers' Two' and to house it in such a box, but with a lid, rather like a Crystal set. That radio featured in a boys' magazine called The Lamphouse'.

I got the design for the router jig from a video entitled 'Making Router Jigs and Gadgets' by the late Roy Sutton, but the plans which should have come with the video were missing, and by the time I found that out, the shop where I bought the video had closed down! I just followed the video and more or less guessed the dimensions of the jig.

When I get a few spare minutes, I'll take some pics of the jig, and if anyone is interested, I'll try to draw some plans of the dimensions. Meanwhile, I've attached a pic of a test piece I made in two contrasting bits of scrap timber, which gives an idea of the end result. I rounded the corners on that test piece, but generally I leave the corners square.

You can of course buy comb-joint jigs, but they're not cheap. I always find it odd in practical hobbies that so many hobbyists spend large sums of money on things they can make for little or nothing. I know that you share my view that perhaps the most surreal aspect of woodturing is when woodturners buy chisels and gouges with handles, which they can make in minutes for a few pence from an ash blank from a firewood log. Most chisels and gouges for woodturing are available unhandled, and it's useful practice in spindle turning.

Its not for me to pour scorn on how other people spend their hard-earned money, and I guess that my own outlook on this is influenced by having grown up in the post-war years of austerity, governed by mottos such as 'make do and mend', waste not - want not' etc.

David