Thomas Hulme

THOMAS HULME

ENGINEER, DESIGNER, MAKER

PROJECTS
BLOG
Projects

PROJECTS

  • ONE DAY BUILD – SCRIBE

    ONE DAY BUILD – SCRIBE

    I wanted a simple scribe that would both look good and last years, so I made one. The design is taken from a Staedtler pencil because I feels pretty good to hold. The body made from brass and the insert/tip made from carbide. To retain the insert I heated the brass to expand it and…

  • ONE DAY BUILD – TAP FOLLOWER

    ONE DAY BUILD – TAP FOLLOWER

    I wanted a tap follower for an upcoming project to make aligning the threads easier. They retail for about £7, but I decided to make one instead. This is a simple project and set a goal of making it in one day. The main principle of the tap follower is a spring loaded pin that…

  • STAR MK1

    STAR MK1

    Inspired by Zumo, the robot from Pololu, this is a tracked robot using an Arduino for control. The name STAR comes from Small Tracked Autonomous Robot, this sets out my intentions for the project, to be an autonomous robot that only has minimal user input, such as mode and settings changes. MK1 was an initial…

LATEST BLOG POSTS

  • CNC – NEW CONTROLLER
    While fitting hardware limit switches to the CNC I accidently touched a stepper motor connector with a screwdriver and heard a pop. I thought nothing of it at the time, however I soon started to notice the Z axis was loosing steps, causing it to continually drop during a program. The Z height would be… Read more: CNC – NEW CONTROLLER
  • ONE DAY BUILD – SCRIBE
    I wanted a simple scribe that would both look good and last years, so I made one. The design is taken from a Staedtler pencil because I feels pretty good to hold. The body made from brass and the insert/tip made from carbide. To retain the insert I heated the brass to expand it and… Read more: ONE DAY BUILD – SCRIBE
  • Solenoid engine
    Pass a current through a coil of wire and you’ll create a magnetic field. A solenoid engine uses this magnetic field to create mechanical movement, its an neat way of creating mechanical work and it can create some great looking machines, especially as a desktop trinket. The design of a solenoid engine it not too… Read more: Solenoid engine
  • Notebook Deboss
    Just a quick build to personalise my notebook by debossing the front using a 3D printed tool. 3D printed using 100% infill to create a solid part, this should ensure it doesn’t crack when clamped together. The method of debossing could not be easier, just place the printed tool in the right location, support the… Read more: Notebook Deboss
  • ONE DAY BUILD – TAP FOLLOWER
    I wanted a tap follower for an upcoming project to make aligning the threads easier. They retail for about £7, but I decided to make one instead. This is a simple project and set a goal of making it in one day. The main principle of the tap follower is a spring loaded pin that… Read more: ONE DAY BUILD – TAP FOLLOWER
  • VICE SOFT JAWS
    Holding fragile parts in a vice can damage them because of the hardened steel faces. For this reason I decided to make some aluminium covers to act as sacrificial parts. These parts would be held on via magnets to ensure they don’t move. To aid holding onto round parts I milled out a “V” on… Read more: VICE SOFT JAWS