The workshop blog and build logs.
As I mentioned in the article about boxes: The velvet lining is the main part of the packaging. It turned out that finding a company in the Czech Republic to do this isn't easy. It's simpler and quicker to order something from England than from the next town over.
The pieces are stainless steel, the screws gold-plated, and the box will be wooden. Were you expecting anything else?
Bending a sheet metal bracket is a straightforward task, but only from a certain size onwards. Punches that can handle a bend with a radius smaller than 0.6mm are not something you typically find lying around. Sure, you can order them, but even if you overlook the cost of several thousand euros, you're faced with the challenge of inserting a piece that's often so small you can easily cover it with your finger. So, like it or not, I set about building a custom press brake.
Exactly a hundred years ago, in 1915, the American branch of Meccano published a book about its founder: FRANK HORNBY - The Boy Who Made $1,000,000 With A Toy. You can find the book, or at least part of it, on the Eli Whitney Museum website, and it's definitely worth a read even today.
Screws, bolts, nuts, and fasteners in general, should have a golden hue. I always planned on using a titanium nitride coating for its excellent mechanical durability and lovely golden appearance. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found anyone who can coat screws smaller than M3, so my second choice: real gold.
The wheels are where the TRIX inspiration is most evident. The idea is that traditional axles are replaced with studs (threaded rods). This means you don't need pressed hubs on the wheels to attach them to the axles. You can simply secure them with two nuts, or leave them free between nuts with a locknut if you need a rotating wheel on the axle.
