The Bool Audio Blog

August 2023 - Machine maintenance and upgrade delays

Before any more tonearm parts could be made, a practical problem needed solving. The air compressor that powers the CNC tool release system was sitting directly in front of the electronics cabinet — making it impossible to access for the 4th axis upgrade that's been on the list for months. The compressor had to go. 

Space in a terraced house back garden is limited, but a flat-pack garden storage shed fitted neatly next to the main workshop. We were lucky with the weather that weekend. 

The floor was reinforced underneath and insulated before anything else went in — a small detail that makes a big difference to long-term stability. 

All the walls, front doors, and roof were lined with 30mm self-adhesive car insulation roll fitted between the studs, then covered with 5.5mm plywood. Adding the extra wooden battens needed to attach the outer plywood took my dad and me two full days to complete. 

With the insulation done, the shed was ready to be connected to the workshop. We used the same commercial-grade weatherproof conduit as the CNC machine enclosure. The mounting faceplates were machined from acetal on the CNC — with a hex pattern on the rear matching the conduit coupler nuts so they can be installed without tools. Each plate was sealed with Loctite silicone for a fully weatherproof finish. 

With the conduit in place, the compressor, airline, and power connection could be installed. Access behind the workshop was tight — the overgrown vegetation had to be cut back first — but we got it done. 

With the compressor in its new home, the compressed air distribution inside the workshop was tidied up at the same time. A pair of custom aluminium manifolds — rough profiled on the CNC and finished on the manual mill — now route air cleanly to the CNC tool holder, air guns, and anything else that needs it. Standard brass pipe connectors and euro-style air fittings throughout, with a tap on the CNC machine feed so the tool release system can be isolated when needed. 

The compressor only just fits once all the insulation and plywood is in — but it fits. Two passive air vents keep it cool, and an outdoor power receptacle keeps the installation clean. The workshop is quieter, the electronics cabinet is accessible, and the 4th axis can finally go in.

It's the kind of month where you don't make the thing you set out to make — but you clear the path to make it properly. Sometimes that's the right call.