Member postings for Mike Joseph

Here is a challange for the engineers!

Two friends run a charity for disabled children in Tanzania 
and the hospital/accommodation is on top of a hill. Currently 
water is collected using a tractor and something resembling 
a water bowser (cart with barrel).

Down in a valley is the water supply, a well, about 3km 
distance and 500m below.

How can a regular (no matter how small) supply be arranged 
where:

1. fuel is very expensive
2. solar energy is almost unlimited in daylight hours
3. security from theft of the solar panels will be an issue 
   and possibly for the pump also
4. in the valley winds are light

Storage is easy since there are tanks for retaining water in 
the wet season. The supply of water becomes an issue in the 
dry season.

I considered Pulsometer pumps since they have no moving 
parts but require a steam supply, (I think). Also solar 
powered pumps at intervals if enough energy is available.

Any bright ideas?

Mike Joseph

Great! Thank you everyone. This is why I like model engineering (or as I refer to it: mangling metal).

Duly printed off.

Cheers.

HI

A close friend has a Naerok RD50 350M milling machine and is concerned about maintenance of the main spindly bearings. He thinks they are sealed units but is not sure.

Is there anyone with the same or similar machine who may be able to provide a copy of the manual or any other documentation that might help please?

Cost of copies, etc happily paid.

Naerok Ltd seems to have gone in the early 1990s. Shame since I have a vertical drill of their's that does the stuff ok.

thanks, Mike

A close friend of mine runs a large R&D facility in W London. There, all the workbenches are covered with white formica. It takes a fair amount of bashing, is wipe clean at the end of the day and best of all, things can be seen on it, like when dropping a small part. It is a clean environment suitable for asswembling diesel injectors, etc. Even the Japanese hadn't thought of this and copied the idea!

I would also suggest a lip around the edge of the bench to stop the annoying 'roll away' of small round parts.

Well, I certainly started something by mentioning tea! Not a lot about manging metal Just goes to show how highly rated consuming the stuff actually is!

Fairly new to model engineering (aka mangling metal).

Started the recent Emma-Victoria 0-4-0ST project. Has stalled whilst I have been helping a much older mate with:

1. Rebuilding a blacksmith's hearth from mostly near scrap. Learnt (after a fashion) arc-welding on the way so that the tray could be made anew..

2. Created a proper workshop from a conservatory with almost no roof. Am a Part P qualified electrician so could do all the electrics. Found out how to build a roof by doing it and got the insulation mostly right.

3. Getting a motorised saw working with NVR switch from a non-moving wreck - how do you size a starting capacitor? I did it by getting several different ones until it worked!

4. Loads of tea.

Other metal mangling interests include clocks, model boats, modifying my own machine tools and making tea.

Non-metal mangling includes trying to learn the mandolin, astronomy and sleflessly reducing the available quantity of malt whisky by personal consumption.

Can't wait to retire.

Without the b**bs

Splinters? Use a spade - just chop off the affected part.

I now resemble the Venus de Milo.

And if in the area of Watford, the Italian shop at the lower end of Market Street: Bottega Italiana, Market Street, WD18 0PN.

Floor to ceiling, wall to wall Italian food, fresh bread, wine, lagers, cheeses, pasta, salamis, Pannetones, herbs, spices and best of all - al fresco breakfast with a real coffee*. Italian staff or direct descendants since Watford has a large ex-pat Italian community and you hear the language all around you.

BUT, you must get a ticket for parking £1.50 for 1 hour - the parking shop is next door and you WILL get done if you don't have one!

*Spoiler - I can only drink tea so this is for all those lovers of Italian coffee!

Can see something like these in Alicante province where I stayed with friends and probably all over Spain. They were seemingly mostly driven by elderly farm workers since they did not need a licence for them. Other EU countries?