Member postings for Gordon Tarling

Magnets don't like the heat, but I have no idea just how hot the door would get. They'd probably be OK up to around 100C.

Bear in mind that any machine labelled as 'industrial' will require a 3 phase supply. It'll also be very heavy, so may well be tricky to get into your 16 x 8 shed. Sorry, but can't recommend a suitable lathe, as most of my work is at the smaller end of things.

I think the main control board has some fuses, so worth checking those before you go much further. Can't suggest anything else at the moment, except maybe a loose connection somewhere.

I had a Hobbymat MD65 for a while and found the bed design somewhat lacking. The milling head can also suffer from stripped gears, so be careful if you're buying one. I'd go for the Warco, as parts and accessories will be much easier to find.

Edited By Gordon Tarling on 27/09/2017 09:48:03

it's been a while since I used Bakers fluid - is it likely to work on nickel?

Chuffer - Not sure how long your drive would be, but be sure to break it up into manageable chunks. We've done quite a few US road trips and wifey usually books the B&B accommodation via Trip Advisor - find a nice looking place at a convenient location and then read its reviews carefully. Occasionally, we've stayed in motels, but usually only because we couldn't find a conveniently located B&B - we've stayed in some nice places and met some lovely people on our trips. Lastly, don't go speeding - the cops know where to hide!

Andrew - I got my Emco from Ebay. There, I said the word and the sky hasn't fallen in yet!

The Sherline is a capable little lathe, but I found it's better to stick to turning non ferrous materials on it. Many of the major parts on it are aluminium and this compromises its rigidity. I also found prices in this country to be somewhat expensive, so having a good friend living in the USA might be very helpful.

Chuffer - if you don't mind a long drive, then Seattle or San Francisco are probably the most viable destinations from the UK with direct flights. If you don't want the long drive, then I'm sure you'll be able to find a regional flight from either airport which would get you much closer.

Neil - your tickets were washed away by hurricane Irma.

Edited By Gordon Tarling on 12/09/2017 11:48:38

If the motor that burnt out was only warm to the touch, then a cooling fan isn't going to help much. The motors which have burnt out - do they smell burnt? My suspicions are that the control board may have a fault of some kind, but proving this is another matter, as replacements won't be cheap.

My 2p worth. Do try to get over to Arc Euro if you possibly can - they will go out of their way to help you.

Before I bought a lathe, I considered many different makes and concluded that Proxxon lathes are really glorified, overpriced toys that IMHO aren't capable of any serious work. I had a Sherline with many accessories for a while, but found it quite limiting for the type of work that I wanted to do. I also had a Hobbymat MD65 for a while - this was a more capable lathe, though I felt that the bed design was somewhat lacking, so I sold that. I then bought my present lathe which is an Emco Compact 8 - I was lucky in that I managed to find a little used one in good condition for a reasonable price. I'm very pleased with its accuracy and capabilities, it really only lacks the ready availability of certain accessories. I wouldn't normally recommend you buy a used lathe without some experience behind you, or a friend with you who does have that experience. If you buy new, then you at least get some form of warranty. Good luck in your quest!

The brass wire was to be used in the close vicinity of compass equipment - the stores also kept a totally brass toolkit for the same purpose. Stainless wire was used most other places, though a different material was used on the hot parts of engines - monel? Normal tinned copper wire was used to seal guarded switches etc.

Maybe you never had to wirelock a fluxvalve?

I used to have to wirelock aircraft fluxvalve attachments with brass wire. What was provided to us was about 26SWG and it seemed very stiff, so not annealed. I just used Robinson wire twisters and can't recall ever having a problem.

I'd just like to say a very public thank you to Martin Connelly for his help with this. I have just received a package from him which contains all the S/S tubing that I'm likely to need for this project, along with the test piece that he made. His generosity is very much appreciated. This forum is great, long may it continue!

Plenty of videos here!

PM replied to, thanks!

Martin - Thanks, I'll give them a call to see what they can supply. I need 6 lengths of around 300mm, say 2m in total. If I have to buy 6m, then I will, just as long as they don't send it in one length!

Thanks for the suggestions folks - very useful!

Jason - your efforts are up to your usual standard, but I don't really want to get into sanding to eliminate surface irregularities if I can possibly help it.

Ian SC - I'd considered rolling it somehow, but I fear that I'd end up with something other than straight, though it could be worth a try.

Martin - That looks almost ideal to me. Do you feel that dry sand would allow the sides to stay flat? I suppose I might be able to get away with inserting a flat strip of brass or steel during the forming. I'd have to hope that I'll be able to remove it though! Can't find 3/8" tube of any kind on the SPS website - do I have the right SPS?

I'll get some tube ordered and start doing some experimenting.

If you're always going to run it on air, then nylon will probably be OK, just don't put any steam through it.

Brian, I think the plain side is to allow you to solder it in to whatever it's feeding. You could also put a union nut and olive on it.