Member postings for Andrew Tinsley

A lot of beginners seem to want a QCTP. system. I did too and somewhat regret having done so. They are not as rigid as say a 4 way holder and to get the full benefit you will need a lot of holders. This finishes up as being one very expensive exercise.

I do use my expensive QCTP, but revert to a 4 way holder or even mount the tool on the topslide (a la Myford holder if I have any serious metal removal to do.

I also use HSS tooling and indexable tooling. Maybe it is just me, but I can always get a better finish with HSS,

My advice is to use the sizeable wad of money that a decent QCTP will cost and spend it on other real essentials that you will find the need for as you progress. If money is no object then treat yourself to a QCTP system.

Andrew.

I have a Dutch friend who is an engine specialist at the European patents office. He specialises in automotive engines. So he knows a touch more about such things than the general public. His take on hybrids is that they are a joke and he is in a much better position to judge than anyone here on the forum.

I run a 2007 2.0 Mondeo Estate. My fuel consumption is slightly over 60 mpg. As the car is virtually worthless, I can see absolutely no reason to buy an expensive electric car to replace it.

Andrew.

Hybrids also have to lug around a heavy battery which reduces mpg and the charging from the engine is both very inefficient and costly.

Andrew.

I started taking MEW after being gifted a large number of earlier issues. I must admit that the content of the last year or so magazines is not up to the standard of the older issues.

I don't have an axe to grind, but I shall seriously consider if the subscription is worth renewing when the time comes.

Andrew.

Hello.

Ajax dates back to pre world war 2. They have a reputation of providing good quality kit at reasonable prices. They are now Hampshire based. You could always contact them for details of the mill you have in mind to buy.

Andrew.

Edited By Andrew Tinsley on 16/08/2022 19:40:18

Cancel the above request! Just googled carbon arc rods and see there are plenty of sources. I just assumed that they were no longer used and hence not available. Should have checked first.

Andrew.

Sorry wrong thread! I can't delete it either.

Edited By Andrew Tinsley on 15/08/2022 16:21:36

Hello,

Anyone know where you can get the copper coated carbon electrodes from. I have only a couple left. I assume Kellers are no longer!

Andrew.

Using the drill to hold the tap is a wise move. Tapping by hand usually gets a slanting tap and then a broken tap. I still tap by hand once in a while, even though I have built a tapping stand. Using a drill chuck to again hold the tap.

I never use a lubricant or cutting fluid tapping cast iron. The free carbon is a self lubricating system!

The only caveat is that on rare occasions (hopefully!) you can sometimes hit a hard spot which can cause trouble or even a broken tap. I have been lucky so far and have not yet come across the problem, but I know others have.

Andrew.

Simply use a spark ignitor that is designed to light oxy -acetylene. Works for me on propane torches.

Andrew.

All you need is a former and some sheet gilders metal. Very easy to use if you have even rudimentary panel beating skills.

Andrew.

Looks like we have another company doing a sales pitch on the "For Sale" column.

Andrew.

Hello Folks that is great, just to clarify, it was centre height of lathe to the flat surface of the topslide (where the tool would sit.

Looks as though 5/8" is the answer plus a bed regrind!

Thanks to everyone for the help.

Andrew.

I will not be able to measure up my ML7 for a few weeks. So can anyone tell me the height of the lathe center to the topslide flat?

I need it for some design calculations.

Thanks in advance,

Andrew.

Dave,just put in "flux cored aluminium welding rods" into Ebay search. There are pages of the stuff all identical by the looks of it.

I have ordered a pack with the Ebay listing 234005835548 I shall use them to solder up some aluminium tube and then try some copper and then steel. I expect them to behave exactly like Aluweld and Lumiweld of old, except that they don't need the stainless steel "scratcher" to initially remove the oxide layer beneath the solder.

If I have done my sums correctly, then they seem to be a lot cheaper than the CUP alloy prices, assuming they are the same material.

I will report back when I have tried them out.

Andrew.

Edited By Andrew Tinsley on 23/07/2022 15:42:39

Plenty of sellers on Ebay, Just look up Flux cored aluminium welding rods. Although I saw the first adds elsewhere. I suspect the flux is similar to that sold by CuP alloys. However they can't post that because of H&S requirements,so it is collect only. Presumably these flux cored rods are safe (or maybe not). The ends appear to be sealed with the (aluminium) outer material.

I will order some and see if they are easier to use than the old Lumiweld type of material.

Andrew.

Edited By Andrew Tinsley on 22/07/2022 22:05:45

Edited By Andrew Tinsley on 22/07/2022 22:06:51

I have recently noticed a plethora of adverts for the above. The rods originate from China. The aluminium rod has a central core of flux.

The melting point is quoted as 320 Centigrade in some adverts and up to 690 Centigrade in others! I suspect the Chinese are getting their Centigrade and Fahrenheit mixed up or they are not temperature savvy people!

Welding rods they are certainly not. They seem to be a step improvement of the longstanding "aluminium" rods that need a stainless steel scraper that scratches the oxide from the aluminium to be soldered.

They claim to "weld" copper and even steel, they also claim an intermix of the material to be welded and the aluminium rod, sounds dubious to me.

The soldering rods work for me, but it is an awkward three handed job. Anyone tried these rods? , If not I will get some on order to try them out.

Andrew.

My wife applied for a new license (on line) on Wednesday evening. The new license arrived this morning. So the turn around was only two working days.

Excellent service from DVLA.

Andrew.

The Ebay listing that I found, was Chelmsford based. It was selling a variety of cutting tools and they were all marked Max T. So I should think it is probably a bit more than a lock up garage!

Andrew.

Looking at the Ebay listings. The company seems to be based in Chelmsford?

Andrew.

It depends if you are talking about HSS or insert tooling. I prefer to use small cross HSS section tooling if I can. Far less grinding required being my reason! As for insert tooling it is a matter of price, the larger the tool the more expensive, so again I go for small cross section tooling. The lathes I have are a maximum of 4" center height. What people use for bigger industrial type lathes may well be a different matter.

Andrew.