Member postings for Andrew Tinsley

I second Mike's comments. I never did get the hang of accurately adjusting the jig. However I tohught it was just my ham fisted methods. But it looks as though others may have had the same problem.

Andrew.

Kwil,

Not the same analogy. You would not want to see a white bread subsidy and brown bread at market prices Same for heating fuels!

Of course one has to pay market prices in the end. I just find it ridiculous that gas and electricity should be treated differently to heating oil.

Andrew.

Not sure why you mention bread. All the petition is asking is that all three heating fuels should be treated in a similar manner. I don't really care if that means everyone should pay market price.

Andrew.

You are correct Phil, there is a great difference between the properties of cast iron and cast steel.

Interestingly enough, I had some cast steel cylinders made for a full size Norwegian railway locomotive. I went to the works and was very surprised at the high tech systems. Nothing remotely like a cast iron foundry!

This must have been 25 years ago, I still have not worked out why the cylinders were cast steel. Every loco I have worked on appears to have had cast iron cylinders! One of life's little mysteries, unless anyone on the forum has an explanation.

Andrew

Night classes are a dying breed. Our local collage got rid of its engineering classes years ago. The space is now a trainee hair salon.

I don't see the problem in teaching yourself workshop practice. plenty of books on the subject. I suspect that maybe the majority of forum members are indeed self taught.

Andrew.

I have replaced a vial in a M&W engineers level and have used it a few times in anger, not the easiest thing to use I have to admit.

Then one day I had the proverbial light bulb moment. A few years ago, I was given an artillery clinometer as a birthday present, members of my family know that I value such offbeat things! This one was a MkV from 1943 , complete with leather case. Like Clive,I realised that this could be used as a level. I find it easier to use and just as accurate as my M&W level,

Andrew.

P.S. Similar artillery clinometers don't seem to be very expensive.

Do you have a link as I am an oil burner in the country!

Andrew.

Ketan at ARC spent some time on the phone to me, talking about cast iron versus steel for back plate use. He maintained that steel was just fine in this application and he knows the business.

Andrew.

Sorry! I intended to say MR16 type low voltage led reflector lamp. The fact that they are 50 mm in diameter confused me!

Andrew.

Hello John,

I too would be interested in your conclusions. I did a similar set up and found that it was not easy to illuminate the tool. In the end I gave up and used a couple of low voltage MR 50 type, led reflector lamps at 45 degrees to the table on each side of the quill.

Illumination is really what suits the individual and my eyes preferred the two reflector lamps. It will be interesting to see if you are happy with your finished product.

Andrew.

No way is that torch going to work on anything unless it is very small indeed.

Use Propane and take heed of the size of regulator AND cylinder. For big jobs a small Calor cylinder will not provide enough gas per unit time.

As to torches and nozzles, most people say Sievert. I have a large range of Sievert stuff and an equally large range of Bullfinch torches and nozzles.

I much prefer the Bullfinch product, they are British made and they have an extremely good advice set up, if you need help.

When I was accumulating torches, the Bullfinch products were less expensive than Sievert. Both are good and should be your only choices.

Andrew.

The molten Sodium Nitrate , Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Hydroxide mixture gives superb results and I have never had problems with rust afterwards. Not every one's cup of tea from a safety aspect, but extremely effective.

Andrew.

A word of warning about trying out the motor. If it has got wet or damp, do not apply power.

Dry it out for a few days in an airing cupboard or a very warm room. Motor windings do not usually show any ill effects from being wet. However a wet / damp set of windings plus power is virtually certain to permanently damage the winding insulation

Andrew.

Yes that is the design I referred to in Ian Bradley's book above. It was intended for a Drummond hand shaper.

Andrew.

Neil,

Interesting reference. I have Ian Bradley's book on "Shaping machine and Lathe tools", but was completely unaware that there was a similar work by Duplex (half of which was Ian Bradley) or are we talking about the same book?

There is certainly a similar tool described in that book. But it is an infinitely variable angle and intended to be used on a Drummond hand shaper. I dismissed this design because it only appears to have a bolt holding the two parts together. In my experience that would not have held the tool in position for 5 minutes. Hence I thought there must be something more to the professional version As indeed Ian and Joseph have shown me.

Thanks,

Andrew.

Thanks Joseph,

I have already started making up my version, If only I had cottoned on that the angle wasn't infinitely variable!

Andrew.

Ian,

Many thanks for posting the drawing by Art Volz. A picture is better than a thousand words. I can now understand how the holder works. That particular tool covers several fixed angles. In my simple minded way, I thought that the tool holder angle was infinitely variable. I could not for the life of me see how the adjustment was held. Shapers being notorious for loosening anything that can move! Having cut gear teeth on my shaper, I know only too well that a shaper can often loosen the work, especially if it isn't in a vice or clamped firmly to the table.

Serves me right for having a preconceived idea of how the tool works. Without that, I might have twigged how the tool actually functions.

Many Thanks,

Andrew.

Thanks for the reference to Kinzer. I am familiar with the site, it has a reference to a fixed tool set up, with the cutter at 90 degrees to the main holder in the clapper box. I was really looking for a design that had an adjustable angle.for the cutter.

Thanks again,

Andrew.

Hello DC31k,

www.neme-s.org was my original go to site. I have most of the shaper info that is on the net, in hard copy. Compared to other machine tools there isn't a great deal to be had and I stick to that statement!. I have quite a few old books from Moltrecht and others that have chapters on shaping

Your advice re tool catalogues was something that I missed so thanks for that idea. I will take a good look.

Thanks,

Andrew.

I have used Lee Enfields and standard German army (WW2) Mausers. I found that the Mausers were a better proposition than the Lee Enfield. The best British rifle that I have used was the P14 from WW1. The action is superior to both the Lee Enfield and the Mauser.

I am led to understand that the Lee Enfield (modified to 7.62 caliber) is still used as the British army sniper rifle or at least was until very recently?. I really can't understand this, as there are much better sniper rifles available these days.

Andrew.