Member postings for Andrew Tinsley

No quibble about Quad electrostatics. Mine are still running after 50 years and only one overhaul!

Andrew.

A good turntable and valve amplifier sound excellent! It is the cheap rubbish equipment that get LPs a bad name. From the same studio recordings, I can hear things in the music on LP that are absent from the CD and it isn't the hiss and pop either! Very few people are/were prepared to pay for top quality kit in valve and LP days. A top class system is amazingly good, even compared to modern high end audio.

I am not a fan of any particular type of sound reproduction equipment, I have most of them and use them all, even tape cassettes sound good through a top class deck, such as a Nakamichi.

Andrew.

Thanks guys,

Interesting that some say start from top down and others from bottom up! I have bolted the cabinet down to the concrete floor with rawbolts and inserted some anti vibration material between the feet and floor. The cabinet was roughly levelled and a slope included from headstock to tailstock for coolant flow.

The lathe bed shows no measurable wear, so that isn't the problem! It also turns reasonably true, about 6 thou out in 10 inches. The twist isn't very much , but I may as well get it correct, rather than leave it (I suspect most people would be satisfied as is!).

The U shaped shims sound as if it is the way to go, so I will stop bothering you all and get that done! If I had not got a sensitive level, then I would have carried on in blissful ignorance. Having got one, I may as well use it to get things spot on.

Thanks all,

Andrew.

I am not quite sure that it will do me any good. If it isn't twisted after unbolting it from the stand, I will need to shim up the offending corner. If it is still twisted after unbolting, I am still going to have to shim up a corner. It doesn't seem to get me anywhere! Assuming I am not missing something blindingly obvious!

I suppose my real question is, should I shim up the offending corner using ordinary shim stock, or is there a better way of correcting the twist, using some other method of jacking up the offending corner? Maybe using longer hold down bolts, upside down, using a nut to secure the bolt in place and then threading on another nut on which the bed rests. I could then use these nuts to give me a jacking effect. Obviously washers should be used too! The bed would finally be secured by a hold down nut and washer on the top of the lathe lugs. By carefully measuring the twist with the level, I could use the nuts under the bed as jacking nuts. Sounds a bit crude, but better than shim stock?

Andrew.

I have been checking an ML10 lathe and using a sensitive level, it is apparent that there is some twisting occurring in the lathe bed.

The ML10 is mounted on the standard Myford stand. I have slackened off the securing bolts which holds the stand to the concrete floor. The twist is still apparent. Now if this were an ML7, then suitable adjustment of the jacking screws beneath the lathe would correct the twist. The ML10 seems to be simply bolted to the horizontal sheet steel of the stand, with no corrections available.

So do I start to eliminate the twist by using shim steel beneath the corner of the lathe which needs adjusting? Or am I missing something?

Andrew.

I was raised on both metric and imperial units. I don't have any preference for either system. If I am building a published design, then I use whatever system has been specified.

I have been able to get a lot of imperial tooling at relatively knock down prices, so I tend to use this system on most things I do. I also have a goodish range of metric tooling, so sometimes use this if the fancy takes me. It really is a totally non issue. Those that have been raised on metric measurement, let them use it, same goes for the users of the imperial system.

The one thing I will not do is to mix the two systems. I still find that nuts and bolts are readily available in Imperial sizes as is raw material, so if someone is kitted out with Imperial tooling, then what the hell does it matter if it is used? It really is up to the individual to do what he wants, that is the beauty of the hobby!

To read some of the answers given, it seems as if war has broken out. Get a life and do the engineering in whatever units you want!

Andrew.

The modern aircraft ignition modules (maybe £20 or £30), have the option of 2 or 4 stroke ignition, Usually just a switch or a wire moved. An awful lot of big model aircraft are 4 stroke powered and the manufacturers cater for them in their modern units.

Don't get me wrong, I love the simple two stroke set ups of the 1940s, when set up they are very reliable. I thing that your supplier of minimags or whatever also sell the small spark plugs (that go into a glow thread). These Rimfire plugs are far superior to the old plugs. If it is a larger plug (I think they are 6mm thread?), make sure you get a reputable make, a lot of the cheap Chinese plugs can give problems. I think Bosch do them so no excuse for skimping on that item!

Best of luck with your experimenting. If you are using a magneto, then you are one up on me! When I tried to buy one, the guy was I think retiring? There obviously is someone new taking over the set up. I may even get to using a magneto after all. From a guy who made his own "They are not easy to make at this scale and you need to know exactly what you are doing". So I paid heed!

Andrew.

Hello Tom,

I don't know what you have purchased from Minimag, a Kettering system or Magneto. These should work first time. Bu if not, do yourself a favour and buy a modern model aircraft ignition system These work! I would further go on to say use either an optical switch or a magnetic sensor instead of points. These systems are cheap and reliable and while you are sorting out any problems (there usually are!) at least you can rule out the ignition part of the system.

If you want to use the old fashioned Kettering system and the 1930 / 40 model aircraft system then do so after all the problems are sorted . I use them all the time for my many ignition engines. I note some one says that the coil becomes saturated after a short time with primary current. This is bunkum and is perpetuated down the years. The coil reaches its maximum magnetic field for the given current, but the core is nowhere near being saturated. Apologies to the gent that claimed saturation, it is a common mistake.

If you have any problems, PM me, I think I have seen just about every failure mode for the small coil / capacitor type arrangement. Indeed I have made most of the common mistakes myself. Once sorted the old fashioned Kettering system is delightfully simple.

Regards,

Andrew.

Thanks Swarf and ega,

You are quite correct as usual! It is indeed in GHT's book. Isn't it wonderful, how one can miss such an obvious figure in Gorge's book? Although I must have read it from cover to cover at least a couple of times, I somehow managed to miss it!

Ega, I think you are probably correct about the varying height, I seem to remember someone at Myford's told me something similar. I don't know how it came up, as you can see from the above, my memory isn't the greatest! It is probably why I asked the question, because I had this niggling doubt, probably that long forgotten conversation trying to surface.

Thanks all,

Andrew.

Thanks Swarf and ega,

You are quite correct as usual! It is indeed in GHT's book. Isn't it wonderful, how one can miss such an obvious figure in Gorge's book? Although I must have read it from cover to cover at least a couple of times, I somehow managed to miss it!

Ega, I think you are probably correct about the varying height, I seem to remember someone at Myford's told me something similar. I don't know how it came up, as you can see from the above, my memory isn't the greatest! It is probably why I asked the question, because I had this niggling doubt, probably that long forgotten conversation trying to surface.

Thanks all,

Andrew.

Thanks everyone,

It looks as if I assume 3,500" I will not be far out.

Andrew.

P.S Thanks Swarf for the detailed drawing, I do have GHT's book, but I can't remember the drawing. maybe time to read it again!

Does the centre height of the ML7 vary significantly? If not can someone tell me what it is precisely? Obviously a nominal 3.5", but is it really so?

I have yet to reassemble my ML7 (easier to renovate all the bits and pieces before reassembly!). So it isn't too practical to measure my lathe yet.

Thanks,

Andrew.

I have just finished fettling my Royal shaper. This has a vertical power feed as well as the normal horizontal one. I have had a very large floor standing machine in the past, but only ever used it to plane flat surfaces.

I have several queries. The first of which is, does there exist a decent book on the more advanced uses of shapers. I have both of the Bradley books, but they both fight shy of doing the interesting stuff, like dovetails etc.

The second is how do you cut a precision slot in a piece of metal? I would not trust myself on auto feed, so I would hand feed the width of the slot. But unlike a lathe, there are no dials to indicate how far you have gone! Now am I being stupid, as usual and am missing something blindingly obvious?

The third thing is, if you leave the device on auto feed, presumably there would be a loud bang as the table (box!) got to the end of its traverse? Never even thought of that when I was using the big beast of a shaper. As this particular shaper was sold into schools and tech colleges, maybe the manufacturers installed a device to prevent this (like running off the cross feed nut)?

About the only thing that needs attending to now is an irritating 1/4 turn of slack in the tool up / down lead screw. It doesn't really matter, but it just irritates me.

Andrew

Hi Dinosaur Engineer,

Thanks for the tip about Starrett and the phials (vials?) for their 12 " spirit levels. I will email them to see what the diameter is, who knows it may well fit!

The 12" level in question is a Rabone (predating Rabone and Chesterman). The end caps (as is the whole body) is chrome plated. They won't shift with tugging on them! Maybe pressed on? I doubt they have been soldered on, as the chrome is unlikely to take solder, maybe just glued on? But this is unlikely considering the date of manufacture (pre war or just post war).

I suppose press fit is the answer, unless I am weaker than I think!

Andrew.

Hello Roger,

R.S. Components is the current name for the organisation. It used to be Radiospares and they changed to RS about 40 odd years ago (I stand to be corrected on when the change happened!).

Andrew.

Hello Nick,

I even turned up some Radiospares catalogues when I was searching for something else! I reckon that must date me!

Andrew.

I have found that nut spinners are far more useful than spanners in the small BA range. I have a set that goes from 0BA to 10BA. I got them years ago from of all places RS components. I think they were Radiospares in those days.

I believe they were Britool, but the name has worn off the handles through much use. I don't know about you, but I can't start a 10BA nut on a thread, with fingers and thumbs. No problem with a nut spinner though!

Andrew.

I refer to the bubble in the spirit level part of the combination square. I have a unit with no bubble does anyone know where I can purchase a replacement capsule? Not a bubble! It is the same size as the common M&W combination square. Before anyone says why bother or buy a new combination square. This one is a bit of a family heirloom. My great Uncle purchased it in Detroit in about 1910, so at least it is an antique! I have spruced it up but cannot seem to find a replacement spirit level capsule. Maybe not looking in the correct place.

A similar problem with a neighbours Rabone (Pre Rabone and Chesterman!) 12"sensitive machine level. This is a big beast and strangely enough I have exactly the same one! The problem here, is not only getting a replacement capsule (probably impossible!) but actually getting the thing apart. For the life of me I cannot see how to dismantle it. Seems to have been brazed or soldered up, as the end caps will not come off!

Even if I cannot get a replacement capsule, I would still love to know how it comes apart. It is really bugging me!

Thanks,

Andrew.

P.S.I can do a replacement as far as cementing in and setting it up.

I inherited a live centre with a lathe. It has always turned true. A few weeks ago I picked it by the nose (silly thing to do!). I heard a click and on close examination I found longitudinal play of maybe 5 to 10 thou! I got a touch bothered and set it up with a bar in the lathe and it still turned true, maybe the play is meant to be there?

My best live centre is one I purchased in a shop in Austria 40 years ago (maybe an Emco). I remember trying to explain what this item was to an airport security bloke who checked my hand luggage! Blowed if I could remember what a live centre was in German! In fact I don't think I ever knew. Talk about a long winded explanation! At the time my German was mainly Schweitzer Deutsch and the Austrian is almost a different language. Happy days!

Andrew.

Hi Colin,

That is interesting I was comparing the Myford cream colour on my old bed. I do have a new can of the Paragon Myford cream, maybe the old bed has faded over the years, so I will try some of the fresh stuff. A can is far too much for a Myford bed! Be good if I could use some more on the Fobco!

Thanks,

Andrew.