Member postings for Mike Clarke

I've used Shiply a few times now. You get some silly quotes, but if you're lucky someone will see your ad and be able to include your collection with something they already have planned.

Thanks,

Mike

Hi,

A few years ago when I was looking for a first loco to build I was repeatedly told that first and foremost you should choose a design that you really admire - which I did........which happened to also be the first model in N gauge I got many years ago for a birthday present.

I was also told - and I think it's true - that a "complex" design isn't any harder to build - just takes longer. The cost of a boiler was also important to me, although I want to build my own in future.

Anyway, here's my almost complete (getting distracted with other builds!) Don Young Derby 2P which I'm happy I chose as my first build. Don's "words and music" are great, so would recommend his builds.

Regards,

Mike

Hi John,

When I made my safety valves I drilled most of the metal away and completed the profile with a slot drill mounted in the tailstock chuck (it was only taking the smallest amount off the diameter and squaring the bottom of the hole).

Regards,

Mike.

Hi Neil,

Just silly sentimentality really.....plus I like the black finish of the Osborn! I even keep my Clarkson for best and tend to use one of the posilock chucks most of the time. RDG sold some off recently at a bargain price because the boxes were scratched.

The Rotagrip prices are good - I was going to offer you a set of metric pozilocks but by the sounds of it I may soon have to move away from my imperials!

Thanks Bazyle. I will keep an eye out.

Hi,

What fitting is your chuck? If INT30 I would be interested in a swap for a Clarkson. Although mine only has imperial collets, metric collets are plentiful for this chuck.

Alternatively - perhaps the Pozilock collets from the likes of Chronos fit an Osborn?

I had an MT2 Osborn Titanic II for my Emco and have been trying to get an INT30 ever since as I liked it very much.

Good price by the way!

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi Bob,

I changed to link belting a few months ago on my mill and lathe (Boxford). I used Powertwist from Chronos - I'm happy with it. Quieter and got rid of a vibration on both machines.

The belting is much easier to work with inside out - then once joined turn it "right side out". This is actually the advice from the manufacturer.

Thanks,

Mike.

Hi,

Warco sell some "Corrosion Preventative" spray. They claim it protects the machine from 3 months (outdoors) to 12 months indoors. Might be worth a look - and is a good price.

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi.

I recently bought a Toyo lathe (similar size to your C1 I think). It came with the original 1-way toolpost so I bought a modern (import) quick change toolpost for it, along with some 8mm Glanze insert tooling. Have turned brass, aluminium and steel with this setup up to 1" diameter and had no issues whatsoever. Obviously you have to make appropriate cuts and not expect a floor full of blue chips.

I use Sumitomo insert tools on my bigger lathe, along with some Glanze, and for me I have to say that Glanze quality does me proud. Plus tips are much cheaper - I think I paid £20 for a box last time, which I think for hobbywork is just about the right price. I got the tools from Chronos. If you decide to buy insert tooling make sure your toolpost will accept the tool, and that the resultant tip height won't be above centre.

In part I use inserts because I don't know how to grind HSS (nor do I have a grinder). It's on the todo list, but I've just completed an entire loco with insert tooling, so I don't think it's essential.

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi - it, and the other items, sure are beautifully made.

If you want something similar that's commercially available, then you may be interested in the 60mm machine vice available from Pro Machine Tools (I bought one for my Emco mill several years ago and was always very pleased with it). It is very similar in design to Gray's.

Regards,

Mike.

If you put a bolt in a tee nut in a slot and tighten it - as an example - surely that is trying to force the nut through the top of the table. That's what I imagine the concern to be anyway (when something is in contact with the table directly above, i.e. vice, rotary table, fixture etc).

Edited By Mike Clarke on 27/03/2014 09:36:44

Hi.

I always finger-tighten the stud and then remove the T-nut from the slot and check there is plenty of unused thread. I made my own t-nuts - some suggested damaging the bottom of the threaded hole to automatically prevent the stud being screwed in too far, but I don't think I'd like to rely on that.

As for the tee-bolt - I guess they avoid the top of the slot being physically jacked up from the base of the slot? And when clamping surfaces to the mill table, it is guaranteed to be simply clamping.

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi,

I have a Microball height gauge. I was using it today and noticed by accident that if you press down on the scriber, the assembly drops down from the micrometer head on a spring. There is a thumb screw to lock it - but never really use that.

Just wondered what is the purpose of this springing? Seems an odd thing to have as now I'm wondering if the assembly has returned home properly.

I'm sure there's a very good reason for it!?

Thanks,

Mike.

Thanks for replies all.

I always (well both times!) blow down the boiler - and the tap water here is definitely soft, so for now I think I'll stick with tap water. Are dehumidifiers are a practical source of water for a loco boiler? Not sure if they'd produce enough.

Regards,

Mike.

Posted by JasonB on 13/03/2014 17:04:13:

Hope not that looks like a duel carrageway

Sadly I know the A50 very well - a superb road at at avoiding a terrible part of the M6. Usually see some nice shiny JCBs on their way to their new owners too.

Taking a picture looking backwards whilst driving on the wrong side of the road was all part of my joke, but you've ruined it now :P.

Hi.

Thanks all. I shall do the boil test and see what's left behind (I remember doing that now at school!). If nothing else, it'll be interesting.

I did think about making a sand filter - but it's something else to have lying about the place. Perhaps I'll look at taking the water off the conservatory roof, at least it'll be fresher and will likely be much clearer once run through the filter mesh.

Thanks again,

Mike.

Nice photo opportunity!

Taken through the rear window?

Good look with it Allan.

I must say I thought it was something to do with framerates why some things seemed to be rotating more than others. Hope that turns out to be the problem, sounds promising!

Please will you upload another video when you get it running. Have enjoyed following your build - you've made a lovely job of it too.

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi,

I live in a soft water area - so reading around, it sounds as though I should be able to use tap water in my 3.5" loco copper boiler (I have used it twice already). But it seems rainwater is a popular choice.

We collect the rain from the shed roof into a barrel - so have an ample supply of rainwater. I bought a couple of 25litre water drums and some ultra-fine paint filters and have just filled one drum with "filtered" rainwater. The filters seem to have worked a treat - there are no visible (to the eye) bits in the water, but it has a brown tinge to it and a musty smell.

No doubt if I drained the barrel and waited for a deluge, then I would automatically end up with clearer water - but that's not really practical.

So I guess I'm asking does it matter about the smell/discolouration? Given that it's only for use in the boiler (i.e. not for brewing up with).

Regards,

Mike.

Hi. I have a Boxford ME10, but all the 2MT items I already had self-eject just as they did with my previous lathe.

It's a nice lathe - you've done well to find one with a clutch (very rare option I believe).

Cheers,

Mike.

Hi Paul - looking forward to seeing it restored.

We used to have a VBRP at my last employer, a beautiful machine.

Regards,

Mike.