Member postings for Peter Spink

Thanks Adam - sounds like a plan!

Will post more pics when finished.

Many thanks all - some good leads to work on!

Based in Esher Chris.

These are pics of the clock as requested Neil.

I made a similar one many years ago with individual ICs and a transformer to supply the HV. This one is a mix of old and new tech. The main PCB is from a company called pv electronics and contains all the drivers etc. including the 180v supply for the Nixie anodes. The wiring to the Nixies is very much 'old school'!

Still haven't decided to chrome the front panel or just polish the brass. The case will be a light maple with comb jointed corners.

Apologies for the lack of Model Engineering content in the post but the holes in the brass were cut with the 'Rotabroaches' from Cromwell tools. Very good price!

As above - anybody got a contact for a small one off chrome plating job?

Nixie tube clock 1/8" brass plate about 8" X 2 "

Cheapest I've got so far is a minimum charge of £75

I'm in Esher Chris so carriage could be expensive but happy to pay if needs must!

Grateful for any links/addresses.

Cheers

Peter

Thanks for the info chaps - I find it easy to buy rod and bar stock from the usual suppliers but thick plate material seems much harder to source!

Looks good!

Would like to put something like that on my pillar drill.

Is that steel or ally?

What is 'flash ground' mild steel plate and where from?

Peter

11/10 for improvisation!

This is my version of the Centre Cam made a few years ago. Wouldn't be without it!

Delrin cone housing perspex ring diffuser, home made PCB with surface mount LEDs underneath. Another PCB mounts the USB socket and a pot for setting the LED brightness. Mounted on a 2MT arbor.

LEDs are quite bright but AGC in webcam software copes most of the time.

Set up for edge finding/location.

Screen showing 0.050 holes drilled at .050 centres on test piece.

I built one of these three or four years ago. It's mounted on a 2MT arbour and the fiddly bit was getting the camera lined up with the axis of the mill. In conjunction with the DRO it is one of the most useful things in my workshop for edge finding, centring and measuring etc.

Even though the software is still available on the site, the chap that wrote the software is no longer supporting it.

Presumably an alternative would be the camera plug in on the Mach 3 software?

Bad luck - mine arrived yesterday . . . .

Ordered a few other cheap bits and pieces as well.

Great service

Thanks for that - just finished making an arbor for them whenI saw your post!

Two ordered.

Peter

Having only ever bought one so far, is the shank size standard over a range of sizes?

i.e. if I make an arbour for the one I've got, will it be useful in future?

Peter

Bought one to cut some 28mm holes in 4mm brass. Only slight problem is the size of the shank which is too big for any of my collets. Used a small three jaw chuck instead with no issues and cut lovely clean holes.

Peter

All interesting stuff, many thanks.

All seem to fit OK but just four that are too high.

Be nice to get them all in the ball park. Is 0.020" too much to take off with a surface grinder?

I seem to remember Model Engineers Laser did a kit but it's not on their website. I would like one too.

Peter

Many thanks for the replies chaps but even from the drawings I cannot see a definitive dimension for the thickness of the lower part that the tool rests on (which is quite critical on my machine). Maybe that's why some of mine are different - the knock of merchants couldn't work it out either

Measuring all mine again, the favourite dimension seems to be 0.230 max. which, with a 10mm tipped tool holder gives 0.025 clearance for adjustment between the holder and the topslide.

Note to self: take a pair of calipers to exhibitions in future!

Peter

I have a collection of 14 Dickson tool holders purchased over the years at exhibitions, when I foolishly assumed they were all the same. Recently I needed to mount a 10mm insert type threading tool and couldn't get it low enough on my Super 7. Out of interest I measured the base thickness of all my holders to find the thickest was 0.264 and the thinnest was 0.222 which is one that I could mount said tool at the correct height. Only a couple of pairs were the same which were probably bought at the same time.

Anyone know the correct dimension?

Bought a spotting drill from:

http://totoolsupplies.co.uk/

recently but V. expensive (about £20 inc postage etc for a 3mm one)

Be nice if any of our usual suppliers stocked them at a more reasonable price!

Thanks Brian,

No relation as far as I know!