Member postings for Manofkent

Thanks Emgee. The contactor drives the pump and has the usual soft start coil added. This contactor also provides the input to the next contactor and so on for 5 contactors.

I hadn't thought about isolating them - good suggestion.

I will post a photo - just for fun- showing just one bundle of wires - these go to some switches including "Start" - although I think the contactor in question may be powered via a relay - there is a huge board with loads of them on it.

Thanks. John

I wonder if members might be able to advise me on a tricky problem please... I have an old edm machine, made c 1990. One of the switches has failed, but I can't work out which one as all the wiring between contactors, power supplies, logic boards and relays are all black and not numbered. There are about 50 wires in a bundle in one section, all the same colour! I know which contactor is not activating, and can prove it will work with power. So I know where the wires start, but can't prove the ends with a simple continuity tester as it is all pretty well inter connected so I just get false readings.

Is there any other way of isolating a circuit like this, perhaps sending a pulse or signal down the wire?

Any suggestions gratefully received. John

thanksI have been planning a similar Cnc leadscrew turning operation. What is stopping me at the moment is that I can't work out how to ensure the leadscrew is concentric in the lathe. Given that it is threaded (in my case anyway) for its whole length, where / how do you apply a dti gauge? Any ideas gratefully received.

Hi John. Thanks for this..Some comfort in not being the only one who found the Don Young method a tricky one! The Pistons each have 2 o rings and I don't think they are leaking. Can you enlarge on the PTFE HEADS please. Do you mean all or part of the piston valve is PTFE? Many thanks

I would appreciate some help with my 3 1/2" gauge loco please.

It is a GWR County Carlow design. Stephens Valve gear - outside piston valves.

The problem is that far too much steam is always going up the chimney.

I have had it running today after resealing all the gaskets etc. From a full boiler it will empty the steam in a couple of seconds of opening the regulator, although it will then plod away quite happily on the remaining 25 psi! (jacked up - not under load),

So I don't think the valve settings are a problem.

When i open the regulator at any wheel setting there is a huge blast from the chimney. Could it be the piston valves - I am not sure of the best way to make these reasonably steam tight. I tried to follow Don Youngs plan to make them a push fit and put some graphite grease with them, but they are either too tight or too loose!

My only other suggestion is that some steam is transferring via the lubricator pipes.

Any suggestions very gladly received.

thanks

Nigel, that's brilliant. I didn't know about the revised design, and can now look it up in my ME back copies. John

Can anyone tell me the dia and length of the 3 1/2" gauge Bantam Cock loco by LBSC please. How similar is it to Helian Lassie? Thanks

There is a super simplex on eBay at the moment. It doesn't seem to come up in searches for "simplex" but it is there. The seller is in Weston super Mare. I have seen this loco. It is heavy, well built and superbly equipped. The seller is in a sort if Manor House, and has a few locos on at any time. If you are not too far away he is worth a visit. I have no connection to him except that I visited him to look at a loco recently. Good luck

I have been brazing a boiler this week. I am using a Sievert propane standard type burner and mostly a cyclone burner.

Can anyone help me identify where the hottest part of the flame is please? With the standard burner I assumed it would be in line with the centre of the torch, but found much better results working at the edge of the flame? The cyclone burner is more central, but as I can't see the flame how far away from the work should it be? I recall from school days that the flame can be quite cold if you are inside the blue bit - ie too close. Any advice great fully received, thanks

Bob, before you start it is worth taking the views of this forum amongst others on the combustion chamber. I have understood that more recent "wisdom" is that it is a nice thing to have but not really necessary. As it can be a complication in the build I wonder what others think.

In "the good old days" some lathes were powered directly from the pulley on a petrol or Diesel engine.

Thanks Chris and John. That's exactly what I needed.

Hello. Can anyone tell me the working boiler pressures of LBSC's PAMELA, and HEILAN LASSIE?. I have one boiler from each to get tested! Many thanks

The tail stock reminds me of a Portass lathe I once owned. See www.lathes.co.uk for pictures that may help.

A retired toolmaker told me once that EN was short for "Emergency Number", and was introduced as a short term fix in WW2

Bowler. My Harrison L5 also turned tapers when I got it. I levelled the bed (this made no difference), then reset the tail stock, which was about 10 thou over one side. This got a test piece between centres running to within half a thou over 12 inches, I could live with that. But work gripped in the chuck still wasn't straight, and eventually I found an article in the ME about re grinding your chuck, made the jaw holders from some scrap and clamped a hand drill to the tool post. This really did the trick. It might be worth trying some of these things before saying goodbye to the lathe as they are brilliant.

David. Have a look for a Parvalux motor on the bay. They often have reduction gearboxes of the ratios you need.

Fizzy. Raising my L5 was done as follows: 1) the feet on the corners are threaded something like 3/4 Whit. Use these to get the lathe level first. 2) I used a big crowbar to lever the lathe up an inch, then put some wood under the end. Repeat as necessary until you can get the right height and something solid on it. The tail stock end tends to swivel when lifted due to the weight distribution.

Fizzy. My L5 has exactly the same issues. At the moment I have raised it about 3" using big steel billets, but that is not high enough yet. As I expect you will know it is a scary big beast to manouvere, weighing about 750 kilos!. But I reckon changing chucks will be more tricky when higher as they weigh a ton ( or just under). Nevertheless it is the best lathe I have ever owned - even with an aching back.