Member postings for Carl Wilson 4

Hello Chaps,

I am not a model engineer, armchair or otherwise. I am however, a real, actual engineer who happens to enjoy "amateur engineering" - making things in my spare time using machine tools, welding, and a bit of electronics. I use this forum because I share common cause with some of what you discuss - the means of how you do what you do if not the ends.

The original comment on this thread and the follow up by the same author is unfortunate, but not that uncommon in here I think. You are lucky to have a magazine like The Model Engineer in this day and age, given that these days your hobby could be at best described as a niche activity. I have often written on this forum about the content of the magazine, but I have never had a problem with it's production values.

I am sure that the small handful of dedicated girls and boys who produce the magazine go out of their way to ensure accuracy and quality. Mistakes always happen, in any venture. As the man said, no one died.

Carl.

Thanks for the replies. Too many issues involved, far easier to have the part made by a small firm.

Carl.

Hello Chapesses and Chaps,

Does anyone here have any experience of spinning sheet metal parts in the lathe? Against a shaped mandrel, as I understand it. It occurs to me that this would be an efficient way to make some parts I have a need for.

Specifically, I'm looking at making a stainless steel torus that is to act as a manifold and expansion joint.

There are plenty of little firms that I could get to do this. I just wondered if it is something that is worth trying.

Carl.

Thanks Ian I'll check it out. I have heard of them anyway. Hopefully my old "Alma Mater" Cosford will come up with the goods.

Carl.

Hi Andrew,

Many thanks for that. I may have the spec details I need at home in my own library somewhere, but I'm away from home currently...Interesting you say 5S1 as I earlier came up with 7S1. You are lucky to have such a book. I have a Millwright and Maintenance Engineer's handbook that is full of all manner of interesting bygone specs. However, when I worked on aircraft about 12 years ago they weren't bygone, as all of the British aircraft I worked on were essentially museum pieces (and one or two now literally are).

Thanks again,

Carl.

Hi Andrew,

Many thanks for that. I may have the spec details I need at home in my own library somewhere, but I'm away from home currently...Interesting you say 5S1 as I earlier came up with 7S1. You are lucky to have such a book. I have a Millwright and Maintenance Engineer's handbook that is full of all manner of interesting bygone specs. However, when I worked on aircraft about 12 years ago they weren't bygone, as all of the British aircraft I worked on were essentially museum pieces (and one or two now literally are).

Thanks again,

Carl.

Hi John,

I can well believe it. I have sent an email to the restoration centre at the RAF museum Cosford, so they should hopefully be able to help.

Carl.

Thank you David,

I expect you are right, I will keep looking for info and you never know I may come across a list of equivalents. The report I referred to earlier is about a prototype piece of equipment built not long after the war. The authors are at pains to point out that money was short and therefore the unit was machined from BSS.S1 - a very bog standard mild steel by the sound of it - to save money (cheaper, readily available material) and time in terms of easy fabrication.

It would still be good to know exactly what it is, it will help me in my interpretation of the report. I can make sense of the design dimensions based around the material properties.

Thank you again David, for giving up your time to assist me.

Carl.

Hi David,

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Are you aware of a reference for a list of equivalents ie S types to BS EN? Thanks for everyone's input, greatly appreciated.

Carl.

Edited By Carl Wilson 4 on 20/05/2014 09:17:36

Hello,

Thanks for delving into the wilds of the library! Thanks to everyone else for the efforts you've made to help.

Hold on...Think BSS.S1 may now be called BS 7s1, as follows:-

Well maybe...

Hello Gents,

Thanks for the prompt replies. John, it isn't the tool steel, I know what you mean though. BSS is an old British Aircraft Industry standard but I can't find much on BSS.S1. There are things like BSS.62 which is a ferritic stainless steel, and BSS.B251 which is a brass. A lot also have DTD numbers. Considering how widely they were once used there doesn't seem to be much info out there.

So, Russell, you are right, it is the S1 shown on the aero vintage site. Just no spec.

Thanks again for your searching. I'm going to keep looking, please feel free to shout if you find anything!

Carl.

Hello chaps,

I am reading through an old RAE report from the early 50s. It mentions a mild steel spec BSS.S1. I suspect it mighthave a DTD equivalent number but can't find any info. Does anyone here know anything about it?

Much appreciation in advance,

Carl.

Hello Gents,

Thank you for all your replies. The two companies I tried to contact had email reply dervices in their contact pages. I'd say that 90% of the firms I've got in touch with in the past (not just for metals) have got back to me in this way. I take your point about spam though. However you'd think if they have an email reply service with a standard form to fill in then that should obviate the problem? Oh well.

Thanks again for all the replies. I will look into tw metals.

Many thanks indeed for taking the time to reply. I had previously tried to contact Schoeller Bleckman and Aircraft Materials UK Ltd, neither of whom have returned my emails. I can understand if they don't do prototype quantities. They are in the business of selling metals though, so you'd think they would at least get back to me to find out how much I need.

Does anyone have an idea where I could obtain 310S stainless round bar and seamless tube? I'm looking for diameters up to 4" in both.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Carl.

I thought it was too good to be true, all the help. Thank you for not disappointing me by posting that comment which is absolutely typical for this site. Yes they did. Very interesting. The Victorians however weren't building liquid propellant rocket engines and requiring to do thermal analysis and heat transfer plots to ensure that their creations didn't melt.

Hello,

Profuse thanks for all the suggestions and help. This has given me plenty to go on.

Carl.

Hello,

Does anyone here know of a free or reasonably priced to download FEA package? What I need to do is a thermal analysis. Failing a full FEA package how about a thermal analysis one?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Carl.

An interesting article in ME? Easy tiger!!