Member postings for Oompa Lumpa

"Edit: If you are going to make your own hex use a dividing head/indexing head or index in the lathe. The last thing to use is those blocks.. it just takes one relocation to be wrong and you will have lopsided nuts crook and you wouldn't want to be accused of that."

Personally I have never had a problem, I think the trick is to securely mount (I use the rearmost slot on the Mill) a good angle plate on the table square on. Then as you turn the block before securing it, make sure it is fast against the Angle Plate. I have only had a problem whenever I have been over ambitious and I have too much sticking out (?)

graham.

I remember making a drum from leather and turning some Brass balls at school do I could mix the Gunpowder correctly. I had read in one of my Uncles books that it was not advisable to use steel for the risk of explosion if the balls struck each other and sparked. Would the youths of today even read such stuff?

Anyhow the garage survived that experiment but the doors (one of them, they were wood and opened outwards, remember them?) succumbed to a couple of shotgun cartridges. Long story, another day

graham.

I could send him a pictorial on Carpet Cleaning, she has me getting George out. You seen George? It's like a Henry Vac - but on steroids! When the delivery guy brought it he staggered up the drive with it wanting to know if I was starting a car valet company next

graham

John, I feel exactly the same way. It might be worth noting that by highlighting the H&S aspect of it Jason has put himself in the firing line - so you were aware it had no guard then? - I can hear it now. However, if you make no comment, well obviously that aspect had passed you by. May be worth remembering.

I abhorr Romper Room forums where the inference is that I am an idiot and cannot look out for myself. A comment such as:"oh, what's the next step? are you building anything around it?" is far better than "Well, I just hope you are going to be fully shielding that and check it is on an RCD and did you check the spindle speed and....." I find such comments patronising. They also cripple innovation. This is my own opinion and not directed at anyone but as has been mentioned, I am not, nor do I think any member of this forum is, seven years old.

graham.

Patent number is on the back Michael. I didn't take a pic of the back but it mounts quite simply, on the back there is a small piece of plate retained by the two thumbscrews you see on the front, very convenient and attaches to almost anything, round, square, oval and so on.I have had one forever and the second, more recent acquisition was in a job lot of tools I bought.

graham.

Well here is another one of mine, I actually have two of these and find them very handy on the Micro Lathe, it is marked 5 and 10 but units of what I wouldn't like to guess :

"70 shore and Viton 75 shore order tomorrow you will get Tuesday from Sealforce via the bay. Beats minimum order at most places."

Thank you for that, very useful thing to know.

graham.

Well, today was a learning day for me. Firstly I learned all about deflection:

I won't be doing that again!

But to make up for it I then learned all about VFD drives. A friend of mine had given me a Siemens VFD controller and three phase motor. In the past I have read posts by people raving as to how the VFD and motor has "transformed" their machine. Well all I can say is Clucking Bell! This is just amazing. I have immediately ordered one up for my drill press and in future ANYTHING a VFD will fit or I can make fit will be getting one of these. The Tieg Lathe is a completely different animal AND I now have a Jog function, reverse if I want it, it stops almost immediately and there is plenty of grunt at slow speed. I am astonished. And a complete convert.

A couple of months ago I had a chance to buy a machine very similar to this one and foolishly I passed on it thinking I couldn't accommodate it. I really should have bought it. I am very envious.

I will be getting one sooner rather than later as I am having to borrow a friends more and more.

graham.

I am impressed, one of the early lathes I would be proud to own. Extremely well made. The Beta has a cast iron tray, the Alpha not apparently.

graham

Now that IS funny!

Just wondering where the rest of the mirth is as alluded to by Mike Cox there? I do have a bit of a reputation of being a bit slow on the uptake though I would be grateful if someone would explain the joke to me? Anyone?

graham.

Well I decided to make a cover for my new surface plate, bit of quarter ply and couple of lats around the edge. Nothing small enough so get out my little saw and rip some 2x1:

And this is the safe way to store these saws when it's not in your hand:

graham.

I have something very similar to this arrangement but I have progressed to actually having a little table on mine AND an actual toolholder - with degrees - that slides along the table. One day there is going to occur a sort of nuclear fusion/explosion in my shed and all of the bits of my T&C grinder are all going to miraculously come together in one cataclysmic event! (I hope)

I have never seen a "guard" on one of these style of grinders and I would wonder how you could actually fit one, that would be of use and not hindrance. To my recollection I have not seen one fitted to any of the Quorn grinders, not safety guards anyway.

graham.

Tracy Tools sell good quality Left Hand drills at very competitive pricing.

graham.

Tracy Tools sell good quality Left Hand drills at very competitive pricing.

graham.

"

'Rarely have a failure'!

That's far too often for me!"

Sorry, I need to qualify that. The failures, seldom, are always from re-using O rings and not replacing with new. Not the actual material itself. The word "Challenger" springs to mind.

graham.

Very grateful for all the replies and although the C shaped collar is the simplest solution I happen to have (I have no idea why or from where) a spare handle for the Divider so I am going to modify it as per Barry's photograph above. Turns out mine is a Vertex but an early one so maybe that's the reason for the lack of modification on mine.

graham.

I use O rings in extremely high pressure, Air, CO2 and mixed gas applications and rarely have a failure. I spent a great deal of my time underwater and my suggestion is to contact Kirby Morgan in the US or Siebe Gorman in the UK for advice. I used to know someone in the R&D department at Desco (their "Pot" was hilarious, survive using one of those and you can survive anything, spun brass) but he was killed experimenting with Trimix. It happens.

They may be more approachable than you think. If you are determined to use 40 Durometer material I would really suggest you get them made. We used to use anything we had to hand and amazingly I survived a good many years using this "wat u got?" method. Bummer when they leak though and if you have paid for the kit yourself that is double bad! A crazy suggestion, but one we used in emergencies was a tube of silicone sealer and loose assembly then when nearly cured nip it up. Worked for us (on occassion)

graham.

Edited By Oompa Lumpa on 10/04/2014 13:55:02

That is interesting. I wonder what it would be like, machining a magnet down on the lathe? Something to do in a quiet moment.

graham.

Welcome to my world.

I usually make my own as the type and composition of O rings I need are either unavailable, horrendously expensive to make or cost two pence and thirty pounds postage!

Anyway, I buy most of my Viton run-of-the-mill stuff from Simply Bearings, all my Polyurathene from McMaster Carr and I buy material from Batchelor Poly in Birmingham who can also manufacture to your own specification and if you want a number of them they are not that expensive.

O rings are, in my experience, much worse for diverse specification than 36tpi threads

graham.