Member postings for Dullnote

Hi the cannon is a 15 pdr, it was in model engineer back in Nov 1999.

It is challenging for me, but skill levels on the way up, need to take more time to finish some hand finished parts but I am a bit impatient. Wheels are very slender, and small angles ie 2 degrees on the hub, then on top of spokes before the outer rim goes on

Next challenge will be how to cut the profile to the spokes, need to make a cutter. Then gear cutting to allow the barrel to be raised or lowered, think this project has everything.

Hi update on the weekend work, started this about ten years ago, moved house etc in between , however dug this out a couple of week ago now retirement has given me more time. It is the start of a cannon serialised in the model engineer a long time ago.

my next big challenge will be the spokes and rim of the wheels, yesterday completed the hub as you can see in the photo

workmanship not the best, but I am enjoying the challenge and learning new skills as I go along.

the jig at the side is to help manufacture the spokes

Mod edit: rotated photo.

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 21/02/2022 12:39:48

Just had to do this yesterday, found the edge then moved in 8 mm, drilled, forgot to take the size of the edge finder into account, so 2mm out.

drilled out bigger , machined a plug for push fit , then drilled in correct place. Pleased as you can hardly see the fix, I did skim the part on the mill.

This was all steel, so my question would be, would it be advisable to push fit a new part in cast, or better to loctite. As Peter issue is with cast and mine steel

Okay update, back in workshop this morning, took the ring off found broken in two places, see photos.

Good news is if I remove cap at end of quill a new ring would be able to be put back in place.

I am not keen to try and purchase a new cast ring, flexing cast. So what your ideas on material to be used to construct a new ring.

I have alum, or nylon would need to buy in steel

Will have a better look tomorrow, but you can see the drilling through the casting is at an angle, left no meat

Pete think you are right, if it was main casting it would not clamp up, I was just so fed up after I just stopped and came in

i don’t have a manual only the instruction came with mill

Hi this afternoon I tightened the quill to cut a slot when I did the casting snapped.

Does this part come off, hope it does, then I could make a new unit and refit. My biggest concern is it part on the main casting/ for the head.

Not really looked too much, when it happened, came in for a coffee

Edited By JasonB on 19/02/2021 18:22:33

Hi does anyone know if this company is still trading, I have emailed twice, once direct the other through their site, no reply.

I will have a look though it was anyone who had link

Hi hope this works, first run for the engine today, not completed but enough to get it alaive

Update, been working on the mill today, after shimming and torque the bolts I have the y axis at 0.02mm over 150mm, which I think is a great improvement from yesterday, worked in the x axis and over 500mm I have 0.06mm. Change my DTI to plunge type held vertical to give better results

this is with the quill clamped, so I think the will be better than my machining capabilities. Theses measurements were taken with the quill and head in low position to the table, out of interest I raised the head and extended the quill to full amount, no great deal of difference possible 0.01 added to both readings.

no doubt next time I use the mill it will shake itself out of calibration, learned a lot today, Thanks a lot for all the help and advise. I think I will use the mill and try blocking out some material for another job, see how that goes and if need revisit.

Hi thanks very much for your comments Tony, think the best thing out of all this is to understand the limits of your equipment, shimming the column is a possibility, think I could look at how the bolts have been torque down.

if I can’t get it better what about shimming the vice when I put it on? Also if I can’t get better least I know the error and possible manage the limitations.

regarding the mill itself nothing I can do, again know the limitations of the machine.

agian thanks for help, I am just trying to get better, more accurate least to max out limitations of my machines

Also noticed if I pull or push the head I also get 0.1mm of movement

okay could not wait until tomorrow, this is the set up and this is what I have found.

spindle locked. Zero as shown, when turned 180degrees it shows 0.1mm out,.

spindle unlocked zero as shown, 180 degrees 0.09mm so not much difference. But movement on the spindle 0.3mm

is 0.1mm over the width of the table acceptable?

Thanks Tony, if the quill is loose can this be fixed adjusted?

I will set up a system tomorrow to check from a collet in the spindle, and have it locked, just thinking what I can do to bridge the tee slots

Hi when the spindle is locked there is no movement, I can check off the table, but why a difference when I lock or unlock using the same disc and not moving it?

Hi I spent this afternoon trying to get a better set up / understanding of my mill.

First I checked x axis witch is fine, I the wanted to check y, I put a new brake disc down , the checked y found it to be out by 0.02mm really happy. Then things started to happen.

when I zeroed my DTI buy lowering the head, started to turn the spindle it dropped by 0.3mm, this did not happen when I raised the head.

I started to look and can get 0.3mm free play in the spindle, so thinking I should tighten the spindle using the clamp at the head, great it stopped the movement, but now I have 0.08mm over 150mm swing on the y axis.

is there something else I could try and get rid of the 0.3mm on the spindle.

couple of photos to show