Member postings for derek hall 1

Hi I took a look at Transwave stand at the Midlands show on Sunday as I am looking to upgrade my old 1962 Myford super 7.

It seems I have a choice of electric motors either a "imperial/English" motor which is a direct swap as all dimensions are the same as the original, or to go for a metric motor that involves a bit of iron fighting to get it to fit.

Can anyone care to share their experiences. I have used Newton Tesla before and found them ok. Transwave were very helpful and a tad cheaper!

Ps is it true that Ivans Laws son Mike, is involved in supplying Quorn castings?

Regards to all

Del

I recall many years ago in the ME, Tubal Cain describing how to build a packing crate to transport models to the London ME engineering exhibition.

This was back in the days where the ME staff would hire a van and drive around the country collecting exhibits for the show!

Different times I suggest. I was not aware at the barriers put up at making it difficult to exhibit a model.

Regarding etiquette at the show, I wonder if we all get so engrossed with it all that we stop being aware of our surroundings (like kids in a sweet shop). I experienced the frustration of 2 guys chatting away in front of a stand, clearly not interested in the equipment on display, preventing me from accessing it. I was polite in asking them if I could get by and they were most apologetic....

Regards

Del

First time at this exhibition for a few years. I enjoyed it, it was quieter than I expected despite the car park looking full (I attended today ...sunday).

We should try and support these events and it is up to us to enter exhibits....

Regards to all

Hi all, sorry to resurrect an old thread but...

The original design of locating wheels as seen on many bench grinders, including my new 8 inch arc Euro trade Allwin is a poor design.

Does the modified design improve things as shown by Rik in the original post I.e. side to side wobble?

In passing how come so many grinding wheel have holes that are non standard. Does this mean that you have to buy or make a bush to suit and what sort of "fit" to wheel and shaft should we be looking for?

Finally! Should all new grinders/wheels to dressed before use and for the standard wheels is a single point diamond suitable?

Regards to all

Del

....well it was last century and all in monochrome...

Just a couple of questions

I use HSS in my workshop for my lathe tools, I am looking for a replacement bench grinder and it seems an old good un beats a new bad un according to some people on here. So I am looking around various places, if I buy an old but good 7 or 8 inch grinder can I put a 6 inch wheel on it? I suppose as long as the speed doesn't exceed the max wheel speed it should be ok...

I notice that many pics posted on here show a cup wheel being used is this a better proposition than a normal straight wheel?

I am considering building Harold Halls grinding attachment this winter but cannot decide which, the basic or advanced any advice would be gratefully received. Any restriction on wheel type or size?

Any advice on diamond wheels for hss?

Oh dear that's more than 2 questions! Btw I did my grinding wheel course on my 21st birthday that was 39 years ago...expect its changed a bit since then.

As always your advice is appreciated

Regards

Derek

Hi guys

I have complete volumes of ME from late 60's through to 1999. They take up so much space and I am thinking of a cull....which breaks my heart...

Option 1 do nothing but put up with them taking up the space...some articles are interesting but many are not.

Option 2 cut out and remove those articles that I find useful and collate into one or two indexable files, and discard the rest.

I am not and never have been interested in building locos, my interests are clocks, tools, stationary engines and anything by GHThomas and tubal Cain.

I am interested in ideas and suggestions but also what do others do with their piles of ME magazines. I don't think volumes of these are worth much to be honest....even less if i have cut a load of articles out of them!

Probably will do the same with Horological Journal as well.

All the best

Del

Hi all

Well today I tackled this strange looking spring, its exactly like Sam's first picture above. I had to file down some 1/8 square silver steel and then made a bending jig and practised using 1/16 round soft copper wire.

Using the copper wire gave an approx length of silver steel needed for the spring. I first heated the silver steel to red hot and allowed it to cool naturally in still air. I then heated it to red heat where I needed to put in the bends around the jig.

I all went very well to be honest. Thanks to all of you for your advice.

So one other question this spring needs to be hardened and tempered. So obviously heating to red hot and quenching in oil or water, what sort of colour should i temper the spring down to?

Regards to all

Del

I hope Neil can update us with news about the availability of quorn castings. I think there is a demand for getting a set of quorn castings, if only just to sit and watch them "mature" for several years ,as is tradition!

Regards

Del

Thanks for your help guys.

I will try annealing first but not sure how I can slow the cooling process down other than to fire up the woodburner and leave it in there!

If that doesn't work I will heat it up and while a red hot try and bend it.

Btw the shape of this spring is like a Sheppard crock with the majority of the spring needing to be bent around 3/4 inch dia. ..

I will let you know how it goes, as maybe someone will follow in my footsteps !

Thanks again

Del

Hi I am currently making one of John wildings clocks with maintaining gear. This calls for a special spring to be made from square section silver steel.

The question for you guys is how to bend it? Book says anneal first and bend. But what's the best way to anneal silver steel? Or should i heat it up to red heat and bend in this state?

Either way after the bending job, the spring needs to be hardened and tempered in the usual way for silver steel.

So any ideas ?

Regards Del

This goes to the heart of the restoration debate....what is left of the original parts fitted to the Flying Scotsman for example?. It must have had new boilers, wheel treads, bearings etc during its life so what bits left are the original bits?...

Taken to the extreme then anything thats old and mechanical such as clocks watches, steam engines, traction engines, tanks and even .....(myford lathes haha !), should not be used as any "repair" renders that artifact unoriginal.

Is it important or not to have as much original "material" still part of the "artifact", be it tank or traction engine?, or is it just the name e.g. "Flying Scotsman" thats important?

Regards to all

Del

This is sad news for the ME world, but nothing compared to John's wife and family,. So sorry to hear this news. I never met John but enjoyed reading his comments on this site.

My thanks go to Ketan who made us aware of the awful news.

I expect John is already meeting up with past legends of the ME world, Tubal Cain, Professor Chaddock, George Thomas etc

Once again condolences to John's wife and family, we are all thinking of you at this sad time.

Derek

Just seen on ebay another gem. A Harrisson and described as "The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended."

Drive into any major city at night and all the empty office blocks are lit up like a xmas tree....start by switching half of those lights off...or all of them.

Was in Nairobi last year for work. Took 2 hours to travel from hotel to office in the morning and another 2 hours back to hotel in the evening...distance 10 miles. No one turned off their engines, ancient old buses and lorry engines continuously belching out black fumes. I am sure its taken 1 week off my life span.

Then back in olde England we worry about turning our tV's off and not leaving them on stand by....

Regards

Del

Hi guys,

Noticed that on bidder.com there is a Harrison lathe for sale guide price £400. I don't know much about Harrison lathes but it looks in reasonable condition judging from a fairly dark photo!

Regards

Derek

Hi, Model Engineering Supplies also supplied castings for the Quorn and other workshop equipment. A thread some time ago seemed to suggest MES were back up and trading again (was it something to do with Ivan Law's son who now was in charge?)

However they were trading a few years ago but seems only for a short time. The website is defunct and an email address for MES that worked also is defunct.

So it seems that MES has stopped trading, which is a shame as there is still a demand for the Quorn and other very useful workshop equipment.

Maybe someone else know more?

Regards

Derek

During my apprenticeship in a shipyard in the 1970's, everyone used an old set of slip gauges to pack up lathe tools to centre height.

We also had a large surface plate about 8 foot by 5 foot that was used to tack weld pipe jobs square and level. Any welds and splatter that ended up on the table were removed with a heavy duty air powered angle grinder.

Regards to all

Del

Hello all,

I have an electric clock (GPO type 36) that impulses the pendulum by a "Hipp Toggle" which has its original contact points burnt out and destroyed. I have purchased a couple of tungsten points from our good friend Kirk at Hemmingway Tools (no connection other than a regular customer), thinking that I could use these to replace the original burnt out ones.

My line of thinking is that loads of old petrol cars used to use "points" and distributors etc, these points being tungsten I assume.

So to my question how do I secure these tungsten points to the thin brass parts of the Hipp Toggle? can I soft solder tungsten to brass?, is there such a thing as conductive glue for example?

I am looking forward to your replies!

Best wishes

Derek