Member postings for John Baron

Why have you got a tumbler reverse gear on a drive from a reversable motor?

Robert G8RPI.

I have often wondered how you are supposed to acurately position a V on work with a head tipped over or even with the work tipped over. None of the usual edge finding techniques that I know of would work.

Go for it, Lee ...

‘though it’s interesting to ponder how much simpler it would be to cut the vees on a shaper.

MichaelG.

During lock-down, we have seen an increase in number of beginners entering the hobby.

All these questions are great. There is a lot of enthusiasm with beginners, but the knowledge is limited, because of lack of previous hands-on experience. Sometimes this results in questions over fitness of purpose, especially resulting from bargains obtained through auction sites. There is nothing wrong with that. We - the collective - are all here to help, even if one members opinion is different from anothers.

Keeping this in mind, ARC commissioned a beginners series in Model Engineers Workshop, relation to using a modern day lathe or mill. These series dealt with how to use the respective machines and tools associated with them.

This series started with issue 260 onwards for using a lathe - by Neil Wyatt, and 261 onwards for using a mill - by Jason Ballamy.

Judging by the questions we see on the forum, as well as over the phone and emails, can I please suggest and encourage beginners to subscribe to the digital version of the magazine?... which in turn will give beginners access to the back issues.

The machines and related tools were given to Neil and Jason, precisely to write the series for beginners to address many of the questions which are being asked so regularly now.... more so during lock-down.

If you do not have time to read, or if you don't want to, that is up to you. Under such circumstances, please be considerate and respectful of the time the collective on this forum spend to help the beginners.

Many on here have years of experience. I would particularly like to draw attention to regular references to ARC products which Neil and Jason in particular make. The reason why they make reference to ARC products is because they have used them. Many of the YouTube videos to which Jason refers are directly linked to the beginners series which he wrote. Yes, this shows off the ARC product in question. He does not get extra commission for this. He is trying to show the process to a beginner, and yes this promotes sales for ARC. It does not mean that the beginner should only purchase ARC products.

Both Neil and Jason along with others give their time for free on this forum. ARCs contributed to the hobby by establishing a beginners series on the subjects in question. We paid Neil and Jason by giving them the products. In real terms, if I had to pay for the series in terms of time invested by Neil and Jason, instead of paying them by product, it would have cost ARC a lot more.

I am aware that this 'investment of helping people' has gone down like a lead balloon with a minority of members on this forum, which is a wrong and sad interpretation. Two members (not Neil or Jason) have PM'd me notifying me of two other members of this forum who say that Neil and Jason are 'very palley with ARC' because they get things for free (I have used polite language to what was actually said). This is the wrong interpretation.

Both have been imparting their knowledge freely on this forum, along with others, long before the two members chose to make the comments they did, and long before ARC commissioned the series for beginners. The reasons why ARC chose Neil and Jason for the series is precisely because of their knowledge and ability to write articles which a beginner can understand.

Both Neil and Jason pay for what they want from ARC.

Neil and Jason only get 'things for free', if ARC wants them to test the products and give a report. Again, 'for free' is not really, considering the time and effort they have to put in to carry out the tests, which ultimately benefit the end user. I have given products in the same way to other users to test. Many are on this forum, and they choose not to write on here, or there is an agreement between the tester and ARC for the project to remain confidential.

Before anyone says it,...

YES ARC - i.e. me have a bee in my bonnet about certain auction sites, especially when we know the quality of certain products being promoted on there, combination of good, bad and ugly. Separate from the two members in question, I also think it wrong of two other people (one of who is still a member on this forum), to degrade a the memory of the late John Stevenson under comments on a product which was on You Tube promoting a product sold on Banggood - which i personally find disgusting.. after a person has passed away, just because they had a grievance with him. JS was another person who helped us, and it is a shame that those to people were reluctant to say things to his face when he was alive.

YES, such auction sites selling products direct from China eat into ALL U.K. based businesses. It is a fact of life we live with. However, if new comers wish to make comparisons, we kindly request you to be careful and avoid generalising, especially if you have limited knowledge.

All U.K. sellers work hard to service the end user and to survive.. in any climate, and no, we - as in most reputable U.K. sellers are not out to diddle anyone.

If you got a good or bad bargain off an auction site, that is well and good. But please be respectful too of the knowledge being imparted on this forum, and remember to thank the collective - forum community who provided you the assistance.

I have often seen long threads where many have helped, without any expectation of thanks, and then suddenly the receiver of the knowledge comes back in on another thread giving the impression that 'he knows everything' on a subject, and is suddenly in expert.

Ketan at ARC.

Hi John. I was looking for a holder that would take both 55 and 60 degree inserts. Sorry if I was unclear.
I spoke to Chronos and they say the Glanze ones will only take 60 degree but I’m confused by that as I suspect it’s just the insert that sets the form angle. Am I wrong? I much prefer the cost of the Glanze holder (£30) to the Kolroy one (£60).
Jim

Well done Iain for measuring the force needed to move the table! The problem with your first calculation is the mass of the table isn't the main factor. It's the force needed to overcome sliding friction and that of the leadscrew mechanism. The sliding friction of a milling machine table is oily low, and although the lead-screw and nut are relatively inefficient, the screw is a favourable torque converter. No way could I move a 20 ton concrete block, but I have pulled a 20 ton canal barge - the barge being on a slippery surface matters much more than the weight.

Type of motor used depends on how much control is wanted. A windscreen wiper motor and DC speed control will wind the table to and fro as a convenience, but there's no accuracy in it. Like power steering in a car, it's down to the driver to get it right. A requirement for accurate stop-start positioning and speed is more easily met with a stepper motor (or hybrid or servo) and computer control.

Having measured the minimum force needed to move the table, it's necessary to allow for cutting force as well. It's also worth repeating the measurement with the table heavily loaded, say with a vice, rotary table and the biggest object you're likely to cut. As you mention, my experiments also found cutting doesn't need lots of extra oomph on the table, presumably because the mill-motor does most of the cutting work.

You're in the right ball-park, but I suggest doubling the maximum load measurement to size the motor. Triple if nervous! Shouldn't need a massive motor but make sure the power-supply has plenty of grunt.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 20/05/2020 10:56:23

I’ve been looking for a suitable Glanze internal threading indexable holder and apparently they only do ones for 60” inserts.
I don’t really want to pay £60 for a Kolroy one although it will do both 60” and 55”.
Can anyone recommend an alternative?

I looked at APT but there’s not number to call them that I can find.

cheers
Jim

If you grind them in situ you will need to make a clover leaf plate or at least packing strips between adjoining jaws to push the jaws outwards while grinding.

That's both the 'cure and the curse' of Youtube...you get all sorts of stuff from golden nuggets to dross and there's plenty of the later......However, Steve Jordan offers his exploits as they are and they probably suit him and his workpieces such as they are. As has been already pointed out, he offers ideas and possiblities.

The site has a pronounced 'down' on Steve Jordans videos, but virtually all of the many sneering detractors don't appear to have posted any videos themselves!....indeed many of them don't even make anything!!?

I did have a quick look for videos on youtube by 'not done it yet' & 'john baron'...I did'nt find anything so perhaps they could direct everybody the their vids please.

Looking at the pictures of the jaws from the lightweight four jaw chuck, and having recently sold a set of new ones, I recon yours are in pristine condition, there are almost no signs of wear. The threads are ACME form, there is a variation with square threads. I have a set of worn jaws, they look very different both in the thread wear and the contact edges.

There is a method of grinding these independent chuck jaws, one at a time, in the chuck. That would ensure they are accurate when used.