Member postings for Neil Wyatt

Good guess - it's 52 degrees, to the nearest degree.

As with the mini lathe racks, it seems superficial similarity of design doesn't mean identical detail!

Neil

There were two minor errors in the cutting speed table in David Clark's Teach In article in Model Engineers' Workshop issue 216.

Sorry for not spotting these earlier. A pdf of a corrected table (handy for the workshop) is to be found here:

www.model-engineer.co.uk/.../documents/cutting speed chart.pdf

Neil

About 6 degrees, as best as I can tell by sighting across, but only a short portion of the pin is visible .

I deleted a duplicate post - the system seems to be throwing a few today.

Neil

Duplicate post deleted.

Printers aren't what they used to be A lexmark yielded only two precision rods, two small steppers and a nice DC motor.

Back in the day, a Panasonic dot-matrix gave me a good stock of precision rod with close fitting oilite bushes (now in my grinder) and a HP laserjet 4 was a total treasure trove if you add in the optics (just need to find a use for them)

'Rubber' covered rods are best cleaned up with a stanley knife, then turn off the outer layer of metal to tidy up (not a nice process) A second cut will be needed to get a decent finish. This source of material has provided the 5/8" axles for my driving truck.

Finally, take care - that inkjet powder (fine carbon black) is a known carcinogen and shouldn't be inhaled - basically its a box full of 'PM10s' You wouldn't stick you head in the chimney when sweeping it, would you?.

Neil

I have a very old ME article on 'standard unions' for steam pipes. I used it to make unions for my 10V, but on later models I used flanged joints as closer to scale.

If I can find it again, I'll put it up on this website.

If anyone wants to write up this subject afresh, it's probably an ME article rather than MEW.

Neil

Hi Gray,

My jig appears to grind more or less accurate at 59 degrees, using an engineers protractor on the drill tip, a few days ago.

Neil

> I have been stripping the paint from a newly acquired vice

Best use for rooibos, if you ask me

Neil

Alternatively, for about 12" or so of tube, put it on a clean flat surface (e.g. a bit of worktop) and place something heavy, clean and flat on top. Rioll back and forth and the pipe will become very straight very quickly.

Neil

The cunifer pipe ought to silver solder easily (at least I hope so - I have several feet retained as future steam pipe!)

Neil

Graham,

I had a 'play' with my plasplugs multi grinder yesterday. The drill holder is clever but imperfectly realised, although it's simple design does make a decent job of holding the bit at the same height for each flute.

Drills are ground at the top of the wheel, and the grinding is more or less normal to the cutting edge.

The setting jig has a triangular steel 'ramp' that sets the bit protrusion. A moveable 'V' at right angles to this sets the drill orientation by a four-point contact. You can use this as a check for symetrical grinding.

Drills are presented to the wheel with the bit turned slightly to the right, which more or less puts the cutting edge along a radius near the top of the wheel. An invisible, but presumably off-centre, pivot creates the backed-off edge as you turn the holder.

The weaknesses of the design are two fold - the tiny 70W motor struggles to keep the grinding wheel going at speed under any sort of pressure - so it's best for worn, not damaged, cutters. Secondly the plastic construction and some spindle end play mean you need to develop a consistent 'touch'. regularly turning the drill 9rather than doing one side at a time helps. The Tip angle seems to be accurate.

I suspect it would be worth duplicating the jig in metal.

Does anyone know how the sharpeners that have a drum with various holes for the drills to be poked into work?

Finally, anyone seeking the digital article (or other digital content) on MHS will be delighted to know that the effect of a system reset that rendered all digital editions 'out of stock' has now been rectified.

Neil

Hi 13,

No it's simpler than that. You literally grind away just over half the HSS rod for a short distance (say 10mm) back from the tip. You can grind the end back at a slight angle to give a bit of relief, but don't touch the shank.

Fit in the toolholder just as Ian describes.

Take a look at my album HERE

In the photo below the one on the left is from silver steel .hardened and tempered, and the one on the right is HSS, just ground.

Neil

All obvious things have been suggested. ED's suggestions are worth following up.

The problem is we've all seen that pattern, as it can be caused by a multitude of issues - anything that causes the cut to vary over a regular interval.

Neil

I've just checked a couple of my chucks, and yes it is 3/8" x 24 and 1/2" x 20. I've made enough adaptors for tehse things, I should have spotted it.

A very ingenious use of the nibbler, having cut a few inches off the end of a stainless steel sink with a hand cutter (the type that make s a coil about 1/8" wide) so it would fit in a camper, I can see many benefits.

Neil

An HSS rod ground away just OVER half way (not just less as with a d-bit) and mounted with the end level and angled slightly towards the operator will do the job as Nobby suggests. Stone the point on the corner making sure to maintain relief below the cutting edge so it cuts, not rubs.

Neil

It's worth remembering the Stuart No. 1 isn't a model; steam engine, it's a small steam engine, so 'prototypical' is highly subjective.

Washers are rare on old machinery and steam engines in general, but not unknown.

Neil

We all can learn new things about the way this website works, Jason

Neil

I'll have you know I would never wear moleskin. I'm very fond of moles.

Neil

A bug seems to prevent me from removing that bogus add. I've suspended what is obviously not a serious user.

Neil

Roger has beaten me to it.

The other way is to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow...

Neil