Member postings for Ray Caldon

Thanks for all the replies. I will charge one of the guns with oil as recommended here and clean out the other one and charge it with a bearing grease. I have tracked down a couple of similar manuals but they are sadly lacking on details when it comes to lubrication.

OK Thanks Nigel

I have a Long Chang LC15A round column mill/drill. I've searched far and wide for a manual with no success.The previous owner supplied two of the old tecalemit grease guns with the machine. One was full of oil and the other with copper coloured grease. It looks like he was using the grease to lube the spindle and the oil for everything else. He had fitted grease nipples to all the oiling points. Does this sound correct for keeping the machine properly lubed or should I be using oil for everything? He had maintained the machine to a high standard and I would like to do the same. Unfortunately He was not well when I bought the mill and I could not ask him about his lubrication procedure.

OK will do thanks.

Ray

I have my cast iron. Thanks Clive, I did as you suggested and tried the cast iron dumbell I had. After removing the rubberised protective coating I sawed it in half and chucked one half up. I have done little more than turn the end of the thin piece round but it machined nicely and the finish is excellent. Looking forward to making the bearings. Although from now on I think I will make haste more slowly.Yesterday took me hours to set out and drill the base mounting holes in both parts i.e base and body using the co ordinate method. It was a good learning exercise but time consuming especially with that broken centre drill causing me to have to relocate one hole. Today laying on the couch I had a eureka moment and realised I could have just made a simple jig with a scrap of flat bar. Setting out the hole centres, drilling pilot holes and using it to match the holes in the two pieces. Hahaha I have much to learn. Anyway thanks to Clive and Bazyle for their advice.

Ray

You are right Neil, nothing ventured nothing gained. I do have one of those small dumbbell type hand weights my wife used to take walking with her and the ends are round and a bit over 2"" diameter to the eye. Think I'll hack off the plastic covering and take a look. Cut in half they would be dead easy to chuck up as well.

Ray

Malcolm I have tried electrolysis and was quite happy with the results, until I found a post somewhere recommending Molasses. After trying both I would say molasses is the way to go. Gentle and effective and much easier to setup. The only caveat being that molasses doesn't shift grease so your part needs to be clean before putting it in solution.

Harold thanks for the info re your dividing head. I have made a good start with the spindle having cut the thread, collar and shoulder to the same spec as my lathe which is an Australian made New Gregco by Brackenbury and Austin. I think it is similar to a myford, in size anyway. It is quite worn but I am enjoying the challenges it presents. I am slowly making small improvements to it as I learn. I need the dividing head to make some useable dials as the originals are too small . I may even have a go at your scribing device thats in "Dividing". Currently waiting for the Milling book to arrive as I think I need the build description so I avoid the rookie mistakes I am sure to make. Like today, spot drilling the main body to base mounting holes. I broke a centre drill in the very first hole. Could not get the tip out no matter what I tried so I have had to relocate one hole. Hahaha typical of my hamfistedness. Today I used co ordinate plotting to set out the holes mentioned and it was a lot of fun and I seem to have got an accurate result. My mill is just a chinese round column one but it does a good job laying out the co ordinates. Thanks to all the other guys that have replied. I am still racking the brain trying to think of a source of cast iron for the bearings. I have a week or so as I am waiting on a larger boring bar and a book to arrive and if I don't find any I'll go with brass. I did think of weights as a source but a guy here in Australia has warned against using them as they are low quality iron, mostly slag in his words. I don't have a boring head so I bored the hole in the body on the lathe face plate. Still laying awake at night thinking of how I will tackle the bearing bore. Maybe on a bar between centres with the body mounted on the cross slide.
Regards
Ray

Thanks for the speedy replies. I think you are right Clive, the slots would preclude a press fit. I see now why Mr Hall specified 2 part epoxy. I will try and source some cast iron but if that fails I will go ahead with brass and epoxy it in as per the plans. And yes I do have suitable gears already. Thanks again to all.

Regards

Ray

I am making Harolds' simple dividing head. The plans call for two cast iron bearings around 3/4", one at each end of the main body. I do not have any suitable cast iron in my scrap pile other than a 1/4" thick bar b que plate. I do have a piece of 2" brass round stock that would fit the bill. Would the brass be ok to use as a bearing or should I gang three pieces of the cast iron plate together? I am hoping the brass will be ok as it would be the easier option and the shaft will not be turning at any speed. Also the plans call for making the bearings a little undersize to allow a two part epoxy glue film to be used to fix them in the body. Is there a good reason not to use a press fit here? They will be bored through after fixing in place.What do the experienced guys on here think? Thanks in advance.Regards Ray.

Plus one for Molasses. Works a treat if a little slower than electrolysis but a heck of a lot easier to handle and nowhere near as invasive.

Thanks Ian. What a nifty idea. Trashed the disposable lighter hiding in my sail repair bag and made a simple knurl based on your idea. I used a piece of drill rod for an axle. I have turned down a small piece of round stock , centre drilled and sized for 6BA tap, put a light knurl on with my home made tool and faced the button slightly convex as per the original and parted it off. Now waiting for my 6 BA tap to arrive. So far I am very happy with the way it is turning out. Undecided whether to loctite or solder the screw in before facing off the head This is the smallest thing I have made in my limited experience and a lot of fun. Thanks to all for the guidance.Ray.

Thanks again for all the helpful replies. Once John identified the correct thread it was much easier sourcing a screw out here in the colonies. I will do as Michael suggests and make a knurled head and Loctite it to a screw etc. Problem solved.

Thanks for the replies . Yes you are probably right John, I miked one of the existing screws which are the same size and it went 109 thou so 6 BA it is. I will search the internet again and see what I can come up with. Otherwise I will try and make one.

Regards

Ray

Hi to all model engineers in the UK. I have recently acquired a very nice Benson Vernier Height Gauge model no. H.E.M.10. It is missing two small screws that I would really like to replace to make the gauge useable. The main one is the thumb screw on the fine height adjustment. It is 3/32 48g whitworth thread according to my thread gauge, with a knurled knob on the outboard end. Does anyone have any idea where I might source such a screw ? I hope this is the right area for this post. Thanks.Regards. Ray