Member postings for Nick Thorpe

Thank Ian and Harry for your help and suggestions which are much appreciated.

Nick

Thank you Baz, I did try that before posting without much success.

I have just had a quick Google and there is lots of information there about Solid Works alternatives so I won't need to bother the forums any more.

Nick

Evening All.

A friend uses Solid Works CAD for private use but the version he has is old and is not compatible with his new PC.

Could anyone recommend a CAD package, preferably free to use that looks like Solid Works?

Many thanks,

Nick

Thank you everyone for your help and advice and if it goes ahead Neil I will happily do a piece for MEW.

Just to clarify, the workshop would come with a 20mm wooden floor and timber bearers over which I would lay flooring grade chipboard on top of a membrane. I had one of these workshops built for my last house by a company in Shropshire that were very good and were able to make modifications for me, so this time I could for example modify their 3 x 2” bearers to 4 x 2”. A weed barrier type membrane would also go on the earth before laying the tiles.

To add further clarification the site would be dug out to reflect the depth of the tiles, levelled and I was considering hiring a vibrating plate to compact the soil.

Regards, Nick

PS: Should note that I didn’t bolt my machinery down in my last timber workshop and it was fine. The mill, lathe and pillar drill were old school and weighed a ton - literally!

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 21/03/2021 20:07:55

We moved just under two years ago which is one reason I have been quiet on here. I would like to erect a 14 x 8' wooden workshop in our garden which has pretty stable sandy soil.

I am reluctant to put in a concrete slab partly because of cost and it has been suggested that I could install a cellular plastic shed base. I am a bit wary but the loadings look fine and the load is evenly spread. Cost would be under £250 with infill gravel which would be a big saving on concrete which I do not wish to lay myself.

More info HERE.

Does anyone have any experience of these systems please? Any advice would be welcome.

Many thanks, Nick

I was just about to say Purdy. Hamilton products are not what they used to be and I found Purdy to be good when I was repainting my workshop machinery. Nick.

Thank you everyone for your advice and yes Ian I have been accused of over thinking things in the past!

I am not good with numbers and I am what I call ‘numerically dyslexic’ - measure it twice and cut it wrong once. I wanted to draw a plan up partly to overcome the number business and also be able to work the materials out more easily and have the flexibility to make changes.

Thank you all again, I will keep you posted on progress. Nick.

Hi All,

We moved a year ago and left behind a lovely 14 x 8 wooden workshop that looked good, worked well and cost very little, which might explain why the supplier has ceased trading.

I have decided to make my own workshop this time and was wondering if anyone could recommend a very simple and free CAD package that would allow me to do the basic frame layout etc.

Many thanks, Nick

Good news - endless hours of fun and it will appreciate in value.

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 14/03/2020 19:06:40

That AUD sounds like good value for money and is the best of the UD range. I bought an ex-school CUD from a dealer four years ago for £500 and they are now selling them for £1100.

I knew very little about lathes when I bought mine which is one reason why I bought it from a dealer. Boxfords are very robust and I would recommend that you run it for about ten minutes and listen for strange noises coming from the headstock bearings. Also make sure that the bed hasn't got any really nasty dings in it and make sure that anything that is meant to go round goes round.

I did an article for ME Workshop a while back about my Boxford and will email you a copy if you would like one.

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 09/03/2020 19:09:45

Welcome aboard!

I have been interested in French marble clocks for about thirty five years and I haven't seen those markings on a dial before. Whelen was probably a wholesaler and the movement would have been made in one of three or four areas in France. The movements are of particularly high quality and a wonderful example of early mass or volume (French 'moyen' production techniques.

Seeing your thread a while back I emailed a gentleman who knows a lot about French marble and other clocks, but he hasn't replied and I fear that he is unwell.

I would suggest that you can definitely call your clock a French marble clock and it is a good example of its type.

Regards, Nick

Author 'The French Marble Clock, NAG Press, 1990

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 03/09/2019 07:37:49

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Edited By Nick Thorpe on 09/08/2019 11:26:29

Like you I found a manual with no weight which is strange.

This Harrison comes in at 1,230 pounds if that helps?

See Ebay US

Regards,

Nick

Hi Peter. I have a Boxford lathe without DRO's but fitted them to my Tom Senior mill. I found Machine DRO to be very helpful and although it seemed like a lot of money at the time I now see it as money well spent.

They do have promotions from time, but if you are in a hurry you could ring them to see if they have any 'seasonal promotions' on DROs at the moment - you might get lucky!

Regards,

Nick

I have a metric Tom Senior Vertical Light with X & Y DRO's and bought a three axis DRO display so that I could easily upgrade with a Z axis at a later date.

It was a fair chunk of money but really was money well spent - and I never look at the manual controls! You can buy this kit cheaply on Ebay etc but I found Machine DRO (right) to be really helpful and I managed to buy the kit during a Black Friday promotion.

Regards, Nick.

Hi Miles. I am not sure that the slot was intended for that purpose but it works! I think mine is circa 1978, from memory.

Picture below is of the old Tom Senior factory in Liversedge. Only a small photo I'm afraid as that is all all I could find on-line.

Regards, Nick.

.

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 31/12/2018 12:46:12

Hi Miles. For alignment after moving the head out, I would wind the table up, put a large square on it and align the vertical part of the square with the machined slot on the left side of the head. For complete accuracy I would trammel the head with a dial indicator.

Regards, Nick.

Edited By Nick Thorpe on 31/12/2018 11:45:51

Thank you again everyone for your help & advice.

Nick

Thank you everyone for your help and advice which is much appreciated.

I am looking forward to our new home but will miss the cosy workshop - for a while.

Nick.