Member postings for David Ambrose

There was I thinking that all the steam engine builders here worked out the IHP of their models by fitting an indicator, and using a planimeter to measure the area of the plot on the card to work out the mean effective pressure. Isn’t it something like IHP = PmALE/33000?

I have had this type of QCTP for several years, and have been very pleased with it. I don’t use the parting tool that comes with the kit, but I have bought matching holders from several vendors without any problems. Admittedly my lathe is a much smaller Chester DB7VS.

There’s also a massive Optimum lathe, apparently for 99p.

On TV they showed a fitter (sorry - engineer) pouring water out of a smart meter, so it was definitely in the gas main.

Model Engineers Laser do various sets of small spanners.

Sulzer marine engines used to have plain nuts with Tommy bar holes on the main bearings. A hydraulic jacking device was screwed onto the end of the stud, over the nut, which was pumped up to a pressure that gave the right tension. The nut was then hand-tightened, and the pressure released.

However, the Femi NG series are not suitable, as the blade runs the “wrong” way - so it would be going up in vertical mode. But they are great saws.

And I’m not talking about the ball type.

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I will clean off the gunk again, and experiment with gun oil/razor oil/nothing in that order.

What do you use to lubricate your edge finder. I find that when I use it, admittedly infrequently, the faces are sticky because the oil has turned to gunk. So I clean it with solvent, re-lubricate, and wait for it to happen again. I’ve tried light oil, WD40, etc.

I guess other options are:

use nothing

GT85

dry silicone spray

slideway oil

electric razor oil

Squires also do Tome needle files, and the larger ones.

There’s some info and photos in “Woking to Portsmouth by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith, Middleton Press.

I bought a Dormer centre punch from a stand at Ally Pally a few years ago, and it appeared not to have been hardened, as it was blunt after a few goes.

Sorry about previous missing photo, THIS was in Greenwich Park

This was in Greenwich Park.

A long time ago I bought a 2lb ball pein hammer and cut about 3 inches off the shaft. I found it suited me better, and I used the offcut to make a temporary handle for an old power hacksaw blade to cut out an exhaust pipe that had rusted into a fitting on the stern of a PLA launch. I think that I still have both tools - the hammer still has the hole in the shaft for the piece of string in case I dropped it in the Thames.

I have a set of ME from the late 1940s, and it is remarkable how rude and critical some of the articles are when reviewing models at exhibitions, etc.

Maybe it helps if your postie is called Tracey?

Thanks for all these wise words. As I only want it to assemble a white metal model (which will be left outside in the summer) it makes sense to go with a cheaper substitute. Hardly mission-critical, and definitely no need for batch traceability!

Has anyone tried the adhesives supplied by Powerbond? They are a U.K. supplier, yet their products seem to be incredibly cheap. For instance, their RT3500B seems to be the equivalent of Loctite B480, yet it is £6.97 plus VAT for 50gm.