Member postings for thaiguzzi

It's a Digital ReadOut.

Just for information, they usually have a centring function whereby you 'touch off' the first edge and zero the display, then 'touch off' the opposite edge (the reading might be say 37.42mm), press the Half button (centring function) and the display will read 18.71mm. Moving that axis until the DRO displays zero now means you are at the centre of the part.

Martin.

The neat thing about using a rotary edge finder - and in particular along with a DRO centre function - is how the centring accuracy 'homes in' if you repeat the procedure once or twice.

Martin.

I do like Dial callipers, but of course you would need one in metric and another in imperial - or would one? Has anyone seen a digital dial calliper where the analogue face of the dial could change between the two measurement systems. That would be a neat idea.

Its a bit like the speedo on your car, do you prefer dial or digital ?

Andrew - I like you method of working, very sound, but not all - perhaps very few, I don't know - of us have the grinding facilities to accurately grind hole plug gauges parallel and to size, we have to make do with the measuring tools we have, but as you say, you can't have too many micrometers, inside and out! I need a depth one now too.

thaiguzzi - quality verniers are very good but the problem using them you have identified, eyesight. That doesn't get any better as you get older and a lot of us here are not so young as we like to think! (Think mind making promises the body can't keep anymore. You think you are still 27 but the reality is more like 72!). That is why digital and to a slightly lesser extent dial calipers have their attraction, big figures easy to read.

Chris

What do people use cigarette papers for? (other than smoking!).

I ask the question because I've never seen them used them in engineering.

I've seen "fag paper" being used to set the ignition timing on old motorcycles, not with good effect, difficult to get any "feel" with them, 1 1/2" thou feeler much better, would the same be true in whatever way the may be used in engineering?

John

Ps, never heard the trueing of a mill head called "tramming" until I joined this forum.

Well I managed to break something. Bah.
Stripping the apron and I couldn’t undo the clutch screw so got progressively bigger screwdrivers until I sheared it off. Dufus!

Got the end out of the shaft - of course it’s left handed isn’t it!!!

so now I need to:
a) make another
b) find another (Unlikely)
c) replace with something else (metric allen head?)

So firstly, does anyone have one
Next does anyone know what the thread would be as it’s not one I can identify
Next, anyone got a suitable left handed die?

Also, no luck on replacement oiler felts. I can get them from the US but that’s pricey of course.
The good news is only the gearbox left to clean. Yay.

+1, specially the 'end in tears' bit! Almost anything will work up to a point, and Milk, Bacon Fat, Tallow and similar are very effective and were much used in the past. A major problem with traditional methods is they go off. The stink is bad enough, even worse is the danger of infected cuts. Before antibiotics there was a lot of suffering and many amputations... Still potentially unpleasant with modern medical care.

Modern mixtures are high-performance, antiseptic, and don't rot. Paraffin is fine on Aluminium, otherwise the real thing is worth paying for.

Dave

The APE height gauge arrived, used but in nice condition quality is excellent. Accurate too, when checked against my gauge blocks its spot on. I really like the micrometer adjustment, super smooth and feels just right. I put an offer in on ebay and got it for £30, can't complain at that.

Last evening I watched a video on YouTube posted by Adam Booth (Abom 79 ) where he described and demonstrated a hoist he's just acquired called a "Sky Hook", used to assist in the mounting and demounting of lathe chucks, milling vices &c. on machine tools. It's safe working load is 500 lb, and it was mounted on the toolpost of his Monarch lathe. It occurred to me that this set up imposes a very high load on the toolpost,, enough probably to affect the integrity and accuracy of the machine. Many of the comments posted beneath the video echoed these concerns. Has anyone else seen this video? If so, would they care to share their thoughts?

Last evening I watched a video on YouTube posted by Adam Booth (Abom 79 ) where he described and demonstrated a hoist he's just acquired called a "Sky Hook", used to assist in the mounting and demounting of lathe chucks, milling vices &c. on machine tools. It's safe working load is 500 lb, and it was mounted on the toolpost of his Monarch lathe. It occurred to me that this set up imposes a very high load on the toolpost,, enough probably to affect the integrity and accuracy of the machine. Many of the comments posted beneath the video echoed these concerns. Has anyone else seen this video? If so, would they care to share their thoughts?

Here is what i made to do the same job ,this balancing frame made from
pieces of old steel channel bolted together some slots milled in each side
for some hardened pieces of gauge plate.Fitted on the machine and
ground flat some pieces of aluminium at each end to stop the wheel rolling
off ,three jacking screws to level the frame .The edges should be ground to
knife edge but the balancing shaft is soft so i left them square.
Simple and little to go wrong just have to keep the edges clean.

John

Use "locking levers" such as these from Axminster. Much more practical, you don't need to find the Allan key or mess around making custom washers so they lock in the right place.