Member postings for James Alford

Alternatively, set up a free Outlook e-mail account which comes with a version of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and some other programmes. They do not offer all of the features of the paid-for versions, but they are perfectly adequate for most things.

James.

My pennyworth is simply that if someone fits unannealed copper washers, then the joint is likely to leak. Annealing them first makes a world of a difference: as I found with the oil feed on my motorbike.

James.

I wouldn't dispute that at all. The ability to solve problems is useful, obviously, but does not necessarily result in greater efficiency, especially if the underlying systems and processes are robust, effective and reliable in the first place.

James.

A few years ago, I had to do a comparative study of the British, German and Italian education systems, with a particular emphasis on employability. One thing that sticks in my memory is that, irrespective of the relative academic achievements, feedback from employers of the respective countries was that the British system produced workers with much higher levels of problem solving skills and independent thinking than either of the other two, a skill that employers valued.

In a different job, one of my clients was a Japanese professor of industrial psychology who used to consult with and lecture to major employers. His view was the same: that the British system encourages much more independent thought and questioning than the Japanese system, something of which he was greatly in favour.

James

Edited By James Alford on 20/08/2023 09:17:57

A few years ago, I had to do a comparative study of the British, German and Italian education systems, with a particular emphasis on employability. One thing that sticks in my memory is that, irrespective of the relative academic achievements, feedback from employers of the respective countries was that the British system produced workers with much higher levels of problem solving skills and independent thinking than either of the other two, a skill that employers valued..

In a different job, one of my clients was a Japanese professor of industrial psychology who used to consult with and lecture to major employers. His view was the same: that the British system encourages much more independent thought and questioning than the Japanese system, something of which he was greatly in favour.

James

I bought a spare saddle for my Flexispeed. It was clearly from a different era, manufacturer or had been modified as the gib screw threads were different on each.

James.

I recall a documentary about the fire of London and speculation that it exacerbated by an explosion of flour dust in the Pudding Lane bakery, not just a fire.

James

Andy_H.

Yrs. The jockey wheel is about four cheap roller bearings on a long bolt, bolted onto a length of flat steel bar. The other end is screw to the block of wood that supports the counter shaft. It is all looks very crude, but it is effective. The belt firm the motor to the counter shaft is simply taut and has no tensioner. It never slips.

James.

Edited By James Alford on 14/08/2023 08:06:22

One Lidl lathe bought. One happy daughter's boyfriend.

As I was reading this, my dearly beloved came back from Lidl and said that they had wood turning lathes at very reasonable prices. Problem solved. Thank you.

Thank you for all of the replies and suggestions. I should have given more context, but I was posting from my phone, which is laborious.

My daughter's boyfriend is developing an interest in woodworking and woodturning. He seems more interested in making smaller things and due to a lack of a workshop, works indoors. I wanted to try to make him a very small, lightweight basic wood turning lathe that he use on the dining room table. I am currently very short on spare time, so was hoping to be able to use off-the-shelf bearing blocks on which to base the machine. I have looked at second-hand wood lathes and have seen several affordable machines, they are all too large to use indoors, realistically.

I might need to think again or just wait until I have the time to build something using some the ideas given.

James

Thank you, both. That is pretty much what I had feared, but hope sprang eternal. I did search around before posting and could not find anything, but hoped that I was searching for the wrong thing.

James.

Does anyone know whether it is possible to buy plummer blocks that will take thrust? I want to try to make a small wood turning lathe from standard components.

Thank you.

James.

If it helps, this is the drive on my Flexispeed. Ignore the dust: I have been refitting the bathroom for ages and have not touched the lathe for months.

Edited By James Alford on 11/08/2023 18:51:25

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 15/08/2023 21:01:25

If it helps: the motor for my Flexispeed is screwed firmly to the wall behind the machine. The belt to the counter-shaft is a a tight stretchy silicon belt. The belt from the counter-shaft to the lathe itself is another, slacker, stretchy silicon belt. I have a couple of roller bearings on a crudely hinged arm arranged so that the bearings push down on this belt to tension it. I can adjust the tension by slackening off the pivot bolt and moving the bearing arm. It is really crude, but effective.

I think that I am lucky. My old, damp garage had a concrete floor with no dpc of any kind. This one is raised off the ground and is wooden.

"Cutting and fitting expanded polystyrene, if it is still available, inside the building, even 12 mm thick will provide very good insulation."

But ensure that you have enough ventilation. I put polystyrene between the roof rafters, impeding the ventilation and suffered chronic condensation. Removing it stopped the condensation. I now have just the uninsulated wooden roof and no condensation.

I have a wooden garage on a wooden base that I use as a workshop. The floor has a sheet of plastic DPM covered with interlocking rubber matting squares bought from B&Q. The walls have that foil-backed bubble wrap stapled across the main beams, leaving an air gap behind them. On top of this is 18mm or so flakeboard. The building remains dry and I have not experienced any trouble with condensation. There is reasonable ventilation under the eaves.

The roof is currently left as simply the wooden T&G with no cover. Initially, I had polystyrene insulation slabs between the rafters and hardboard over the top, but this caused serious condensation. I removed it about two years ago and have had no trouble since.

James.

I am currently rebuilding the back axle of my Austin Seven and I am amazed how little wear there is in any of it. The only things that really needed attention were the oil seals; or lack thereof.

James.