Member postings for James Alford

Thank you, David, for the offer. Unfortunately, I am down south in Buckinghamshire in Aylesbury.

My machining abilities are not that great so using micrometers for comparative measurements will be the most likely use. However, one reason why I bought them was to measure things like crankshaft journals for car engines. Again, I appreciate that there are tolerances and ensuring that the micrometers are at least are at 0 when reading 0 is all that I am looking for. The advice given will enable me to achieve this.

Thank you.

James.

Thank you for all of the replies, which will be really useful. It had never occurred to me think about how to check these micrometers when I bought them. I have a 1" mircometer which I have set by closing the anvils and tweaking the barrel.

Anything that I measure is purely for my own use, not for anyone else, so extreme accuracy is not needed. I bought them so that I could measure things like the journals on my crankshaft and other similar car parts.

I shall look for some gauges or, as suggested, large ball bearings.

Regards,

James.

I have bought some second hand 2", 3" and 4" micrometers. Is there any way to check that they "zero" correctly without using a block of known size?

Regards,

James.

I have a similar compressor, branded as Orazio, from Amazon. It cost about £120. It is quiet enough to run at night in a domestic garage and hold a conversation at normal level. It takes longer to fill than my more conventional compressor, but it has never been a problem. I can run die grinders from it without any problems.

James.

The on-line Hermes tracking system did not recognise the tracking code which the shop had given me, so I called their "helpline". It required me to enter my tracking ID, which they did not recognise. There was absolutely no way to get around this and the call simply could not progress. This is exactly the same response that I had using their "Holly" chatbot.

Fortunately, the vendor to whom I was returning the goods simply honoured the return and refunded me; as they had stipulated to use Hermes, I suppose.

James.

Has anybody found an email address for Hermes? We have sent a parcel and being given a card from the shop who took it. The card number starts with a p and neither the digital assistant nor the voice recognition system on the phone number accept this number. I cannot find a way to contact Hermes without a code which they recognise, but which they have not provided.

Thank you.

James.

Edited By James Alford on 13/06/2020 14:42:58

I had always thought that using a vacuum cleaner to clear up swarf and filings was a to be avoided because the flow of air through the machine allows metal to get into the motor. Is this just one of those ill-thought-through assumptions or an geneuine concern?

JAmes.

This works well. I have used it on a few pieces of an old Austin Seven with success.

James.

Thank you for all of the suggestions and the experiences. It sounds like it will be worth a try if I get hold of some acid. I might be able to rescue one or two of the less worn files.

i may try and make some scrapers out of the others.

James.

Edited By James Alford on 14/05/2020 07:25:49

I have a large number of old files, most of which have become blunt with use and abuse. Several of them are very old, having been inherited from my grandad in the early 80s when they were already ancient.

Does anyone know whether soaking them in acid to sharpen them is actually effective? I have seen numerous suggestions to use either white vinegar or battery acid, but nothing that really says whether it is worthwhile.

James.

I have always found that bog standard Bostik, the smelly brown stuff, works well for shoe repairs and soles, as long as you let it go tacky before assembling and clamp well for a good, long time.

James.

I have the predecessor to the SImat, the Flexispeed II. The two machines are pretty much identical, apart from cosmetic details. To change my belt, I had to loosen the grub screw which retains the main pulley and the grub screws on the back gear. The spindle then pulls out so that you can get the old belt out and a new one in. You obviously have to thread all of the parts off and back onto the spindle.

My original belt, which was new and fitted in the V grooves, more or less level with the top of the groove, slipped badly. I replaced it with a much wider one which stands proud of the grove, but grips perfectly. I can measure it if that helps.

James.

Thank you for the suggestions. In the end, I have used kitchen worktop again. I did consider timber or heavy boards with a replaceable top of lino or the like, but wanted to avoid any raised edges on the worktop. I had that last time and detritus kept getting caught in it. The alternative would have been to lay it under the vice et al, needing them to be removed to replace the top.

Cost and the ease of getting material in the current circumstances was another consideratio. I really want to get the job finished sooner, rather than later. The nearest place where I can get reclaimed boards and the like is a fair way of and I would need to arrange transport.

Regards,

James.

Edited By James Alford on 24/03/2020 07:16:13

Thank you fo rall of the suggestions and idea. I shall have a good think and see what I can get, especially with the current restrictions.

I would rather avoid anything which needs to be replaced periodically. There will be a vice or two, a grinder, belt sander, bench drill and Dremel drill stand bolted down on it and I do not relish rmoving them each time. Metal topping sounds interesting, as does treated MDF.

Regards,

James.

I am currently fitting out a new garage workshop and wonder what other people use for the workbench top.

Previously, I have used kitchen worktop, but I wonder whether there is anything which is preferable, affordable and readily available.

I shall be using the bench for general car repair work, woodwork, light model engineering and the 1001 odd jobs that can never really be categorised. It needs to be oil, solvent and water resistant.

Regards,

James.

Edited By James Alford on 20/03/2020 07:07:24

Thank you for all of the suggestions and information, which will be a great help. Knowing that the speedometer is 800 tpm is useful. I shall have a look at the various websites which have been suggested and see whether I can find a device with a known number of revolutions per minute with which to test it.

James.

I have the attached speedometer which I wish to use on an Austin Seven. I do not know what vehicle it is from.

The Austin speedometer does 1040 turns per mile, but I am not sure what this new speedometer's turns per mile are. I suspect that it is 800, but I am not sure. Can anyone clarify what the small numbers near the oddometer mean? I can then work out what gearing I would need to put into a small ratio adapter gearbox or perhaps print a new dial face.

For clarity, the numbers are SN3253/07 and 800. It is 3" od if that helps at all.

Thank you.

James.

Edited By James Alford on 05/03/2020 07:28:21

Edited By James Alford on 05/03/2020 07:28:38

The type of things which inspire and fascinate me are machines which are unnecessarily complicated and ridiculously elaborate, yet do very little: the type of contraptions from Heath Robinson and Emmett.

There was such a machine shown on Playschool once thorough the "round" window in the late 60s. I cannot remember what it was, but it left a lasting impression of flailing arms,cogs and wheels achieving very little, just because it could.

James

Edited By James Alford on 22/02/2020 09:22:44

I have always had good service and quality spares for my BSA from C&D Autos in Birmingham and from Lightening Spares. They may be worth a try if you have not already done so.

James.

The series like this which I used to enjoy was Techongames. It was a sort of mechanised Olympics, with machines designed to swim, climb ropes, kick balls and a host of other sports. I did build a prototype swimming machine to enter, but the series ended before I was ready.

James.

Edited By James Alford on 23/01/2020 07:26:07