Member postings for Kiwi Bloke

Another satisfied user of Shoe Goo. It remains flexible, sticks like something nasty to a blanket and will fill large gaps, as well as being able to build up surfaces, as has been said. Also, it smells wonderful. Super-glue, although adhering well, and wicking into small gaps, cures to be too brittle, even the 'shock-resistant' and rubber-containing types. Where it gets deformed a lot, it eventually fails because it crumbles.

I used to follow Robin Renzetti and Stefan Gotteswinter (and others) on Instagram. Both excellent engineers, posting very interesting stuff.

Now, Instagram - part of the Farcebook empire - has blocked access to all but those who have sold their souls to the devil created an account, thereby giving away all sorts of data. Damn Instgram! A plague on them!

I think that's conjectural, however, here in NZ, the sun's bright and we're a bit close to the ozone hole, so I took up the option of a filter coating on my specs to 'prevent' macular degeneration. It makes the reflection, off the front of the lenses, of light sources look purple. Expensive rip-off? We'll see (I hope).

The ghost of examinations past says: some of us would say that 'rabbits' are juvenile 'coneys'.

Which is the odd one out of 'banana, lemon, and orange'? [edited so it works better...]

The answere is, of course, 'and'. (Thanks to the film 'Funny Bones' for that...)

Seriously, what age of pupil was this question aimed at? And what is the typical age of this thread's participants? No wonder thread-cutting gear train problems still keep coming up...

However, the OP asks a valid question about explanation of the method; he's not asking what the answer is. Having tried to teach/explain a few mathematically-based things to graduates - and failed abysmally - I have great respect for good maths teachers. Unfortunately, they seem to be few and far between. I was lucky, but, of course, didn't know it at the time.

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 16/04/2020 08:36:47

ega - Since it appears that there's an appreciable amount of beer tokens already sunk in this lamp, you might consider passing over a few more...

Tunable LEDs are interesting - the spectrum emitted can be altered. It seems that a spectrum with a lot of blue wakes you up in the morning, but should be avoided in the evening, when a more red-heavy spectrum will prepare you for slumber. Plus, you can alter the 'white balance' if doing something when optimal colour fidelity is required.

Important warning for anyone making masks from bras - only use the left cup. You don't want to end up looking like a right tit.

...and to add to the above (now that memory has been jogged - thanks JN), the quill's main return spring is part of the quill assembly, not the weak spring on the pinion shaft, so don't be scared.

If I remember the old ads, Serious Readers made a song and dance about the spectral properties of their lamps. Perhaps it's important. Perhaps it's a matter of taste. With MR16 LEDs, you can choose from a range of LED spectra ('warm white', 'cool white', etc., etc.). It's worth experimenting, they're so cheap - some (earlier?) 'cold light' LEDs made some colours look horrible, but I find no problem now.

Just a caution, IIRC, there was discussion here about there being both 12V and 220V LEDs in MR16 packages. AFAIK, 12V is the usual type.

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 15/04/2020 06:52:01

Working from memory - which gets less reliable day by day...

We're talking about the quill feed, right? The 'large nut' is in fact an integral part of the quill feed pinion shaft. To get the graduated sleeve off the pinion shaft, the shaft has to be removed. IIRC, it's held in by the alloy casting that carries the fiducial mark, and this is held onto the head casting by a single countersunk screw. There's the return spring somewhere in this assembly.

This is where memory gets really unreliable. I think that the 'depth stop' ring is acted on by the spring, and that releasing its socket head screw will relieve (partially?) the spring force. Hold the quill up, or lock it, when withdrawing the quill shaft.

As Barrie lever has said, the friction spring inside the graduated sleeve is simply a short length of spring steel strip. Nasty, but works. Until it doesn't...

I'd have thought that splitting would be very likely with any kind of drill, even if fed under extremely controlled conditions - not just rammed into the work. Consider using a diamond 'point' in a Dremel, etc?

Your idea of laminating cross fibres sounds good!

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 14/04/2020 12:25:36

LED technology has come on a bit in the time you've apparently had your lamp. There seems continually to be more choice, prices have come down a lot, and availability to the public is much better. I think I'd be looking to re-engineer the lamp to take something easily available.

Strange. I've never seen a gib strip in two pieces, like the pic. The manual for an earlier version of the M1 identifies only a single gib strip for the table. Sometimes one gets the impression that no two Senior machines are the same, however I think yours is probably non-original, or has been broken (and then fettled?).

I don't see why a two-piece gib strip shouldn't work OK in this application. If you think about it, gib strips are not very stiff, so the bit between where the screws bear really isn't doing much. This is in contrast to tapered gibs, in which there is well-fitted contact on both of its surfaces - and they're easier to adjust too. Altogether preferable.

I suggest you get the machine up and running, and then you can have the satisfaction of making a new gib strip...

Gib strips need to be restrained from moving lengthways. IIRC, and as the pic suggests, each of the Senior's screws locates in a pocket in the strip. However, if there were only one pocket doing the restraining (and the other screws have, for example, a ball end which bears on the strip's surface), the non-pocketed bit of your two-part strip could move.

Incidentally, I think the pic suggests that the correct oil level should be low enough not to worry about gaskets, etc.

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 14/04/2020 00:20:33

Just looked at the video - well, skipped through it, actually. Blimey! Can't some Americans talk? There must be more concise videos covering the topic...

KR is talking about taper gibs. Some Senior gibs are taper, others are the multiple-screw type (working from unreliable memory here, so don't know what you're dealing with). When adjusting taper gibs, be sure to lock the gib gently with the lock screw, otherwise the gib strip can be free to move and act like a wedge, to lock up the slide, at worst, or give hopelessly inconsistent results, at best.

KR's machine was obviously pretty badly adjusted. The fact that he was using it for 2 years says something... You can try his 'lean on it sideways and look for the movement' approach, but, on smaller machines, everything is so much smaller and tighter (or should be). I maintain that it's easier and more reliable to judge gib adjustment by the effect it has on freedom of movement of the sliding member (in the desired direction, of course).

All these remarks assume the ways are not significantly worn and the gib strip isn't a banana.

If you're hunting wear, then you'll need expensive metrology gear...

I don't understand your remark 'The x-axis (table) has two gibs (~2:1 length ratio)'. Please could you explain? Never seen that...or am I being thick?

Steve - beautiful little tool! Thanks for sharing it. Hope I can remember your design when I next have a similar job. This forum's a goldmine!

Haven't yet seen the video to which the link was provided.

Semi-random thoughts, hints & tips...

If there is enough wear to make an appreciable difference to the freedom of movement of a slideway, along its length of travel, once it's adjusted optimally, the machine really needs attention, eg scraping the ways. (Big subject - plenty on the 'net, including videos.) Of course, this makes adjustment impossible, except for over a limited length of travel.

Lubricate the ways with slideway oil before you begin. This special oil minimizes the 'stick-slip' phenomenon. It makes a big difference to properly adjusted slideways. People who claim otherwise are misled. If the slide is badly adjusted, and too loose, anything vaguely oily would appear to be OK. The aim is to get the adjustment as tight as possible, whilst allowing free movement.

The freedom of movement to be aimed for can't easily be judged by twiddling handwheels. It's best to remove the feedscrew, then push and pull the table, saddle, whatever, and slightly slacken the adjusters from gently bound to smooth movement. On a Senior-sized machine, with chunky feedscrews, you could aim for a force of a couple of pounds (or more) required to move the sliding member. It's a matter of adjust, test, adjust, test, rinse and repeat.

When replacing the feedscrew, screw it in as far as it can go, so that its nut is as close to the screw's mounting plate as possible. Bring the sliding member back towards the mounting plate, then tighten the mounting plate screws, whilst being sensitive to the position of the screw - the aim is for it to be central in its range of lateral wobble. (Does this make sense?)

The vertical knee is much the same, although judging freedom of movement is made difficult by the considerable weight. Suggest adjusting it before mounting the saddle. Or arrange a counterweight (improvise!).

You can use indicators, but you'll drive yourself crazy trying to get consistent results, when you're getting below a thou. The oil film is one problem.

Yes, probably, but my experience is that big tubes like that, intended for mastic guns, end up with >90% wasted - it's difficult to seal the tubes. I don't know what's available in your locality, but I'm sure the motor factors and engineering suppliers (and possibly the DIY stores) have smaller tubes available (actually, there's usually too much choice). Just look for 'neutral cure' on the tube. Some say 'sensor safe' or similar, and are intended for use with things like exhaust gas oxygen sensors. Presumably they have a high temp. tolerance too. If it doesn't proudly claim to be neutral curing, beware!

Well, not yet perhaps. If it's the same virus in humans and cats, transmission will occur. Why should species-jumps be one-way? I don't panic easily, just trying to think ahead.

Ah, OK, perhaps I'm being slow, and we're not at cross-purposes. If the water has escaped from the bladder, to part-fill the tank, I now understand the possibility of 50 litres remaining in the tank, but not on the floor. It should be possible to drain the tank down to the level of the water connection.

You say the air valve is low-lying. Can you pump up the vessel and let water out via the air valve - several times? With enough puff behind it, it should only take half the morning...

Edited By Kiwi Bloke on 07/04/2020 12:08:36

Some well-made firearms use(d) very narrow-slotted screws that look 'wrong' to engineers. Actually, it's a great idea. The turnscrew (approved jargon) used is chosen to fit. Its blade has a very shallow taper. Because the slot is relatively deep, the blade doesn't bottom out, so it wedges itself in the slot and doesn't slip out, ruining all the expensively-engraved action work. Safer than parallel-ground blades.