Member postings for brian roberts 2

You could Google search for NiMh (Nickel metal hydride) cells. They have less memory effect than NiCds and can use the same charger.

Good luck

Steven,

i have PM'd you.

Duncan,

Perhaps the piezo buzzer has too high a frequency ?

I know in my own case that age-related hearing loss (too much DIY drilling and motorcycling perhaps) and tinnitus have wreaked havoc with hearing higher frequencies.

These young designers may be accomplished, but they never ask us old 'uns if we can hear / see/ operate their micro-miniature marvels.

Progress I suppose ?

My preferred work-bench top surface is industrial black rubber sheet, about 2 mm thick. Cut to shape it stays in position and resists oil and grease quite well, but if I'm dismantling an engine I'll use some newspaper for the inevitable oil spillage. It doesn't suffer damage from knives either.

For some time now I have had pretty good service from budget digital calipers - except for their short battery life due to the 'soft' on-off switch which is never really off, so the caliper is always drawing a very small current.

This became so annoying, especially in cold weather when batteries were regularly failing, that I fitted 'proper' on-off switches - as shown.

These involve dismantling the calipers and intercepting the wiring or pcb track to one of the poles of the button cell and connecting it via the switch, which is held onto the body by Araldite epoxy glue, it helps to have a steady hand and magnifier.

The switches are RS 125-1860 'Slide switch, SPDT' and are made in Japan. So far, they have survived regular use and the batteries now last for years instead of months.

Despite the foregoing, my daily 'go to' measuring instruments are analogue dial calipers by Mitutoyo for metric and M & W for imperial. They are just so convenient to pick up and use.

Out of interest, I once checked the accuracy of my calipers against micrometer setting gauges and they were all within a thou' or two over 5" or 125mm. So the cheap ones, from the likes of Aldi, Lidl, etc. can be useful for home workshops where great precision is unwarranted.

Tim - you have an interesting point regarding garaged cars still being affected. Perhaps plasticisers are leaching continuously, but are accelerated by hotter conditions. I wonder how they fare in hot countries when winter eventually arrives?

I also pondered if the shallow slope of the windscreen lent itself to getting more contaminated from the dash-panel below compared to more vertical, windows, because I've found that the rear and side windows don't seem to need so much cleaning.

More questions than answers, I'm afraid.

The inside of the windscreen and other windows can get covered by a film of condensed plasticiser which leaches from the dashboard in very hot weather and to which air-borne dirt particles adhere. It is usually transparent and unnoticed until water vapour condenses on it, turning it opaque and so difficult to see through, especially when the low sun is directly ahead.

I have had some success with various solutions to try to shift it, ranging from vinegar,etc. as mentioned above and including methylated spirits, cellulose thinners & ethyl alcohol - all with the car doors opened, of course!

There has been no easy way to rid the screen of this tenacious layer - everything I have tried needed a lot of elbow grease to make an impression. The thing is, it is not oily or greasy, but I suspect is deposited plasticiser and so may need a very specialised chemical to shift it - such as the polish they used on the Apollo rocket nose cone ?

Good luck with your endeavour and more power to your elbow(s).

Edited By brian roberts 2 on 15/10/2021 18:55:59

Hello Nathan,

If forced ventilation or dehumidifying is not possible, then it may help to oil the rust-prone surfaces and enclose the lathe in a polythene sheet which has been well taped up and lay a quantity of Silica Gel, or equivalent dessicant, on a tray inside the 'tent' to absorb the moisture in the air. The polythene sheet could even be used to line the inside of the wooden box and would then make access easier in future.

Good luck.

Brian

Duncan's original post mentioned a possible flat battery, which may not be easily charged in the usual way. This is because Lithium ion batteries have tightly-controlled voltage limits to prevent overcharging, but they also do not permit recovery of a fully discharged battery.

I have managed to overcome this on some appliances by opening the item and disconnecting one leg of the battery to isolate it from the control circuitry. Then I connected a higher voltage battery across the failed battery for a few seconds to partially charge it, eg use a 12V batt. to charge a failed 7V battery.

This action lifts the failed battery voltage over the threshold sufficiently for the control circuitry to recognise that it is still viable and normal charging is then usually successful.

It's worth a try before binning things.

Hello Dias,

Along with all the other useful suggestions, I should like to add one more - a very loud siren. There are deterrent sirens available which are designed to be extremely uncomfortable to someone in the same room, such that they have to leave quickly to escape injury to their ears. They can be operated by a simple door or window contact or a more complicated intruder alarm. Obviously, you will need to disarm it each time you enter. This is the problem with security measures - they make your life more fiddly / complicated / tedious / etc.

Admittedly, these only operate after the break- in, but they do alert you to the intruder. The next decision you need to make is what size stick to take down to the workshop to investigate the din.

Regards,

Brian

Hello Steve,

If you want to see a shaper enthusiast at work have a look at 'Rustinox' on You Tube.

I believe he is called Michel and lives in Belgium - very interesting to watch.

Regards,

Brian

Hello Tony,

Yes, I use the variable speed regularly, as well as the 'jog' control which can be adjusted to your preference.

It is ideal to check a set-up - so long as you are holding the clutch lever, just in case anything doesn't look right.

Regards,

Brian

Hello Mark,

Re. the oiling points being small.

I give them a drop or two of SAE90 gearbox oil and then dribble some more along the ram slides, after cleaning away any debris. This can be a bit messy, but I'd prefer the slides to be well-lubricated than look immaculate and risk a 'dry' spot. I made some felt wipers for the ram at the table end and they help keep most of the oil where it needs to be.

You will need to ensure that the bull-wheel slide block and the 4 oilers above the motor also receive lubrication, together with the link arm pivot, through the slot in the top of the ram.

The VFD option is by far the best way to go, in my opinion.

Regards,

Brian

Geraint, I have good results removing rust using low-current electrolysis. Have a look on You Tube - there are numerous demonstrations available.

Good luck,

Brian

Hello Tim,

Re. the fixings, sorry I only have metric sizes.

Re. the profile, or lack of one (I wasn't really interested in creating one) means I will never be a shadow of my former self!

Regards,

Brian

Hello Stephen,

Thanks for your generosity, perhaps you could give half of them to Tim Stevens as he was also interested in having some.

Let me know if you ever need any stainless steel fastenings.

Regards,

Brian Roberts

Edited By JasonB on 18/01/2021 20:08:24

Hello Stephen,

I'll have some, or all, if still available please.

Let me know your preferred method of payment as I shall make you a donation.

Regards,

Brian

David, i would be interested in these if still available please.

Regards,

Brian

Please include me in the free draw - thanks.

Brian

"Almost exactly...." as heard regularly on the BBC news bulletins.