Member postings for Chris Evans 6

Collet chuck on the lathe and turn with carbide then polish up. Or send them to me and I can grind them.

Can't help with drawings but I fitted a "Thorspark" conversion to my pre war magneto with good results. Cost is around £150

Old Oil... I once visited an oil supplier "Exol" for an evening trade visit and oil is not only recycled but also re-refined.

From what we where told the more oil is re-refined the better it is, they also claimed that new Mercedes cars left the factory with re-refined oil. A long way from the days when it went into the workshop heater !

My swarf goes into a couple of the plastic gardeners/builders tubs (like half old dustbin size) I then take it to the place I retired from and put it in the scrap metal skip. Even when full they only get about £15 for the skip load so no value in my bit just useful place for me.

I found that on my lathe the lead screw guard (Long springy thing) end cover prevent getting close to the backplate without a lot of tool overhang. I roughed out on the rotary table/mill then just did final few thou on the lathe.

The series one in the background floats my boat. Nice mill as well.

What ever you do don't buy a Toyota Rav 4. After 35 years with a series 3 Land Rover I wanted to keep something 4x4 alongside a Passat estate. Bought the Rav and it was the worst car I have ever had,180HP is there but only at silly high revs. Poor handling/ride. Poor seats and trim quality. Best of 32MPG on a run from Midlands to Devon.

Sold it after 4 months and bought a Mondeo estate. Very good and 50+ MPG. Only downside is lack of height in the load area.

Hmmm I looked at the Amcap program and my computer tells me it is an unsafe site. Just tried windows movie maker and got all sorts of dodgy looking things come on the screen. I may need a hand holding exercise to get this sorted as I struggle with most computer things.

I have just received from China a Borescope bought for the princely sum of around £6

No instructions of how to use it just a USB connection for the laptop. When plugged in the LED light comes on but how do I get to see the Picture ? I do not really need this it was bought on a whim when having bike engine trouble and I thought it may be useful.

As well as the above links they are stocked in various sizes by the injection mould parts suppliers. Hasco/DME/DMS

Mask off with nail varnish, just don't let Her Indoors see you take it.

I have made glass filled PTFE fork bushes and the stated 0.001mm tolerance is questionable. I usually bore the bushes to plus 0.003" (0.075mm) above the stanchion size. Any less and the forks will not move. I would think the 0.001mm is from the bearing manufactures specification and the stanchions are undersize.

Andrew, I had need to make a 69 hole plate over 30 years ago. This was for an ABS type of speed wheel to enable vehicle rolling roads to be converted to calibrate Tachographs. It is still in use today when the original customer orders spare parts.

Lovely piece of kit but yesterdays news now. We dropped these in the early 1970s in favour of "Optidress"

I make a fair few sprockets but always buy in a blank from a local bearing/power transmission place. Even a biggish sprocket is around the £30 mark, they have a pilot bore ready for you to machine the rest to suit. I did once make a 42 tooth sprocket for a vintage bike but never again, far to time consuming doing the maths !

No experience on a Loco or model but I have had motorcycle cam followers hard chrome plated with good results.

There are lots of other surface treatments like Tufftride/Surfsulf coatings which come out black or grey. Or even a light nitride. Where are you ? I use a hard chrome place in Birmingham.

Brian, glad to hear that you have resolved the problem. I to would have been reluctant to make a third item.

As you know where it is coming out from the dimple I would try a 1.5 mm carbide cutter. Keep bringing it down on to the stop a few thou at a time, you should be able to drift the drill out then. How long did the item take to make ? It may be less frustrating to start again !

I always try and do the job as accurate as is needed. I have friends who chase silly accuracy when the accuracy of a plough would do. As a retired toolmaker I chase a thou only when really required, most jobs I do a couple of thou is good enough and gives the speed to get on with the job. Greater care is taken if boring/turning for bearing fits ETC. If I am making nuts and bolts for a tractor or motorcycle then the thou or two is usually good enough.

John, reading this post prompted me. I have a tool post grinder forgotten about for years, it lives in a box behind the Bridgeport mill so rarely seen. I will dig it out and look for a motor plate/makers name. It remains unused in over 30 years.