Member postings for MW

a hydraulic press would be my safest bet if it were available.

Michael W

Just be careful you don't get pest control show up at your door!

And you'd need a solution to keep out the neighbourhood cats.

Michael W

She does strike me as a laid back character so I don't think she would mind!

Michael W

I agree with the tolerances to an extent, the assembled individual item has to be tested and the reason why is because of the fear that when all the bits go together it wont do as it should. If they had that much faith in the lathe components they wouldn't do it.

The myford's were a victim of their own branding, they wanted good old fashioned solid quality yet as time moved on it's become increasingly harder to give that at a low price.

What they could've done is adapt to the changing market and start offering machines that ordinary people can afford, it may not be the best quality but it would be true to how they started.

Cut a few corners on the rear housing, using welded plate steel rather than iron castings for everything. Even they started making, or modding a far eastern type machine, yet beefed up a bit, they'd still be in business like warco.

By growing too snobbish they effectively cut off any hope of connecting with their core audience, mr average who wants a decent YET AFFORDABLE!!! british lathe and isn't too fussed over a few burrs here and there! It isn't rocket science.

Michael W

Well thank you for enlightening me, all I knew was that something else had to be going on rather than every component being made individually to nominal drawing dimensions and then miraculously hoping you would get a finished machine from this alone when you fitted them altogether!

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 18/05/2017 14:29:40

I know this is a red herring but I would have to add that the cold fusion topic is not as dead and buried as you might think, the research simply carries on under a different name.

Michael W

Damn, I better kick the habit then. I always specify the extra coarse knurled grips as they're the juiciest!

Michael W

Truly marvellous, thank you for showing us and welcome to our forum!

Michael W

Here I help..

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 16/05/2017 18:01:02

I mean, hygiene is important it's saved an awful lot of people but it shouldn't rule your life. Just a little bit of common sense attitude towards it and you're fine. no need to do anything else.

I worked in a factory where my hands used to get a bit sore and they had this special green tape you can put round your fingers and it sticks to itself but it's not really tacky to anything else. To make a kind of "make-shift cast" around your finger.

I would say most employers would do something about it if you found some sort of repetitive action on the shop floor was giving you gripe, they just aren't always aware of it. 

I'd like to see the man who could lift a 100kg weight by himself that would be enough to do the back in of most people, outside Arnold Schwarzenegger territory! 

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 16/05/2017 15:33:19

In theory we already have a gigantic bacterial colony living within all our innards, so anyone who claims to be totally clean is a hypocrite. Our digestion actually relies on this happening in order to bolster the immune system.

Not only that but growing up on a farm would probably be a lot of fun for most kids, so they'd be more likely to feel well even on a bad day. 

Edited By Michael-w on 15/05/2017 23:14:52

Personally I've never really been bothered by it but I can see the logic in it, not only that but it just doesn't look very nice to make something and the knurl has already picked up a lot of dirt.

I'd just use a wire brush, or acetone is supposed to be very effective at removing grease, Then I've heard about people who lacquer metal which has a knurl.

Michael W

Hi Andrew,

I believe the spray on stuff you're referring to is what's known as layout ink, it also comes in ink bottles, sometimes with a brush and it's precisely like you said, just for scribing lines.

The stuff you want is stuarts micrometer marking paste, which is used to find contact points and high spots on surfaces for scraping.

There's a link here to ARC, I bought a tin of it once but it seems they now sell in this tube instead. 

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Protection-Grease-Adhesives/Engineers-Blue

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 15/05/2017 17:29:43

looks like a proper job Dave, did you try the heating trick?

I've noticed on the most recent article you wrote on the Arduino torsion meter, on your picture, that you have a bit of facial warping going on there? if I met you on a dark alleyway like that I might mistaken you for a roswell grey!

Michael W

Cheeky monkey, well I know it certainly couldn't have come from the warmth of your heart!

Michael W

You might want to be a little more careful, I've had a 3rd degree burn before and they never fully heal !

Michael W

Point was too sharp and no nose radius producing a torn and sharp finish.

But we have to remember that he is using this sharp point to rough as much material as possible and therefore needs as much cutting action as he can as close to the tip as possible, a nose radius would be undesirable, for that particular purpose.

If he was using a form tool then we could expect a much cleaner appearance. The point is that having a nose radius would produce a fillet where he might intend a hard corner.

The radial movement combined with a wide round nose would produce undue stress and chatter on a small machine. Like Kwil said, was cleaned up with a file, in industrial practice they might have finished or just used with a form profile tool.

As machinists I'm sure we can sympathise with this struggle. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 14/05/2017 14:25:15

It can be surprising where things come from, I had an operation when I was young for little plastic rings fitted in my ears, they call them gromits. And I was only told about 20 years down the line that they were made in a factory in my hometown, one of only two suppliers in the united kingdom. Not only that, but I was working for them! They sold them to the middle man for about 20p each, then they put a mark up of about £80 to sell to the NHS, criminal really.

But off the bat, i'd say most people would admit their stuff is made in Asia, they're just crazy keen on manufacturing I guess, unlike here, it's not so much the cost of making but the fact it's just become an unpopular thing to do in the UK. And the only people who do so, are the ones who break the mould. 

I've spoken to people who manufacture in a small scale china and they aren't exactly rolling in cash, infact they're probably just turning a small profit if not just turning over. They haven't really got it any easier than us. They just want to do it. 

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 13/05/2017 12:49:19

If I were in a gang I'd call you "stripe"

Michael W

I take it these are similar to the threadserts you get with a serrated flange for placing threads into thin sheet metal, they're very expensive I think, and me being el cheapo, I wouldn't have had the job to warrant it or luxury to peruse it!

Michael W