Member postings for Steve Skelton 1

As a slight digression - I always buy the fluids in bulk liquid format not in a pressurised aerosol can. 

I find that to get the right quantity where I want it and not everywhere I don't is to modify an old Vicks nasal spray.

Take the top off and pry out the insert which holds the dip tube, pull out the dip tube then drill out the insert from above slightly undersized to the dip tube and force it in to prevent leakage. Then drill the top oversized to allow the dip tube to pass through - fill the bottle with your preferred lubricant then hey presto a droplet control dispenser.

I hope these photos show it better than I have described it. I find a kitchen roll sheet rolled up and wrapped around the dip tube keeps everything dry and clean. I have been using this for years and it works a treat.

Steve

Edited By Steve Skelton 1 on 08/05/2019 10:28:14

Edited By Steve Skelton 1 on 08/05/2019 10:31:56

Here's my experience for what it's worth.

I tried to use the package based on my AutoCAD 2D experience and fell flat on my face.

I then read the tutorials and had a lightbulb moment.

I found I had to forget everything I had learnt about 2D CAD and drawing board draughting and imagine I was trying to make the item from a solid block or adding to it in a solid block as if I was machining it (or welding on to it). I then found it made sense.

I am not suggesting I am proficient at using the package but if I think in terms of adding or taking away material then I seem to be able to do what I want.

Not sure if others are with this??

Steve

Be very careful buying on eBay or similar - I have bought memory which when tested had about 20% usable - they claimed it was genuine Samsung Evo. The only way to check is to buy it and test it using H2testw. If buying on-line only buy from a supplier with a lot of good relevant feedback.

Steve

Brian, having built a number of timber framed houses (and sheds) and having dealt in a professional capacity with building surveyors, it is important to have a good vapour/moisture barrier on the inside of the shed and a breather membrane outside of any insulation.

I would also stress the need for ventilation of any roof timbers ( I know it is a flat roof) to ensure that any moisture (even in the vapour form) cannot condense.

Cheers Steve

Ed I have the identical one, they do work well but I find that they make your back sweat a lot and I end up soaking wet with prolonged usage.

Steve

Malta is an incredible island, especially Valetta and surrounds. Went there a couple of years ago to visit all the places my Dad tells stories about. He was based there in WW2 and was on one of the convoys that was decimated - his ship the "Troilus" got through unscathed and he lived a charmed life working for RAF signals in the "proper" tunnels (the ones beneath the battery by Baraka Gardens not the Lascaris ones which were dug much later for the invasion of Sicily). He went on to work for GCHQ.

He was billeted in The British Hotel on the top floor - when we went there we had the exact same room (redecorated since he was there fortunately) - the same family still own it. Dad has not gone into the details of his visits to Strait St though. It is now more upmarket with lots of chic bistros etc.

The architecture is mostly unchanged in large areas of the town and is well worth a visit.

A remarkable place.

Steve

I’m not saying that you do not need an infrastructure to buy something but the cost of the item in isolation is small in comparison to its sale price, which is exactly what John Carruthers was pointing out. Successful FMCG organisations are those which can drive down their overheads as it goes straight onto the bottom line.

Gross margins in excess of 50% is normal for all large sheds and most high street business’s come to that.

Kingfisher profits at 6.6% includes all the write-offs, HO overheads, expenses etc etc etc and is its net,net, margin nothing to do with purchase cost vs selling price. So if their gross margin is less than 60% on most items I would be surprised.

Dave, you can use the pink Gyproc FireLine board designed specifically for this sort of thing - to quote BG

"Gypsum plasterboard with glass fibre and additional additives to increase the fire protection characteristics with pink paper lining for easy recognition. The additional fire protection properties above standard board products enable the plasterboard to be used in partition, ceiling and steel encasement systems where more stringent fire performance is required such as in domestic separating walls, corridors, garages and steel encasement. "

Steve

Hi Dave, how big is this area ?- If it is small enough then just buy an 8 x 4 sheet of plasterboard and carefully cut it to the size and fix on dabs with a suitable filler around the perimeter.

Cheers Steve

It hasn't stopped corrosion on my ally outboard leg when the paint is breached. Anodes only prevent galvanic corrosion this corrosion appears to be different.

I have an aluminium casting which sits in saltwater as part of a beaching leg. It is only occasionally used but has suffered from corrosion under the painted finish.

Before I can use a primer and topcoat paint system I need to clean off the white powdery corrosion products. Some parts of the casting are difficult to get to with a rotary wire brush and ideally I would like to chemically remove the corrosion products rather than have them blasted.

Has anyone any experience of doing this?

Many thanks in advance.

Hi Ian, I bought the GH1322 on the advice of a friend who has a similar machine. I have not really yet been able to find the time to put it through its paces but have produced a few items including cutting screw threads which proved to be much easier than I thought. I must say that I am very happy with what it can do although I seem to be fighting a never ending battle to liberate the space needed in the garage to get to work on things properly.

Cheers Steve

Hi Ian, another retired professional engineer but from the plastics manufacturing industry living in Wellington Somerset. I have recently bought some Warco kit and am trying to clear out the garage to get access to create some swarf.

My first experience of metal work was when I was a trainee engineer at BCL Bridgwater in the late 70's and 80's.

Whereabouts are you?

Steve

I would be cautious if you plan to get one of these - there is an on-line report that they are very noisy. I would check that spares are, and will be, readily available.

I got the price for the 2kW EU20l Honda wrong - they are well under £1K and if you can source a good second hand one at half that price you may find in the long run that it is more economical, reliable and maintainable (regarding parts).

I do know that people who have bought low cost Honda clones have regretted it and then went to a Honda suitcase unit.

Rainbows,

I was in the same position as you but required it for use on a small boat in crowded anchorages - hence the need for it to be silent.

I carried out a lot of research and came back to the same make of generator each time - Honda suitcase units (in your case I would recommend the Honda EU20i). They are very reliable and probably the quietest on the market, without going to an exotic MOD spec or water cooled unit.

I have been using it for a year and can confirm that they are silent - we run it on deck and it is not at all intrusive to us or others in the anchorage. We run it about 15 feet away from where we sit and read books, hold quiet conversations and even eat meals. The only downside, we find is we sometimes smell exhaust fumes when the wind is in certain directions compared to the tidal current.

They are expensive (about £2K new) but can be had for about a quarter of that second hand.

There are other clones about but we wary, they are not as reliable and getting spares, should you need them, can be difficult.

Have a great New Year

Steve

Russell, when I was gainfully employed my MD liked their senior management to use their professional qualifications so they paid my IMech E membership fees and as a result I registered with FEANI as a Eur Ing - have never ever used it or my CEng handles though, except when writing snotty letters to incompetent suppliers or customers.

So does that make two of us in the club?

Steve

Ian, The battery usage and voltmeter (which is directly connected to the battery terminals) has been checked with a calibrated voltmeter. Unless I had a big Li rechargeable battery the DC-DC would not benefit a great deal and if I had a big Li battery I would be using it as the service battery.

The old batteries were sealed units so I may have cooked them. I will be replacing them with refillable flooded lead acid.

Peter,the fridge is quite efficient but has a front opening door which is a damned nuisance as all the cold air escapes when taking anything out of the fridge. The fridge cannot run on gas and if I could I would like to replace the gas cooker with a diesel powered one as LPG on a boat is dodgy in my opinion (I used to be registered with Corgi/Gas Safe).

I do have a solar panel but it is a pain to set up and only delivers about 1A in bright sunshine.

I am looking to using two smaller solar panels and would appreciate any advice on them - am looking at about 0.6 x 0.6m units with a max rating of 50W each. I have a PWM solar controller.

Edited By Steve Skelton 1 on 05/07/2017 11:55:19

Sorry for the delay in replying to some of the questions but my tardiness is down to having to fit new blinds at the Dragon-in-laws flat.

Peter, yes the batteries are connected in parallel – not ideal but to get the required capacity with the available space I have had to use three group 24 batteries.

The fridge consumes about 3A and the load cycle is about 33%. This equates to about 24Ahr/day. I have a clever meter that monitors Ahrs consumed and voltage. When the loads are not drawing there is no current flow from the batteries. The electrical system has been checked out and found to be satisfactory.

Neil, yes, traction are the preferred type but space prevents – along with the financial justification.

I try never to discharge more than 50Ahrs before recharging (less than 25% of the 240Ahr battery capacity) or let the voltage drop below 12.2V. The engine alternator has a three stage Sterling controller although it is sometimes not possible to charge the batteries back to 100% capacity due to time constraints.

Ian – I have not come across DC-DC chargers – what are these?

I have spoken to Charles Sterling and have read his article on the best types of batteries for service batteries on boats – I agree with his comments. He is also of the view that the benefit of AGM and gel batteries do not justify the additional cost for the type of use that most boat batteries endure.

I suspect the poor results I have experienced with my current batteries are due to the amount of time spent at anchor, repeatedly charging using the engine (albeit with a smart alternator controller) to a less than 100% full charge and the cumulative effects on sulphation of the battery plates.

Which is why I created this thread to ask if anyone had any experience of deep cycle batteries and could make any suggestions (usual caveats apply) regarding a good compromise regarding price and deep cycling performance.

Steve

Peter, I have a battery usage and voltage readout and we use about 40Ahr/day and the voltage after two years of battery life is down to about 12.2V after 24hrs - 40Ahrs is about what I would calculate based on usage.

Bear in mind we spend a lot of time at anchor and are on shore power maybe once/wk.