Member postings for ROBERT BLACKSHAW

I have made the Jan Ridders flame engine but have been having problems with it. The engine will not run or any attempt to run, I have made the cylinder with good compression, in fact it will blow out a butain gas gun when I was spinning it. The fly wheel was made out aluminum but felt it could be to light so as a test I increased the out side dia with a 6 mm strip of lead to increase the weight. The video on You Tube shows it spinning for some time, mine is not as good, its free running with no tight spots and has bearings on the axels. I have tried all different settings and flame position, any help on this will be appreciated.

I have to make two of these cylinders, I over sized the first so the reamer was not used, I used a HSS tool with a sharp round nose as suggested for a 18.1mm but getting a reflective finish I'm finding hard to achieve either in the hole using the boring tool and out side using a lathe tool with slight round cutting edge, is this normal when working with cast iron.

I've looked for any postings on this on a search but no results. I am to bore out a 18mm hole in cast iron, am I doing this correctly. Drill out several holes to within 1mm of 18mm, then using a boring bar,which is an index tool,and leave the top flat. Bore out .1mm or .2mm on dia till .1mm under size, I have a 18mm reamer is this best to use or carry on with the boring tool to size. I intend to lap the hole after to get a reflective finish, then make the piston to fit. The hole is 50mm long, my min speed on the machine is 100 rpm and I don't intend to use any lubricant.

Thanks for any replies for this basic question

If I was buying a Myford with this arrangement I would not be happy about this, but the fact is that .1000 is .025 mm give or take a nats cock, so to me an imperial machine can be used as metric. if need be. The lathe cost £700 new and it has done all I've asked for it, my milling machine has .025 and .020 which I found confusing so have DROs on it but I have not on the lathe as I find it quite easy to use.

If you are to purchase a Chinese lathe which I have you will find that metric and imperial are the same. The lathe was purchased as a metric but the only difference from the imperial is the .025 mm riveted sign on the dials. The top slide has 40 per revolution which is either 1mm or 40 thou, the saddle has 50 which is 1.25mm or 50 thou, I know I am out by a few tenths but .025 mm x .0393701 = .00098, or .001 divided by .0393701 =.0254 mm. This is what I have found with my lathe, they are made so they are affordable, on the parts list only one lead screw for the top and saddle are made. I am only stating what is on my lathe but I am sure that other makes must be the same. I was a bit confused when I brought the lathe but its quite handy when working in imperial if needed, and now find it easy to use now I'm use to it.

I am trying to find some plans for a model power press which I want to make.I was in Hastings back in the early 80s and there was a model shop ,and I mean a proper model shop were the proprietor made model gun carriages etc. Also in his collection a selection of working model engineering machines, I was fascinated by the power press at the time. As I now have a small or nano workshop I would really like to make one. As I have not been back to Hastings since the 80s is that model shop still there.

I have not read any of these posts on this topic but I have a question about a aircraft was it fact or fiction. Watching Talking Pictures a freeview channel on UK TV a film from the 60s black and white, called Cone Of Silence. The aircraft was a six engined passenger jet, some of the film of the jet looked like a model when in flight but in the hanger and out on the runway it is a full scale aircraft, was this jet a prototype or just a well made large scale model. I have become a Talking Pictures fan of late some great films from the 50s and 60s in black and white which I have never seen before.

Thanks for these posts, I understand what I've done wrong. Same old story, I need to spend more cash on this pastime.

I was trying to bore out a 13mm hole in brass by 40mm deep using my new boring bar with a indexable tip. As it was not cutting well I looked at the tip of the tool through a magnifying glass and noticed that the bottom of the tip was rubbing on the radius of the 13mm brass. As this must seem a dumb question, to get the tool to cut I will have to raise the tool above centre for clearance of the tip. Why does a index tip have no or very small rake or clearance, also the boring bar has three flats so I cant twist it so to gain slight clearance. Before I muck anything up would raising the tool above center work, any advice will be appreciated.

I am trying to soft solder brass to stainless steel with a high temperature plumbers solder. The problem is that it will not take to the stainless steel, I have took the oxide off the stainless so its clean,but I am using paste flux, the stuff for low temperature solder. Bakers fluid No 3 I have been informed is not the flux to use, any suggestions on this please

I was lucky this weekend at a car show, a trader selling a quantity of round material, aluminum, brass etc. One bit 35mm dia 600mm long, how can I tell if its brass or bronze, it has a red tint where its been cut a wave blemish on the out side and its very heavy, it was only £10 so a bargain if its only brass.

I need to solder a joint that will have heat, soft solder will melt, is easy flow the same as silver solder.

I have just bored two 18mm x10mm deep in aluminium holes on my mill, the problem I have had was to get a good flat on the bottom of the hole. I used a end mill 12mm to get the depth, which started with a wobble, then used the adjustable boring tool, DRO the bottom and moved out at .5mm till I got the size,is this correct way of doing this.

Also cutting a recess on a fly wheel on the lathe, again done the job but not a good finish. Used a parting tool in 2.mm several times for the width of the boring bar, as the depth was 5mm, I went back to the beginning, in 2.5mm to make 4.5mm. Used the boring bar to cut what was required, then used left and right lathe tools to finish to 5mm depth. Starting with the parting tool it did not feel correct as the flat on the tool and the radius on the flywheel it started to bite in. What am I not doing correctly, I have checked on search forum but no results, sorry if this seems such a basic question.

Thanks for all replies. I phoned Warco about the broken blade and they said that they will send a replacement, but I will get a bi metal blade as a spare 10 tpi.

Thanks again.

I broke my bandsaw blade on my CY90 new bandsaw cutting 80mm aluminium round. I am a bit confused with the size required it states 51 inch x 1/2 I have looked on line but it seems rather baffling different teeth per inch and sizes. The Warco bi metal are rather expensive at £28.00, any recommended retailer out there that wont cost a fortune. The old blade carbon broke on the weld, I have only used it a few times, again any advice on blade type will be appreciated

I have broken my belt on a 9x20 lathe, recommended size Gates vm 710, but its far to small, I actually snapped it trying to put it on. Has anyone know the correct size for this lathe and a good place to buy from. Tried Quality Bearings but they sent out Z710 belts totally wrong shape. Problem with these lathes is the cost of replacement belts after a lack of concentration, and where to find one not at great cost.

Neatcut 50/50 with paraffin will it reduce the smell and ok on aluminium to stop build up on the tool. Use to use spit years ago when countersinking aluminium on a few holes, better than paraffin.

Hello a basic question, I have used the search site on how to upload photos on the forum album but cant find a match. I have clicked on album, clicked on the two blue photo words etc but nothing happens. I have seen a forum about this some time ago but cant find it,

Thanks Bob.

The reason I am breaking the belt is that I get so involved in what Im doing that I forget to move the lever, I shall try the 1nch loop from Roger, thanks.

I have again broken a belt on the lathe, Gates 710 is the size. Has anybody know of a distributor of these belts, I have been paying around £23.00 for them, and its getting rather expensive.

Thanks for any replies