Member postings for Adrian Giles

Is it just me, or do other forum users have difficulties with website ‘contact us’ sites?

I have over the last year contacted half a dozen different companies via their ‘contact us’ sites, and have been totally ignored!

One is my lathe supplier, following a fault. I have sent two messages but have received no reply at all, will phone tomorrow finally. Another is a company, based in the Cotswolds who do virtually all their business via the internet. I sent a message to them after an item broke during it’s first use. I had an automated reply saying they would reply in the next two or three days, unless they were busy, in which case it might be five to eight days! After two weeks of nothing, I sent another message, which produced nothing either. So I thought I would try a different tack, and went to the company Facebook page and put a slightly sarcastic post on there regarding the lack of response to complaints. Within half an hour, I had a reply! But it still took a further two months to actually sort out the problem.

It does seem strange to me that companies set up these sites , but seem not to either check the incomings , or just ignore them!

Or is it just me?

Edited By Adrian Giles on 18/01/2019 00:43:24

pgk pgk , they are called pipe lynch pins. A company called GS Products show them on their website.

Crikey!, what was the photograph made of then!😄

I'll get my coat

Edited By Adrian Giles on 02/08/2018 18:26:01

Majority of my paintbrushes are Hamilton, and I must say they have lasted well, I bought them when I first started work at a discount from my new employer. As I retired last year that was a day or two ago!

I’ve used carb cleaner aerosol as an indicator for years, if your engine coughs and starts on carb cleaner, you know that the basic engine setup is ok. It’s then down to either ignition or fuel.

A proper cylinder grinding machine can be very expensive, the one our firm installed about ten years ago cost in the region of 25K! It was capable of sharpening cylinders from 12” up to 40” and some cylinders could be sharpened ‘in-situ’, I.e. still in the body of the mower rather than stripped out. However the cost of sharpening a bare cylinder wasn’t expensive, we used to charge around the £2.00 per inch, so a 12” cylinder was £24.00. Bottom blades were ground straight and true on a special grinder like a surface grinder, providing there was enough meat left to allow adjustments when reassembled, otherwise a new blade would be fitted. Adjusting a domestic cylinder mower to the bottom blade was usually done using fax paper or fine copy paper. Fine cutting cylinders like golf green mowers would always be backlapped against the bottom blade before final adjustment. This involved rotating the cylinder backwards to normal direction, using carborundum paste, (like valve grinding paste) coarse first, progressively finer until the cylinder just purred against the blade, this gave the cylinder and blade a super smooth sharp edge that would give a very fine finish. Again, clearance was using fine fax paper or similar. On other machines like gang mowers where grass volume would cause a problem with bottom blade clearance, fag packet cardboard was the order of the day!

+1 for udder cream, contained lanolin which helped me to get rid of the sores on my forearms caused by the washing of the udders with cleansing mixtures.

Later on in life, I once again contracted excema on my fingers and palms, and found that Avon hand cream very quickly cleared it up, I used to recommend it to several people who suffered, and in nearly all cases, cleared up their inflamations as well. It USED to contain lanolin and glycerin and was very good, but the formula has been changed several times over the years, and lanolin has been removed, and is now not so effective.

Another slow running four stroke engine to consider would be the Villiers/BSA "sloper" from an old Ransomes Marquis mower. Big flywheel, very easy running, go on for ever. Our fitters used to have competitions to see who could get theirs to run slowest, really nice exhaust note too!

Ad

Pictures 16, 17 & 18 on Neil's link look remarkably similar.

Yes, certainly remember the Y connector from the pendant! Also the one with a pull switch on it so that the old man could turn off the light whilst Mum was doing the ironing! Saving the pennies!

360 days till Christmas, some strange folk have got their lights up already!!

I saw this beauty at Alexandra Palace a few years ago, owner brought it over from Australia! Not in hand luggage that’s for sure!

Powered by a V12 OHC Engine, it is called the Wimmera Tiger. Google it.

Edited By Adrian Giles on 30/12/2017 02:11:58

In the middle of making a nammer, machinist type. Did as much as I felt prudent, then went back indoors for duties of a household nature. Spent two hours cleaning the oven, inside and out, hob, fridge, cooker hood etc. Swmbo decides that as I have been a good boy, she would roast me some chestnuts. Puts said nuts in the oven, forgets all about them until the first mighty explosion!

Dried nut flour takes some cleaning!

Adrian

My early cars were all column change/bench seat models, Ford Consul, Zephyr &Zodiac. Best ones were the Vauxhall PA Cresta, 3 litre straight six, pulled from 15mph to blimey in top, beautiful cars. BMC J4 gearbox really was pot luck, “stirring the pudding” was just about right, plus having to keep a few cwt in the back to keep the wheels on the ground as well!

My old manager used to regale us with a tale about a factory visit to JCB when he was a ag student. Coming to a large lathe being used to turn a ram, all the students stood round watching as the old feller running the lathe stood watching it screech it’s way along the ram, spitting red hot chips everywhere. Roland asked him why he wasn’t using any cutting oil or coolant, the old feller turns round, puffs on his ciggie in the corner of his mouth, lifts his flat cap and scratches his head, and said, “You look like a intelligent and educated young man, I would have thought it was obvious why I’m not using any” When Roland looked back at him blankly, he continued, “it would wash off me chalk mark!”

Adrian

Very good programme.

Tremendous input from JCB with the metalwork, some of that machinery they use is amazing! very worth while watching.

Typical Guy Martin gig, get it done!

My most useful file is the Oregon 12211, 6" flat file, sold as the file to use on the depth gauges of chain saw chains. Very handy size, lasts well!

Always used to buy Sandvik & Oberg when my company carried them, "Farmers Friend" takes me back a few years too!

Adrian.

My Simat 101 is powered by an AEI 1/4 hp motor, 1425 rpm, probably ex washing machine. I must admit i admit I like the little lathe, it has several very good features, I still use it occasionally although I use my bigger CJ18 most of the time. I bought the Simat brand new several years ago but didn’t use it for some years, before preparing for retirement, and relearning everything I thought I knew.

Regards,

Adrian

Ian & Bill,

Viking Spitfire was built in 1984 with Jag V12 up front, but was damaged in 97 in a landing accident at Keevil airfield in Wiltshire, and was withdrawn from use permanently in 2000. Built of wood, full size but of lighter weight therefore needing less power, was registered ‘G-BRDV’

Another more common machine around that time was the Isaacs Spitfire, a scale home built with a flat four up front, but I don’t think there are any of them still flying. Mr Isaacs started off with a scale Hawker Fury.

Cheers,

Adrian