Member postings for Steve Crow

Just to add to the Optivisor debate.

I'm very short sighted and wear quite thick and complicated (and expensive) specs. These work an absolute treat under the Optivisor. Also, you can "look under" the visor so there is no need to lift it under most circumstances.

I use them all the time with my watchmakers lathe and I no longer get headaches or backache.

As others have mentioned, good lighting helps a lot.

Steve

Hi Brian, Genuine Optivisors are made by Donegan in Kansas I think. Get the real ones with ground glass lenses. They are the best magnification aid I've used.

The lenses come in around 10 different focal distances/magnifications. To get the right pair, measure the distance form the eye to the work when you are physically comfortable and buy them for focal distance, not magnification. If you are in London, HS Walsh on Hatton Garden have them you can try out.

I've recommended these to a few people and they've all been impressed.

Cheers, Steve

Thanks again for all the help. I like the boring bar / fly cutter idea but I'm dubious about being able to centre the piece - I'm only taking 0.2mm from each side. The bar with the guide nose and the reamer are all too big for me to make with my limited workshop. All my stock metal and stuff in the scrap box is all smaller than 1/4".

And I'm worried about my bearings.

I think i might have to ask for actual help with this one. I also need a small turning job doing, namely a 5/8" bar around 5" long, turned down to 9/16" for half its length. I have a few surplus bits and pieces I can exchange for any service.

Can I ask the moderators if this forum is the right place to make such a request? If so, I'll start a new thread with a bit more detail.

Many thanks

Steve

Thank you Michael but I'm finding it hard to visualize the set up you described. Perhaps you could clarify a little or post a sketch?

I would like to do this myself and your method sounds intriguing.

Cheers

Steve

Firstly, thanks for the suggestions and the kind offers of help.

Secondly, I’m not “trying to hide”. I’m just quite new to this forum and didn’t even realize I could set a location! I’m in North London, not far from Ally Pally.

The clamp fit to the 1 inch bar has to be good as I will be adjusting and moving it a lot. I’ve tried files, abrasives and flap wheels on previous clamps and it seems impossible achieve a good parallel hole that grips on its entire surface. It’s slow tedious work as well.

My Lathe is an 8mm with no cross slide and my drill has a capacity of 1/4 inch so machining is out of the question.

I hope this clarifies what I actually need and the limits of my workshop.

Any more suggestion would be most welcome.

Cheers

Steve

Hi, this is a picture of a standard aluminium shaft support. They come in a huge range of metric sizes and are used extensively in CNC machines.

My problem is I need some to clamp 1 inch diameter bar.

I have a number of 25mm clamps. Can anyone suggest a method of opening one out by 0.4 mm?

Bear in mind that I only have a watchmakers lathe and drill press so boring is out of the question. Also, I don't want to be buying reamers or anything else.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks, Steve

Thanks to all for the advice.

Michael, I'll try the trick with the burnisher.

Bob, I hear what you are saying about Bergeon products. The problem is, when it comes to brass tweezers there doesn't seem to be anything in between cheapos (which are rubbish) (2 - £3) and Bergeon (£30) and Dumont (£40). You mention screwdrivers. I need a couple of larger ones (2.5 and 3.0 mm) - I don't need a set. What would you recommend?

Many thanks

Steve

I have had a pair of Bergeon brass tweezers for about 3 years now which I use a lot.

Iv'e noticed that the tips no longer meet - they are very slightly splayed out for the first millimeter.

Has anybody any tips on straightening these? I didn't want to just dive in with a pair of long nosed as they are not cheap to replace.

Many thanks

Steve

I am looking for some way of securing small screws from vibration etc.

The screws are steel 12BA going into tapped brass and brass nuts.

It is important that the bond is temporary, I want to be able to break it without damaging things. It might be asking a bit much but it would help if it was invisible as well.

Looking at the Loctite website just confuses me more - there are so many different products and I don't know how there properties will scale down to tiny screws. They are not cheap either.

Would a superglue bond be breakable? Do clockmakers use shellac?

Has anybody have any suggestions or experience with this sort of thing?

Many thanks

Steve

Thank you I have seen this, it's one of the better descriptions I've seen. Interestingly, there is no watchmakers lathe involved. When it comes to bevelling and polishing the circumference I'd be happier using a lathe than a jewelers burr.

Cheers

Steve

Thank you Andrew, I'm not planning on visiting China in the near future!

I was looking for a working drive chain so the Tamiya is out.

Have you looked at fusee chain used in clocks and pocket watches? It's quite cheap on ebay.

Cheers

Steve

As anyone done any of this?

All the descriptions I've seen call for a zinc or tin lapping plate.

I presume the reason for using a soft metal is that the diamond granules embed in the surface so the plate doesn't get abraded, only the work piece. Or am I wrong on this?

I can't find suitable zinc or tin anywhere. Is there another non-ferrous metal suitable? Maybe a grade of brass or annealed copper?

I've also heard of people getting good results using lapping film stuck to float glass.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Steve

Hi Andrew, Can I ask you where you've sourced the roller chain from? I've not been able to find any smaller than 1/4".

Cheers

Steve

I've using cutting broaches for some time now - for small work (0.8 to 2mm dia.) my standard procedure is to drill a hole under size and bring it up with a broach and smoothing broach if necessary.

The thing is, I've been working exclusively with brass but now I need some smooth, precise holes in steel.

The steel in question is annealed Stanley and Swann Morton blades between 0.4 and 0.65mm thick. They both saw, file and drill beautifully when annealed. I'll also be using 1/32" ground flat stock.

I'm reluctant to dive in with my Bergeon broaches so has anybody any experience with this?

If not, is there an alternative tool I could make for the purpose? It must be something I can use by hand. Maybe a D- bit with a very gentle taper?

Any suggestions?

Cheers

Steve

That Hertel set on the MSC flyer seem a real bargain - which makes me wary. Has any one else any experience with these? They also do a TIN set for the same price.

I've been buying Osborn HSSCo8 cobalt stub drills from CNCpoorboy on Ebay. They come in 0.1mm increments all the way up from 1mm. I've been drilling dozens of 1mm holes through 5mm gauge plate and it stays sharp. I've followed Tubal Cain's advice and got a set of stub drills in all his recommended tapping sizes to use exclusively for tapping. In fact, because you can only buy the bits in 5's or 3's I've got a few sets, one of which I've modified for brass.

After years of buying drills when I need them, I've decided to bite the bullet and get a 1 to 6mm drill set.

As anyone got any advice on what to go for?

Tracy Tools are £30, Presto £45 and Dormer £90. About a fiver less for TIN versions of the latter two (why is that?).

Are Presto still made in Sheffield or is it branded Chinese imports?

What I would really like is the above set in stub length but I suppose that's too much to ask.

I'd rather not buy at all than buy rubbish.

Cheers

Steve

On occasion, I've used old Stanley knife blades to make filing guides and gauges. After annealing on the gas cooker, they can be filed and drilled with ease.

I've enclosed some pictures of 2 pieces temp riveted either side of 6 x 2mm brass flat for filing.

My question is, does anyone know if they are a simple high-carbon steel or something more exotic? Can I harden and temper them?

Also, does any one know of any other frugal sources for flat high carbon steel? Preferably something a bit bigger and thicker than Stanley?

Cheers

Steve

Cornwall Model Boats do dome head and hex head down to 1mm. Their 1.2mm hex comes in 6 different lengths. The dome ones are brass, 12mm long. All about 10p each.

Steve

I didn't mean to dismiss non-European stuff as inferior. It's just that all my watchmakers collets are either English, Swiss or German. I've not seen these Chinese ones before and if they are of reasonable quality that's great. As far as I can see, the only new ones available are Bergeon and the like at £70 a pop.

Cheers

Steve

Searching ebay for elusive size collets I noticed that Chinese manufactors are selling new ones, in a vast range of sizes, for around a tenner each.

My question is, has anyone tried these? I don't want to write them off just because they are not of European origin.