Member postings for Clive Brown 1

The Multifix tool-post will be fairly hard. I certainly would be reluctant to attempt to machine what is a fairly expensive item.

I'd assumed that the 2mm to take off the top-slide was to allow the multifix toolholder and tool to drop down to lathe centre height. In that case reducung the height of the central post would not be an alternative.

For the hold-down bolt, I'd go for something similar to the Myford item shown above possibly with a grub-screw to prevent rotation when tightening.(apologies for layout ) I don't think that the 18mm dia. feature is that vital, but could be a separate bushing.

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 26/02/2023 23:14:58

The Meaco DD8L gets good reviews IIRC.

The way you describe will work I'm sure, but another method is to use a hand-held graver resting on a make-shift turning rest held in the lathe tool post. My most useful graver is a length of 1/4" sq HSS ground off at about 45 deg. and firmly fixed in a file handle It's useful for all kinds of quick finishing-off ops.

The quoted quality policy refers to catering for specific requirements. The 34 series is of long standing and is listed as a heavy-duty industrial chuck, ie not one intended for hand-held tools. As such I would have expected it to be of very good quality.

I've milled and drilled thinner spring steel for 5"g, at some cost to HSS cutters. Would carbide cutters do the job reasonably well? I've not tried for myself.

My understanding is that it is possible to remove Edge by means of a registry hack but Windows requires Edge in order to carry out certain internal processes opaque to the user, so removal could cause problems.

Perhaps I'm lucky but, in defence of Microsoft, my PC runs W11 with Firefox browser using Google search engine with no problems. Edge might reveal itself once in the proverbial blue moon, to be dealt with by a couple of mouse clicks.

My quote of spring ID and length was not meant as a spec. but to identify, ( subject to memory lapse ), which springs I'd used from Reeves' range. They're 18g wire.

They work well on my Simplex and I quoted them as an possible indication for the Ajax, but of course the Ajax has 8 springs to 12 on Simplex, so the load per spring will be higher assuming broadly similar total weight, but at about 50p each the cost of experimentation isn't too high.

Can't be very specific on sizes for Ajax, but Reeves web-site shows a range of springs suiable for use on loco axle-boxes. That's where mine have come from in the past. From memory, I'd guess that my Simplex springs were 3/16" bore x 1 1/4" long.

Some reading here

Should add that I've purchased a low-cost Chinese system for my  WM16B mill, with glass scales. I'm very happy with it so far; ie about 6 months use.

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 17/02/2023 20:49:28

If the switches are latching, then several could be closed simultaneously unless, maybe, a rotary or change-over switch is used.

Other vfds don't necessarily use latching switches, the remote on my Teco 510 for example.

You could use it as the basis for a non-geared rotary table along the lines of the G H Thomas design. in ME, vol 142. I find mine extremely handy and quick for suitable milling jobs and it was a satisfying project to make.

Fair comment Jason, but my point was that if the column is to be corrected, then that needs to be done first.

To be honest, I wonder how much is to be gained by chasing these small tolereances with "hobby mills". I suspect my WM16B would show slight tram differences depending on the X- position of the table and where the vice was bolted down.

Tramming by adjusting the head is all very well but if the column was to be subsequently shimmed then the head would then be out of tram again. The column needs to be adjusted first, then the head. This pre-supposes that the machine has been manufactured with the spindle axis accurately parallel with the column Z axis, (which I would expect).

All quite a lot of bother for small return IMHO.

Little or no mention here of the UK Chronos Multifix offerings. I bought one for my Boxford some time ago, plus later additional tool-holders which all fit well. The price seems reasonable, they look well finished and, so far, I'm satisfied with my purchase.

Relying on distant memory, but my recall is that, for commercial fasteners, high-tensile nuts are not necessarily "better" than lower tensile. When the assembled fastener is subjected to tensile loading, the weaker material allows better, ie more even, load sharing along the engaged thread. Might be wrong though!

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 07/02/2023 15:23:04

Since purchase in '77,my ME10 has been in 3 home-workshops, one involving a flight of steps into a cellar. All of the moves have been by myself, helped by SWMBO. No hoists or cranes. For the cellar, the headstock was removed, but I've never removed the carriage. The metal bench has been moved separately of course.

Edited By Clive Brown 1 on 05/02/2023 20:05:45

The "mini" version looks a neat job. I made a full-size version a while ago, mainly as an interesting exercise but I have found occasional uses for it as an alternative to my GHT model. I chose 1/4" Whit. for the feedscrew thread to give 0.050" per turn. Since 50 divisions is a rather tight fit on the small dial I went for 10, ie 0.005" per division and interpolate smaller increments which suffices for my needs.

I thought that the Harold Hall machining description was quite clever.

I've made ordinary snaps by first of all making a small indentation with a twist drill, then heating the material and hammering it onto a ball bearing of suitable size.

Hope that helps.

For a short trip, I'd go without a filter. Diesels have a strong suck, you might end up with a sponge in one of the cylinders.

I very recently came across the word when looking on-line for car dash cameras. A "spudger" is included with some models to help fit the wiring under the vehicle trim.