Member postings for ALAN MOORE 5

I spent an enjoyable few hours eading the whole of this thread together with the various linked material. One of the issues tahat stood out to me as to many of the contributors was the apparent contradiction between the precision which would have been needed for the gear-wheels and the lack of same evidenced by the ring of holes. I also noted the lack of clarity in the reason for the holes; where they convenient markers, did they have pins at some time, were they for teaching/demonstration purposes?
I went to bed mulling over these points. I considered the numerous devices made or commissioned in the past several hundred years which were in effect vanity projects - automata, orreries ( and dare I say, even model railway stock?) with little use value other than personal accomplishment (nice work if you can afford the time!) or something to spend an excess of income on (10,000 year clock?). Was the AK machine something like that?
I then thought of the number of well designed devices, tools, models made by competent craftsmen or CNC machines which a later user has 'modified' with somewhat less competence; surely we have all seen examples of that (I remember a Rolls saloon chopped back to a pick-up and pulling a plough).
So what I am getting at is, were the holes drilled by the original workshop or were they a later, less precise addition?
A bit long-winded, but perhaps worth considering

Further thought: the potter's wheel was developed 500 years earlier. No evidence has yet been found for lathe capable of metal operations but the inspiration was there. Absence of similar artifacts and the means of producing them is unsurprising really. As today, scrap metal would have been valuable, so remelt it if it no longer works.

Edited By ALAN MOORE 5 on 24/12/2022 15:24:26

Quick search of 'Surgical Spirit' (site:.uk) gives 'Methyl Salicylate, Castor Oil, Diethyl Phthalate and Industrial Methylated Spirit' so worse than ordinary meths for de-greasing because it contains castor oil already.

I generally use soap and water and dry off in the oven or with heat gun. Start off with white spirit for very greasy jobs.

Almost right, Emgee. I dont know much about starter nomenclature, so when I read 'DOL' I googled the term and found all the references were to 3phase. In fact I have been using and wiring in both single and 3phase DOLs for long enough! ( A bit like the man surprised to learn he had been speaking in prose all his life!).

'did you complete the cct and turn it into a ring main? which must complete directly at the dis board '

Thanks, Brian. Yes it was a complete ring main, though this was not my own workshop (where I also have a complete ring main) but I was installing the machine for a friend.

Emgee, So far as I am aware the term 'DOL starter' properly referrs to a 3phase starter.

I recently installed a circular saw with 3HP Capacitor start motor, 2.2 Kw, 10A. Finish installation, start motor, instantaneous trip of 16A breaker. Tried starting with extension lead from a different circuit, ran nicely.

Electrician said 'long lead, high resistance makes a difference'.. .. Anyway, I advised changing the breaker to 32A; cant have long trailing leads in a workshop!

Mike Haughton is correct in his comments about Led light longevity. I have installed a lot of GU10 LEDs in house and workshop, and some lasted a very short time. Also I installed LED strip in the kitchen as under-cabinet lighting about 4 years ago, but the output has dropped drastically in that time. On the other hand I installed a LED GU10 in the loft to deter squirrels (very effective) which has been burning continuously now for 9 years - 80,000hours!

A tip which may be useful: GU10 lights have a self-contained led driver in the base, so it is possible to use this as a remote unit and affix the LED panel in places where a full-size unit would be too large.

Hi Gary,

Yes, I would appreciate a drawing for the long extension block; a.m(at)khotso.co.uk

There are still several firms in West Yorkshire who might be prepared to do the job; If I find a good price I shall ask for bulk quotes and hope to find buyers on this forum.

Alan

Just bought a Centec 2 with some 2a additions; wind-up knee and sliding quill vertical head. I had most of one years ago but never got round to completing it.

I'm really impressed by the quality of the machine; I had to make a new captive draw-bar and a couple of locking screws for the micrometer dials, and changed to 3-phase with inverter, but it's now ready to go. All I need now is a long raising block so I can switch from vertical to horizontal without taking off the vertical head!

Alan

I have the later ML10 with oilite bushes, so have little problem there. However, I have recently obtained a 1/2 HP, 940 rpm 3phase motor and inverter, and am wondering whether I need a lay-shaft at all with the speed variation available (5 to 1500 rpm as I have set up the inverter).

Any advice on this, please?

I've just bought in a 3 phase 1/2 HP and VFD for my ML10, and am wondering why, with the frequency range and the RPM available (5 - 1200), I need a lay-shaft at all.

Any advice on this one?