Member postings for Jon Lawes

I have the SX2.7L and think its fantastic for the money.

I always stamp my postcode into my boilers as part of the boiler number.

I better not move house!

Using a Vice as a press certainly counts as misuse in my eyes.

Have I done it myself? Of course I have.

My Gipsy Queen engine has metric threads with imperial widths across the nut and bolt heads. That threw me for a while.

Sounds very interesting! Are you using an arduino, Raspberry pi, something like that?

Looking forward to reading your exploits.

Today I finished my Fluroscint valves for my Britannia. Hopefully will cure the cloud of steam that swamped my last run out.

For my day job I work as an engineer at a Charity that keeps vintage Royal Navy aircraft flying. We are currently in the process of scoping out the acquisition of a Gannet to add to the fleet. However before we do that we need engineers with experience of the Gannet aircraft to assist with assessing what will need to be done with the one we are hoping to acquire before it can be returned to the UK from its current base in the USA.

If anyone has any Gannet experience that would be relevant they would really love to hear from you.

https://navywings.org.uk/

Edited By Jon Lawes on 11/08/2023 21:06:05

How interesting! Small motors are fascinating.

A few years ago when I was into photography I remember being impressed with Canon's ultrasonic range of lenses. I never looked into it enough to find out if they were genuinely powered by ultrasonic waves as some claimed (which seems unlikely but possible). I guess I know what I'm googling this afternoon.

I was quite lucky that when my grandfather passed away he had left a book with notes on everything, stating to the uninitiated what was of value and what could go to scrap. I plan to do the same for my family.

I would also suggest contacting his model engineering society (assuming he had one). They are usually pretty helpful.

If you post a photo of the steam engine up at some point we can probably identify it, which would help with estimates. Also if he had any large machine tools photos of them might assist, but remain vauge with your location details!

I'm delighted to hear of a Hindley product being modelled. I live close to the old factory site, if you can call it that.

The ford Ka was intended originally to have a very innovative two stroke engine, but legislation insisted that they put a catalyser on it. They couldn't get it to work effectively and blew their budget and time constraints, so the antique kent engine went into it instead. Apparently an overhead valve engine wouldn't fit under the tightly sloping bonnet.

Source; ex-ford designer at a Haynes Museum display.

For a second I thought they were tubular rivets, I need a load in T50!

I enjoy progress threads like this. When I can't get out to my workshop myself I machine vicariously through others! Thank you.

I've never heard of the polar bear fur physics, that sounds like it needs a deeper dive! Thanks

The military use PX24, with variants called PX32 etc with varying viscosity. The aircraft get liberally coated with PX24 when operating over saltwater.

It does sound like you Saw the Texans that the Services recently got. Turboprop, not quiet, and we had a couple at Yeovilton today.

Edited By Jon Lawes on 06/06/2023 18:10:06

That's a Grob Tutor. We share a hangar with a squadron of those at Yeovilton.

I'm about to use exactly that technique on a Fairey Swordfish instrument panel Clive. Engravers Wax.

The label says

"Granularity No. 2 - model Kang Abrasive JR Concentration. Binding agent Specification 2"

I bought some sockets that wire into the wall; so effectively a double 13A socket with USB adaptors built in. They were from a very reputable brand.

Not only did they not charge certain items fully (for example when I plug my USB charger in to charge the 18650 cells I use for my steam blower they would only charge to around 80%. Any other USB adaptor worked fine. It was well within the current rating) but more irritatingly they would generate a high pitched squeal when used. It was right on the threshold of my hearing but bad enough to be uncomfortable. I suspect it was a poorly designed SMPS.

They went straight back.