Member postings for John Paton 1

I am trying to make contact with three people who replied to my earlier posts on this subject. (I am having some sleeves adapted 'at cost' to help others like myself who are unable to procure in the UK - they fit certain Harrison and Boxford lathes with a larger mandrel bores)

The people I am trying to contact are 'Steve', 'Peter H' and 'Peter Cook 7' but having difficulty making contact by replying to their original messages on this site. I do not have their direct email addresses.

These names may be a duplication of enquiries under another name or people who no longer follow the ME Forum, however I am making this one final attempt to reach them before offering the sleeves they had reserved to other 'stand-bys' on my list.

thanks

John

Ambersil corrosion inhibitor - as used by the Navy I believe.

It leaves a thin and slightly tacky film so is not great in dusty environments. I apply it using a trigger spray bottle.

Last year when I was moving house I had to store my garage and workshop items in a draughty, unheated industrial unit with a leaky roof. Fortunately Ambersil did just what not said on the tin and WD40 seems to clean it off easily now I am 'home and dry'.

Latest update - the Engineering firm advises that the sleeves are scheduled in for machining next week.

I am actually away from 3rd to 8th November so will be in contact with purchasers next week to firm up arrangements for payment and postage so that all is set to post the sleeves out between 9th and 12th November.

Yes Bob I have a similar issue - paid for express delivery and then get this message from Hermes

'There's a delay with the delivery of your Lighting Direct parcel.

We'll let you know when your parcel will be out for delivery.'

At one point the Hermes website referred to some exceptional or major issue but did not specify what that is / was. I had wondered if maybe that was connected with the WhatsApp outage recently as their confirmation of receipt of the parcel from the retailer appeared slow and Hermes sent that message twice, however your wife's experience predates the WhatsApp outage so maybe it is a separate issue (driver shortage, fuel difficulties and associated backlog at depot?)

Having paid the retailer extra for express delivery (1-2 days) last Thursday' and the goods not arrived on time I have asked for a refund of the postage cost (the delay has caused me to miss the deadline on the job in hand.)

Edited By John Paton 1 on 12/10/2021 08:31:54

All now spoken for but I can take two more names in reserve in case anyone changes their mind at last minute.

Thanks everyone for speedy uptake on this - makes it easy for me and reduces anxiety over recovery of my outlay.

John

Last one now, be quick if you want it as I shall not be doing this again!

I shall be taking two reserve requests after that one and will then remove my advert.

Just 2 left unspoken for now.

Just 8 unspoken for now

Just a quick update on this.

I have arranged for a batch of 24 to be made by paying a precision engineering firm to CNC turn 5MT-3MT adapter sleeves down to 4.5MT (the entire stock of 5MT sleeves from the selected 'ME Partner' supplier) with a quoted finish of 4 microns.

I am taking UK pre orders for these (see ads) This is to get one myself and to help others who are struggling to get one of these adapter sleeves. I am not looking to get a profit from this.

Over the last 24 hours I have received requests for half of the batch so it looks as though I should be able to re-home all of the sleeves by the time the machining is completed (6 week lead time)

'Where there is a will there is a way'!!

John

Right guys and gals, following this thread I have done a bit of research and the two 'discount' UK suppliers of sleeves will not be getting 4.5 taper sleeves even if we need a batch of them.

I have however spoken to a local precision engineering firm who can machine down a small batch of 5 to 3MT sleeves to 4.5MT (actually to match the taper on my original Boxford VSL collet adapter sleeve so I know it will be 'right'

It will be CNC turned using carbide tooling and he has quoted a 4micron surface finish which I am sure will suffice or needs.

The internal bore (which takes the wear) will be as supplied by the importer.

I will put an advert on this site when they are done which will be at the £40 / £45 mark if I find I have extra costs to carry but for those who contact me now wanting one 'for sure' I will be letting them go at cost which should be the magic £30 plus postage.

Lead time on machining will be 6 to 7 weeks.

Please PM me quickly / over the next week if you want one (or how many) as this will be s strict;y limited batch and `I shall be making the same offer on the Boxford site.

Basically I am doing this at cost to try and help fellow Boxford VSL users.

If others know of Harrison etc users who need 4.5 sleeves please pass on the message.

My figure of £30 was based upon cost of a 5 to 2 MT reducing sleeve bought from RDG Tools in 2019 for £15. Basically I would be prepared to pay twice that sum for a smaller sleeve and suspect there would be a good number of others like me who would pitch in quickly to buy one at that price level.

Hi Mike, I plumped for Machine DRO with the smaller magnetic coder on the cross slide and made some detailed modifications to retain maximum travel and access to lubricating points and gib adjustment screws. Fiddly but worth the effort. I also fitted a cable carrier to the rear of the lathe bed to keep the wiring out of harms way. With some materials I get a lot of springy swarf just where the cables run!

This kit has transformed my life and I can now machine to much closer tolerances first time so I would say ' go with it'!

4.5MT is also used on Boxford VSL headstock. Boxfords produced an adapted sleeve for 5C collets as well as a reducing sleeve but these are now out of stock and apparently not being remanugactured.

I have a 5C adapter but would buy a 3MT reducing sleeve if they were hardened and ground and available for under £30.

I believe there are a number of VSL owners who would want one too as this issue has cropped up in the Boxford User Group in the past.

on the VSL the 5C adapter is a bit more complex but that is off topic so let's not get drawn into that here.

Edited By John Paton 1 on 29/08/2021 22:15:54

My 2B (As well as the one I had previously) both had the motor mounted inside the cabinet on 'goalposts' as others describe. Slots in the angle give the required scope for adjustment.

The only reason I can see for mounting the motor the other way round would be to increase storage space inside the cabinet, but I would have thought that little is to be gained by that (not easy to reach into the rear part of the cabinet under the drip tray) and it must result in the machine standing well forward of other machinery / workbench.

The Centec 'goalpost' gives a very rigid mounting and belts provide ample resilience. The suds tank lies blow the removable plate below the motor mount. If not using that tank one can fill the void with sand to damp down any vibration.

Centec design always struck me as being pretty well sorted, a very capable machine for its size and as time goes on it is amazing how many continue to give faithful service.

Edited By John Paton 1 on 06/08/2021 21:50:01

Edited By John Paton 1 on 06/08/2021 21:52:25

This looks very similar to the work holder on a small valve refacing machine I once owned.

At one time any decent garage had one as valve grinding was a standard requirement at 50k miles ( and valve lapping at pretty much every service!)

I still have the diamond fixture used to true the grinding wheel and only hung on to this in the hope that one day someone will say they need one.

Hmmm - I suspect that lumps of lead of identical size and shape to Brazil nuts would not rise to ten surface so maybe the study is incomplete?

Other Brazil nut trivia is that they are quite highly radioactive - at least the shells are.

Just to add another possibility as I have experienced it a couple of times - insects getting into switchgear.they like to0 lay up for winter in hidden holes like switch boxes. On one occasion an earwig gave sufficient electrical path in a plug top to actually blow the fuse (he ended up as a carbon track!)

I have also heard of people getting earth faults from fine brass dust getting into mischievous places. You will know best how clean you machine is but it might be worth taking a look under cover plates to electrical connections before rushing out and changing the motor.

If it trips only when you try and start the motor (as opposed to when you switch on the machine with the motor stationary) it could be the start capacitor failing. Any capacitor over 10 years old will be a suspect and as others have said arcing from the contractor or the motor's centrifugal capacitor start switch can also trip RCDs.

Welcome to the forum Tom, I am in Weymouth having just moved house.

I cannot believe how long it takes to re-establish the workshop and trying to thin out non essentials as I have far less space in the new workshop. Storage is at a premium so all those ' hard to find, may be useful one day' items really must go.

( things like Triumph Herald / spitfire engines and worse still a couple of 3 litre jag engines which weigh a ton!)

Having just had to change to tail light on my campervan I could have done with the 158 forum members to help.

the gas bottle storage space and wardrobe are built in on top of the trim that hides the lamp cluster and the two nuts that retain the unit need Houdini stills to get your arm through the aperture in the panelling, down the door post, vet the wiring bundle and just past the sharp metal body panel.

oh Neils list doesn’t include such divergent comments, but glad to see your understanding of the forum.

John

But just the job for scoring your pork joint to make nice crackling. (yes I am about to sit down to eat so have a certain mind focus!)