Member postings for Frank Gorse

I’ve read somewhere-can’t remember where- that one of the colours of Corian is a reasonable match. And that would be available in the dimensions you need whereas ivory substitute is often only listed in smallish rounds for turning.

Just looked,loads of offcuts on ebay.

Edited By Frank Gorse on 14/10/2021 14:06:30

On mine A and B are 1/4BSF,can’t help with the others I’m afraid

Derny,I think. Though I suppose a skellington might finish up on a gurney.

I’ve heard iroko called a lot of names,usually with an expletive attached,but never ironwood. Apart from the dust,which can be evil,it’s notoriously unstable-rip a straight piece and you may finish up with two banana- shaped ones.

There’s another African timber called Ekki or Red Ironwood (Lophira alata). Now that’s really hard and very heavy

The word ‘some’ is only used in the phrase‘some job’

The only possible inference from the original letter is that all local tradesmen are cowboys and most get up to dirty tricks.

Brian,I’m fairly sure that a number of members on this forum(Jason?) are or have been in the building and related trades. You appear to dismiss them-us- all as ‘cowboys’ who get up to ‘dirty tricks’. Perhaps you would like to reconsider that ?

Speaking as one who never,ever gets anything wrong- stay with us Bill!

William,I’m sending you a pm

It was GHT He’s talking about tool height,which is constant along the length unlike tailstock height the effect of which increases but the result must be very similar.

Using a 2MT shank as an example,with the tool 10 thou high or low he calculates the error on diameter to be 0.000058” and the hollow in the middle 0.00000135”. which even he describes as ‘insignificant’ And,he tells us,always a hollow,never a barrel shape.

(Model Engineers Workshop Manual,p139 ,’the myth of tool height setting’

Edited By Frank Gorse on 07/06/2021 20:21:28

You can’t judge plywood by its colour,have a look at the cheaper grade supplied by Fyne Boat kits(usual disclaimer) which is to BS 1088 and also FSC certified. And I’ve had some with a very rough surface ,from a trusted local supplier,which also complies and has been perfectly ok in use.

M machine metals list it,also same size in steel.

Sorry,ignore that,misread size!

Okay,third try,they really do list 150x150mmEdited By Frank Gorse on 16/04/2021 22:18:09

Edited By Frank Gorse on 16/04/2021 22:21:38

I like Bernard’s version myself,are there any drawings anywhere to save me from making several scrap ones?

How about a disc of,say,thick MDF with a recess cut out to clear the spigot. Safer than loose parallels.Then the whole thing clamped to the faceplate.

Incidentally,where did you get the casting from?

There was a Super7 for sale near Inverness a few weeks back,very similar advert. Anyone know what happened to that? The option of collecting may be a bluff,knowing that most of the population is under house arrest at present. It’s a shame we’ve all been made so sceptical but there are lots of crooks out there.

There’s a grinder designed by Derek Brooks in MEW 16-17,all fabricated,which has been called the Brooks Stent. There’s a lot of info about it,including pictures and errata, on the Gadgetbuilder website. I’ve been thinking about building one ever since the article appeared,nearly 28 years ago now.

According to Wikipedia-yes, I know- burning 1 gallon of kerosene produces 10 pints of water. Even if the figures are not exact surely that tells us all we need to know.

I recently discovered Julius Sumner Miller,professor of Physics and enthusiasm. And nobody has yet mentioned the brilliant Dan Gelbart. Both highly recommended.Sorry,don’t know how to do links.

‘Drying wet bikes out’ is the first problem you need to solve. Every bit of moisture you carry into the workshop has the potential to become condensation on any cold surface. Machines are big heavy things that take a long time to warm up so are the first places for condensation to form. The British climate tends to be pretty soggy too so keeping it outside is best for most of the year. Insulation can only be a good thing,not only to keep the heat in but also to prevent sudden temperature increases,as when a warm (ie wet) front comes along.

I used to have an unheated,uninsulated and badly sealed workshop in one of the wettest bits of Britain so have given the matter some consideration. Dehumidifiers are great but you must do a good job of draghtproofing,otherwise you’re trying to dry out the entire planet.

Times like this I’m glad I have Van Gogh’s ear for music.

It’s a nice project but if you want something that does the job for a fraction of the work there’s one in ‘The Amateur’s Lathe’ by LH Sparey. His only provides one length stop but it’s a simple enough modification. I fully agree with Baz,by the way,that the place for a saddle lock is at the saddle.