Member postings for Chris Pearson 1

When I installed my Myford 254 in a room which measures 2.6 x 2.0 m with the door at the end of a long wall, the tricky part was getting the engine hoist out from underneath it. The only possibility seemed to be to leave it on some paving bricks.

Then I had to remove the bricks.

I used a 2-ton bottle jack and a bit of 2" x 2" (maybe bigger) timber. I drilled a hole in the end of the timber so that it could not slip off the jack, and made a notch in the other end. This enabled me to jack up each end separately just enough to remove one brick (or pair of bricks) at a time.

As suggested above, you would need to cut the pallet.

The advantage of my method is that only around half of the weight of the lathe had to be supported.

I would not even think of supporting it under a bar. It could bend catastrophically, or the whole rig could topple.

I think that it is the modern idea of being grafted to one's mobile. 'Phone rings and everything else stops.

I take mine to work 'cos it is needed to verify my identity from time to time, but why work does not supply a device is a mystery. Still, whilst actually working, it has to be off or silent.

I take it on long journeys in case of a breakdown.

Otherwise it sits on my desk.

Drove home from work (16 miles or so) at no more than 20 mph.

The car was serviced last week and some twonk neglected to tighten the screws which hold the undertray with the result that at higher speeds the air was getting over it and it was hitting the ground.

Thankfully, the sump plug has been properly tightened.

Essential!

And I think that they like old folk. I did when I was wee. Problem is that parents get in the way!

From one Chris to another, I understand. I did what I set out to do with my Alvis today, though it finished in the evening sun. The only history of the car (which I bought at auction) that I know is that the previous owner had spent many years restoring it, but Parkinson's had taken over and he had had to abandon it. That was evident in several aspects which needed to be finished off or re-done, the most recent being the magneto/off/coil switch.

I thank God that my duff shoulder is the left one - starting handles do not really work with the left arm, and the starter motor is b******d, but that is another story.

I have (as the French say) 64 years, so if I am very very lucky I have the last quarter of my life to come. I am trying not to slow down, but I cannot help it.

Last thought: I feel sure that President Biden has a significant degree of Parkinson's and he is up for a second term!!!

Watching the Coronation.

Afterwards, one of my tasks was to identify a thread of a hole which passes through a rod. I had to get out all my pitch gauges and put on a pair of loupes. 1/8" Whit is closest, but although a tap will easily go through the hole, the existing screw does appear to have been forced in.

It may be easier to replace the whole wretched thing.

I can sympathize with many of the sentiments above.

I don't make models of things, but I do make things. This week's challenge is to fix the linkage between the switch on the instrument panel and the magneto/coil changeover switch on the bulkhead of my vintage Alvis. I have a deadline to meet before rallying next weekend.

The point which I want to make is that you could offer to fix things for family and friends. For me, once you have agreed to do something for somebody else, you have no excuse - you have to get on and do it.

HTH.

Ah, a good old fashioned sweat shop!

Continuing the gardening theme: notwithstanding that there is work to be done in the workshop, I trimmed more of my 9 ft conifer hedge. It isn't getting any easier as I get older and more arthritic!

But, why are badgers (I think) digging up my potato patch?

I can recall an auction of remaining stock circa 2011. The Myford name was subsequently sold, but not the remains of the business. Although the sale was described as a "liquidation sale", it seems that the business simply ceased trading. The land was subsequently redeveloped and the company was finally dissolved and its assets (which were significant) were distributed in 2021.

So I don't think that it is true to say that Myford "went bust".

Part 3 of BS 1363 covers adaptors.

Which was to some extent the point that I was making. If it is not certified to BS 1363, it should not be plugged into a BS 1363 socket, and a BS 1363 plug should not be plugged into it. It may even be an offence to supply it.

More to the point is whether it complies with BS 1363 (which certainly does specify dimensions).

If you want Myford bits and bobs, eBay is your friend. You just have to be patient. The one thing that I regret not buying from the old company was a D1-3 spindle, but I have managed to acquire just about every accessory ever made for my 254 plus.

The dregs of the original Myford company were bought out about 11 or 12 years ago. I have done business with Christian Dickinson (the current owner) since before then and last did so a couple of weeks ago. No problems at all.

Regarding myford-lathes.com, Howard is not cheap, but you get what you pay for and once again, reliable.

The problem with a lathe in a ship (above or below water) is that the deck is apt to twist, especially in rough weather. (Yes, I do know that there isn't any weather below the surface.)

Bear in mind that MCBs (and fuses) trip not only if there is a short, but also if there is a sustained overload. Heat and smoke suggests the latter.

They are put together with metric nuts and bolts.

Mine sits on original factory feet.

In theory, the cabinet should be secured to the floor and then the lathe is levelled on the cabinet. When I say, "levelled" is does not have to be level. After all, you want the suds to drain to the back right. What you do not want (obviously) is a twisted bed.

I have never loosened my lathe's attachment to the cabinet - the combination seems to be pretty rigid. If I were to slacken off completely one of the feet, the cabinet would simply rock - it does not twist.

You would be pretty lucky to have a perfectly flat floor in your workshop, and even if it were now, it may not remain so. I suggest that the advantage of the feet is that you can get the cabinet stable on the floor and adjust for run-off. They are nothing to do with vibration.

Edited By Chris Pearson 1 on 24/04/2023 21:39:58

My inclination is that the tool should be set at the height which the manufacturer advises; and this may not be the same for a ground HSS tool compared with carbide inserts.

It also begs the question as to which surface is doing the cutting.