Member postings for lee webster

The friendliest cad programme I have used is Designspark Mechanical. The basic version is free, with the option of pay per month for upgraded versions. I am starting to get to grips with SolidEdge community edition, which has better features than DS, but it is hard going. I am still waiting for a version of FreeCAD to be released that has the features I want. F360 requires an internet connection (I believe) and my cad computer is an internet free zone. Alibre seems to be the go to cad used by many here, and seems to be getting better with each new release.

It's been a year since I bought filament. I paid somewhere around £20 for 1kg. I would be wary of someone selling it at £9.95. If it was from a reputable buyer, I would be tempted. The last time I bought filament I saw a great variation in price. I checked the companies out with an on-line "are they any good" website, and most of the cheapies had a poor reputation. I used Technology Outlet, I bought both my printers from them, the filament is Copymaster3D. Very little distortion, if any. Sands and scrapes well, takes filler and paint. Long lifetime? Too soon to tell.

Is that iron? It would be interesting to know how you managed the part below the parting line.

I am unfamiliar with the explosive capabilities of custard in any form. I am however reminded of the demise of the treacle mines in my old home town of Hemel (treacle bumstead) Hempstead. It was in the mid 1800s that the largest treacle mine in Hemel, if not in England, suffered a devastating explosion that caused many injuries. It couldn't be determined if the explosion was caused by the treacle fumes being ignited by a candle, or by a spark by a steel tipped treacle drill. The mining of treacle in England was determined to be too dangerous. Ever since then we have imported our treacle.

Only the rich could afford mined treacle, the working classes had to make do with artificial treacle.

Hi Graham. Welcome to the forum.

I am a retired carpenter, but by the sound of it, not in the same league as you! I recollect that I might have had a hand in building a very large warehouse in/near Daventry, but it was forty or more years ago, so I might be wrong.

It would be interesting to hear about the tooling you are making.

Oh nice try Colin! Custard was invented, I'm not falling for that old chestnut!

Still searching for the plant/bush/tree.

I remember the news article. It was that, and having lived in Hemel Hempstead for many years (Hemel is also know as "treacle bumpstead" because of the treacle mines) that makes me search for a good custard plant.

Thanks for the replies, I was afraid that some might not think me serious.

Well, a custard plant really. I can buy tins of custard from Morrisons, but I would rather grow my own. I grow rhubarb, and there are blackberries growing at the bottom of my garden. A few days ago I picked rhubarb and blackberries and cooked the rhubarb in the microwave. Easy. After cooking, I added the blackberries and warmed some custard separately. A very enjoyable sweet, not too much sugar, just a sprinkle. I then thought, "why am I buying custard? I should be growing my own". So, any reccomendations? I do have a small greenhouse if required.

A friend suggested Birds custard, but I am a vegetarian, so I can't eat birds.

Yes, I agree. Well put.

I wonder how a paint by numbers painting would fare at an art exhibition? Would a judge be looking at subject matter, or the skill required to keep inside the lines?

Don't get me started on anything produced by Andy Warhol.

My 10 year old 54,000 mile citroen c3 has just had a complete clutch kit fitted at a local garage (it included the thrust mechanism, which was totally worn out). Total cost was £540. My 90 year old Austin seven has probably had several new clutches in its 300 to 400,000 mile life. But is still fitted with the same clutch thrust mechanism. Perhaps citroen should buy used A7 parts?

A slightly higher than normal electricity cost a few days ago had me wondering why, until I remembered my Ender3 was running a 5 hour print that was nearly done. The print added 20p to my daily electric costs. I think that's a very reasonable outlay considering what it was doing. When I next use my resin printer I will take a before and after reading of the smart meter remote.

I have seen videos about valve seat inserts. They seem to involve heat and extreme cold. I thought a single plate would be a lot easier.

I thought I had better get acquainted with valve cages when I started to draw a small engine in Solidedge. I watched a video by Andrew Whale on the tube. The design was similar to how I thought it would be. But I also wondered if a steel plate with the valve seats could be fixed into an aluminium head.

The silver part is the steel plate, one in place in the head, and one outside to show the shape. I drew the plate at 5mm thick, but I'm sure it could be thinner. The plate is held in place with two bolts/screws with sealant between head and plate.

The cutaway pic shows how the plate would sit in a machined recess in the head.

Is this viable? I feel that I have seen something like it somewhere.

Today I planted a rose bush given to me as a birthday prezzie. A few friends held a party/get together at my house yesterday. There were six of us. One of them gave me the rose bush. We sat in the conservatory and everyone was amazed by one of my roses, a large plant with purple flowers. They thought it quite rare to see a purple rose. There is only one rose open on it at the moment, several weeks ago there were at least forty. I also picked several beetroot to give to my friend who gave me the rose. Others at the party have also asked for some beetroot and rhubarb. Tomorrow I will go to a local (small) market for a look round. I am now actively looking for a one-person brake bleeding kit that doesn't rely on a spare tyre to work.

Michael, opposite your post in the "shopping partners" box is a link to MMK. I clicked to see if was active and it is. The website is a mess. I wanted to look at what they have listed as low melt metals, but each catagory is represented by a picture with the number of items in that catagory listed. Which picture do I click on? I dislike poorly constructed websites. If they can't be bothered to present a good web face, I don't bother.

Solid Edge has similar capabilities. I hardly use them, it's too much work. But when I wanted to see what an engine design looked like all tarted up, it did an excellent job. Designspark Mechanical on the other hand is best used to design the thing and do the colouring in, in your head.

I have a web inside by my front door. It was made by one of those very small spiders with legs much longer than their body. I leave it alone because of the amount of dead woodlice on the carpet (cleaned up by me, I might add). Rather a web than woodlice.

I just hope my (human) visitors tomorrow see the point.

James. Twin leading shoe sounds like a better idea than hydraulic. I have 3 A7s, they all have hydraulic, so I have 3 cars to rebuild the brakes on. If they were cable/rod, I could be driving them instead!

When a friend took his A7 to a local garage to have it converted to hydraulic, he gave them my number so they could contact me for advice. When the owner of the garage phoned me to ask what to do, I said don't do it. Rebuild the standard brakes completely, with brand new parts. He agreed and my friend didn't have the work done. I sold the hydraulic conversion for him, I should have kept the bits for myself!

A friend of mine used a website that had a selection of video animations for all occasions, including Christmas. The videos had music to suit the mood, and you could add a personal message. I don't tnink she had to pay anything, but I could be wrong.

I am afraid that mister misery here is very much a fan of the beloved Christmas character, Scrooge. When my sisters ask me what I want for Christmas my reply is.

What I want, you can't afford. And what you can afford, I don't want.

Happy Humbug!