Member postings for File Handle

I was going to say that I hadn't recieved the email until I looked in Spam, and there it was.

I love my old record 112, partly because I got it for nothing as it was rusted solid (but Plus gas, patience and a coat of paint soon restored it) and the amount of abuse it can take.

Is the announcement that the Oct 6th edition of ME is out today a mistake? I assumed that it was put up too early on the website, but did look in Smiths today to see if it really was out today. I didn't find it.

I found getting to the Doncaster one easier than Harrogate. Its also closer for me. Sad that it moved.

Some open ended spanner and ring spanner sets did have two of each size, except for the smallest and largest sizes, but not true for most combination and socket sets. Although I do have a socket set that does duplicate sizes having 6 and 12 point sockets.

I had always use the partial plain shank for a bolt, and fully threaded for a screw, until a few years ago someone on the web said I was wrong and that a bolt screws into a nut and if it screws into something else it is a screw. When i thought about it this idea did have some merit, but if you are selling them the same thing might have its name determined by how you intend to use it, confusing.
No definition really works.
Partially threaded capscrews have already been mentioned.
Coach bolts might be partially or fully threaded, if you ask for a coach screw you will get one that screws directly into wood (a hefty wood screw with a square or now mainly hex head) not a fully threaded coach bolt.
For some jobs I use what I call gutter bolts, but more often roofing bolts. round slotted head and square nuts. I was given several boxes of then decades ago when an agricultural building constructor had a clear out from his van. These are fully threaded, but calling them screws would cause confusion as roofing screws are used to go directly into wood or steel, being self drilling.
If you ask the general public I suspect the most will call anything with a parallel thread and head a bolt.
But its clear that no definition really works. Perhaps like the Eskimos have hundreds of names for snow, we need more names for bolts / screws to avoid confusion. Probably why no descriptor is complete without a photo.
i really wrote the initial post to see what the language police thought.
Thanks for all of the contributions.

In my collection of many fittings and fixings is a small bag labeled by the supplier as "Hexagonal screws and nuts 10 UNF".
Because they have nuts, should they be called bolts? Or are they screws because they are fully threaded.
It makes sense that a bolt only needs to be threaded for the length that will have a nut on plus a bit more, as it will be a better fit in the holes of the 2 parts that it holds together. But the same could be said if two parts are joined by a screw going into the second part.
i.e. is it a bolt if it screws into a nut and a screw if it screws into something other than a nut? might be controversial. Or doesn't it matter which term is used?
Secondary why are small sized given a number rather than a dimension? Did it just follow on from this being the case with BA?

One suggested way of heating a greenhouse is to use 45gal oil drums painted black and full of water.

Mine broke in exactly the same way as Jason's. But I think that its partly a design flaw, the jaw of this 2" one being too thin for the thread size. I know I bought it at a steam rally some time ago, but forget from who. My 2.5 " ones from Machine Mart are considerably thicker and have been fine.
I now have made 3 plus repaired the broken ones.
One with 8mm sq jaws, one with the T addition creating one narrow jaw, and today I started making ones from 12mmsq, but with tapers on 3 sides of the jaw, the side ones being slightly concave, almost coming to a parallel 4mm near the tips. This was my original thought, Jason steered me back to this idea.

So I have a selection to play with now. All made from mild steel.

Thanks for all of the comments
Keith

Looking at Harold Hall's site the thread used is half the thickness of the jaws. This was not the case on the one I broke, 3/16th thread and jaws substantially under 3/8th. This would contribute to the failure. As an experiment I have made one were I went the other way, 4BA thread and 8mm jaw. But I also like Neil's idea of thinning the end of the jaws, so a future plan is to use 12mm square and reduce the jaw ends to 8mm.
HH design uses metric threaded rod, so course, but he does also suggest using ME threads for a finer thread.
Does the taper on the end of the jaws have a purpose, or is it just to look better, or how they have always been made.

Finally got in the workshop today. i made a simple modification to one of my 12mm sq jaws. Fixed a short length of 20mm T section mild steel to the top jaw using a couple of 4BA screws. Works well.
I like Neil's idea of using 2 screws instead of my threaded rod and nuts. Next time I make one I will try this.
I didn't use Jason's idea as the rear nut prevents the two jaws meeting, although a cutaway where the rear threaded rod enters the jaw would solve this, allowing the nut to drop flush with the jaw.
I made these cruder versions of Harold Halls alternative some time ago. His look nicer.

I was using a tommy bar (small nail) but didn't apply much force. I did think of Jason's idea.but have a couple of others I am going to try for future use. The piece of steel I was holding is Ushaped so one jaw has to be thin to fit into the U, hence my idea of a fixed insert. But might try the jaws being a fixed width apart with screws to give the grip.

Recently I has holding a kitchen cabinet hinge in a vice via a toolmakers clamp. Modifying the hinge as one of ours broke and its an unusual design that I could not find on the Internet. On my second adjustment I managed to be a bit hamfisted and broke the clamp across the thread hole. Actually I didn't think I was being that brutal with it, but after tapping their is not much metal left creating a weak point. I made a replacement part. I did wonder if hardening the jaws does make them weaker?
But it occurred to me that it is a bit of a design flaw, they should be a bit wider around the tapped area.
It occurred to me that I could have used a larger strong one with a thinner piece that would fit inside the hinge part, but it would be fiddly keeping it all aligned. So why not have a thinner piece that can be screwed to the inside of the jaw or a series of screws that can be used in the gap. Not done so yet but intend to make a couple from 12mm sq mild steel, one that will take a narrow insert on one, perhaps both jaws and one that is tapped for 2 or 3 screws.
The previous ones I have made are cruder than commercial or neater homemade ones. Simply 2 pieces of threaded rod inserted in one jaw and 2 nuts that adjust and tighten the other one. I thought my crude design was unique to me untill I saw an identical one in a photo in ME. The one I broke was a commercial one that I bought some time ago.
Has anyone tried a similar modification?

If it is a pipe thread, it would make sense as old pipe would make a useful stand.

I am always surprised by the price of Bisley style sets of drawers in antique centres. But I guess people are prepared to pay their prices.

Also store items in Bisley style drawers. Some of the Really Useful inserts fit them, I also use home made inserts. They tend to be very flexible. And for me the price of 2 sets of metal drawers was zero, so an added bonus. Unless well sealed timber drawers are more likely to cause rust due to absorbing and giving off moisture.

Replied, Thanks for your message.

I agree that the raglan could be a good buy with a bit of work. I might have been tempted to put in a cheeky bid, but its location puts me off. Will keep looking. I must admit that I am not totally sure why I was looking at Drummond Bs, the comments above have made me have a rethink, will keep looking. Thanks for all of the comments, they have helped me clarify things.

Another Libre office user. Its database is limited, but WP and spreadsheet are fine.

I enjoyed the eating of Elephants in ME. Partly the writing style and partly because it was done on an old lathe.

I do keep thinking about buying an old lathe to "play with".

Looking on a well known auction site for old Drummonds I am surprised what is being asked for them. I thought that something like a B ought to be about £200 or less for something that is still working, although may need some fettling. Many are asking more than double this. Some claim to be restored, but often this appears to mean they have been painted.

One looked very cheap, but has no saddle, crossslide or tool post, but thats not that obvious from the description and the photos are pretty bad. I assume that these parts being missing mean that it is only fit for spare parts.Although not much, it would cost more to fetch it.
Another has damage to the T slots the topslide bolts onto, how serious is this? Been stripped for painting, always a concern if one has been painted.But the price seems OKish.
Others are either too expensive or sold as spare / repair for well over £299.
Sold listings do make it seem that my £200 is realistic. Once you get a lot more than that a new chinese one looks attractive.
Is my £200 a realistic price?